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STUDY GUIDE

St. Francis: Gift from God,


Man of Prayer
Presented by Fr. Charlie Smiech, O.F.M., M.Div.
ST. FRANCIS: GIFT FROM GOD, MAN OF PRAYER STUDY GUIDE

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ST. FRANCIS: GIFT FROM GOD, MAN OF PRAYER STUDY GUIDE

Table of Contents

Program Summary ............................................................................................................... 4


About Your Presenter ........................................................................................................... 5
Conference 1: Introduction: Francis before the Cross ....................................................... 6
Conference 2: A Simple Man, a Complex Person ............................................................. 9
Conference 3: A Man of Prayer ....................................................................................... 12
Conference 4: From Fear to Liberation ........................................................................... 16
Conference 5: Self-Reflection towards an Enriched Life ................................................ 19
Conference 6: Fraternal Correction and Human Development ....................................... 22
Conference 7: Francis: A Man of Faith and Joy .............................................................. 25
Conference 8: Contemplation/Action: Keeping a Healthy Balance in Life .................... 28
Conference 9: The Art of Community Established in Faith, Hope, and Love ................ 32
Conference 10: Francis: An Icon of Compassion and Gentleness .................................. 37
Conference 11: Franciscan Prayer: A Style for All Peoples and All Generations .......... 40
Conference 12: Praising God: A Call to Reverence All of Creation ............................... 43
Suggested Readings ........................................................................................................... 47

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ST. FRANCIS: GIFT FROM GOD, MAN OF PRAYER STUDY GUIDE

Program Summary
St. Francis of Assisi continues to electrify the Church with his words and
deeds. Now, discover St. Francis as a model for modern spirituality in this
powerful retreat.

As you no doubt know, St. Francis lived in the Middle Ages, when great
cathedrals were being built and decorated with fine art, when church leaders
enjoyed wealth and power. Corruption and abuse were part of both civil and
church leadership, and power struggles and warfare overshadowed the basic
needs of people, especially the poor. Francis of Assisi, who would later become
one of the greatest saints in Christianity, was very much a product of this time.

Growing up in the merchant class of Italy, Francis enjoyed a life of luxury


and had the honor of becoming a knight. Francis, however, slowly became
aware of another calling—the call from God. In the Church of San Damiano,
God instructed Francis to “repair my house.” Churches were both physically and
metaphorically decaying: religious artifacts were tossed aside and the clergy had
other interests than carrying out their responsibilities. The Church needed a holy
man like Francis to rebuild it.

This command to repair God’s church is as pertinent today as ever. In this


12-conference retreat, you will look at St. Francis as a guide for modern spiritual
life. Francis’s journey from personal conversion to establishing a community of
faith took courage and time, and you will look at his life as a model for your
own faith journey. By looking at his experiences, you will become inspired on
your own pilgrimage of life.

Among all the saints within the Catholic tradition, St. Francis is the most
popular. His simple love and devotion to Christ and his Church make him an
icon for today’s Church. In this retreat, you will encounter St. Francis’s great
love for the Church in spite of all its imperfections. You will be inspired by his
generous response in becoming God’s “instrument of reconciliation” and by his
devotion to living Gospel truths.

Take St. Francis as your spiritual guide today.

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ST. FRANCIS: GIFT FROM GOD, MAN OF PRAYER STUDY GUIDE

About Your Presenter

Fr. Charlie Smiech, O.F.M., is an international retreat director and spiritual


advisor. Ordained as a Franciscan friar in 1981, he is a member of Saint John the
Baptist Province in Cincinnati, Ohio. He has traveled throughout the world
offering the best in Catholic teaching and Franciscan spirituality. Father Smiech
received his Master of Divinity from Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora,
New York, and he continued his studies in spirituality at St. Michael's College in
Toronto, Ontario, and at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. From 1999
to 2006, Father Smiech served as spiritual director and guardian at the St.
Francis Retreat House in Eaton, Pennsylvania. He preaches to religious
congregations, at parish missions, and at numerous retreat centers throughout the
United States and Canada. He has also attended inter-faith conferences in
Germany, India, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, and Pakistan.

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ST. FRANCIS: GIFT FROM GOD, MAN OF PRAYER STUDY GUIDE

Conference 1: Introduction: Francis before the Cross


I. Francis of Assisi [1182–1226]
A) Born in the merchant class
B) Enjoyed the comforts of life
C) A carefree lifestyle in his youth, grew in popularity among his contemporaries
D) Invested in his father’s business; gains riches and security

II. A Call to Conversion: Going Deeper into the Soul


A) Francis listens with the ear of the heart
B) God speaks
C) The message:
1) “Go and repair my church, which has fallen into ruins.”
D) How could such an encounter could happen?
E) Enlightened with the truth
F) Francis’ response: to live the Gospel and take the words of Jesus literally

III. The “message”: ever so old and ever so new


A) To enter into silence in order to hear the inner voice of God
B) What is the message God has for us?
C) What, then, is our response?

