C I O F S LIST

Children in the Franciscan Family

Children (I)

Among the many references to children in the Franciscan sources, my favourite one is found in the Legend of Perugia, referring to the friary at Greccio, to which St Francis liked to withdraw:

"His example, his preaching, and that of his brothers were the reason, together with the grace of God, why many of the inhabitants entered the Order... The brothers at Greccio, as was the custom of the brothers at that time in many of the friaries, sang the praises of the Lord in the evening. Then, men and women, great and small, would come out of their homes, stand on the road before the town, and alternate with the brothers, repeating in a loud voice: "Blessed be the Lord God". Even the little children who hardly knew how to talk praised God according to their ability" ( LP 34, Omnibus p.1011).

This passage is important for the history of the Secular Franciscan Order. Where it says that "many of the inhabitants entered the Order", it can be understood to mean that they became members of the Franciscan Family, either as friars or nuns or, more frequently, as seculars - including children.

The motives why they entered are given: the example, preaching and liturgical prayer of St Francis and of his friars. Besides, the grace of God is stressed.

Children the world over are still attracted by St Francis and his friars and are happy to accompany their parents in the Franciscan Family. Anyone who has had contact with the groups of Franciscan Children, that have sprung up spontaneously in many countries, is struck by the beautiful presence of God among the children and by the impact of St Francis on their impressionable spirit.

Cardinal Daneels has made an important observation about the impressions of childhood. He said in an interview:

"The big religious impressions are experienced before the age of six. At eight years of age, when the child is left to the tutelage of the school, it is already too late: an altogether different visible world will already be set in place - Martians, dwarfs and fairy stories. Educating tiny tots to pray and to be in touch with God is therefore extremely important" ( L'humanité de Dieu , 95).

This number of the Letter to the Assistants is inspired by the favoured place that children have always enjoyed in the Franciscan Family and by the importance of forming them in the love of God and of their neighbour.

I have been deeply impressed by my contacts with the Franciscan Children in Italy and by their Assistants and Animators.

I have drawn the material for this issue from theirMethodological Guidelines. My intention is not to present or even to propose this material as the official guidelines for Franciscan Children everywhere, but rather to let others know what has already been the experience of some members of the Franciscan Family and to encourage them to do something practical for Franciscan Children in their own place.

It would be helpful if the Assistants and Animators of the various groups of Franciscan Children (e.g., in Mexico, Syria, Egypt, Philippines and in many other countries) responded by sending their own guidelines, for our information.

Eventually, the Presidency of the International Council SFO may be in a position to offer some guidelines for a worldwide movement of Franciscan Children.
Carl Schafer, Editor

Introduction

The aim of Franciscan Children is to form the "person of the Incarnation", following St Francis.

The perfect model was realized in the Incarnate Word, Jesus of Nazareth. All St Francis's choices were inspired by this model. We are convinced that the full realization of our life comes through this same model. It is characterized by some traits that mark the main lines of our method of formation:
- an active and untiring search for God's plan and total availability to adapt to it gradually, deepening one's understanding of it through prayer, reflection and experience, both personal and communal;
- full availability to one's brothers and sisters in a constant attitude of service. A love that gives all of oneself even to "excess" (the death of a totally innocent man as a criminal).

These are the basic traits of Christ that Francis reproduces in himself. To these are linked others that together provide the means for revealing themselves and their consequences. These are the spirit of poverty (freedom from the possible conditioning of material things and goods in general, not by scorning them but by giving them their right place in the scale of values), of minority (overcoming dominion over others so as to be instead, with others, an example of power as service), recognition of Creation as the marvellous work of God given to everyone to use, without privileges (worthy therefore of respect, care and promotion), a sense of relativity (all things and even the most noble values find their place and their true value only in relation to God, who remains the only stable point of reference. Indeed, he alone is the Lord of life).

The "person of the Incarnation" recognizes in the law of charity the way to realize all this. Love that urges us to seek God without halting and to love him as the highest good, from whom every other good comes. Love that, passing through God is poured out on our brothers and on all Creation in the most authentic and sure way. The Son of God who becomes flesh out of love is the aim, the way, the model, encouragement and guarantee, all in one. This is why we make the law of love the foundation of education and we propose it without respite and in every way, including naturally all those ways that help to overcome the daily expressions of selfishness (at times subtly defended even by some educators in the name of spontaneity and freedom, values that are to be promoted always with an accurate check).

Summing up:
- God has loved us, loves us now, and will love us always, with an absolutely faithful love (1 Ts 5,23-34; 2 Tm 2,13; 1 Pt 4,19; 1 Jn 2,3-11; Jn 14,23-24).
- God in loving us arouses in us love for our brothers. Only from God can we draw the indication and the capacity to love everyone without discrimination, fully and consistently (1 Jn 4,7-21).
- God's love for us urges us to "excess" (Ef 2,1-5), which is expressed particularly in death on the cross.
- A love which becomes "service" (Mt 20,28, Jn 13,1-20).
- A love that is expressed in poverty of goods and of power (Mt 8,18-21; Lk 2,1-20; 2 Cor 8,9).
- A love that welcomes Creation as an act of love and given to us by God.

(to be continued)