Sesi perkongsian bertajuk ‘Merapatkan Jurang Perbezaan Budaya’ dibawahkan oleh Friar Claurence Motoyou OFM sempena dengan tema (PMPT) bulan June 2021.
A sharing on ‘Bridging Cultural Boundaries’ by Friar Claurence Motoyou, OFM (with English Subtitle).
Time passes …
Thirty years ago, on 16 May, the Custody of St Anthony (Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei) was canonically erected, dependent upon the Province of the Holy Spirit (Australia). We had two Singaporean Solemnly Professed friars (Friars Michael Goh and John Paul Tan), Friar Phillip Miscamble was our first Custos, and we were only in Singapore.
Fast forward to 2021, I am the third “local” Custos after Friars Michael D’Cruz and John Wong, and we are now also in Malaysia (Kuching, Johor and Penang) running parishes, collaborating with the dioceses and immersing ourselves in the lives of God’s people in these places. In recent years, many of our vocations have come from Sabah, adding to the colour and tone of our Custody as our earlier vocations were from Singapore, Peninsula Malaysia and Sarawak. In fact, we celebrated on 16 April the Solemn Profession of two Sabahan friars.
Still, from time to time, I find myself asking two questions – Where did we come from and where are we going? We need to look at history to ground our purpose and see our historical trajectory in the bigger scheme of things, to take stock of the present, and set about “scrutinising the signs of the times” (Gaudium et Spes, 4). In this way, the friars can be relevant and authentic, creative and faithful at the same time.
To be faithful to the founding vision of the Franciscan presence in Singapore, we first need to enter the mind and heart of an Italian Franciscan Friar Gabriele Allegra, who was beatified in 2012.
It is because of Blessed Allegra that the first friar came to Singapore in 1957. While studying Missiology and Theology in Rome in the 1920s, his heart was stirred to bring Christianity to the Chinese people. Learning that there was no complete Chinese translation of the bible, his heart was moved to translate the bible into Chinese from the original Hebrew and Greek texts. The Studium Biblicum translation is considered by many to be thedefinitive Chinese Catholic Bible.
When communist ideology began gathering influence in South-east Asia in the 1950s, he proposed to Propaganda Fide (now, the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples) that a sociological centre be set up in Singapore to offer the Catholic Church’s Social Teachings as an alternative to communism. Approval of the centre resulted in an international team of friars coming to make this Studium Sociologicum (社會學硏 究社), later located at Jurong Road 83⁄4 mile, a reality. Blessed Allegra himself headed the social institute for three years, from 1961 to 1963.
What becomes of this dream now? How do we keep this dream that has been handed on to us alive and burning?
– Friar Derrick
Back to basics, I would say. Back to what the Franciscan Friars stand for – Fraternity and Minority. Being the Order of Friars Minor. Being a brother to all and not just that, but a lesser brother, one who is humble and poor, who never lords over others, who is subject to all creatures as St Francis exhorted us to be.
We have spread our missionary wings these several years, while our leadership has become “local”. Reading the signs of these COVID times, could we be invited to be more rooted in our spirituality and intentionality, to grow deeper in our relationships with self, fraternity and God?
I proposed to the friars that, during this year, we mull on building a culture of care and trust within our fraternity and focus on relationship especially where there is historical baggage. To dare to risk anew with the grace of the Holy Spirit and to offer mercy even when the brother never asked for it (cf. Francis’ Letter to a Minister). Only when our fraternities are steeped in God and mutual care and trust can we truly be fraternities- in-mission. This process isn’t as clear cut as setting up a new mission centre but it is part of the dream shared by our Lord, St Francis and the many other Christian missionaries of love.
Yes, time passes but dreams never do …
Peace and all good,
Friar Derrick Yap OFM
The road to eternity can be hazardous and long. Our lives are fraught with challenges and anxieties, and we live in a world today that is in crisis. A pandemic has swept over the world with the death toll rising each day. Scientists warn that climate change will have increasingly devastating effects, not least of which are rising temperatures and rising sea levels. The arms race continues relentlessly, with more and more money spent on technologies that kill and destroy, while millions of people remain mired in poverty.
“Yes, the road to eternity is a long and hazardous one. But … what if we think of the journey rather than the road? What if we think of life as a pilgrimage?”
– Friar Clifford Augustine
A pilgrimage has the intention of gaining something of spiritual value, even in difficult situations. While a pilgrimage can be made to a particular destination, the journey itself fosters spiritual awareness and growth. Often the pilgrim’s relationship with God takes on new meaning during the pilgrimage.
As Christians, eternity is our destination, and our life on earth is our pilgrimage towards it. As we face the difficulties and challenges in our lives, we would do well to look for the moments that lead to spiritual deepening.
I admit I am not a fan of pilgrimages. They are sometimes veiled sightseeing tours or opportunities to travel to other places and accumulate souvenirs that lie in cupboards and drawers thereafter.