IV. A universal call to listen, a universal call to respond


A) Removing the obstruction from the eye so as to see clearly what needs to be repaired
B) Acknowledgment of impediments and shortcomings [within and without]
C) Encountering the Cross from within

V. Prayer before the Crucifix


A) Most High, Glorious God, enlighten the darkness of my heart and give me,
Lord, a correct faith, a certain hope, a perfect charity,
sense and knowledge, so that I may carry out Your holy and true command.

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ST. FRANCIS: GIFT FROM GOD, MAN OF PRAYER STUDY GUIDE

B) A prayer that:
1) Enlightens and strengthens
2) Fills us with the graceto act accordingly

VI. What was the darkness of Francis’s heart?


A) A dysfunctional family?
B) Personal struggles within his own life?
C) Hardships with civil leadership and warfare?

VII. Difficulties in history and today


A) The Church has dealt with difficulties over the centuries.
1) Fourth Lateran Council [1215]
2) Francis had been an instrument of peace.
B) Synods of Bishops [today’s concerns]: a cry for repair

VIII. An invitation to walk in truth and in hope


A) Personal assessments and concerns:
1) Old age and illness
2) Loneliness and discouragement
3) Interior trails and shared failures
4) Facing our future with hope

IX. The Cross:


A) Expresses the universality of Christ’s redemptive love
B) Brings joy because it proclaims that the deceptions of sin have already been conquered:
1) Good does triumph over evil
2) Justice over injustice
3) Peace over war
4) Love over hatred
5) Life over death

X. Without passing through painful experiences, there can be no “rebirth.”

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ST. FRANCIS: GIFT FROM GOD, MAN OF PRAYER STUDY GUIDE

FOR PRAYER AND REFLECTION

1. When you still your life before the Cross, what do your hear God saying to you through the lips of Jesus?

2. What do you say to Him as you kneel before the Crucifix?

3. What in your life, your family’s life, or place of employment needs to be repaired so to enrich life?

4. How do you understand the Cross as being a message of hope?

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ST. FRANCIS: GIFT FROM GOD, MAN OF PRAYER STUDY GUIDE

Conference 2: A Simple Man, a Complex Person


I. Simplicity: at the very heart of St. Francis
A) His message is to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
B) This message that causes division as well as unity
C) Abandonment by family and friends: moments of darkness that bring great despair

II. The Cave Experience


A) Enriches understanding
B) Enhances human and spiritual growth
C) Experience of silence and solitude

III. Silence and Solitude


A) Inner Silence
1) The disposition that readies us to hear the Word of God
2) Enables us to hear with the ear of the heart
B) Solitude
1) A retreat from a busy world
2) An environment that is most challenging
3) Thomas of Celano

IV. The life of St. Francis


A) Thomas of Celano
1) St. Francis and his desire for solitude
2) The Gospel of Mark 1:35
B) Francis sought moments to enjoy the simple joys of life.
C) Francis engaged the many demands of life.
D) Tensions that made his life complex
1) A poor beggar
2) Matthew 25

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ST. FRANCIS: GIFT FROM GOD, MAN OF PRAYER STUDY GUIDE

V. Peace and social justice


A) Local and global concerns
B) Clothing all life with dignity
C) Christ the “Divine Beggar”
1) Christ begging for the hospitality of your heart

VI. Francis and sacred hospitality


A) Brotherhood: successes and failures
B) Islamic Tradition
C) Ill judgment and ignorance gives birth to charity.

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ST. FRANCIS: GIFT FROM GOD, MAN OF PRAYER STUDY GUIDE

FOR REFLECTION AND PRAYER

1. Do you find time during the complexity of life to enter into the simplicity of silence, where you can listen
with the ear of your heart to the voice of God?

2. Where is your place of solitude? Do you have a place for solitude, or do you need to find that place in
order to be revitalized in your many responsibilities?

3. What encounters have challenged you with Gospel values, such as the ones found in Matthew 25? How
can you challenge your loved ones with the teaching of Jesus and the Church?

4. Do you dare to embrace others who might be of a different culture, tradition, or different religion? If so,
how has this enriched your life? If not, what prevents you from doing so? Remember that Francis would
call them his brother or sister.

