WHAT IS REFORM ALL ABOUT?

by Fr. Benedict J. Groeschel, C.F.R.

This question about the meaning of reform is directed at our sisters and friars more than others. People are honestly interested and, at the same time, puzzled. The fact that our two communities would not exist at all apart from a desire for reform means that many of our friends don't understand why we are new religious families.

To be a member of the Franciscans of the Renewal, a person must be convinced that committed Christians, especially religious, need to reassess what has been going on in the Church for the last few decades. These years have seen a startling decline in participation of Catholics in the life of the Church. For example, the number of Catholics attending Mass regularly has dropped about 50%. There is a deeply distressing lack of faith commitment to basic teachings of our Church. The friars constantly hear the refrain, "Why don't we ever hear these things preached in church any more?" The phrase "these things" refers to the spiritually rich tradition of Catholicism, as well as the clear application of Christian moral teaching to daily life (not the least of which are issues related to sexuality and abortion). It is an obligation of all seriously committed Catholics to see that the rich traditions and essential teachings of our Church are not lost in our materialistic and narcissistic culture. It is my own personal conviction, however, that this obligation weighs most heavily on priests belonging to religious communities. Of course, this obligation is also incumbent on parish priests, but they have the responsibility of meeting their people where they find them. The diocesan bishops as well as the parish priests must lead those whom they shepherd in the way of truth, but they must also take care not to "break the bruised reed and quench the smoking flax." Thus, religious priests who are free from parish responsibilities should take the lead in effectively preaching gospel truths which contradict the prevailing narcissistic values of our culture. It is also worth noting that history places a special responsibility on the members of certain orders - the Dominicans, the Jesuits, as well as the Franciscans - to uphold and defend the teaching office of our Holy Father. It is one of the explicit purposes of our reform to do just this as best we can. We are not scholars or theologians but Christians striving through solid education and personal commitment of mind and heart to teach the truth brought by the Son of God, through the Church, to the faithful whom we serve.

Beyond this is the far greater responsibility of all the sisters and brothers of the two communities to live a life that reflects the same spirit of Catholic reform. Our preaching would be in vain, a show, if it wasn't backed up by a radical commitment to the Gospel ideals of St. Francis. Thus, the real reform is not in preaching and in teaching but in living and in praying. We make no pretense that we live the ideals of St. Francis and St. Clare in a perfect way. But an honest person who visits us can see that we are making a practical and a realistic attempt to follow an authentic Franciscan life. Our growing and enthusiastic group of associates gives ample testimony to this, as do the generous friends who help us with our work with the destitute.

Why the Destitute?

In an age when people of all social groups are spiritually deprived, why single out the destitute for one's special objective of concern? This question of the destitute is second only to the inquiry about the meaning of reform. The answer is to be found in the Gospel where Christ not only showed the destitute, the poor, the lepers, the neglected, the blind and the lame his special concern, but also gave the parables of the Good Samaritan and the Last Judgement as guides for his followers. Many reforms in the Church besides that of St. Francis began with work with the destitute. One need only to mention the work of St. Vincent de Paul in the past and of Mother Teresa in our own time. Most of the American saints, like Mother Seton, Mother Cabrini, and Mother Drexel, as well as our own Capuchin confrere, Father Solanus Casey (hopefully soon to be beatified) gave their best efforts to the care of the destitute. Our concern for the destitute also gives a marvelous opportunity to devout and compassionate people, including Protestant and Jewish friends, to share in our concern for God's poor.

What is the heart of the Reform?

It will be no surprise to respond that it is the prayerful and devoted love of God through Our Lord Jesus Christ with the help of Our Lady and the Saints. The Franciscan way must be a very personal, even emotive way to God. We make no apologies for loving to pray, to spend time in solitude adoring the Eucharistic Presence of the Savior. Call it what you will, we seek to love the Lord not only with mind and strength but with heart and soul. We are privileged to live with and to learn from the poor, who without pretense or embarrassment love the Lord in the same way. It was always part of the charism of the Capuchin reform, which we seek to renew, that the prayer and hidden service of the sisters and brothers was an essential power source for our apostolic preaching, whether it was done in the sermons of the ordained priests or in the witness talks of the brothers and the sisters.

Do you expect your Reform to succeed?

The need for success is not one of the salient features of the Gospel. The need to follow and to be faithful is what nurtures our attempts at reform. We do hope that our response to what we take to be a moral obligation for us will offer encouragement to those who see the growing and inherent paganism in our society. We hope it will also offer an alternative to trendy and often poorly conceived forms of religiosity that, however well meant, lack substance because they are not grounded in a serious commitment to the Gospel. We hope that more and more people, especially young adults, will be encouraged by our example, and that of other reform groups, to search for ways to serve God's people in a fashion that clearly focuses on the teachings of the Messiah and the New Testament writers, especially St. Paul. The Lord never promised us success, but since we honestly try to follow him we know that He is with us in our daily lives. During the past four years we have, even in times of trial and distress, constantly realized the astonishing truth of his words, Do not be afraid. I will be with you.