St. Francis was a man of penance. He embraced radical penitential practices and subjected himself to severe disciplines (2 Celano, 97). He often called his body “Brother Ass” (i.e. donkey). He wrote in his letter to the Faithful: “All those who love the Lord with their whole heart … and hate their bodies with their vices and sins … produce worthy fruits of penance.” In the 10th Admonition, he wrote, “Many people, when they sin or receive an injury, often blame the Enemy or a neighbor, but this is not right, for each one has the real enemy in his own power; that is, the body through which he sins.” Clare is known to have fasted equally rigorously, and to have treated her body harshly, as well (cf. witnesses of canonization process.) Their penances were so harsh that they may seem excessive or extreme to us today. In a post-Vatican II Church that has sought to correct past abuses and excesses, how should we, then, understand Franciscan penance today?

To begin looking at Francis’s attitudes towards penance, it is helpful to have some background on the penitential movement. When Francis left his family and set out on his own to live his new converted way of life, he began imitating the penitents who lived around Assisi. He took on a traditional penitential life that had been around for many centuries. A wonderful book describing the history of this movement in the Church and in the origins of the Franciscan movement is “St. Francis and the Third Order” by Raffaele Pazzelli, TOR. Pazzelli notes that the origins of the practice of penance are found in the Bible. In the original Greek language of the New Testament, both Jesus and John the Baptist urge their followers towards metanoia, which means “to have a change of actions, mind and heart.” (cf. Matthew 3:2; 4:17). First John the Baptist, then Jesus command their listeners, “Metanoeite!”, which means “Have a change of heart!” This phrase was translated into the Latin Vulgate as “Agite paenitentiam!” (literally, “do penance”). Then, the words were translated in the English Bible as “Repent!” Thus, the original biblical meaning of penance and repentance is metanoia, which mean to change one’s heart, mind, behavior, and attitudes.

In later centuries, the understanding of penance, or metanoia, would shift from an interior conversion experience into a series of external acts. Penances were prescribed to Christians who had committed serious sins after baptism, like murder, sorcery, or renunciation of the faith. In an era before confession and absolution were available as a private sacrament, public penances were the only way to be reconciled or fully re-integrated to the Church after committing serious sins. The authority, usually the bishop or maybe an abbot, would order the penitent to perform these penances for one to a few years, or sometimes even a lifetime. The acts often included fasting, fixed daily prayers, particular garb usually comprising a hair-shirt, tunic, and open shoes (i.e. sandals). As the penitents had sometimes committed violent sins, they were forbidden to bear arms, serve in the military, or work in public service. In later times, around the 6th century, the sacrament of private reconciliation/confession directly to a priest became the normative way a Christian received forgiveness for sins, even serious ones. From this time onwards, involuntary penance fell into disuse.

However, in roughly the same time, Christians who had committed no serious sins, but who desired to imitate Christ and his sacrifices more closely, adopted voluntarily many of these same penitential practices. Such voluntary penance became a non-centralized movement among lay persons not associated with an established religious Order or monastery. It took different forms like living as a hermit or recluse either alone or in small communities, or living as an Oblate or conversus associated with a church or monastery. It could involve married or single people, consecrated or laypersons, men or women. These people became known as penitents, and they maintained many of the same penitential practices of fasting, daily prayer, wearing tunics, refraining from military service, or occupations like merchants or public servants.

When Francis’s conversion began, he chose to live as the lay-penitents around Assisi. After leaving his father’s house, he became a penitential Oblate associated with the church of San Damiano. In fact, his association with the local church put him under canon law, not civil law, which is why his father’s grievance against Francis (stealing from him) was heard by the bishop, and not the mayor. After Francis left his father, he dressed in the penitential tunic, served lepers, and gave alms to the poor. And after the first followers came, they joined him in this penitential life. When asked who they were, Francis and his followers referred to themselves as penitents from Assisi (cf. Legend of the Three Companions, Chap X). It was not until they went to Rome and were granted oral approval of their way of life by Pope Innocent III in 1209 that they began calling themselves Fratres Minores (Friars Minors). Soon after this important meeting, Francis’s fledgling group of penitents would emerge from the penitential movement, and become established as a distinct Order within the Church: the Order of Friars Minor.