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ST. FRANCIS: GIFT FROM GOD, MAN OF PRAYER STUDY GUIDE

Conference 3: A Man of Prayer


I. Francis’s prayer
A) Francis did not so much pray, but rather he himself became prayer.
B) Francis’s praying developed a person of hope.

II. Teachings on prayer


A) Encyclical Letter of Pope Benedict XVI
1) Spe Salvi: “Saved in Hope”
2) The first essential setting for learning hope is prayer.
B) Saint Augustine: Homily on the First Letter of John
1) There is an intimate relationship between prayer and hope.
2) Prayer is an exercise of desire.
3) Prayer leads us through the process of inner purification.
C) “My God and My All” [St. Francis]
D) Catechism of the Catholic Church
1) Prayer is the raising up of the mind and heart to God in praise.
2) Prayer as petition
3) Prayer as desire
4) Prayer as intercession
5) CC 2559

III. Life as a Christian


A) Gift of prayer
B) Public worship
1) Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
C) Private Prayer
1) Meditation
2) Contemplation

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ST. FRANCIS: GIFT FROM GOD, MAN OF PRAYER STUDY GUIDE

IV. Scripture and prayer


A) Relationship between God and people
B) The role of the Holy Spirit
1) To pray with a pure heart
2) To pray with a lively and persevering faith
3) To pray with boldness

V. The Infant Church


A) Born in prayer
B) Lived in Prayer

VI. Mediation and contemplation


A) The very heart of Franciscan Spirituality
B) Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
1) The first commandment of the law obliges us to adore God (CC 2096).
2) Franciscan Prayer before the Blessed Sacrament:
(a) Lord, Jesus Christ, you gave us the Eucharist, as the memorial of your
suffering and death. May our worship of this sacrament of your body and
blood help us experience the salvation you won for us and the peace of
your kingdom where you live with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God,
forever and ever.

VII. Christian prayer


A) Prayer as inner strengthen in time of need and of illness
1) Prayer in darkness
B) Jesus Christ [image of the Good Shepherd]
C) Christian prayer as Trinitarian
1) Father
2) Son
3) Holy Spirit
(a) The Church invites us to invoke the Holy Spirit as the teacher of Christian prayer.

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ST. FRANCIS: GIFT FROM GOD, MAN OF PRAYER STUDY GUIDE

D) Mary:
1) Mother of Jesus
2) Woman of great contemplation
3) From the poverty of the crib to the poverty of the Cross
4) Image of silent love (CC 2724)

VIII. St. Francis


A) Lover of the Trinity
B) Lover of Mary, Mother of God

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ST. FRANCIS: GIFT FROM GOD, MAN OF PRAYER STUDY GUIDE

FOR REFLECTION AND PRAYER

1. What seems to be the best format of prayer for yourself and your family as you journey through life?

2. From moments of great joy to those of deepest sorrow, how do you find the strength to carry on without
losing your sense of direction and of hope?

3. What image of God is most helpful to you? How has this image changed over the years?

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Conference 4: From Fear to Liberation


I. Fear
A) Courage and prayer
B) Francis and the Wolf of Gubbio
1) Living in fear
2) Confronting difficulties
3) Beginning again [liberation]
C) What makes a person live in fear?
1) Unfaithful spouse
2) Alcohol abuse
3) Verbal abuse
4) Physical abuse
5) Poor self-image
6) Relational difficulties [school/work]
7) Misunderstandings among friends
8) Public scandals [secular/church]
9) Religious persecution
10) Hardships of aging and/or illness

II. Other concerns [Capital Sins of the Church]


A) Pride
B) Envy
C) Anger
D) Gluttony
E) Lust
F) Catholic Catechism 1886

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ST. FRANCIS: GIFT FROM GOD, MAN OF PRAYER STUDY GUIDE

III. The above litany may be like a wild beast causing a person to live in fear.
A) Addressing the problematic areas of life can be liberating
B) Failure to address such areas of concern might paralyze a person
C) Personal testimony

IV. God’s desire for us


A) Not living in fear
B) Life to be clothed with Christian dignity
C) Life to be lived in Gospel Joy

V. Francis of Assisi
A) Enhanced the dignity of each person that crossed his path

VI. Scripture [New Testament]


A) Jesus as Healer
B) Jesus as Liberator
C) Jesus as Corrector
D) Jesus heard the cry of the poor and ministered to their needs.

VII. The Order of “Tough Love”


A) Accept correction
B) Humbly admit wrong-doing
C) Willingness to make amends
From fear and ignorance to liberation and freedom
D) Assistance as needed
E) Spiritual direction
F) Professional [psychological] assistance

VIII. Care for one another is a life long ministry


A) Knowledge
B) Wisdom
C) Understanding

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ST. FRANCIS: GIFT FROM GOD, MAN OF PRAYER STUDY GUIDE

FOR PRAYER AND REFLECTION

1. What problematic areas in your life cause you to live in fear? Are you able to address these concerns, or
do you need assistance doing so?