A Camino – or the “Way” – is different. This is a walk to hear the desires of our hearts and to listen to the voice of God.
The first camino I did was not the more famous Santiago de Compostela. I did the Via de Francesco, or the St Francis Way.
This camino is a walk around the places where St Francis of Assisi lived. We walked the paths that Francis took, visited the places where he encountered the supreme love of God that left him in awe and wonder. The basilicas, cathedrals, churches and other places where Francis roamed were interesting places, yes, but they were also places where we ourselves encountered God. Instead of simply absorbing interesting facts of buildings, architecture and art, we saw the stones and handwork of artists as the telling of the faith story of a man whose encounter with God was so powerful and real.
Visiting the historical places of St Francis and St Clare prepared us for the camino of our lives. In Assisi, we immersed ourselves in the spirituality of the two saints and found ourselves yearning for more. After familiarising ourselves with the historical contexts of the cradle of Franciscan spirituality, we needed to find our own journeys. The camino provided us with the landscape to do just that.
We each had our own story with God, and these sacred stories came alive during the camino. Walking in nature’s cathedral – the forest – we simply marvelled at the footprints of God. Everything of the grandeur of God spoke to us.
One of the most memorable places on the Via de Francesco is Poggio Bustone, where Francis began his mission of peace. The place is surrounded by verdant woods and looks out onto a mystical panorama.
On one of the trips to that town, the other pilgrims and I made our way up to the upper hermitage via a steep hill. It was supposed to take only 30 minutes, but it rained so heavily that we struggled to walk up. I remember feeling very irritated and angry, and even regretting being there. But there was no going back. The only way to find some respite from the storm was to keep moving towards our destination.
After what felt like an endless gruelling walk uphill, we finally reached the sanctuary for the Eucharist. We were tired and drenched. During the celebration
of the Eucharist, I remembered that this was where St Francis had had his vision of the total remission of his past sins. It made me realise that our pilgrimage on earth can sometimes feel like walking up a steep hill in the rain, with many obstacles, especially our struggles with sin. The Eucharist assures us of the absolute and total forgiveness of sins always offered to us by our God.
When the camino ended, we made our way to the Basilica of St Anthony at Padua. Here, I have another admission to make: I did not find the relics and the magnificent building particularly spiritually inspiring. It was yet another box I could tick off, another place visited.
St Anthony himself, however, has always been a spiritual inspiration for me. Growing up in a Catholic family, I was taught that he would find lost things for us, including faith. But the saint is so much more than a miracle worker. His humility, joy, simplicity and great love for the poor and for God continue to inspire me to live a Franciscan life that is lean and free of clutter. St Anthony’s pilgrimage on earth was one that brought, and continues to bring, many people to God. I am one of these. Inspired by St Anthony, I know my pilgrimage of life on earth must be one of reaching out to the poor and the marginalised, and of creating a society that includes rather than ostracises.
The restrictions on travel because of the pandemic present an opportunity for us to review our lives. If we think of life as a pilgrimage, we can begin the camino into ourselves and the deep recesses of our mind and soul. If we embrace the encounters on this very personal camino, we will reach our destination spiritually enriched.
Friar Clifford Augustine OFM
St Anthony’s Bread traditionally refers to loaves of bread blessed and shared in honour of St Anthony, and to alms given to the poor in thanksgiving for blessings received through the prayers of St Anthony.
One legend dates back to the year 1263, when a child drowned near the Paduan Basilica of St Anthony during its construction. The child’s mother prayed to the saint to bring her boy back to life. In return, she promised to give to the poor an amount of corn equal to the child’s weight. When the child was miraculously revived, the mother made good on her promise.
Centuries later, in 1888, a woman named Louise Bouffier, who managed a small bakery in the seaside village of Toulon, France, found she could not open the door with her key. Neither could a locksmith, who told her that he would have to break the door open. While he went to get his tools, Louise prayed to St Anthony that she would give some of her bakery’s bread to the poor if the door could be opened without force. When the locksmith returned, he tried the lock again and was easily able to let Louise in. True to her word, Louise made sure that the poor of Toulon received their due.
Before long, Louise’s friends began to follow her example of promising a gift of bread or alms to the poor in return for prayers answered by the intercession of St Anthony. In the 1890s, they formalised this practice by founding a charity called “St Anthony’s Bread”.
In the spirit of this charity, some parishes bless and distribute small loaves of bread on 13 June, his feast day.
If you are making bread for the poor, or to share with family and friends, here is a prayer you can use from the Franciscan liturgical books.
Heavenly Father, we praise you and give you glory for the gift of bread, fruit of the earth, work of human hands and source of our daily nourishment.
Bless + this bread in honour of St Anthony. Teach us to share all your gifts with the poor, the forsaken and the hungry.
All praise be to you through Jesus Christ, our Saviour, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Adapted from faithmag.com/legend-st-anthonys-bread