So how did Francis understand penance? First, Francis’s understanding of penance is the same as the biblical sense of turning away from sin and having a conversion of heart, which is metanoia. He states in the first line of his Testament that he began to do penance by serving lepers. “The Lord granted me, Brother Francis, to begin to do penance in this way: While I was in sin, it seemed very bitter to me to see lepers. And the Lord Himself led me among them and I had mercy upon them. And when I left them that which seemed bitter to me was changed into sweetness of soul and body; and afterward I lingered a little and left the world.” Thus, in Francis’s experience with the lepers, we clearly see not just an external action, but a change of heart – a metanoia. His bitterness was changed into sweetness, and he was transformed. For him penance was not merely an external act, but it was an act accompanied by an internal change of heart. Penance changed him and brought him closer to God.

Although commonly confused with penance, Francis, Clare and their followers also practiced what is more properly called asceticism. Francis often mixed his food with ashes or bitter herbs to kill the taste, while Clare ate very little; Francis commonly wore a hair-shirt (a rough garment worn on the skin underneath the habit), while Clare wore a small rectangle of horsehair under her tunic; they deprived their bodies of sleep; Francis sometimes slept on stones while Clare slept on a bed of vine-branches or the bare floor using rocks for pillows; Francis is known to have responded to temptation by punishing his body by rolling around naked in thorn bushes or snow. Thus, we should distinguish between penance (a biblical metanoia), and asceticism (self-mortification). It is true that the early Franciscans regularly practiced asceticism as a form of penance, but penance was not limited to asceticism.

To understand the particular harshness of early Franciscan asceticism, we should look at it in its particular historical context. It is important to take into consideration the medieval class structure. Life was cruel in the middle Ages, and has been described as nasty, brutish, and short. It was a little easier on the upper classes of the nobility, but doubly harsh for the peasants. Since the Franciscans embraced poverty centered on the experience of the poor, crucified Christ, much of the way the early Franciscans lived was modeled after the way poor peasants lived. They sought to imitate Christ and the poor by living as they were. Thus, they sought to live out penance and asceticism as personal sacrifices in already harsh conditions.

Sometimes asceticism is confused with dualism, i.e. the spirit is good, while the body is bad. Early Franciscan asceticism was not dualistic. The heretical Cathars or Albigensians did embrace dualistic beliefs, and their beliefs were widespread in Francis’s era. They, too, embraced poverty, but not for the same reason as Francis; rather, they judged creation and the body to be evil, thus, they did not want to possess anything material for fear that such attachments would corrupt them. Francis believed that creation and material things were good, since they were created by God. (cf. Genesis 1:1-31). In particular, the human person was good, as it was created in the image of God (ibid.). In the 5th Admonition Francis wrote, “God had created you and formed you to the image of his beloved Son according to the body, and to his likeness according to the spirit.” For this reason he had a fraternal affection for all creation and considered people, animals, and all of creation his brothers and sisters.

So what did Francis mean when he spoke negatively about the body? When he referred to the body, he really meant the flesh. The understanding of “body” in the sense of “flesh” is taken directly from Holy Scripture.  Paul wrote, “I say, then: live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh. For the flesh has desires against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other…” (cf. Galatians 5: 16-17) Further, Paul wrote: “Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness… In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (ibid. 19-23; cf. also Eph 4: 22-24; Romans 8: 1-13). Thus, Francis believed at the same time that the body was good, yet sin resided within its flesh. Thus, he practiced corporal penances and asceticism seeking to discipline, even quell the flesh.

Further, Francis and the early Franciscans practiced asceticism because they believed that sin was the result of an inordinate attachment to worldly things. While fervently believing that the world was good (see above), they believed that too strong an attachment to the things of the world could lead to sin. In fact, the seven deadly sins (pride, greed, lust, gluttony, ire, sloth, and envy) are natural God-given instincts taken to the extreme. By subduing the body, or flesh, which they recognized as housing sin, they were seeking to free themselves of vices in order to live in the Spirit. They were not punishing their bodies because they believed them to be evil; rather, through self-mortifications, they were trying to detach themselves from the things of the world, avoid vices, and be free to practice virtues.

Francis’s primary form of penance was working with the lepers. We might judge that he struggled with pride before his conversion. The sources say that he often sought to look good in fine clothes, he wanted to impress people by becoming a knight, he enjoyed feasts and parties, etc. (cf. Legend Three Companions, Chap. 1).  However, these vices kept him rooted to worldly things. They prevented him from being able to truly experience, enjoy, and love God. Thus, once he discovered the humility that was necessary to work with lepers, his pride was leveled. Through working with lepers, Francis was freed of his vices, and he could love and enjoy God. And so great was the spirituality he experienced through that humble service, he continued to work with lepers all his life, and he established leprosaria throughout all of Italy. He even required that new friars work with lepers as fundamental to their formation.