2. Using Scripture as a reference, what stories do you find helpful when it comes to confrontation and
healing? Which stories are the most inspiring and hopeful?

3. Are you strong enough to practice “tough love” on your own family members and acquire proper
treatment that will enrich your family life? Do you know where you can go to get the professional help to
enhance your life?

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ST. FRANCIS: GIFT FROM GOD, MAN OF PRAYER STUDY GUIDE

Conference 5: Self-Reflection towards an Enriched Life


I. To evaluate life so as to enrich life
A) Francis of Assisi strips himself of wealth for a life of poverty.
1) Francis before the Bishop of Assisi
2) Francis’ reference to the Gospel, “I desire to live like the birds of the air and the flowers of
the field”
3) Francis strips himself of not only his clothes, in addition he strips himself of the following:
(a) Good name
(b) His family and friends
(c) A promising future
(d) Financial security
4) Francis embraces Lady Poverty: a lifelong commitment.
B) The Process of evaluating life
1) Removing that which will be a stumbling block
2) Clinging to that which would give life

II. What do we need to strip ourselves from:


A) Being critical
B) Passive-aggressive behavior
C) Controlling others
D) Wearing masks, making ourselves look better than we are
E) Forgetting about others
F) Unhealthy anxieties
G) Denying the truth
H) Being a perfectionist
I) Fear of the unknown
J) Feelings of isolation

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III. Freedom from unhealthy attachments: clothing ourselves with the following:
A) Authentic, true self
B) Acceptance of self and others without criticism
C) Assertiveness
D) Loving and trusting

IV. Self-improvement
A) Putting on the mind of Christ [Saint Paul]
B) Personal testimony
C) Invitation to make radical changes

V. 2006 Survey
A) Question: What is the greatest regret in your life?
B) Response:
1) 68% responded that they didn’t follow their heart’s quest. They were too busy trying to
please people, too concerned about what others thought of them.
2) Many felt as if they were living in fear.
3) Others felt they were not living life to its fullest.
4) Some would do things differently if they could.

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ST. FRANCIS: GIFT FROM GOD, MAN OF PRAYER STUDY GUIDE

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. What do you need to strip yourself of so as to enrich your life?

2. What do you need to put on to show that you are truly a follower of Jesus Christ?

3. What regret(s) do you have, if any? What can you do to right the wrong in life?

4. Think of some examples in your own life that have called you to reform your ways. Do you need to
revisit them and/or make further adjustments?

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ST. FRANCIS: GIFT FROM GOD, MAN OF PRAYER STUDY GUIDE

Conference 6: Fraternal Correction and Human Development


I. Acknowledgement and ownership
A) Striping self from ill attachments
B) Self-discipline
C) Spiritual direction
D) Reconciliation
E) Professional guidance

II. An overwhelming and sometimes fearful experience


A) Seeds of fear at an early age hindering:
1) Human development
2) Spiritual growth
B) Personal testimony: liberation, perfect joy
C) Confession
1) Confession brings freedom and healing, as well as peace and joy (CCC #1445).
2) Dr. Fields [psychologist]: Such a discipline [Confession] creates a healthy attitude so as to
foster mature relationships and develop a balanced character that enriches society at every
level.

III. Catechism of the Catholic Church


A) The practice of conversion is a radical re-orientation of the whole life away from sin and evil,
and towards God (CCC #1427).
B) Moral conscience is a judgment of practical reason about the moral quality of a human action. It
moves a person at the appropriate moment to do good and to avoid evil (CCC #1777 and #1778).
C) An examination of conscience is recommended as a preparation for the reception of the
Sacrament of Penance (CCC #1454).

IV. Freedom and Rebirth [to begin again]


A) Philippians 3
B) Rate all as rubbish.
C) Christ my only wealth.

