As part of the celebrations for the 500 years pf Franciscan presence in Mexico, Br. Massimo Fusarelli, OFM Minister General, met with the Poor Clares of the Federation of Our Lady of the Angels in Mexico on May 21.
Accompanied by Br. Joel Cosme, Minister of the Holy Gospel Province, and by some members of the General Definitorium, Br. Massimo, after being welcomed with affection by the sisters, read the Last Will for St. Clare and her sisters (taken from the writings of Francis), from which he began a substantial reflection: charism; following the Gospel; the poverty of Jesus; the Virgin Mary and perseverance were the main themes.
Subsequently, the sisters presented their fraternities to the Minister General.
In his intervention, Br. Miguel Ángel Berrocali, OFM, spiritual assistant of our Federation, expressed the importance of initial and ongoing formation, promoted through various types of courses in the Federation. Br. Massimo added that formation is a priority in life: it is not a temporary process, but rather continuous and ongoing, because we are always learning. Even if in our fraternities we assign specifically one person to form the new vocations, in reality we are all responsible for them, since this happens above all with testimony, prayer, interiorization and listening to the Word of God; this is reflected in our relationships within the fraternity, and, in this way, we also give a witness of Jesus Christ to the world that seeks to make us resonate with its needs.
Therefore, formation ought to be aimed at achieving the following elements: quality of prayer life; quality of the fraternal life, and quality of the evangelizing life. This formation ought to help to forge in each person an adult personality capable of living the feelings of Christ.
The meeting continued on the theme of the General Constitutions of the Second Order, which for the first time in their history the sisters are writing. Sister Monica Isabel Gonzáles, OSC, president of the Federation, affirmed that, being part of the commission directing this work, she has seen a great participation from the sisters in answering to the questionnaires and that this project is very confident, since it will help solve current problems that are faced every day. The Minister General, who is overseeing the work, confirmed that one of the greatest difficulties which the Poor Clares currently face is not the enclosure, but the work, which more often than not exceeds their limits and reduces their time.
Some sisters shared their opinion, above all regarding the theme of enclosure: they said that at times there is a certain fear of it, instilled by the lack of knowledge of what it entails and means, as a way of life. They also recalled that it is important to accompany the sisters to fully realize their vocation, not seeing the enclosure as an obstacle, but as a place favorable for the vocation to be realized.
Br. Massimo intervened by recalling that, for the Poor Clares, the enclosure is not an option, because St. Clare chose to live like this, and it was, is, and will continue to be a scandal and folly for the world. The enclosure for St. Clare was not an imposition, but an option that she freely chose, and the Second Order cannot contradict it. It is there that she found the place to enter into intimacy with Christ and to carry out her evangelizing mission.
For the sisters it was a pleasant experience, because it was if St. Francis himself encouraged them to continue living the Franciscan-Clarian charism, to continue steadfast in their faith and vocation, to give all every day for the love of the Crucified One.
With the contribution of the Federation of the Poor Clares of Our Lady of the Angels of Mexico
