Margaret died in 1297, being just fifty years of age. Her confessor and first biographer tells us that one day, shortly before her death, she had a vision of St. Mary Magdalene, "most faithful of Christ's apostles, clothed in a robe as it were of silver, and crowned with a crown of precious gems, and surrounded by the holy angels." And whilst she was in this ecstasy Christ spoke to Margaret, saying: "My Eternal Father said of Me to the Baptist: This is My beloved Son; so do I say to thee of Magdalene: This is my beloved daughter." On another occasion we are told that "she was taken in spirit to the feet of Christ, which she washed with her tears as did Magdalene of old; and as she wiped His feet she desired greatly to behold His face, and prayed to the Lord to grant her this favor." Thus to the end we see she was the same; and yet the difference! The Third Order of Penance of St. Francis The Fraternity of the Immaculate Heart of Mary located in Toronto, Canada has developed this site in order to aid in the restoration of the Third Order Secular of St. Francis and its spirituality ravaged by the errors spread during and after the Second Vatican Council. We wish to aid our brothers and sisters by providing them with traditional Franciscan literature, information necessary for starting a fraternity in their parishes, and by helping isolated members throughout the world.
Br. Anthony, T.O.S.F.
View my complete profile
About Us
Capuchin Community
Convictions Magazine
Introductory Leaflet
Meet Our Members
Position Statement
Superior of Third Order Contact Information
Contact
Fraternity Circulars
January 2010 October 2009 August 2009 July 2009 May/June 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008
Rule of Pope Leo XIII (1883)
Canonical Visit Form
Catechism
Ceremonial
Days of Plenary Indulgences
Handbook
Office of the Paters
Rule and General Constitutions
Important Posts/Links
Act of Consecration to St. Francis
Bishop Bernard Fellay (SSPX) Sends His Blessing to the Fraternity
Br. Pio Francis' Radio Interview on Voice of Catholic Tradition
Capuchin Poor Clares
Emblem of the Fraternity
Fraternity Officially Erected on December 30, 2007
In This Perfect Joy Resides...
Joy in Suffering
TOSF - An Antidote to the Freemasonic Spirit of the World
The Problem with the Secular Franciscan Order (SFO)
Ultimate Aim of the Third Order of St. Francis
Third Order Literature
Church Documents on the Third Order Secular
Dublin Review Article - 1883
Franciscan Annals - 1878
Manual of the Ancient Rule of Pope Nicholas IV - Volume I Volume II
Rule and Statutes of the Ancient Rule of Pope Nicholas IV
Franciscan Literature
Chronicle of St. Anthony of Padua
Life of St. Elizabeth of Hungary
Life of St. Francis
Little Flowers of St. Francis
Miracles of Padre Pio
St. Louis: The Most Christian King
St. Clare and Her Order
Two Saints in One Flesh - The Story of the First Two Franciscan Tertiaries
Two Saints in One Flesh - The Story of the First Two Franciscan Tertiaries (Booklet Format)
Writings of St. Francis of Assisi
Archconfraternity of the Cord
Days of Plenary Indulgences
Introductory Leaflet
Manual - 1878
Archive
► 2013 (5) o ► March (3) o ► February (1) o ► January (1)
► 2012 (46) o ► December (3) o ► November (4) o ► October (1) o ► September (4) o ► August (5) o ► July (6) o ► June (3) o ► May (4) o ► April (4) o ► March (4) o ► February (5) o ► January (3)
► 2011 (74) o ► December (4) o ► November (13) o ► October (17) o ► September (9) o ► August (13) o ► July (3) o ► June (6) o ► May (2) o ► March (2) o ► February (1) o ► January (4)
► 2010 (50) o ► December (3) o ► November (9) o ► October (6) o ► September (4) o ► August (7) o ► July (1) o ► June (4) o ► May (2) o ► April (8) o ► March (2) o ► February (1) o ► January (3)
► 2009 (54) o ► December (9) o ► November (3) o ► October (4) o ► September (5) o ► August (4) o ► July (5) o ► June (3) o ► May (3) o ► April (4) o ► March (3) o ► February (5) o ► January (6)
► 2008 (64) o ► December (8) o ► November (3) o ► October (5) o ► September (3) o ► August (7) o ► July (7) o ► June (6) o ► May (2) o ► April (6) o ► March (7) o ► February (3) o ► January (7)
▼ 2007 (68) o ► December (13) o ► November (10) o ► October (4) o ► September (8) o ► August (7) o ► July (2) o ► June (3) o ► May (2) o ► April (4) o ► March (6) o ▼ February (6) . A Blessing From His Lordship Bishop Bernard Fellay... . The Lay Franciscan, A Religious Living In The Worl... . Clarification on the Third Order's Position Regard... . Welcome to the New Tertiaries! . The Spirit of The Third Order Of St.Francis: A Ret... . A Non-"Ecumenical" Franciscan Order o ► January (3)
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2007
The Spirit of The Third Order Of St.Francis: A Return To Tradition
To Love Jesus and to Make Him Loved
A beautiful book called The Spirit of the Third Order of St.Francis written by the Very Rev. Fr. Peter Baptist, O.F.M published in 1899 was most kindly given to me recently. It is very much recommended as a must read to all those tertiaries who follow the Rule, that they may know and realize that the holy Rule is but a skeleton and the flesh of the Franciscan life is very much in living the spirit of St. Francis. This spirit is of course the spirit of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ.