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ST. FRANCIS: GIFT FROM GOD, MAN OF PRAYER STUDY GUIDE

V. Living in joy
A) Living the Gospel brings perfect joy empowered by God’s Spirit.
B) Living a “code” for good moral living
C) 10 simple steps for how to love another and enrich Human Development, by Dr. Fields
[psychologist]
1) Know your gifts and use them to help another reach their full potential
2) Build bridges in your relationships [open door policy]
3) Organize priorities that are most important in your relationships
4) Tell the truth even if it difficult to do so [true intimacy]
5) Give people another chance when they wrong you
6) Embrace and move beyond painful experiences
7) Live with a heart full of gratitude
8) Believe that the gift of faith will assist you
9) Know that God is with you every step of the way [insight/wisdom]
10) Surrender all to God and trust in God at all times
D) Additional Steps:
1) Refuse to pass ill judgement
2) Express disagreements and offer insights
3) Remember “boundaries” and avoid “barriers”

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ST. FRANCIS: GIFT FROM GOD, MAN OF PRAYER STUDY GUIDE

FOR PRAYER AND REFLECTION

1. Correction is not to be feared but to be seen as an act of love and fostering human growth. In what way do
you correct your love ones? How do they respond? Is it out of fear, or is it out of respect for you? Are you
trying to help them help themselves?

2. If you were to create your own ten simple steps of how to love one another and enrich relationships, what
would these steps be for you and your family?

3. How do you prepare yourself for the Sacrament of Reconciliation? Is it an experience of healing and
liberation, or is it fearful? How do you overcome fear so as to enjoy God’s gift of forgiveness in the
Sacrament of Reconciliation?

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ST. FRANCIS: GIFT FROM GOD, MAN OF PRAYER STUDY GUIDE

Conference 7: Francis: A Man of Faith and Joy


I. Faith
A) Franciscan charism: faith and joy
B) Catholic heritage: rich traditions of faith from the apostles
C) A home for saints and sinners: where all are welcome
1) Jesus Christ [Foundation of the Church]
2) Jesus as Teacher
3) Jesus as Healer
D) Salvation for all humankind

II. Mission of the Church


A) Extends to the ends of the earth to:
1) Baptize for the Salvation of Souls
2) Bring the Good News to the whole world [evangelizing the world]
B) Guided by the Holy Spirit
1) The “Sacrament of Confirmation” [the role of the Holy Spirit]
(a) To enlighten with knowledge and wisdom
(b) To continue to fall in love with Christ [to gaze upon Him]
(c) To be “Christ-centered”

III. Journeys
A) The journey of faith to knowledge
1) The wisdom of Br. Giles of Assisi
B) The journey marked with the Sign of the Cross
1) The victory of the Cross of Jesus Christ
2) Pope Innocent III: Fourth Lateran Council
(a) The importance of the Cross that brings Joy
(b) Following Him who accepted the Cross with faith and joy

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ST. FRANCIS: GIFT FROM GOD, MAN OF PRAYER STUDY GUIDE

IV. Discipleship
A) Denying self
B) Accepting the Cross
C) Following Christ without reservation
D) Lay down your life as did Christ
E) Life of grace

V. The Heart of Catholic teaching


A) Commitment, not dishonesty
B) Communion, not separation
C) Process of conversion [deepens faith]
D) Time-consuming
E) Patience and understanding

VI. Joy in God


A) Inner reality
B) Gift from God

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ST. FRANCIS: GIFT FROM GOD, MAN OF PRAYER STUDY GUIDE

FOR REFLECTION AND PRAYER

1. In what way do you advance your knowledge of the Catholic Church? Do you find yourself in light of
these teachings to be a person filled with deep faith and joy?

2. How do you integrate Church directives into everyday living?

3. Do you make a radical commitment to having a change of heart?

4. In what way do you spread the faith and the joy of Gospel living to fallen away Catholics and/or to non-
believers?

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ST. FRANCIS: GIFT FROM GOD, MAN OF PRAYER STUDY GUIDE

Conference 8: Contemplation/Action:
Keeping a Healthy Balance in Life
I. God desires His people to live life in a healthy way.
A) A lifelong process
B) Practicing discipline
1) Active lifestyle
2) Moments of quiet contemplation
3) Avoiding “burn-out”
C) Pope Benedict XVI
1) Stress management
2) Balance between work and recreation
D) St. Francis of Assisi
1) Active among people
2) Life of a hermit
E) Example of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
1) An hour before the Blessed Sacrament [inner strength]
2) Daily presence among the poorest of the poor [human services]
3) Sacred time versus service time

II. Church History


A) Lessons taught and learned from one another
B) Benedictine Tradition [a balanced lifestyle]
C) Franciscan Tradition [a balanced lifestyle]
1) Contemplative heart
2) Contemplative stance

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ST. FRANCIS: GIFT FROM GOD, MAN OF PRAYER STUDY GUIDE

III. Prayer of St. Francis


A) Not written by Francis himself, but by an unknown author
B) Maintaining peace and balance
1) Love instead of hatred
2) Pardon instead of injury
3) Faith instead of doubt
4) Hope instead of despair
5) Light instead of darkness
6) Joy instead of sadness
7) To bring about pardon
8) To console and to understand
9) To love another
10) To give so that others might have
11) To die so to live forever more
C) Incorporating the principles of the Peace Prayer
D) Using the Prayer of St. Francis
1) Public worship
2) Private devotion

