In the telephone conference meeting our fraternity held on March 15, we discussed Chapter Two of “Surrounded by Love,” the book we are reading by Murray Bodo OFM. Our brother Joe Gigliotti made a wonderful presentation of the basic points of the chapter, which deals with how St. Francis adopted evangelical poverty and what it means for us as Secular Franciscans.
Some of the points Joe brought out were why St. Francis understood it was necessary for him to give up all possessions and how Fr. Bodo reminds us that poverty is not at the center of who we are as Franciscans; Jesus is. Still, we as Franciscans need to ask ourselves, “What is it I am holding onto too tightly for the Humble God to find a space within me?”
During our meeting, we also prayed our usual opening and closing prayers as well as the Liturgy of the Hours, and we exchanged news of our members.