Franciscan Presentation for Young Adults-The Eucharist from Adoration to Action

Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity and the Friars of the Third Order Regular are beginning to share a young adult presentation entitled The Eucharist, from Adoration to Action, Franciscan Spirituality with interested groups. Sister Mary Ann Spanjers includes a further description of the program here. Call or text Sister Mary Ann at 920-320-1627 with any questions.

Franciscan Spirituality: The Eucharist from Adoration to Action

This presentation-reflection consists of five brief videos, brief oral descriptions and a handout outlining the movement of one’s heart asseen in the life of St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi. The Congregation of Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity and Franciscan Friars of the Third Order Regular, who continue to follow in Jesus’ footprints today, reveal how Franciscan Spirituality is currently lived. There are three discussion reflection questions for young adults to engage in with each other and time for personal questions, comments and reflections. We are especially grateful to the young adults from the Detroit Archdiocese who contributed to the presentation with their insights, authenticity and faith filled reflections.

There are three points of emphasis in sharing about Franciscan Eucharistic Spirituality;
1) The Gospel life is to discover that God is in love with you and the only response is to fall in love with God.
2) An encounter with God changes a person.
3) Franciscan Spirituality is about becoming more oneself; it is about using one’s gifts in the world.

When Francis encountered God’s grace to embrace the leper, whom he abhorred and was afraid of, he had an experience of being captured by the Spirit of God within his heart. In embracing the leper Francis began to embrace his true self. This is the same for each person; that which causes one anxiety, fear or rejection, when faced, reveals the deepest center of one’s life and brings inner freedom. This is the action that comes from receiving and adoring Jesus in the Eucharist. One discovers one’s true self embracing what is difficult, demeaning, unpopular, self-sacrificing because it is connecting oneself to Jesus. As Father Michael Ignaszak, Archdiocese of Milwaukee, states, “this is recognizing that God has called me to be part of something much larger than myself.”

“The Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity Constitutions states, ” Our life is rooted in prayer, and our prayer is rooted in life. To follow Jesus in the footprints of St. Francis today is to use one’s gifts, passions and ambitions as Apostolic Women Religious in-the-world sharing God’s goodness and helping others discover their own goodness.” (Sister Mary Ann Spanjers) The Eucharist is Jesus giving himself in love to us, so that we discover that God is in love with us and that we help others discover this as well. Br. Nathan Linton, OFM Cap. emphasizes St. Bonaventure’s message, “That in our path to God, there is no other way except through the burning love of the crucified Lord.”

Presenting in the diocese of “Pittsburgh… Harrisburg…. etc”, and will be in the New York City and New Jersey area during the month of September, if someone would like to meet Sr. Mary Ann for a friendly conversation (having served in Arizona and the Midwest), she is now enthused about trying East Coast Coffee.