IV. Source of enlightenment


A) Word of Jesus, Gospel values
B) Instruction: How to live a balance life
1) Moral code of Christian living
2) Assistance in decision making
3) Jesus: prayer before action
C) Prayer for guidance: the process of integration

V. Francis continuously remained in the presence of God.


A) Contemplative living

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B) Prayer changes us completely


C) All forms of prayer bring us to the Throne of God
D) Gazing upon God:
1) To remain faithful
2) To live a healthy, balanced life
3) To become what we see
E) God’s Spirit will assist in living life and maintaining a healthy balance

VI. The Wisdom of Saint Bonaventure


A) Follow the directive of Sacred Scripture
B) Maintain the image in which you have been created

VII. The Word of God:


A) Is power
B) Calls us to holiness
C) Sets the world on fire with His love
1) Relationships reflect such holiness and love.

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ST. FRANCIS: GIFT FROM GOD, MAN OF PRAYER STUDY GUIDE

FOR PRAYER AND REFLECTION

1. What Scripture passage and/or spiritual writings help you keep your life in balance?

2. Do you maintain a healthy balance between your responsibilities at work and commitments at home? If
not, why not?

3. List three ways that you can improve your life and that of your family, so to enrich your way of living the
Gospel. How will you faithfully carry out your plans?

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Conference 9: The Art of Community Established in Faith,


Hope, and Love
I. The early community of the Franciscans grew in number.
A) One by one they exclaimed: “This is what I desire.”
B) Living out the Good News of Jesus Christ
1) The teaching of Jesus Christ
2) A personal decision
3) A collective endeavor

II. Gospel passages


A) Matthew 16
1) Come after Me
2) Deny self and pick up your cross
3) Follow in my footsteps
4) Great love and perfect joy
B) Galatians 16: live by the Spirit and not by the flesh
1) The Fruits of the Spirit
(a) Love
(b) Generosity
(c) Peace
(d) Faithfulness
(e) Patience
(f) Gentleness
(g) Kindness!
(h) Self-control
2) Avoid the works of the flesh:
(a) Immorality

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ST. FRANCIS: GIFT FROM GOD, MAN OF PRAYER STUDY GUIDE

(b) Hatred
(c) Impurity
(d) Rivalry
(e) Idolatry
(f) Jealousy
(g) Sorcery
(h) Outburst of fury
(i) Envy
(j) Acts of selfishness

III. Saint Francis of Assisi


A) Correction of brothers who are at fault
B) Bringing back the lost

IV. A welcoming community


A) Tools to use to care for the community
1) Evaluation
2) Confrontation
3) Intervention
B) Tools for life
1) For business
2) For religious life
3) For family life
4) To deepen relationships lest they become superficial
C) Personal testimony

V. To right the wrong and enhance life with others


A) “Without mistakes, there is no forgiveness; without forgiveness there is no Love” (Blessed
Teresa of Calcutta).

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VI. Three Principles


A) Change creates conflict
B) Tiredness causes impatience
C) Poor judgment leads to misunderstandings

VII. Facing our future with hope


VIII. The Art of Community
A) Four pillars to uphold community
1) Charity with love
2) Obedience with liberation
3) Simplicity with poverty
4) Unity with community
B) Formation of the individual and of the community
1) A burning desire for life
(a) Road to Emmaus
(b) The experience of the living God in our midst
(c) Hearts burning with Good News
2) Faith demands trust and charity.
(a) Recognizing Jesus in the breaking of the Bread
(b) Called into service
(c) Service that requires love
3) Equality and human resources
(a) All are created equal
(b) Self-centeredness divides
(c) Human respect creates unity
(d) Social justice
4) Experiences of the Holy within the ordinary
(a) All creation, small and great alike, shows forth the beauty of God.

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(b) Community, the privileged place to meet God


C) Henri Nouwen on community
1) The art of forgiveness
2) The transforming power of prayer

IX. The Power of Prayer


A) Prayer helps us see with the “eye of the heart.”
B) Prayer helps us hear with the “ear of the heart.”
C) Prayer develops good character.
D) Prayer changes us for the better.

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ST. FRANCIS: GIFT FROM GOD, MAN OF PRAYER STUDY GUIDE

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. Read Galatians 5 (life in the Spirit). What characteristics best describe your family? Which characteristics
need to be improved?

2. I mention certain tools to help develop and strengthen family life, tools such as evaluation, confrontation
and intervention. How do you use these and other instruments to advance relationships within your family
structure?