So what does penance mean to us today in the modern world? How are we to understand such strict penances practiced by the early Franciscans? The first thing is that we continue to understand penance as a metanoia – a call to conversion – which is its biblical meaning. Then, we attempt to integrate penance into our lives today in the 21st century. To live as Francis and Clare lived eight centuries ago may not be necessary, practical or even possible today. However, we can certainly let their experiences shape and mold our lives today. We can seek to imitate Francis and Clare in their penances, however without engaging in extremism.

Penance always remains an act or acts that lead to metanoia – conversion. Paragraph 1435 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church says: “Conversion is accomplished in daily life by gestures of reconciliation, concern for the poor, the exercise and defense of justice and right, by the admission of faults to one’s brethren, fraternal correction, revision of life, examination of conscience, spiritual direction, acceptance of suffering, endurance of persecution for the sake of righteousness. Taking up one’s cross each day and following Jesus is the surest way of penance.” (cf. Luke 9:23).

Penance, sacrifices, and ascetic practices help us to avoid vice and grow in virtue. They reform the human condition that is naturally inclined towards selfishness and self-centeredness, and they create the interior freedom that allows the soul to re-orient itself towards altruism – other-centeredness. We can be inspired by the experience of Francis, Clare, and the early Franciscans who experienced a radical and full metanoia. Without falling into Phariseeism – showing off external mortifications in order to receive praises from the people – (cf. Matthew 6:2), or without engaging in extremism, we can discover in them what true penance is: metanoia, another way of saying conversion.

Bret Thoman, SFO, is a Third Order Franciscan who lives in Atlanta with his family. He has a certificate in Franciscan Studies and organizes and accompanies pilgrimages to Assisi and Italy with his wife.www.stfrancispilgrimages.com.

Allow me to tell you a story – A true story – a story that has taken thousands of years to be told, a story that began in eternity and that ends in the ultimate happily-ever-after. This is the story of our salvation.

Prologue
A long, long time ago, in a faraway reality, before the universe exploded into being, before time existed, a Trinitarian existence already was: God the Father – The Lover, a fountain filled and overflowing with pure, unbounded Love; God the Son (“The Eternal Word”) – The Beloved, the only one capable of returning this Love completely, because He was with God, He was in God and He was God; God the Spirit – The Exchange of Love, the desire of the Lover for the Beloved, and the Life-giving procession of Love. But all this Love was so immensely strong, that even the Trinity could not bear to keep it within the God’s own self: Because Love longs to share of itself. And in doing so, Love multiplies.

The very beginning of the first book of the Bible tells us that: The Spirit hovered over the uncreated universe like a mother eagle spreading its wings above its nest, about to give birth. Then, God the Son, the Word of God was then sent forth, and He would only return when He had done the Father’s will – and bit by bit, the Universe started to take shape.

Now, imagine an artist who creates a work of Beauty – a painting, a sculpture, a cathedral, a poem, a book, a garden, a feast. An accident is when something unintended takes place. For a good artist, there are very few accidents, and none that cannot be integrated into the final picture. A really skilled artist knows exactly what he/ she have in mind before they begin, and the really skilled artist has the skill to carry out precisely what they set out to do. For a bad artist, the result is very different from what was intended. For a really good artist, the result is just what was imagined from the very start. And God is the best of artists, and He never makes any mistakes.

Creation: an explosion of Love
Some explosions destroy. This was created. And what would this achieve? Well, God had a plan in mind: Ultimate Union.

Through his Word that went forth, God created magnificent balls of fire that floated in the darkness, and planets to spin around suns. Through His Word that went forth, God created vast lands, and seas and skies, and rock and plants and living creatures, some of which are beyond anything you and I could possibly have imagined. Through His Word that went forth, finally, God created men and women and children to live in Africa, and Asia, and Australia and on every continent on earth, except, maybe, Antarctica.

The Word would only return to the Father after God’s plan was achieved, and God indeed had a plan in mind: Ultimate Union.

