What We Mean by Mission and Engagement
For the Secular Franciscan, mission is not a program we opt into — it is the consequence of our response to God’s call stemming from our Baptism and Confirmation, and further ratified by our acceptance of our vocation as a Secular Franciscan. The General Constitutions remind us that through baptism and profession we have been made “witnesses and instruments of her mission among all people, proclaiming Christ by our life and words” (Rule, Art. 6; GC Art. 17). Mission, then, is not primarily about doing something extra; it is about becoming a “living gospel for all to read,” as the Commentary puts it. Engagement is what mission looks like in practice: active presence — in family, workplace, parish, and public life — that carries the Gospel into “the ordinary circumstances of the world” (GC Art. 17). It touches social justice, care for creation, and solidarity with the poor and marginalized (GC Arts. 18–20) all of which stem from an active prayer life. Prayer, mission and engagement, together, mean that our fraternity does not exist only for itself.
Why Formation Must Include This
Formation exists “for the fulfilment of their proper mission in the Church and in society” (GC Art. 44.1). If our formation programs teach the Rule and Constitutions but stop short of asking what mission actually requires of us here and now, we have taught the theory without the practice. Our mission does not spring from a private wish to do something good in the world; it is received — as the Apostles received theirs from Christ, who sent them out two by two to announce the Kingdom. That is not incidental detail; it is the pattern. Formation that never asks “where are we sent, and with whom?” leaves a gap at the very centre of Franciscan identity. Moreover, St James in chapter 2 of his letter reminds us that actions, dedication and service are a powerful form of expression of Gospel to life and life to Gospel when he says “Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (2:18)
How Formation Should Include It
In Initial Formation, Article 40 already calls for “concrete experiences of service and of apostolate,” not only study and prayer, and encourages formation held “in common with the candidates of other fraternities.” This should be taken seriously and not quietly dropped. In Ongoing Formation, Article 44 calls us to keep “reflecting on events in the Church and in society in the light of faith,” which means mission cannot be a once-off retreat topic; it belongs in every formation cycle.
Practically, this means moving formation beyond books and retreat days. Where members have the capacity for mobility, we should be doing “that little bit more” — visiting the sick, accompanying the marginalised, showing up at diocesan, parish or community outreach. And because going in pairs or more does more than provide accountability — it shows a common goal and a visible, shared witness — fraternities should actively look for opportunities to team up with other fraternities on mission activities. Any such activity should be reported back to the local fraternity at the next meeting, so that mission becomes part of our shared story, not a private footnote or a reflection of our employment activity.
Some of examples of community engagement and mission include:
- Being active members of the contemplative prayer group
- Showing a united front to peaceful pro-life gatherings
- Creating or participating in retreats and reflection days locally and regionally
- Joining an outreach mission program
- Contributing to the Regional and National Newsletters
- Assisting in local parish formation activities
- Engaging with the Regional or National Mission
These are just to name a few ideas but not limited to these activities or this many.
The Council’s Responsibility
Finally, this is not left to individual enthusiasm alone. The Fraternity Council carries real responsibility here: formators, Ministers, and Councils are named as co-responsible for formation “in collaboration with the Holy Spirit” (GC Art. 37.2), and the Fraternal Visit itself examines “the validity… of the formation, both initial and ongoing” (GC Art. 94.2). It falls to the Council to keep mission before the fraternity’s eyes — to ask regularly, prayerfully, and concretely: where is the Holy Spirit sending us next? In this way we can then say at the end of our lives, the words of St Paul to Timothy, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished my race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim 4:7).
Final Remarks
I would like to end by reiterating that we must do our best as councillors and brothers and sisters to ensure that we do our best, as a secular religious community, to help form and support each other in our formation mission to be heralds, active agents, of the Gospel to a world lost in the dark. Using our various communication methods, especially our newsletter and sharing our activities with others is a good way of inspiring other in their mission. One thing I hope to see in my time as National Formator is a growth in our active presence in our world. Let us be visible signs of transformation into shinning beacons of love and compassion through a spirit of poverty, humility and the words of the gospel, “I have come to serve not to be served” (Matt 20:28)
Discussion Questions
- In your own words, how would you distinguish “mission” from simply “doing something good”?
- Where in your own initial formation did you first encounter the idea that you are “sent”? Was it enough?
- What might it look like, practically, for your fraternity to move formation “beyond books and retreat days”?
- Who in your fraternity has capacity for mobility, and what mission opportunities might already be within reach?
- Is there a neighbouring fraternity your fraternity could partner with for a shared mission activity? What would that first step look like?
- How does your Fraternity Council currently keep mission “on the agenda,” and what might it do better?
Anthony Saliba OFS
National Formator
