Francis of Assisi referred to himself as the ‘Herald of the Great King’, someone called to tell others of the love of God in Jesus Christ. He was a gifted preacher who summoned people to repentance, a turning around of their lives; and to live in harmony with God’s abundant generosity and compassion.

 

Franciscan brothers and sisters today are often involved in sharing the Good News - through preaching in church services, through giving talks, leading workshops and discussions, and through their writing. Parishes sometimes ask for a Franciscan team to visit for between a weekend and a fortnight to share their Christian faith and to help congregations prepare for the work of mission in their local area; such occasions can be a time of renewal for both the Church and for the brothers and sisters involved. 

(l-r: Br Paschal Preaching; On Pilgrimage)

Visits to schools give the opportunity to present the Gospel in a way which challenges young people to see the Christian discipleship differently. Sisters and brothers regularly join pilgrimages, and attend festivals such as Greenbelt, Soul Survivor and New Wine in order to meet the wide variety of people from different backgrounds who take part in such events, and to witness to an alternative pattern of living. 

(l-r:  Greenbelt Team; A Franciscan Praying presence at Greenbelt)

It’s often not so much the words spoken but the shared life of prayer and community, with its struggles and joys, which impresses people, and can lead them towards a living relationship with Jesus Christ.


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