God the Son, the Eternal Word that created the Universe, would become the Incarnate Word… This Divine Word would be joined completely with human flesh and mind and heart. God was the Lover and the Universe was beloved of Him, and with this Universe, He would one day be united forever. The Creator and Creation would become one. Ultimate Union indeed.

Creation rejects God
But men and women and children did not always live in the way that God wanted for them. God wished for them to be happy with Him and with each other forever, but they often chose to make themselves and others sad. They hurt each other and they became hurt themselves. The Bible tells us how God sent them Prophets and Priests and Kings, but they would not listen.

Would God become fed up with humanity and the Universe he had created? No, never. He had loved them into being, and He would love them forever. He wanted only the best for them. He would not give up on His plan for the most wonderful thing ever to happen in the history of the universe.

And so, in the middle of a cold, dark night, in a land where people lived in sorrow and fear, because of what they did to themselves and to each other, at a time when people could not ever imagine being happy again, God embraced humanity. In a sin-filled world, God’s Grace and Goodness would still be made known.

In the middle of peoples’ sadness and pain, Jesus Christ was born. Not as a prince in a King’s palace. Not as the son of a rich man. Not as a child of a celebrity couple. And His birth was not announced in the local news.

God embraced our world
He embraced a poor carpenter and his young, frightened wife. He embraced a dirty stable, where cows and sheep and goats and chickens were fed. He embraced a small town that people had forgotten. And His birth was first of all announced to smelly shepherds who were falling asleep in the fields outside.

God embraced everyone, and united Himself with us, with our world, with all of creation. Even though some people would not listen to Him, He still spoke to them. Even though some people hurt Him, He still healed them. Even though some people killed Him, He still forgave them.

By uniting Himself with creation, nothing would ever be able to prevent us from receiving His Love again – not fear, not hate, not indifference, not even death.

The coming of Jesus into our world, through the Annunciation of the Angel and through His Birth in Bethlehem is like a wedding that has taken place. Through the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, it is as if the marriage between God and the universe has been consummated. That’s what we celebrate at Christmas. That’s why Jesus came.

And if Adam and Eve never sinned?
So, if you ask, “If Adam and Eve had not sinned, would Jesus still have come?” I would reply, “Why not?” Isn’t the Union between the Creator and Creation simply the most wonderful thing you could possibly think of, that could ever to have happened in the history of the universe?

It’s not as if this Union, in the birth of Jesus Christ, was God’s way of saying, “Oops, I made a mistake, people have done something really bad, things have gotten out of control, we’d better repair it!” Of course, if human beings were not sinful, they would not have killed Jesus. But really, no matter what human beings like you and I might have done, God would still have wanted the Ultimate Union. And Jesus would have come all the same – because that was God’s plan from the beginning of the universe, even before man and women were created.

But, you ask, “Don’t we say that Jesus came because of Adam’s sin?” Well, yes and no. Think of a little boy who was sometimes good and sometimes naughty. One day he did something really bad. But you know what? His mum and his dad forgave him and loved him. And when he grew up, he would tell his friends, “If I did not do that bad thing, I would not have known how much my parents loved me.”

Did his parents love him from the start? Yes. Would they have loved him even if he was good? Of course! Would he have known his parents’ love if he had never been naughty? No question about it. So what did he mean by saying, “If I did not do that bad thing, I would not have known how much my parents loved me.” It’s a figure of speech. He is just saying how grateful he is of their love, which he happened to realise through their forgiveness. But if he had been good, I have no doubt that he would have realised that love all the same.

So, what is the meaning of ‘salvation’, then?
Some people think it’s only about being saved from our sins. Jesus does save us from our sins, by forgiving us, healing us, and helping us to live better lives, but that’s not all! In fact, it’s about being saved for – set aside, specially reserved… we have been saved for the fullness of life and Glory in God!

“One final question,” you ask, “If this is the case, if God has already united himself with us, if we are already saved for eternity, then why is there still sin and suffering in the world?” What an excellent question! Now, think of a nice young man and a lovely young woman who love each other and who have decided to get married. We’d like to think that they will live happily ever after. But let us ask the married folks here – “Do married people always live happily ever after?” We do hope and pray that every couple getting married will have great happiness together. And, chances are, they will. But although their marriage is real, we know they will also face challenges and difficulties. Sometimes they will do things that upset each other in small ways.

Sometimes they will hurt each other in big ways. Still, if they continue to be committed to each other, if they continue to have faith and hope in one another, if they continue to give of themselves to each other, then their love will grow, and one day, they will live happily ever after.

