Great Article About Brothers

[Lisa]

Nice article about the vocation to it means be a Brother.
[url="http://www.catholicsentinel.org/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=35&ArticleID=17050"]http://www.catholics...ArticleID=17050[/url]

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[color=#000000]As a brother, I can be the bridge between the person and the priest and the bridge between the person and the church. I've always felt I've done my best work walking with people on the other side of the altar." [/color]
----

[color=#000000]Taught by Holy Family Sisters in San Francisco, he was drawn to their communal life and prayer, but never to sacramental ministry. "I knew I wanted to somehow serve God in community, but didn't know there were options out there," he says. His teachers guided him to the friars. [/color]

[color=#000000]"As a brother, I really have freedom to pursue various ministries," explains Brother Robert, who hopes to serve as a retreat director more and more. [/color]
[color=#000000]------[/color]



[color=#000000]Brother Jason Parrott, a 32-year-old Carmelite friar, just finished three years of masters theological study at Mount Angel Seminary. He's serving at the San Jose, Calif. house where new friars are trained. [/color]


[color=#000000]When he began his own formation, Brother Jason assumed he'd become a priest. Only later did he feel a deep sense of peace when he entertained the notion of being a brother. [/color]
[color=#000000][/quote][/color][/font][/size]

Edited January 2, 2012 by Lisa

[MithLuin]

One of my Franciscan friends would joke that his vocation was to be 'just a brother.' Because when people would talk about what he was doing, that's how they'd put it: 'He's not a priest; he's just-a-brother.'

I think it was illuminating to realize that that was how the average Catholic (who even knows about the difference between monks/brothers/priests in the first place) viewed it -- that a brother was a guy who (for whatever ever reason) didn't become a priest. It's strange to view someone's choice in light of what it is [i]not[/i] - it would be like saying a priest is someone who doesn't get married. I mean,yes, priests don't marry, but that's not what it means to be a priest. So, yes, religious brothers aren't priests....but that's not what it means to be a brother.

(And I realize that if one is a Franciscan, he is a brother regardless of whether or not he is a priest, too.)

It's good to have people write about the vocation of being a brother; I think that's an option not many people are aware of, in part because of the strong emphasis on our need for priestly vocations. When all a young man hears is about how the Church needs priests...it's easy for the idea of being a religious brother to be overlooked or neglected. But I think brothers are an example of the value and beauty of religious life...specifically because they are not 'also' ordained priests.

[i<3franciscans]

[b]I LOVE THIS![/b]

~i<3f.

