Suore Terziarie Francescane Regolari - Firenze -Italia
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REGULAR FRANCISCAN TERTIARY SISITERS
All Saints Province - India
The Holy Spirit, who wondrously fashions the variety of charisms, has given rise in our time to new expressions of consecrated life, which appear as a providential response to the new needs encountered by the Church today as she carries out her mission in the world.
The Consecrated Life, deeply rooted in the example and teaching of Christ the Lord, is a gift of God the Father to his Church through the Holy Spirit. By the profession of the evangelical counsels the characteristic features of Jesus — the chaste, poor and obedient one — are made constantly "visible" in the midst of the world and the eyes of the faithful are directed towards the mystery of the Kingdom of God already at work in history, even as it awaits its full realization in heaven. CL 1
The form of life of the Brothers and Sisters of the Third Order Regular of Saint Francis is this: to observe the Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ by living in obedience, in poverty and in chastity. Following Jesus Christ after the example of St. Francis, let them recognize that they are called to make greater efforts in their observance of the precepts and counsels of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Let them deny themselves as each has promised the Lord. (Rule and Life 1)
Both in life-style and the performance of these works, we are committed to follow and bear witness to Christ; in the footsteps of St. Francis,* living the principal elements of Franciscan spirituality: “minority”, fraternity, simplicity and joy, virtues which have always characterized this institute.
FRANCISCAN SISTERS: A GIFT OF GOD
The Institute of the Regular Franciscan Tertiary Sisters, called “All Saints”, raised by the Spirit as a gift to the Church, in Florence-Italy (1711) is of pontifical right (1948) and an aggregate of the Order of Friars Minor (1953)
The identity of our Institute is implied in its name: “Franciscan Tertiaries”. Originating as “Sisters of Penance” in the Third Order we draw our charism from St. Francis of Assisi. Our programme of life is the Gospel radically lived by our Seraphic Father. He himself stated: “This is what I wish, this is what I seek, this is what I long to do with all my heart.(C.1)
OUR CONSECRATION TO GOD
Our consecration visibly demonstrates the wonders which God works through the frail human nature of those who are called. Moreover, it expresses our total gift of self to God and our “love which grows evermore genuine and strong in the Trinitarian dimension: love for Christ, which leads to closeness with him; love for the Holy Spirit, who opens our hearts to his inspiration; and love for the Father, the first origin and supreme goal of the consecrated life”. It has its roots in the consecration of Baptism and transforms our entire life in service to and worship of God, who is loved above all things, so we can say with St. Francis: “My God and My All”(C.4.1)
OUR SPIRITUALITY
Created to praise God and already destined to be a priestly people through Baptism, we, in making our religious profession, further become the exclusive property of God. Consequently, divine worship is our first and foremost activity. In this way, we more intimately enter into the hymn of praise which creation raises to the Father in his Son Jesus C.9.1
Both in life-style and the performance of these works, we are committed to follow and bear witness to Christ; in the footsteps of St. Francis,* living the principal elements of Franciscan spirituality: “minority”, fraternity, simplicity and joy, virtues which have always characterized this institute (C.1.2)
OUR FRATERNAL LIFE
each one, a gift of God
Forming a unique fraternity, we conserve “the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace”, notwithstanding our differences based on origin, geography, age, character and culture. Therefore, in the spirit of St. Francis, we embrace every Sister as a “gift of God”, who ought to be love in the same manner as God loved each of us, so that all will know that we are authentic disciples of Christ. We are also to express our love for others as both the proof and measure of our love for Him (C.11.2).
OUR FORMATION AND VOCATION
Our religious family is humbly and forever grateful to the Lord for the gift of our vocation and for new vocations which prolong our charism in time. We are fully aware that formation must be the Institute’s primary duty in order to realize its proper personal vocation in the community of Sisters, to ensure the unity of the Institute and to promote its vitality (C.15.1).
The primary person responsible for formation is the Holy Spirit, who “abides in us”; “places love in our hearts”, “comes to assist us in our weakness”, “teaches everything and recalls what Jesus said” and “acts in us as a consoler, intercessor and advocate” (c.16.1).
OUR MISSION IN THE CHURCH
In the spirit of St. Francis, we consider work as a “grace of the Lord” and the ordinary means of sustenance for the community, the support of our apostolic works and assistance to the poor (C.7.5)
We exercise all apostolic activity in the name of the Church and in response to her mandate, while actively participating in community life and faithfully living in obedience.
We are fully aware that the responsibility of proclaiming Christ is not so much that of the individual religious as of the whole community.
We take an active part in spreading the Gospel, proclaiming penitence to everyone, “without which no one can be saved”, so as to lead everyone to accept the divine gift of peace (C 13.1)
The 800th Anniversary of the Canticle of Creatures- Franciscan family
Bengaluru & Andra Pradhesh
The goal of the Institute is the glory of God in building the Church through the sanctification of its members, in a public profession of the vows of the Evangelical Counsels of chastity, poverty and obedience, lived according to the spirit of the “Rule and Life of the Brothers and Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis” (1982) and our own Constitutions
Blessing
May the Lord bless you
and keep you;
may the Lord show his face to you
and have compassion on you!
May he turn his face to you
and give you peace!
Amen.