Epilogue
Well, that’s the Story of our Salvation. It’s an Epic Love Story, a story that began a long, long time ago, that is still being told today, about a Dream of a Lover, a Love that conquers all, and a Hope that prevails. The Wedding of the Lamb has taken place. The Marriage is consummated. All that remains for us is to live out its reality.

The End. But it really is just a new beginning!

Yet, when Franciscans vow to live the Gospel Life, it is obedience that has priority. How do we make sense of this apparently mediaeval concept in the 21st Century?

True obedience is far from blind compliance to authorities. In the feudal world of the Middle Ages, the insight of Francis of Assisi was that all human beings are equal as sons and daughters of the Most High God.  We are none of us inferior to any other human person, and neither are we anyone’s superior.

Obedience, therefore, is about honouring our equality in a fresh way. Some scholars suggest that the English word ‘obedience’ is related to the Latin words ob-audire which mean ‘to listen’. We yearn to be heard, to be understood and to be accepted. Obedience is about mutual respect, being attentive to another person, to learn where they are coming from, and to arrive at a deeper understanding of their needs.

Hence, true obedience does not mean mindlessly following orders and slavishly asking for permission for everything. True obedience is a courtesy that is due to every created being. It has everything to do with our reality as brothers and sisters of each other. Obedience is another word for Christ-like charity.

Francis himself demonstrated the meaning of such obedience in ways that often surprised others, and that awakened his followers to the meaning of real charity.

A famous story tells of how once, when the community was fasting during Lent, a certain brother was unable to sleep from hunger. Francis was moved with compassion. Although he would have preferred to maintain his fast, he woke all the brothers and invited them to eat with him.  He did this so that the starving brother would not be distressed by hunger and fatigue, nor be embarrassed at being the only one to be given permission to eat.

Another story tells of how Francis responded to the impoverished mother of a friar who turned up at the door asking for help. Francis asked the friars to give her the valuable prayer book they used for their daily prayers so that she could sell it to feed her family.  He did this because the greatest of all laws is Love.

Obedience, according to Francis, is the key to holiness. Instead of self-righteousness and self-centredness, true obedience is about genuine self-giving. It is such a life of mutual respect and charity that unites us with the obedience of Christ, the will of the Father, and the Spirit of Love.

This day is set aside by the Church for the faithful to come together to praise and thank God for the gift of our loved ones who have gone before us. We gather to offer our prayers for them and to reconnect ourselves with them in a special and universal way. On this day the Franciscan Friars will also be organising a special liturgical service for the deceased in our Columbarium. Therefore we are inviting our families and friends to be part of our celebration.

All Soul’s Day Mass will be at 8pm; and right after that, there will be a Blessing of the Franciscan Columbarium and Niches at 9pm.

The Remembrance of the Desire of the Soul – This was the theme of this year Transitus of St. Francis. ‘Transitus’ is a Latin word meaning ‘crossing over’, and in the Franciscan Tradition it marks the death of Francis (also of Clare). The Transitus of Francis is celebrated on the eve of the Feast of St Francis (4 October). During the Transitus the last moment of Francis is recalled.

This year the Transitus celebration was organised by the Novitiate housed at St Anthony Friary. Br Mike Goh, the Novice Director designed the celebration with the three novices and several friars, seculars, and Franciscan sisters involving at the different stages.

The celebration, held at the Church of St Mary of the Angels, was setup with four standing posters denoting the four corners of the earth represented by Fire, Water, Air, and Earth. The compass points were significant not only that they represented Francis’ Canticle of the Creatures but the universality of relationship: all are brothers and sisters.

The Celebration began with the procession of the four elements represented by a candle, a vase of water, a pot of burned incense sticks, and a pot of plant. These were borne by a friar, a Secular Franciscan, an FMM Sister, and an FMDM Sister. Br Mike, who presided over the event, followed behind the four, bearing the Friars’ Rule of 1223.

During the Celebration the novices chanted in choir Psalm 142. Buns were blessed and a larger bread, specially baked by Br Mike, was broken.

At the segment marking the point of the Francis’ death, Br Mike sprinkled ashes on to the habit that was superimposed on to the San Damiano Crucifix. He then lighted the paschal candle with some difficulty, motivating Br Mike to remark to the congregation that “Francis just refuses to die!”, prompting laughter all around.

