The time we are living bears difficulties and problems, chances and meanings, opportunities to take and positions to adopt. The end of modernity, the overcoming of the industrial society, the achievements of information technologies sway men from recognizing themselves in God's hands.
We are called to be a part of such a society with consistency of evangelical life, a challenge requiring from each one: spiritual insight, capability to make choices and give signs, bravery to become proposing strength, grow as a symbol of salvation and gift, good leaven in the history of our time.
Our Fraternities, too, are called to become a sign of unity so that the world do believe, yeast of Christ to repair the torn Christian tissue of our society, to prepare for sharing goods, for permanently being a site where close logic is overcome and for an open place with broad horizons.
I think it is time for Franciscans obeying to "go and repair..." to adopt the directives of the Conference of the Franciscan Family on the 2000 Jubilee and to offer ourselves to the Church in which we operate becoming a part of the ordinary pastoral, expressing our prophetic and charismatic presence at best, to avoid getting exhausted within ourselves and our circles. As a consequence we must look at the situation inside and outside the Fraternity to improve it with concrete projects, significant restoring interventions, and offer to the eyes of the Church and the world suitable behavior models.
This will also help improving the whole SFO image, living the membership, sharing the lot in the changing time conditions, which is something different from preserving the existing situation. Such a commitment requires determination and faith motivations and, in turn, it offers more meaning and consideration to our presence in the Church and in the world.
The Pope says that going towards the Jubilee is like a prolonged session of spiritual exercises to be followed as pilgrims of peace, in the purification of memory, along the path of forgiveness, relieving the pains of many brothers, appealing to one's own conscience face to face with God. This way should be followed by each one of us in line with the Seraphic Father's example and the love towards Him we live for.
Emerenziana Rossato