IFC-TOR · International Franciscan Conference of the Sisters and Brothers of the Third Order Regular

It was 800 years ago at this time, that Francis was in Damietta, Egypt. He was the self-proclaimed Herald of the Great King! In the summer of 1219, he boarded a ship and left Italy. After a long journey over strong and raging waters, he made his way to see the Sultan Malik al-Kamil, with the dream of changing the course of violence to peace, after the two bloody years of the Fifth Crusade.

We would like the sisters or brothers of their congregations to tell how they are giving witness the Third Order Charism in their lives. The articles should be submitted electronically to the General Secretary to be translated and prepared for the website. We are asking for articles about a half page (500 words), accompanied or not by a photo.

When the angels went away from them to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” Luke 2:15

At our recent IFC-TOR Council meeting, we discussed your input from the General Assembly in May, 2017. You have indicated that you like the way Propositum is being done and we thank you for the contributions that have been made: in the past four years, 70 Sisters and Brothers have contributed an article to one of the ten issues. We are grateful for your sharing.

Francis … went around the cities and villages, proclaiming the kingdom of God and preaching peace… in the learning and power of the Spirit. At that time,… it surely seemed a new light had been sent from heaven to earth driving away the darkness that had so nearly covered the whole region that hardly anyone knew where to turn.

For the next issue of Propositum, the General Council decided to complete the input from the General Assembly last May with reflections by the participants. You were one of the participants!

And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth. John 1.14

May the Lord give you peace! Francis sent his brothers out to preach and to be the Gospel of Jesus Christ, first to Italy, and then to all the world.

During this meeting, the new Council was elected to serve for four years. They represents sisters and brothers from almost every continent which brings much diversity and many gifts to the group.

With great attentiveness, cheerful expectation and renewed hope, we live the time of Advent as people who walk confident in the promises of our God, who is so very good.

On August 1, the 800th Anniversary of the Feast of the Pardon of Assisi began in great jubilation with the celebration of the Eucharist in Santa Maria degli Angeli.

At Greccio, Francis wanted everyone to experience how Jesus came to be God-with-us: the mercy of God poured forth from generation to generation Luke 1.50 . - 5

“God has humbly bent down and lifted the dust of our nature into unity with His own person.” Bonaventure (Sermon II on the Nativity of the Lord). That Francis understood this is certain in Celano’s retelling of the Christmas of 1223 in Greccio.

The LIGHT shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. (John 1.5) This light is the light of lights, given to us today. Let us be drawn to the light. Let us make haste.

We come to the close of another calendar year and begin another liturgical year, let us as Franciscans reflect on the situation of the world that we live in. Our thoughts go out especially to the land where the Lord was born ancient Palestine.

“What will we offer you, O Christ, for being seen on earth as a man? Every creature created by you offers you its recognition: the angles, their song, the sky, their stars, the Magi, their gifts, the shepherds, their admiration, the earth, a grotto, the desert, a presepio but us, a Virgin Mother!

Venite adoremus! We read that the Magi, after leaving the city of Jerusalem and their discussion with the doctors of the law and the intrigue of Herod, they took up following the star with great joy and when they found the Infant, they “prostrated and adored” (Mt 2:11) .

For Franciscans the feast of the Incarnation is a special one. Legend has it that Francis was the “originator” of the presepio at Greccio. To help illustrate the Gospel reading of the birth of Christ he recreated in the outdoors a living crèche.

The Gospel accounts highlight the joy and happiness that the Incarnation of the Lord brings with it. Mary is the first one to receive the essage of the angel Gabriel and her Magnificat heralds the joy of all the anawim (the poor).

We want to thank all of the Sisters and Brothers for your generosity in supporting the St. Elizabeth Solidarity Fund. We will be asking for an accounting of how this fund was used by FI for the Jubilee year of St. Elizabeth. May the good Lord be generous with each of you for your generosity.