The celebration lasted about 40 minutes ended with the distribution of the buns and light refreshment on the Piazza. There were almost 300 in attendance.

As I was preparing myself to be sent to Malaysia for a one month mission exposure, thoughts of doubts were wandering in my mind. Will I be able to bring the Gospel to the people of Masai? Can I bring the Franciscan spirit to the youths I would be working with? Would the parishioners be open to working with a new Friar? As the parish priest Friar Arul introduced me to the congregation, I could see faces of surprise, quizzical eyes and cautious smiles. Although the handshakes were warm, I did not feel at ease. I felt very vulnerable without the covers of my own friary and of my own people in Singapore.

Not bring fluent in Tamil and my language of Bahasa Malaysia being non-existent, it made me worried even more about working with the laity of this parish who were preparing for a busy month. As I was supposed to be part of the planning of the church’s first procession on the feast day of Corpus Christi, attending these meetings were a must. As any meetings, which prepares events from scratch would naturally be messy, the first meeting was no different. I felt exhausted spiritually and mentally. That very night as I was surfing the net, I came across this article from Lumen Gentium, which stated:

“But the Lord wishes to spread his kingdom also by means of the laity, namely, a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love and peace” – (LG36).

The words in the document stirred passionately in my mind. I prepared myself mentally for the next discussion with the parishioners, reminding myself of patience, attentiveness and especially for the greater glory of
God. The meeting was similar to the first; noisy, disorganised and vague. But it was different for me this time as I saw everything from a different light. I could even understand what was being discussed and proposed even
when it was spoken in Bahasa Malaysia. The article from Lumen Gentium made sense to me, these people were trying to spread God’s kingdom in their style and sense.

I would be lying if I said I was not apprehensive during the practice of the procession, starting with the altar boys, the “flower children” and the flow of the liturgy. Would it be a beautiful procession where we can feel God’s presence? Or would it be a night to forget?
The parishioners seemed unperturbed with the cloudy weather as they were busy cleaning the church compound, decorating the main church altar, putting up lights, the youth choir practising. The ladies even had
time to whip up coffee and pastries while arranging flowers, the men were bantering friendly with each other while handling the vehicles and lightings and the kids started running and playing with each other during the
practice breaks. Was I the only guy who was worried? Why was no one else distressed? Why was everyone so happy? As I was sitting down and observing these people, I felt I was being transported to another place… a place of no worries, a
place of life, a garden of joy and peace. Was this what Francis felt at “Greccio” when he celebrated the coming feast of the Lord?

Pondering on this scene, an altar server who is mute, handsigned to me something which I didn’t understand. I struggled to answer him and his only response was to smile and hold my hand.

As the Blessed Sacrament was processed through the town of Masai, the weather was perfect. The bright lights illumined the vehicle, bringing the living God around dark roads. The candles held by the parishioners reflected
joy and unity amongst the different cultures of the people. The songs rendition by the choir made the lonely quiet alleys alive with God’s joy. The fellowship with delicious food after the procession made the community
“break bread “ with God’s communion.

A couple of months have passed and I have returned to my own community in  Singapore, returning back to the ministries and studying at the seminary. Many times I have wondered what was it that the mute altar boy was trying to tell
me. I could only come with one conclusion. Maybe he was saying to me: “Friar Jason, don’t be afraid, we are here with you. Do not worry, the people are with the Friars. Be happy as God is with us.”

Sunday, 2 Oct 2011, 3.30pm at the Piazza of the Church of St Mary of the Angels.

“Our duties towards the environment are linked to our duties towards the human person, considered in himself and in relation to others. It would be wrong to uphold one set of duties while trampling on the other. Herein lies a grave contradiction in our mentality and practice today: one which demeans the person, disrupts the environment and damages society.” – Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate, 2009

The care and dignity of everything in the world is an important value as a Christian, but being attached to the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) Office in Indonesia as a Friar in Initial Formation has made me understand the value of Francis’ love for all creation because he saw that everything has its origin in God the Creator.

I encountered the charism of this office in Flores, Indonesia, where the Friars were working to bring about the kingdom of God where all are valued and cherished. Not only helping the local villagers to improve their source of income, the Friars also helped to protect and preserve the environment. In this beautiful highland country side, led by Friar Ignatius Widi, Director of the Ecopastoral ministry, the farmers were taught to cultivate organic farming using natural compost from all kinds of resources such as padi husk and animal dung which were used as fertilisers.

