Guidelines for Initial Formation in the Secular Franciscan Order in the United States of America Chapter 5 A Methodology of Formation: How to Explain the SFO Rule to the Candidates for Profession

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Guidelines for Initial Formationin the Secular
Franciscan Orderin the United States of
AmericaChapter 5A Methodology of
FormationHow to Explain the SFO Ruleto the
Candidates for Profession
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A Review of Chapter 4The SFO Rule Way of
Life Rule 4-19

• A Preview of Chapter 6
• Aspects of Formation
• Review of Life

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Chapter 4Living The SFO Rule is a
project, a job, for the rest of your life!- it
is a vocation, a call, and a faith-filledrespons
e (an answer!) to Gods universal and particular
invitation/call to you to become holy..to
become a franciscan Saint!!..... who,
ME?.............yes, YOU!!!!
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The Focal-Point of the RuleIS ALL ABOUT life
in christ,through Christ and with Christ,- in
relationship with Christ, in a franciscan
manner, personally and with your brothers and
sisters in the order and the world you inhabit!-
AS SINGLE, MARRIED, SEPARATED,WIDOWS, WIDOWERS,
YOUNG, active, retired, professional or not,
MIDDLE-AGED AND ELDERLY DEVOTEES OF Christ, in
Francis for the world!

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• Chapter 6
• The Review of Life
• Vatican II Decree on the Apostolate of the
  Laity (Apostolicam Actuositatem)
• In keeping with their purpose and according to
  their measure, lay groups and associations
  dedicated to the
• apostolate or to other supernatural goals
  should carefully and persistently promote
  formation for the apostolate. Frequently these
  groups are the ordinary vehicle of harmonious
  formation for the apostolate since they provide
  doctrinal, spiritual and practical information.
  Their members meet in small groups with their
  associates and friends, examine the methods and
  results of their apostolic activity, and measure
  their daily life against the Gospel.

• Laity

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Formation of this type must be designed to take
into account the whole lay apostolate, which is
to be carried-on not only among the organized
groups themselves but also in all circumstances
in life, especially in the believers professional
and social life.Indeed, everyone should
painstakingly ready themselves personally for the
apostolate, especially as an adult. For the
advance of age brings with it better self
knowledge, thus enabling each person to evaluate
more accurately the talents with which God has
enriched their soul and to exercise more
effectively those charismatic gifts which the
Holy spirit has bestowed on them for the good of
the brothers and sisters.
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• Chapter 5
• A Methodology of Formation
• How to Explain the SFO Rule to the
• Candidates for Profession
• The Grids...............
• OH! NO-O-O-O-O-O-O-O!!!!

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The grids are A meTHOD, a model, a tool, to
help you to explain the SFO Rule to Yourself,
and/or to those whom you may be instructing..in
initial or on-goingformation in other words,
How
to go from gospel to life
and life to the gospelThey may or may not
work for youeh!!! ????
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The Grids are a way of evaluating yourhuman,
christian - catholic and franciscan progress(or
not)in virtue, in grace ..a personal and/or
communal way to an examination of
conscienceThere cannot be two parallel
lives in their existence on the one hand, the
so-called spiritual life with its values and
demands and on the other, the so-called secular
life, that is, life in a family, at work, in
social relationships, in the responsibilities of
public life and in culture- -from the
Apostolic Exhortation on the Laity,
Christifideles Laici JPII 1988
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The Places of our life nd our action SFO Rule
14-19read text________________________________
____________ Places
Plus Minus

• Project/Program

• Public Life
• __________________________________________________
  _______
• Work, Activities
• _________________________________________________
• Family
• --------------------------------------------------
  ------------------------------------------------
• Creation
• __________________________________________________

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To the Secular Franciscan Order in the
United StatesI would like to share something
with you that concerns me and which I have been
focusing on while preparing various presentations
about the Rule. Is there something that makes
usbelieve that it is enough to merely speak of a
value (the Rule)without having actually lived
it?.......have we given the Rule life in our
lives, or has it remained new and virgin-like for
us because we only speak if it idyllically, or
without having made it a part of ourselves?
Better still, is Christ the center of our lives
with God and with men, as the Rule suggests it
should be? In order to incorporate and give
life to the Rule, suppose we completely immerse
ourselvesinto the Gospel as did Francis,
suppose we accept Jesus invitation to remain
with Him as He remains in us..Suppose we accept
His friendship and intimacy..just as francis
did..
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In this way, with this support and foundation,
despite all issues, difficulties and the numerous
interests that are associated with our secular
vocation, we would be able to carry on the
Franciscan way, and with that a message alive
with optimism, hope, and joy, because inside us
we would have found the resources that are only
prevalent through a genuine relationship with
Jesus in the manner of the spirituality of St.
Francis. May you have a positive and favorable
journey together and may our Rule, the Word and
Life of Salvation, become for all the beautiful
words of the Lord.
-Encarnacion del Pozo,
sfo Minister
General -2003

• In this way, with this support and foundation,
  despite all issues, difficulties and the numerous
  interests that are associated with our secular
  vocation, we would be able to carry on the
  Franciscan way, and with that a message alive
  with optimism, hope, and joy, because inside us
  we would have found the resoureces that re only
  prevalent through a genuine relationship with
  Jesus in the manner of the spirituality of St.
  Francis