As the new year begins, I’ve noticed that many people plan their holidays early. These breaks help them to rest, reconnect, and spend intentional time alone or with loved ones. Similarly, we need time apart for our spiritual lives. Retreats offer us the opportunity to step back, rest in the Lord, and deepen our relationship with Him. Whether it is discerning an important decision, seeking renewal, or reconnecting with God, retreats help us ground our lives in Him.
At the San Damiano Franciscan Centre, I’ve been blessed to journey with retreatants as a Spiritual Director. It never ceases to amaze me how God always shows up when someone intentionally sets aside time to seek Him. Silent retreats provide the sacred space to pray, reflect, and listen to God’s voice. In today’s fast-paced and noisy world, silence is a precious gift that helps us recognise where God is working in our lives and hearts.
Retreats allow us to quieten our minds and souls. They create a space to discern God’s will and align our beings more closely with His direction. With the guidance of a spiritual director, retreatants explore the interior state of their lives, affirming goodness, confronting challenges, and embracing God’s healing work.
Regular spiritual direction complements retreats by offering ongoing support and accountability. Regular sessions with a trained spiritual director help one discern the movements of the Holy Spirit and encourage personal growth. One shares about life’s joys and struggles, and questions about faith, integrating the graces from a retreat into daily life for ongoing transformation.
These practices are deeply rooted in Catholic tradition. Jesus himself sought solitude in prayer, retreating to quiet places to commune with the Father. Saints throughout history also modelled the importance of retreats and ongoing spiritual guidance, showing us the way to deepen our relationship with God.
In our busy, fragmented world, retreats and spiritual direction offer peace, clarity, and spiritual growth. They help us live with trust and purpose in God’s love and direction for our lives, strengthening us to share Christ’s love with the world.
So, this year as you plan your holidays or staycations, why not also consider setting aside time to rest in the Lord?
The Franciscan world is sectioned into 12 conferences for better management and collaboration. Two are in Asia Pacific – EAC: East Asia Conference with eight entities, and SAAOC: South Asia, Australia, Oceania Conference with 12 entities, of which I serve as President.
Friar John Wong, the Custos before me, is the Definitor General for the whole of Asia, and we work together on various projects for the betterment of the Asian entities.
Every year, the Conference Presidents gather for updates, evaluations, and discussions about the future. This year, we convened in Rome at our OFM Curia (headquarters) from 19 to 24 November 2024. It was my first meeting, and I found it a beautiful time of sharing among brothers. It was wonderful to witness the diversity of the brothers within the Order and the shared Franciscan spirit that permeates us all.
We gave much attention to the Chapter of Mats, which will take place in June 2025 in Assisi. A Chapter is a meeting of Religious where issues are deliberated upon, and decisions are made for the coming term of office. The various entities conduct their own Chapter of Mats among the Franciscan friars, Franciscan sisters, and Secular Franciscans. The results are compiled at Conference level and presented at the global Chapter of Mats in June.
From this Chapter of Mats, we surface issues to deliberate upon at the Plenary Council of the Order (PCO), which takes place immediately after the Chapter of Mats. The primary role of the PCO is to evaluate how well the General Definitory has been functioning and the direction it should pursue for its remaining three years of service.
We also discussed New Forms of Evangelisation, Lay Brothers Gathering, Fraternal Economy, and initial and ongoing Formation. The Minister General also gave his report after having served three years as General. It was an authentic report of the state of the Order and a vision of where we are heading.
We also considered where to hold the General Chapter in 2027. There is keen interest to venture beyond Assisi, the traditional venue, to places where the Church is growing, such as Asia.
In the spirit of St Francis’ desire to bring the good news to all peoples, especially to the poor, the Missions Office has put out fresh processes to better prepare missionaries in-situ. Preparatory training will be conducted in missionary lands, typically in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
As a new Conference President, my key takeaway from this meeting is that the Franciscan brotherhood is very much alive and dynamic, even though vocations and our overall numbers are diminishing. There is a deep desire to focus on initial and ongoing formation, to find opportunities to collaborate on impactful projects, and to dare to dream anew, such as in the New Forms of Evangelisation. It is a great platform, on the global stage so to speak, to clarify issues and voice out concerns from our Asian context. My prayer is that this continued fraternal contact, communication, and discernment will bear lasting fruit in the building of the Kingdom of God wherever we friars might be.
