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Franciscan Friars of the Renewal |
Most
people, when they hear the word "prophet", are likely to think of
someone who foretold the future. Such prophets seem to have abounded in Old
Testament times. Practically one third of the Old Testament is made up of the
writings of the prophets. Now, not all the prophets wrote. The great prophet
Elijah was an "action" prophet who wrote nothing, yet his powerful
words and deeds live on!
Some prophets foretold wondrous events and great blessings to come. Isaiah,
the greatest of the "writing" prophets, foretold the virginal conception
of Jesus by Our Lady (cf. Isaiah 7:14), while Joel predicted the great outpouring
of the Holy Spirit (cf. Joel 3:1-5) which was fulfilled on Pentecost Sunday
(cf. Acts 2:16-21). Other prophets had a much more sobering message to convey,
foretelling the "coming of the Day of the Lord," frequently described
as a day of fearful signs, judgement and condemnation, and finally various chastisements.
Yet prophets were much more than "future tellers." They were "forth-tellers"
of God's message to His People. They spoke a forceful word that penetrated to
the heart. It roused the people. Some responded positively: by reforming their
lives, or working for social justice, or fighting in a holy war, or rebuilding
the Temple of God. Others responded negatively: with anger, rejection and even
violence to their message of "doom and gloom." But whether their message
met with openness or opposition, the prophets were a force to be reckoned with.
Their deeds and words were definitely "anointed" with the power of
the Holy Spirit. As the Nicene Creed states: "He spoke through the prophets."
In the New Testament, we also meet with "prophets." St. John the Baptist
proclaimed by his Spirit-filled father, Zechariah, as "prophet of the Most
High." (cf. Luke 2:76) Even Our Lord Himself is called a "prophet"
(a man of God) by the Samaritan woman at the well, after He told her of the
sinful life she was leading. (cf. John 4:15-19) Later on, St. Paul mentions
"prophets" among various roles of service for building up the Mystical
Body of Christ. (cf. Ephesians 4:11) In this sense, a "prophet" was
not an established office, like that of bishop, but rather a charismatic-style
ministry, exercised frequently by itinerant preachers in the early Church. Their
role was important. Their powerful witness and word roused the people to greater
love and fidelity.
God raised up prophets at critical times in salvation history. He still raises
up "prophets" in the history of the Catholic Church, usually at a
time of great need or crisis. St. Francis is certainly a prophetic figure in
Church history. His faithful living of the Gospel restored the "Apostolic"
form of spirituality in the life of the Church. This had largely been lost sight
of for about 800 years, during which monastic spirituality held sway.
St. Francis' very lifestyle became a "prophetic witness" in a Church
Jesus had called him to reform: "Francis, go and rebuild My Church which
you see is falling into ruin." His total poverty and reliance on Divine
Providence, his renunciation of social power and dominance over others, and
his loyal allegiance to the Catholic Church in her doctrine and authority, all
made him a highly visible "sign of contradiction" in his own time
and a looming "prophetic witness" for all times in the Church.
All Franciscans authentically following the "little poor man of Assisi"
are called to share in and even perpetuate his prophetic witness. Pope Leo XIII
wrote:
"St Francis of Assisi was called to reform the church not in the way
other saints had done, not only for his own time, but for all time to come.
Whenever society strays from the right path, no other remedy is needed but to
revive the spirit of the Order founded by St. Francis."
The Franciscans of the Renewal have felt this call at this significant time
in the Church's history. First, Vatican Council II directed all religious communities
to rediscover their authentic roots and revive their charisms in the light of
the present needs and challenges of the Church in society today.
When our community had just begun, some of the friars met with Mother Teresa
of Calcutta, certainly another outstanding "prophetic witness" of
the Church. When we finished explaining what we felt led to do, she said to
us: "Once you uncover something of the Will of God, then you must be faithful."
Please pray that we will be faithful to the "prophetic witness" we
feel called to give as followers of St. Francis of Assisi - to be that prophetic
"sign of contradiction" in our present age as St. Francis was in his!