Friar Cosmas Francis and Friar Gerald Terence will make their Solemn Profession of Religious Vows at the Church of St Mary of the Angels on April 16.
They share what making their Solemn Profession of Vows, after years of discernment and formation, means to them, and their hopes for the future.
***
What does your Solemn Profession of Vows mean to you?
Gerald: My Solemn Profession of Vows is truly my heartfelt response to God. “My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready.” It reminds me of the gift of my life and the giving of my heart. And this Solemn Profession of Vows is my daily invitation to die to myself, to take up the cross and to follow Christ.
Cosmas: Solemn Profession for me is a sign and an expression of my love for God who first loved me for what I am. I want to give over my life completely into the mysterious work of God through the identity of the Franciscan, and for the church.
What do you hope to achieve in the long term as a friar?
Gerald: I hope that I will continue to embrace my true self, my shadow, my struggles, and know that by the grace of God and the support and unconditional love from all of you, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). I will breathe in my courage and exhale my fear.
Cosmas:I have experienced many times the mercy and love of God in my shortcomings and weaknesses. I hope that I can express this love of God through deeds and words for the good of all. I encourage everyone to never get tired of getting closer to God despite the obstacles and challenges in daily life.
***
The taking of solemn vows of poverty, chastity and obedience in the Franciscan way of life marks the beginning of full, lifelong membership in the Order of Friars Minor. After Solemn Profession, friars seeking ministerial priesthood prepare themselves for the Sacrament of Ordination to Diaconate followed by Priesthood. Friars who seek to remain as lay brothers engage themselves in ministries for which they are gifted and trained to serve the Church and the World.
Do join in the Solemn Profession Mass celebration of Friars Cosmas and Gerald via our YouTube channel on: http://bit.ly/OFMSP2021.
The Good News of His Resurrection has us jumping for joy!!! How else can we express our happiness and exuberance at Easter but to share some ‘moves’ with you? Come and join us in celebrating this glorious day!
If you would like to support the Franciscan Friars in their ministry and mission, go to https://franciscans.sg/support-us/ Thank you for your prayers and support! May the Lord give you His peace..
Many years ago now, during my first visit to Assisi, I found by chance a book written by Italian poet and artist Umberto Verdirosi entitled “Behind the Canvas”.
On one page, entitled “Il povero cristo” in Italian and “The encounter” in English, is a painting of a vagabond wearing a red scarf standing before the Crucified Jesus who wears asimilar red scarf around his own waist. The accompanying poem, which begins with “Non parlare, guarda!”, reads in English:
“Speak not, behold! Illuminated by Light Divine, in twain they are today. As if to say that Christ’s cross is known as Man. After his long trek the Eternal Child is destitute of all except a scarf he kept in token of his faith.”
Francis of Assisi was a simple person who understood things as he saw and experienced them. Initially, he saw the Passion of Jesus as mere human suffering and pain, and hence he thought that his body needed to be constantly tamed and purged. But as he grew in the Spirit, Francis began to see and experience Jesus’ Passion (and the Cross) in a different light. He began seeking to imitate Jesus’ Passion in the light of God’s love, and found this when he received the stigmata at La Verna. For Francis, this was the lesson of the Cross and the Passion of Jesus.
As I step into the liturgical season of Lent and into Easter, I cannot help but ask myself what do I “Non parlare, guarda! – Speak not, behold!” of Jesus’ Passion and of my own passion?
It is easy to speak of Jesus’ Passion and my passion from the perspective of pain and suffering. Yet when I behold the Crucified Jesus, I see God as one who does not just love, but who also carries and embraces my passion. It is this love that brings forth hope to Easter and everyday life. Thus, I am able to see and experience my passion as moments of joy, peace and goodness.
On another page of Verdirosi’s book is a painting of Francis before the Crucified Jesus. The accompanying poem begins with “C’era una volta un uomo innamorata dell’amore”, in English “Once upon a time there was a man who fell in love with love itself”.
“Fell in love with love itself” is what Lent to Easter is. What conversion is. What the Passion and Cross of Jesus are. And what and who St Francis of Assisi and being a Franciscan are.
In the following of Francis’ spirituality, the challenge that is always before me and you is to discern what it means to embrace Jesus, his Passion and Cross. This will not be easy but we can do it if we are optimistic and hopeful.