[left][img]http://www.franciscanfriars.com/religious%20brothers/crispin/group.jpg[/img]The official title given to the Franciscan Order is "The Order of Friars Minor", or the Order of Lesser Brothers. Although this well renowned religious community has given to the church many holy, learned and saintly priests, it is not an order of priests. From its very inception, Saint Francis desired that his community see itself and show itself to the world as a brotherhood.. The specific word that better reveals roots is fraternity, a word derived from the Latin word frater, meaning "brother". Simply put, a Franciscan friar, whether he is ordained or not, is in essence a brother. Saint Francis wanted the friars to be brothers both to one another and to the world. Yet these brothers would be also humble, poor and powerless, therefore, friars minor.[/left]
[left]The role and identity of the Franciscan brother, also known as a lay brother, is either unknown or misunderstood. Few people realize that Saint Francis was never ordained to the holy priesthood.[img]http://www.franciscanfriars.com/religious%20brothers/crispin/stfran.jpg[/img] Saint Francis never celebrated one Mass at an altar, heard a sacramental confession or held the sacred host in his hands. Some historical references indicate that Saint Francis may have been ordained to the deaconate. If this be true, it was as some scholars say so that the saint could preach at Mass. Saint Francis did not deem himself worthy to be a priest yet he was for many a spiritual father. While it be true the friars referred to him as "Holy Father" Francis, he himself would identify himself as "Brother Francis".[/left]
[left]Many people, even those outside the Church, are well familiar with the identity and role of a religious sister, oftentimes called a "nun". Yet when it comes to their male counterpart, namely, a religious brother, many are somewhat confused. Some might wonder, if a man is going to serve God and the Church in a celibate state, why not "go all the way" and become a priest. Some imagine the brother's vocation as "half a priest"![/left]
[left]A man or woman who professes religious vows, that is, poverty, chastity, and obedience do not[img]http://www.franciscanfriars.com/religious%20brothers/crispin/ben.jpg[/img] become members of the clergy. The term "clergy" specifically refers to men who are ordained, namely, bishops, priests, and deacons. The deacon, it should be noted, although he may be married is considered a member of the clergy. The role of the clergy in the Church is primarily to preach and administer the sacred mysteries, commonly known as the sacraments. Yet there are many ways in which other members of the church, be they consecrated religious or lay faithful continue the saving work of Christ. Saint Francis served the lepers, prayed, and called the Church to conversion not because he was fulfilling a priestly ministry, but because he saw himself as a brother to all.[/left]
[left]It might be helpful to think about many holy people from the Bible who were not members of a distinct group we might call "the clergy". We can think of John the Baptist, Mary and Saint Joseph-Our Savior Himself was not from a priestly class! Unlike any Levite Zechariah or indeed any high priest, HE would never set foot into the Temple's sanctuary to offer incense or sacrificial offering! Yes, our Savior would speak of His Father, yet see Himself as our Brother. The "firstborn of many brothers" as Saint Paul would write to the Ephesians.[/left]
[left][img]http://www.franciscanfriars.com/religious%20brothers/crispin/martin.jpg[/img]It is in the spirit of Christ's brotherhood, His unity and solidarity with every person, the religious man gives himself to God and publicly professes vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. In effect, it be virtue of these vows he most closely resembles Christ's personhood, His identity. By praying, serving, assisting, supporting, instructing, caring, working, the brother most closely resembles Christ's activity. Special works of Christ, namely, blessing, preaching, and administering the sacred mysteries are reserved for those who are ordained.[/left]
[left]Through holy baptism every Christian becomes a child of God end enters into a special relationship with God as Father. It is here that the religious brother finds his identity. By publicly professing his vows and in serving the material and spiritual needs of the entire Church, the religious brother becomes a brother to all. Therefore everything he does in the name of Christ, that is, his activity, flows from his identity. Thus, the core of the consecration rests not in what he does, but the why![/left]
[left]The male branch of the Franciscan family, a community of Lesser Brothers, is made up of men who are both clergy and consecrated laity traditionally called "lay brothers". In its early years the Franciscan family was made up of a majority of lay brothers with fewer priests. Yet, in time the Order would undergo what some describe as a process of "clericalization" with ordained members becoming dominant in numbers, authority, and influence[/left]
[left]History shows, however, that despite the increase of clerical members in the Franciscan family, the notion of the Order being a "gospel brother" had never been extinguished, and in some times and places regained new vigor. The Capuchin reform in the early 16th century brought a fresh vitality to the identity and role of the non-ordained friar. The list of Capuchin lay brothers known for their sanctity and influence in the Church is formidable. The ranks of the early Capuchin reformers were composed mostly of lay members who acted as guardians (superiors) of friaries, and in some instances, preachers.[/left] The Franciscan Friars of the Renewal embrace the Capuchin heritage as their own, and therefore, sees itself as a gospel brotherhood where all the members, clerical or lay, are equal members although performing different functions in the Body of Christ. It may be said that as the identity of the lay brother flows from Christ as "brother", then a word like "solidarity" will take on great meaning and depth. It is interesting to note that the word "brother" is used by many diverse nationalities, groups, and fraternal organizations. Among its members, "brother" conveys unity, equality, communion, fidelity, and personal affection even apart form a religious context. Another word which must be highlighted is "service"; an activity directed towards the food of another. If Jesus came to us as a brother, we know from His own words He came "to serve". [img]http://www.franciscanfriars.com/religious%20brothers/crispin/food.jpg[/img]
[center][color="#FFFFFF"][b][i]The Brothers share a meal with some guests at St. Anthony's Shelter,
in the Bronx[/i][/b][/color][/center]
[left]When Saint Francis began to serve God, he began to serve the needs of others, most especially the lepers. [img]http://www.franciscanfriars.com/religious%20brothers/crispin/dom.jpg[/img]To serve the material, spiritual, and emotional needs of others, no matter how small or great, is the task of every Christian, but to do so "in persona Christi", in the person of Christ, is the role of the consecrated religious and Franciscan lay brother. As a modern day Saint Francis would say, "To do small things with great love". This is the why of whatever the brother does![/left]
[left]In this context one might recognize that even the simplest deeds done through Him, with Him, and in Him possess great power and meaning. Thus, the sweeping of a floor, the answering of a phone, the cooking of a meal, the mending of a wound-all these are sanctifying not only for the person or people being served, but also for the person who is serving. With this understanding, every action of the lay brother be they hidden of seen, commonplace or dramatic, becomes part of God's plan of salvation.[/left]
[left][img]http://www.franciscanfriars.com/religious%20brothers/crispin/francis.jpg[/img]We might suppose that such a refined spirituality directly based on the words and example of Christ Himself is misunderstood in today's "surface skating" society. Here in the "First World", service is something we demand from others rather than offer to others. "Let them do it." "They have the time or need the money".[/left]
[left]Yes, many "work", whether laborious or humdrum, is seen as an evil to be avoided. Yet, for Saint Francis and the numberless lay brothers who have enriched the Order, society and the Church, serving the needs of others and being a brother with and for others rests at the heart of the lay brother's vocation.[/left]
[left]These considerations help to clarify the common question why a man would give himself to the lay brotherhood and not to the sacred priesthood. Yet, perhaps the best way of seeing the picture with a greater clarity is to allow the brothers to explain in their own words the who, what, and why of their special call.[/left] [img]http://www.franciscanfriars.com/religious%20brothers/crispin/vows.jpg[/img]
[center][color="#FFFFFF"][b][i]Both priests and Lay Brothers enjoy a complementary role as Franciscans. Here the Friars are established as a Diocesan Institute at St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York City[/i][/b][/color][/center]

[i<3franciscans]

BTW Fr. Glenn Sudano CFR wrote it of course.

