WE LISTEN TO “THE WIND FROM THE FUTURE”

Faced with so delicate a responsibility and mission that has been entrusted to us: “To reorganise our life as Clarist Franciscan Missionaries of the Most Blessed Sacrament in a synodal way”, “a welcome breath of fresh air” from outside came confirming “That is the way…”. This is what Br. Massimo Fusarelli, Minister General of the OFM, did while he was addressing us today.

is challenging words simply summed up what the Reports of the Provincials and the General Government and all that we have shared, prayed and worked on these days. “All things must be made new…” (cf. Rev 21, 5)

He spoke to us through an online presence at our Chapter Assembly. It is worth noting that the points highlighted by him served once again to confirm to us that the Holy Spirit is the true protagonist in all our decisions, given the coincidences of the inputs in all the meetings we have had until then: “Reorganize our life….” starting from the Charism, listening to the Spirit as to where and how we have to take new steps.

Br. Massimo reminded us that Charism is bigger than us and we should not lose the focus of “reorganisation” by distracting ourselves with too many discourses and topics. He also exhorted the sisters to focus on the main objective of this Chapter: TO REORGANIZE IN A SYNODAL WAY, which would require much discernment on the part of the capitulars, given  the explosion of diversity – typical of the historical moment in which we are living, with scientific and technological innovations, changes in the  political and economic aspects , as well as changes  in structures and social behaviour which requires transformation and open-mindedness to differences, and that we cannot afford to remain as we are.

In order to achieve the goal we want, he said, two questions must move us: “What in our life needs to be revised?”Are we able to read the signs of the times with our Charism? Each epoch makes us discover something, and the charism, being a gift of the Spirit, is dynamic. So it is fundamental to ask ourselves: how can we live the charism responding to the signs of the times today? There could be various facts, which must be taken into account. However, we can run the risk of “changing everything in order to change nothing”.

Considering that the Spirit blows where it wills, we must be able to recognize the power of the Spirit in the sisters, cultures and in the diverse realities. Finally he exhorted us to be dynamically faithful to the charism highlighting that the synodal way is what unites us in all our differences.

The Gospel is fundamental to our Franciscan-Clarian charism as our founders always started from the Gospel and the poor. Hence, we cannot lose sight of it.

Br. Massimo concluded the meeting wishing us capitulars the light and strength of the Spirit as he blessed us with the Blessings of St. Francis.