Romans 12:2 reminds us, “Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.” This verse encapsulates the transformative journey I made through the Asian Franciscan Formators Training (AFFT). The nine-month course was a fascinating synthesis of psychology, theology, philosophy, and spirituality, and provided me with an illuminating path toward deeper understanding and greater self-awareness.
Throughout the course, it became evident that although we may seem resilient, internally we can be consumed by past wounds. This pain shapes how we move through life and may disconnect us from who we truly are. The AFFT shed light on this, offering a comprehensive approach to understanding human nature, divine calling, and the interconnectedness of all aspects of our being.
The programme’s multidisciplinary approach brought lecturers from Singapore, Italy, Indonesia, Ireland, Germany, India, Australia, and the Philippines. They helped us craft a programme centred on God’s designs and purposes, one that encourages us to live integrated lives.
Two modules from the 16 that I particularly enjoyed were “The Mystery of the Human Person” and “Personal Discernment and Affective Maturity.” They offered insights into the interior journey and the importance of accompanying ourselves lovingly and patiently. In learning how to support others, I realised the significance of learning to accompany ourselves in the same way. It is slow and deliberate work to allow the fragmented parts of us to heal and integrate, permitting Christ to bring the broken pieces back together.
St Paul said transformed minds produce transformed lives, and indeed the most profound takeaway from the AFFT for me is that our minds must be recalibrated for true transformation to occur. This recalibration means deepening our emotional and spiritual awareness, becoming more attuned to the needs of our own hearts and the hearts of those we accompany. When done right, this inner transformation can extend to entire family systems.
Friar Cosmas Francis, who also participated in the course, summed it up well when he said, “The challenge now is to take what we have learned, study it further, and expand our working knowledge – so that we can experience the freedom and courage of love – not just for ourselves but also for those that we accompany in this journey called life.”
As a formator, the course has reshaped how I view my role. Through the renewal of my mind and heart, I feel better able to discern the will of God and assist others in doing the same. I recognise now that true accompaniment comes from a place of deep self-awareness and a genuine desire to see the other person flourish.
The journey of formation is not just about teaching others; it is about walking with them in their struggles, helping them see the path forward, and encouraging them to trust in the transformative power of God’s love. The AFFT has equipped me to do this more effectively, and for that, I am truly grateful.
Friar Aiden Peter OFM
Friar Aiden was one of eight friarswho participated in the inauguralAsian Franciscan Formators Trainingheld from April to December 2024.
This Advent, as we approach the Year of Jubilee as pilgrims of Hope, we might consider making the period a fast of joy.
We would do this not merely as a penitential act for the expiation of our past sins, but to express our hopeful hunger for a better reality, for a deeper communion with God. Is it no wonder that we have an hour of fasting before receiving communion at Mass? This is the same spirit of self-emptying in preparation of receiving a great gift.
Many of us may not see God’s abundance of goodness at his table of plenty. Our images of God may be distorted and even unhealthy. We may think of God as a harsh policeman or a whimsical tyrant. We may expect God to grant us what we want how we want it simply because we have delivered a set number of prayers and sacrifices. Fasting may be the pathway towards an emptying of these ideas, a way to allow the Holy Spirit to infuse our minds with who God is and guide us to live as his love drives us.
Consider this too, Advent is a time of joyful expectant waiting, but in a world where we demand immediacy and efficiency, we are often frustrated and angry when we have to wait.
Can we learn to simply wait? To allow this waiting time to be grounding time, a time of deeper grounding into the reason for our waiting. To sanctify and beautify the process and the journey.
Can we honour the people we encounter along the way, rather than attribute blame and mistakes to them?
Perhaps this Advent, we can put more effort into catching ourselves before we fall into frustration, into pausing before reacting in anger or hurt, into learning to respond in a healthy and responsible fashion. This is a kind of fasting that is holistic and harmonious with our Christian living.
May we allow the spirit of St Francis of Assisi to inspire our Advent journey, fasting from food and frustration to bring more peace, more joy, and more creative freedom into our world.