[Lisa]

On the same note, check out [url="http://dominicancooperatorbrother.blogspot.com/"]http://dominicancooperatorbrother.blogspot.com/[/url]
He has some really good FAQ's, if anyone out there is considering it.

[i<3franciscans]

I can't, I am a girl.

[faithcecelia]

I agree, its so important to understand that being called to be a Brother can be its own vocation, not just a stage that must be passed through on the way to the Priesthood.

[MithLuin]

[color=#000000]From a sermon by Saint Gregory Nazianzen: [/color][color=#000000]Two bodies, but a single spirit[/color]


[color=#000000]Basil and I were both in Athens. We had come, like streams of a river, from the same source in our native land, had separated from each other in pursuit of learning, and were now united again as if by plan, for God so arranged it.[/color]

[color=#000000]I was not alone at that time in my regard for my friend, the great Basil. I knew his irreproachable conduct, and the maturity and wisdom of his conversation. I sought to persuade others, to whom he was less well known, to have the same regard for him. Many fell immediately under his spell, for they had already heard of him by reputation and hearsay.

What was the outcome? Almost alone of those who had come to Athens to study he was exempted from the customary ceremonies of initiation for he was held in higher honor than his status as a first-year student seemed to warrant.

Such was the prelude to our friendship, the kindling of that flame that was to bind us together. In this way we began to feel affection for each other. When, in the course of time, we acknowledged our friendship and recognised that our ambition was a life of true wisdom, we became everything to each other: we shared the same lodging, the same table, the same desires the same goal. Our love for each other grew daily warmer and deeper.

The same hope inspired us: the pursuit of learning. This is an ambition especially subject to envy. Yet between us there was no envy. On the contrary, we made capital out of our rivalry. Our rivalry consisted, not in seeking the first place for oneself but in yielding it to the other, for we each looked on the other’s success as his own.

We seemed to be two bodies with a single spirit. Though we cannot believe those who claim that everything is contained in everything, yet you must believe that in our case each of us was in the other and with the other.

Our single object and ambition was virtue, and a life of hope in the blessings that are to come; we wanted to withdraw from this world before we departed from it. With this end in view we ordered our lives and all our actions. We followed the guidance of God’s law and spurred each other on to virtue. If it is not too boastful to say, we found in each other a standard and rule for discerning right from wrong. Different men have different names, which they owe to their parents or to themselves, that is, to their own pursuits and achievements. But our great pursuit, the great name we wanted, was to be Christians, to be called Christians.[/color]

[i<3franciscans]

I have so many guy friends that just don't understand the vocation of a Brother, I don't see what is so complicated. :/

[marigold]

Oo, this is interesting - we don't have any equivalent phenomenon of 'just a brother'. Maybe it's because married priests generally serve the parishes, and monks in the monasteries are ordained as the needs of their community arise - most are lay (interestingly though, my future Abbess says married priests are better confessors for nuns because they live with women. Go figure. A man isn't going to understand how a woman works just because they're both monastics. I'd never thought of this). But we don't have the distinction between monk and friar either... though our monks certainly can and do do all the same work your friars do. It's just not codified, I guess?

Don't know where I'm going with this! Just had some interesting thoughts when I read the article.

[Lisa]

Marigold-

For us, monks and brothers are analogous to nuns and sisters. The names can overlap (if you are a nun, you are a sister, but not necessarily the other way around). So, in the R.C. tradition, brothers are like apostolic monks Thanks for bringing your perspective; I love how so much is the same, but there are these wonderful differences!

[EmilyAnn]

That's a really great article.
I think for men it's easy to forget that religious life is an option, the first thought is priesthood and religious life can be overlooked. For women it's easier because we do not have the option of priesthood so the first thought is to religious life.

[truthfinder]

I think the attitude behind "just a brother" is the same one that pushes for women to be priests. While the priesthood is, perhaps, the highest calling - for a lack of a better phrase, God calls us to the highest state, which is to serve Him and to do His will. If one bases their dignity solely on what they do, they neglect the fact that we have an inherent dignity from God. The push for women's ordination, I think, comes from the misdirected belief that "doing" equals worth, and being a priest must mean "doing" the most. This is also the argument for active participation in Mass. Many would find that we must be doing something at Mass to be participating. However, the more traditional belief was that one was attentive and praying, not doing, to be participating at Mass. I would gather that the brothers have a far better opportunity to either pray more or serve more, depending on their community, than friars. I know of one Benedictine community that their priests are sometimes called to say Mass up to an 1.5 hours away from their monastery. The brothers never have to leave the monastery for cases like this. (For many monastics, leaving can be a bit jarring.)