Striking though is the fact that the century in which St. Francis lived, the thirteenth century, was very much like our own. It was a society which was God-less. A society caught up in petty material gain and given up to worldly pleasures. A society deprived of the life of God. Our age, an age where man seems to believe that he is an end to himself, is on the edge of the precipice. Blind lead the blind and the flock of Christ seems to be dispersed.
St.Francis painfully saw that the spirit and customs of the primitive Church were being altogether lost, dying out and falling into disuse. "He therefore worked them into his Rule, and made of it a living mould in which to form the souls who came to him, that they might become more faithful copies of Jesus Christ." (The Spirit of the Third Order. Pg. 18.) What a beautiful realization it is, to know that our Lord raised up this Seraphic Saint to restore His Church and bring it back to Tradition. Back to the customs of the primitive Church which were most pleasing to the Divine Heart of Jesus. How far today have we gone! How far from the spirit of Christ! The Liturgy has been attacked and robbed of its Catholicity, the customs of the Church are seen to be outdated, dogmas, unfashionable and no longer seen as bulwarks, unchangable and untouchable. Tragedy and destruction, confusion and error abound in the Ark of Salvation, the Roman Catholic Church. If ever there is an age where the Church must go back, must gather up what it has lost, these are the times!
Our Holy Father Leo XIII, knew that a change in society was needed. He sought to spread the good odour of Christ the King throughout society, and he did this by the fervent and blessed promotion of the Third Order of St. Francis. Some will contest that the Holy Father was in error for mitigating some of the material penances from the original Rule of Nicholas IV, but there was a very good reason for this. Many of the tertiaries of the time were being dispensed from the penances of the old Rule. So with much prudence, he mitigated some of the vigour of the penances, but promoted unceasingly and untiringly the spirit of the Order, wishing it to be kept in its fullness. He wished to revive the Order and promoted it to very many, wishing the bishops to establish it throughout their dioceses. This was a victory for the Church. The Pope knew that society would reform itself through individuals reforming themselves, by living the Gospel in their state of lives. The Third Order is a very effective weapon for this end. Modern society is in need of infiltration. The infiltration of the spirit of Francis of Assisi, the spirit of Jesus Christ. "Such as the individual is, such will society be" is the old saying. "When the individual is reformed, family life will be reformed, marriage will be reformed, education will be reformed, the relation between capital and labour will be reformed, society will be reformed." (The Spirit of the Third Order of St.Francis. Pg. 23.)
Those given the grace to enter the Order of the Seraph of Assisi should know what they are. Know what is the power and the gift of God to be called to live in this world as a marked son of St. Francis. I will relate from pg.21-22 of this wonderous book The Spirit of the Third Order of St. Francis, a vision granted to St. Margaret of Cortona, a member of the Third Order of St. Francis, that they may realize the potency of a life lived in faithful service to Jesus Christ under the banner of St.Francis: "St.Margaret of Cortona saw, when in ectasy, a magnificent throne in heaven; it was so beautiful that she could not find words adequate to describe it. On this throne, from whence, according to the revelation vouchsafed to her, pride had hurled the prince of the fallen angels, she saw the humble Francis seated. Our Lord afterwards addressed these words to her: "tell your Fathers, the Friars Minor, that the resplendent throne which you have seen in the choir of the Seraphim was once Lucifer's; your blessed Father, my chosen one, Francis, is now seated there in radiant glory. Did you observe the wide empty space around that throne? It is to be filled by the Brethren of his Order who shall have followed in his steps."
Therefore, may we whole heartedly repent of our failures, of our sins, may we rise with confidence and follow the angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the sign of the living God, the blessed Francis! May we refuse to follow the errors of modernism prevalent in our day, and return to the Traditions and practices of our fore-fathers. In the spirit of St. Francis may we spread the Divine Love of Jesus Christ wherever we may be, making most of all a good example, living a life pleasing to Almighty God. Amongst the lepers and spiritually sick of our times, our Lord is raising up the little flocks of St. Francis, instruments of Eternal peace, to rebuild and restore all things in Christ. Deo Gratias. Laudauter Jesus Christus in aeternum! Posted by Mr. Barber at 12:57 PM No comments: Post a Comment
Newer Post Older Post Home
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)