At the JPIC office in Flores, with the help of the FMM sisters, the friars were teaching young villagers to make bags out of recycled plastic wrappers. This was to help the younger generation to care for the environment and to learn a new skill, and the funds received from selling these recycled plastic bags were used to help further the Ecopastoral projects.

I also travelled and stayed in a small village called Riung with a Fr Aloysius to attend a talk called ‘Land and Identity in Perspective of Cultural Autonomy’ which was organised by the local communities and the Church. Its purpose was intended to debate and discuss about the land, mining and timber exploration that had caused devastation and pollution. It was encouraging to see many people attending the talk and experiencing how they worked together to thrash out the problems they faced, finding solutions for the good of the community and for nature.

One of the problems that were brought up during the discussions was the condition and treatment of women and children working at these mining companies. For example, one of the most striking findings for me was that these women and children were paid only 30,000 Rupiah a day (equivalent to S$4.35). They became victims of exploitation because of the greed of big mining companies. This experience alone opened my eyes to the reality of exploitation and it inspired me to be in “solidarity with the poor and marginalised” as a Friar Minor.

Although it was only a month being in Indonesia and learning about the JPIC work, I feel I have gained a lot especially in understanding the role of JPIC in a more practical manner and also to see for myself the people victimised by greed. This inspires me not only as a Christian but specifically as a Friar to work for the “pursuit of justice & peace” by relieving such people from being exploited.

As I was sent on a mission exposure to Sabah with my brothers, Claurence and Don Don, our last outreach to the village of Segiaan was filled with fear and trepidation. It was a time of challenge and difficulty, yet a transforming experience for all of us.

In any way of life, or in this case an outreach, it was not without its challenges or difficulties. As a group, we started to have individual bad vibes about this last outstation, feeling that something harmful is coming our way. We had dreams in which we saw road accidents, people covered in blood and naturally fear started to creep in. We were speaking to each other about it, and as human nature would have it, the more we heard about each other’s fears, the more fear had a hold on us. Our minds started spiralling, our worries and concerns heightened.

Reminded that Friars should “confidently make known his need to the other”, we discussed as a group our thoughts and feelings and we realised that everyone had a different way of looking at it. As a decision had to be made, we placed each other’s consideration before ours and it took an open heart to put our opinions aside. It was truly a time where I could understand my brethren better, the values he stood for and what he believed in.

Friars on a mission

We unanimously agreed to go ahead with the mission because we were present to each other as love is always about giving our lives for the other.

Everything turned out better than we expected. The village took about two hours to travel by road, the condition was good and the people were hospitable to us. The chapel where we stayed overnight was new and was named after St Francis. It was a cosy experience staying in the chapel as we had villagers from eight neighbouring kampongs who travelled when they heard that we were coming for this mission trip. Witnessing their desire, passion and willingness to bunk in a small chapel just to learn more about God was a sign of God’s presence for me.

Travelling with my brothers reminded me of what Jesus and Francis did. Just as Jesus sent his apostles in pairs, Francis did the same with his brothers with the principle that “if one falls, the other is there to support”. In this instance, my brothers and I were able to support one another when adversities came our way. It was a grace to have travelling companions and was a privilege to journey with them.

The brothers with Sr Frances Mani, FSIC and an aspiring youth.

Journeys can be turbulent and can pose unexpected challenges, but during my mission exposure in June I felt I was guided by divine inspiration. I experienced this divine inspiration, especially through the collaboration of the Franciscan family, namely the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (FSIC). This exposure has helped me to see and appreciate the Franciscan charism “beyond our own boundaries” as the document “Bearers of the Gifts of the Gospel” urges us to work in “collaboration among various entities”.

As early as February, Sr Frances Mani, FSIC, had been working hard to make the arrangement between the kampungs and the Order, which was important for our mission as the friars did not have a presence in Sabah.

While there, Sr Frances reminded us to enter into the lives of the people we were ministering to, and being a friar, I was reminded of who we really are. She added that, every kampung should be considered as “Holy Land”, because God is present there, in and through the people.

Youths who were in stages of discernment, joined us for these mission trips, which gave us the opportunity to share the Spirit of Francis with them. The FSIC sisters have been helping with the Dioceses of Sabah in ministering to the people, especially in outstations, and I was glad to be part of this starry night.