3. What are some of the burning desires of your heart that you have for your family? Do you share these
with your family members?

4. In what ways do you experience God in the ordinary ways of life?

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ST. FRANCIS: GIFT FROM GOD, MAN OF PRAYER STUDY GUIDE

Conference 10: Francis: An Icon of Compassion and


Gentleness
I. Theologian Leonardo Boff
A) A saint breaks the boundaries of time.
B) Neither ancient nor modern
C) Grounded in the truth of Jesus Christ

II. St. Francis an icon of:


A) Gentleness
B) Affection
C) Care
D) Enthusiasm
E) Goodness toward all creation

III. Benedict XVI


A) Faith grows when expressed in love.
B) An experience of grace and joy
C) Expand the heart in hope.

IV. Gospel of Hope


A) Care for the least of our brothers and sisters
B) Matthew 25
C) Christian love is to unite the subject with the object—uniting with compassion

V. Poverty
A) Francis and the Beggar: a story of conversion
B) Beggars of today
1) A burden or a blessing?
2) A means of conversion

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C) Poverty dehumanizes both the rich and the poor alike.


1) Poverty and the poor:
(a) Destroys their emotional life
(b) Hinders the possibilities of developing good and lasting relationships
(c) Places obstacles in the way of developing themselves and expanding their abilities
beyond survival mode
2) Poverty dehumanizes the rich:
(a) They consider the poor as inferior, outcasts of society.
(b) Poverty limits their understanding of the poor.
D) Instruments of social justice replace hatred with love, and violence with peace.
E) Rich and poor live at times in fear.
1) The poor because of the continuous threats against them
2) The rich because of the fear of the rebellion of the poor
F) Francis would call all people—rich and poor—his brother or sister.
G) Poverty for Francis became his greatest treasure upon the earth.
H) Theologian Leonardo Boff: “No one is so poor that they cannot give, nor so rich that they cannot
receive. In the giving and the receiving one is nourished and builds human life, beyond class
differences. In the giving and receiving, the poor feel their own poverty is humanized. In this
context, “Lady Charity” in humble service, and profound gentleness and compassion provides
for the needy.” In short, we all stand in need.

VI. We see Francis as an icon of compassion and gentleness.


A) We see Francis as an instrument of peace and social justice: equality by liberating others to be
free.
B) To preach social justice: “when necessary, use words.”

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REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. As you remember the saints of long ago, how can you reflect that same kind of faith they had in God to
those you meet daily?

2. What example do you give to empower people to do the same?

3. As an individual or as a family, in what ways can you incorporate Matthew 25 as you reach out to the
poorest of the poor in the area where you live?

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ST. FRANCIS: GIFT FROM GOD, MAN OF PRAYER STUDY GUIDE

Conference 11: Franciscan Prayer: A Style for All Peoples


and All Generations
I. The Importance of prayer
A) The Gospel teaches, “Whenever two or more are gathered in his name, Christ is truly present.”
B) Prayer invites us to be present to each other and to love one another. Thus. to love another is to
see the face of God.
C) The early Church community: prayer makes strong the spiritual bonds.

II. From Diversity to Unity


A) The Prayer of Jesus
B) That they may all be one

III. Encountering God


A) Formal Prayer
B) Liturgies:
1) Liturgy of the Hours
2) Worship services
C) Private prayers
1) Devotions to Mary
2) The Rosary
3) Stations of the Cross
4) Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament

IV. Called to be a servant


A) Last Supper (John 13)
B) The Washing of the feet of Jesus’ disciples
1) To love one another
2) To serve one another

V. Eucharist
A) The Center of spiritual Life

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B) The fullness of faith, hope, and love find their full expression in the Eucharist.
C) God who humbles Himself
D) To be present to believers
1) The bread, blessed and broken: the Body of Jesus
(a) Bread from Heaven
2) The wine, blessed and shared: the Blood of Jesus
3) “Do this in remembrance of me.”
4) Gaze upon Him.
5) Become what you see.

VI. Meditation on the Lord’s Prayer by St. Francis of Assisi


A) Take God seriously
B) Let God take you seriously
C) Don’t take yourself so seriously
D) Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

VII. Prayer leads to true intimacy in God.

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ST. FRANCIS: GIFT FROM GOD, MAN OF PRAYER STUDY GUIDE

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. What does it mean to say that Francis didn’t simply pray, but became prayer himself?

