Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Br. Erik - preaches the 2nd part of the recollection....Afternoon..

After the morning reflection the delegates were given free time to meditate and prayer over what was preached.....
Francis's words in Testament: The Lord gave to Br. Francis brothers to begin penance, to repent, he led among the lepers and i showed mercy to them....
we are close to the opening of the year of mercy on 8th december.....we need to question about our Identity: I made mercy - what does it mean to us who are consecrated....
Conversion Francis experienced is a historical moment.....The frescos in Assisi never presented Francis meeting the Leper
I showed mercy to them: in medical world view....distance from leper....Gods will that they should be sick and away.....Francis showed sign of sympathy...might have given some money....that is what not meant by i showed mercy....his experience with leper is a radical exp......that day was a non-religious context....found his deepest religious anxieties found expression....Francis gave away all....saw a suffering and marginalized human being....from here everything flowed from his life....it caused a change in Francis....it was not religious experience.....if we would do then we would lose the experience of Francis which is unique....total disconnection between religious existential experience. and the Lord led me among the leper.....Francis in his surprise decided that he would transform into a conscious choice...giving to leper his heart....misericordia.....where there is mercy and discretion there is no hardness of heart...mercy for him is showed in humility and patience....hardness of heart leads to disturbance of spirit
To one authority is given let him be the servant to other brothers....let him show and do mercy...let him show as he would expect...let him not get angry because of brothers sin...admonish and support friars....
The process of mercy is abasement, blending low...assumption of the needy condition of the brothers...it is self- emptying, to enter into contact one has to leave behind his title....become small...mercy is possible when there is sharing in the need of the other.....this doing mercy he begins radical transformation of his whole being....making himself as the centre from where mercy goes out to the others
Mercy becomes metanoia....looking at the other....re-odering oneself to new order,,,,,penitent is someone chosen to give himself mercifully embracing the other
Gaudium: human is being reaches fulfillment when he gives to others...appropriating and exultation of the self is the disregard....refusal of the regard to God..
self-centered life is not good to be merciful....Francis gives everything back to God....the movement of mercy is forgetting himself, his spiritual needs, he is preoccupied with the needs of others...it is conversion....doing mercy to leper....free giving himself....exodus from old world....heart and body...stripping himself.....source of renewal for whole life....to give himself freely without ny advantage.....he himself was infected by them....radical freely giving....the basic novelty is not in relation to external reality but what is happening within...it is miracle that God offered him....two levels of transformation: new place that he occupied and new place within his heart
Bitter to see leper: gift of penance is a moment of renewal: internally, externally and in his relationship with God
Internally: he discovered the logic of life...not in conquest but mercy to leper...he discovered himself at the start and end of journey...to do penance is not to deny human being....exappropriation of himself by mercy show to other....experienced the truth of the Bible by losing himself....
Externally: he emerges from leper, new eyes, no one is to exploited....they are places of patient heart...he discovers a secret to enable him to be a brother, feels at home...to begin to do penance....he started to feel to be a brother....he asked brothers to be example of mercy and love...relationship dimension....he was always a brother....called a lesser brother....circular motion.....journey of minority....experience of leper transformed his vision of creation...all created reality comes and loved by God....we relate always in spirit of universal brotherhood...sweeteness that he experienced is now a door through which he can enter to experience a new relationship...all created reality becomes places of relationship and sources of praised....sweetness...new eyes to see beyond the creation to discover the creator
Newness:discovery of the face of God in the face of Christ...a true conversion...his way of looking....1st letter to faithful....those who are not in peace and who don't receive the body of Christ....who have evil desire....do not obey the promises....he says that they are blind and cannot see the true light of Christ....he discovered his own nature when he was sin...true light he discovered in the leper
The merciful conversion of the eyes of heart....to see suffering face of Christ....became a leper himself...radical manifesto...dispossession of the love of God for man....meaning of existence lies in practice..
Some conclusions for us:1. encounter of Francis with leper took place in non-religious context....God loves us in our condition...we can approach to God in religious and profane situation....he invites us not to distance ourselves from God's logic
2. his conversion meant going out to others...to share their condition...did we experience this...as a promotion or abasement.....what is our actual stance and position...going out ...leaving the world...leaving arrogant world...affirmed new logic...gift of mercy....how can we live this new logic...our capuchins can offer a thought...The lord has sent to preach good news...what does it mean to evangelize....that we are also loved....the other person has to feel that bigger and noble....awakening of new person..do not hide the face of Christ...leave aside all the power....to be truly friend....they wait for our friendship
3. God gave me the gift....to do penance...live in mercy.....novelty is born out of a gift...freely given gift...remember our vocation....do we live the goodness and free gift of God.....Early Rule: not to be proud....take your place in goodness....apply yourself in humility in all work....let us give back to God...every good comes and proceeds from Him...all honor and graces, glory belongs to Him...free initiative of God led Francis to give his heart....Jesus sent his disciples by stripping them of everything...love of others can be learnt by coming close to them, incarnate this love...close contact has to be real and close....cannot be virtual....today disincarnation...
4. The gift of self...found new relationship with oneself...God and others...what it means to us to be brothers in the sense of Francis...need the healing of the eye of the heart....not by materialism but de-materialism....moving from culture to technology which imposes its plans on us....it is not generous gift....it is not like given and received...forgetfulness of others to contemplate the others....he was wounded by the encounter of trinitarian logic...plan of Christ in him....

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