“We go from beginning to beginning, through beginnings that never have an end” (Gregory of Nazianzus, Hom. Cant. PG 44, 1043 B). Thus Francis of Assisi with his will of 1226 restarts and relaunches his proposal for an evangelical life in minority. For a possible restart - also contained in the title Let's Begin Brothers (FF 500) - seventy Under Seven friars from the various COMPI entities, together with the provincial representatives of the Ongoing and Under 7 Formation, met from the 2nd to 5th April 2024 in Assisi and La Verna in the VIII centenary of the Stigmata, for a Conference that almost had the flavour of a Chapter of the Mats.
It began with the reading and commentary of the Testament of Saint Francis by Prof. Stefano Brufani, professor of Franciscan studies at the University of Perugia. Setting the subtitle "for a possible minority", he concluded that one can dare to live like this to make the latest writing of the native of Assisi, contemporary.
Divided into seven experiential groups (1. He led me amongst the lepers - Casoria Institute; 2. I prayed and said - Hermitage of the Prisons; 3. Faith in priests and theologians - Bishop of Assisi; 4. He gave me brothers - inter-obedience house New Church ; 5. Living the holy Gospel in brotherhood - Rivotorto; 6. All the friars work - Bose monastery; 7. May the Lord give you His peace - Cittadella Assisi) we experienced the cornerstones of that proposal and then found ourselves telling ourselves how much the Lord had donated in the place where he had led us.
The day in La Verna began with a proposal from the Guardian Br. Guido Fineschi on the divine inspiration that leads from vocation to mission, to become a day shared with the fraternity of the sacred mountain.
Finally, after celebrating the Eucharist around the tomb of our founder, the final assembly, gathering all the considerations of these short days, proposed the experiential method which starts from the knowledge of the different realities present in our territory, giving us an appointment next year to tell of the wonders that God performs. This too is a beginning that we hope will never end.
Br. Michele Carriero, OFM