2. Are you living a truly prayerful life? If not, how can the example of St. Francis improve your prayer life?

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ST. FRANCIS: GIFT FROM GOD, MAN OF PRAYER STUDY GUIDE

Conference 12: Praising God: A Call to Reverence All of


Creation
I. Francis of Assisi:
A) Cherished his community, his church, and people of good will
B) Cherished all created things, for they were made by the same God
C) Saw creation as working together

II. “Canticle of Brother Sun”


A) Example of harmony
B) A reading of the text
C) This text is divided into four parts:
1) Acknowledging God as all powerful, that all honor and praise belong by right to Him
2) That all created things show forth the goodness of God and work together and provide for
human needs
3) Seeking forgiveness and pardon—striving to achieve peace and harmony
4) Realizing that death is not an enemy but a means to eternal life: until death comes about, we
serve God in great humility
D) We see in this text a man who achieved harmony
1) He calls everything his brother or his sister.
2) He saw opposites working together to the common good.
3) He realized to live with God, one must die to self in order to embrace God fully.
E) Francis felt a connection with everything
1) That everything was good, for God made all that exists

III. The First Creation Account (Genesis 1:1-31)


A) God created the lights great and small.
B) God created the waters above and below.
C) The earth brought forth plants and fruits.
D) Living creatures came forth: fish of the sea and birds of the air.

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E) God created man and woman as the crown of creation.


F) Everything God made was good.
G) Francis loved all that God had made.

IV. Pope John Paul II


A) St. Francis was a man of perfect harmony within himself and with the world
B) Francis is the patron saint of ecology.
C) Jubilee of the Agricultural World (Address of Pope John Paul II, November 11, 200)
1) “Not only had God given the earth to man, who must use it with respect for the original good
purpose for which it was given him, but man too is God’s gift to man. He must therefore
respect the natural and moral structure with which he has been endowed.”
2) “By responding to this charge, entrusted to them by the Creator, men and women can join in
bringing about a world of peace. Alongside the ecology of nature, there exist what can be
called a human ecology, which in turn desires and demands a social ecology. All this means
that humanity, if it truly desires peace must be increasingly conscious of the links between
natural ecology [the respect for nature] and human ecology [the respect for human life].”
3) These are inseparable.
4) “Experience shows that disregard for the environment always harms human co-existence, and
vice-versa.”

V. The Second Creation Account (Genesis 2)


A) The Garden of all good things
B) Turning away from God
C) Turing in on oneself
D) Where sin enters

VI. Pope Benedict’s book, The Environment


A) Social teaching of the Catholic Church “The Sanctification of the World”
B) Caring for our sister, Mother Earth
C) Quotes
1) “We must do everything possible, while working with people of good will, to end or at least
reduce the scandal of hunger and malnutrition affecting so many millions of people in our
world, especially in developing countries. In short, to share God’s gifts of creation with all
peoples.”

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2) “How are we caring for the earth? Are we sharing resources to the best of our ability?”

VII. The Message of the Canticle of Brother Sun


A) A message that is universal
B) Care for the earth
C) A responsibility placed upon our shoulders
D) Sharing all of earth’s resources and concerns

VIII. Progress of Reason and Freedom [Pope Benedict XVI]


A) Reason in the context of faith
B) Freedom a pure gift which demands discipline

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REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. What have you done and what can you do to preserve the environment within your own neighborhood?

2. In the Book of Genesis, God gave us the responsibility to care for the earth and its people. How are you
caring for your brothers and sisters? Those within your own family? Those people that you do not know?

3. Do the words of Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict have an impact in your life? If so, how do they
challenge you?

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ST. FRANCIS: GIFT FROM GOD, MAN OF PRAYER STUDY GUIDE

Suggested Readings
Bonaventure, The Life of Saint Francis.

Thomas of Celano, The First Life of St. Francis.

Francis of Assisi: Early Documents (New City Press) Francis of Assisi: Early Documents, vols. I-III.
Edited by Regis Armstrong, J. A. Wayne Hellmann, and William Short. (New York: New City Press,
1999-2001).

William J. Short, Poverty and Joy: The Franciscan Tradition (Orbis Books; Darton, Longman & Todd
Publishers).

St. Francis of Assisi, Writings and Early Biographies: English Omnibus of the Sources for the Life of St.
Francis, Vol. I, Cincinnati: St. Anthony Messenger Press, 1972.

Andre Cirino, O.F.M., The Cross Was the Book: Meditations on St. Francis’ Prayer Before a Crucifix,
Phoenix: Tau Publishing, 2010.

Ilia Delio, O.S.F., Franciscan Prayer, Cincinnati: St. Anthony Messenger Press, 2004.

Susan Saint Sing, Francis and the San Damiano Cross, Cincinnati: St. Anthony Messenger Press, 2006.

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