I Come, O Lord
Meeting an unexpected archer in Clare of Assisi
I have been a trained archer for about five years. Over the years, I have grown in confidence, not only in the techniques of shooting, but also in taking the fundamental movements of every archer: taking one’s stance at the shooting line, drawing the bow, focusing on the target, and releasing the arrow.
Clare of Assisi was no archer. Unlike Princess Merida in the Disney movie Brave, she never held a bow or shot an arrow. Yet, unexpectedly, Clare has become an archer for me. Through her spirituality, she has woven together my practice of archery and my Franciscan spirituality. Now this sport has become prayer moments, engaging my entire being in an encounter with God. Isn’t this what Franciscan Prayer is – an echoing of Francis’ “My God and my All”?
The heart of Clare’s spirituality is her Mirror Spirituality, formed through her daily contemplation before the Crucifix of San Damiano. Gazing upon the Crucified Christ, she examined her disposition, fixed her eyes on him, and surrendered herself more deeply into the mystery of God. She emerged challenged to move from good to better. Clare described this interior journey in her Second Letter to Agnes of Prague: “Look upon Him, consider Him, contemplate Him, as you desire to imitate Him”.
I cannot help but see these four movements in the rhythm of archery. LOOK: my position and posture at the shooting line, nocking my arrow, and fixing my eyes on the target. CONSIDER: I raise my bow, consider the distance, my grip, my breathing, and my anchor point. CONTEMPLATE: I become fully present in my breathing and focus on the target. IMITATE: I trust my intuition and release the arrow with a follow through, and finally I take stock of the outcome with humility, always seeking to be better.
This unexpected meeting with Clare has transformed every archery practice into prayer. LOOK: Lord, let my stance before you be true and steadfast. CONSIDER: Bridge the distance between me and you, Lord, with this arrow. CONTEMPLATE: Let me find my mark in you, Lord, even if it is not in the centre. IMITATE: Wherever I land in you, Lord, be ever a message of strength and joy to me. Amen.
Friar Michael Goh OFM
Franciscan JPIC animators in Asia-Oceania renew commitment in Jakarta
From 22 to 27 June 2026, Franciscan Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) animators from across Asia and Oceania gathered in Jakarta, Indonesia, for the VI Asia-Oceania Continental JPIC Meeting. Held under the theme “Caring for People, Caring for Creation”, the meeting brought together friars from more than a dozen Franciscan entities to strengthen reflection, formation, and collaboration in responding to the challenges of human dignity, peacebuilding, and care for our common home.
The opening day began with Holy Mass presided over by Friar Agustinus Lorensius Nggame, Minister of the Province of St Michael the Archangel in Indonesia. In his homily, he reminded participants that justice, peace, and integrity of creation are not merely programmes or activities, but a way of life flowing from an encounter with God. “For Saint Francis, JPIC was not a programme. It was a way of living the Gospel,” he reminded the participants, inviting them to embrace JPIC as a lived expression of Franciscan discipleship and fraternity beyond borders.
In a message to the assembly, Friar Ignacio Ceja, Vicar General of the Order, affirmed that JPIC is a constitutive dimension of Franciscan evangelical life through which the friars remain relevant and offer a prophetic alternative. As the Franciscan family prepares to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the Transitus of St Francis of Assisi, he encouraged participants to deepen a spirituality of contemplation, simplicity, solidarity with the poor, and collaboration in responding to the realities of the region.
Reports from across Asia and Oceania highlighted diverse JPIC ministries, including eco-pastoral initiatives, accompaniment of indigenous communities, migrant outreach, interreligious dialogue, peacebuilding, and environmental advocacy. The participants also identified shared challenges such as armed conflict, forced migration, extractive industries, human trafficking, and climate change. They agreed that the realities of Asia are indications of an uncertain future to which Franciscans are called to respond.
Reflecting on Friar Nggame’s reminder that JPIC is a way of life, and Friar Ceja’s emphasis that JPIC is a constitutive dimension of Gospel life through which the friars remain relevant, the participants arrived at a common statement, resolutions, and commitments.
The statement expresses gratitude for the richness of Franciscan presence in Asia and Oceania while acknowledging urgent challenges such as ecological degradation, inequality, and displacement. It reaffirms JPIC as essential to Franciscan life and calls for ecological conversion, solidarity with the most vulnerable, and strengthened collaboration across the Franciscan family through concrete commitments to accompaniment, integral ecology, and the formation of fraternities of hope.
The JPIC meeting concluded with a visit to the Ciliwung community, and an interreligious dialogue held by the Ciliwung River with young Buddhists, Protestants, Muslims, Hindus, Confucianists, and Catholics. The event included the blessing of a statue of St Francis erected on the riverbank, the release of fish into the river, and the planting of trees. One message stood out clearly from the sharing: Franciscans should be at the forefront of caring for creation and caring for people, and they do not stand alone.
A few days later, Friar Taucen Girsang, Vice-Director of the General Office of JPIC, presented the Jakarta Statement 2026 at the Franciscan Conference of Asia-Oceania (FCAO) meeting held in Bogor, Indonesia from 28 June to 3 July 2026.
Photo credit: ofm.org
Embed in <Jakarta Statement 2026> https://ofm.org/uploads/JPIC_Asia_Statement_Jakarta_2026.pdf
Friar David Au Completes His Licentiate in Franciscan Spirituality
Congratulations to Friar David Au, who successfully defended his thesis on 18 June 2026, completing his Licentiate in Theology with a specialisation in Franciscan Spirituality at the Pontificia Università Antonianum in Rome. The last two years have been a rich and rewarding experience for him, marked by the joy of living and studying alongside brothers from all over the world and learning from insightful yet humble professors.
Friar David will remain in Rome for another year to pursue a Diploma in Formation for Consecrated Life. We accompany him with our prayers and fraternal support as he continues his studies and preparation for his future ministry.
Twelve Postulants Enter the Franciscan Novitiate
On 29 May 2026, 12 postulants from the Province of San Pedro Bautista (Philippines), the Foundation of St Francis of Assisi (Myanmar), and the Custody of St Anthony (Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei) formally entered the Franciscan novitiate in the Philippines. Our Custody’s three new novices are Jason Ng, Daniel Xavier and Samuel Tan.
Minister Provincial Friar Lino Gregorio Redoblado presided over the Rite of Initiation to Religious Life at the Juan de Plasencia Novitiate House in Liliw, Laguna. During the ceremony, he stressed the symbolism of wearing the habit. “When you put it on, you put on Christ. It is a daily invitation to embrace the cross — to feel as Jesus feels, to love as He loves, to be compassionate, merciful, and forgiving. The habit is not just clothing, but a sign of consecration, discipline, and community. It reminds us that our lives are set apart for service, for faith, and for the Kingdom.”
Please join us in praying for the novices as they continue their discernment and formation.
