Resources for fraternities looking to introduce JPIC and Laudato Si'
to their fraternities through ongoing formation. St Francis of Assisi, PEI, JPIC CommitteeJune 8, 2022
Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) Islamophobia in Canada MYTH: In Canada, we like to think that we respect each other’s differences and celebrate diversity. FACT: in the last five years, more Muslims have been killed in targeted hate-attacks in Canada than in any other G7 country.
The Inquisition of the Middle Ages and the abuse of Indigenous students in residential schools do not reflect the tenets of our Catholic faith. The atrocities committed by the governments of some Muslim countries do not reflect the tenets of the Islamic faith. (Submitted by the JPIC team (Mike, Carol, Brad, Lucia & Doug H.) St Francis of Assisi, PEI, JPIC CommitteeNovember 8, 2021
Taking Action = Follow Christ + Engage Others + Exercise Service
Article 14 of our Rule: Secular Franciscans, together with all people of good will, are called to build a more fraternal and evangelical world so that the kingdom of God may be brought about more effectively. Mindful that “anyone who follows Christ, the perfect man, becomes more of a man himself,” let them exercise their responsibilities competently in the Christian spirit of service. I’m insignificant – an ordinary person. How could I ever build a more fraternal and evangelical world? The problems are so big – it’s frustrating and futile. Perhaps I just better be content to pray for more peace and charity, justice and human rights in our world. There’s nothing more that I can do. Or, is there? Article 14 suggests three things: (1) the example of Jesus, (2) the help of others and (3) my own competence. Maybe these hold the answer to the question; “What can I do?” The Example of Jesus. Jesus paid attention to the ordinary people, to the sinners and the discarded of society. His actions of compassion and healing brought these people hope and joy, and a renewed depth of faith. The Help of Others. The attitudes and actions of people around me cause me to look at what I am doing (or not doing) and evaluate its effect. Relationships help me clarify my values. My Own Competence. I might be so small in a world so big, but I have been graced with a particular personality, with particular talents. These are precious gifts to be used and fulfilled, otherwise they atrophy. Taking Action. I need to take action in my own little way. I can’t change the world in one fell swoop, but I can take small specific steps that enable others to help themselves, even if only in a minute way. Reflecting on my Actions Leads to Growth. I have to ponder what I learned and what I have done. I can always gain more insight and make my accomplishments more effective. This reflection sharpens my powers to perceive and heightens my ability to act. Excerpts from Called to Proclaim Christ (Short Reflections on the SFO Rule), Benet A. Fonck OFM, Franciscan Press, 1998 (Submitted by the JPIC team) Fratelli Tutti Study GuideMarch 15, 2021 - Franciscan Media - recommended by Hermy Villasenor, ofs
The guide contains the following instructions which allow us to use the link to the Capuchin website:
How to Use This Guide 1. This guide can be used with small or large groups and for personal reflection. 2. Feel free to share with others the URL where you found the guide. You are free to print it for others who prefer a printed text. This guide is free. 3. This guide serves as an overview to the chapter featured but cannot in the space available do justice to the richness of each chapter. ACCESS THE FILES HERE St Francis of Assisi, PEI, JPIC CommitteeFebruary 2021
Creation 3-2-1 #5July 28, 2020
This is the July Issue of Creation 3-2-1 prepared by Carolyn Townes, USA National JPIC Animator. The focus of this issue is WATER. Notes from GCCM Webinar "Everything is Connected" We welcome this new contribution from Lourdes von Burg, ofs, Laudato Si’ Animator & OFS Director of JPIC, Western Region of Canada (OLOTA. These are her notes which capture the essence of the webinar put on by Global Catholic Climate Movement.
"To summarize a week’s event of spiritual growth, we Franciscans cannot escape from people’s great expectations. This causes great shame if we shy away from this challenge. I’m afraid the world may consider us false Franciscans, worse than non-biodegradables, unworthy of financial support and attention." "It is high time for us to share how we and our communities are trying to live authentically the ideals of St. Francis. Now is the time to show our worth.
Let us stand tall like St. Francis, in our common home through our bold and joyful Franciscan witnessing in words and actions and in our simple lifestyle in the global economy." See Lourdes' Notes In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, there are so many things we can't do. But as people of faith, there’s one thing we always can do to enrich our lives.
We can pray–together. The global Catholic family will pray together for a more just and sustainable world on Sunday, 24 May, the final day in Laudato Si’ Week. Host an online prayer service on Sunday, 24 May at noon local time. Learn more Share the prayer card below. Laudato Si' - Stations of the CrossFebruary 18, 2020
St Francis of Assisi, PEI, JPIC Committee - Part 2January 6, 2020
At the November fraternity meeting, the JPIC team introduced the first five of the 10 Ecological Commandments. During the December meeting, the remaining five commandments were presented (below). The JPIC team invites the fraternity to look at our responsibility toward God’s sacred creation in the light of these ten ecological commandments, and ethical principles based on our Franciscan understanding of the Gospel way of life. Last Five Ecological Commandments
6. Ecological adultery is when I fail to be good stewards of the land. You shall not abandon the land by thinking only of your personal needs. 7. You shall let other things be themselves. You shall let others be without manipulating them. You shall embrace all beings as they are without making them into something they are not. You shall look at all God’s creation as a revelation of God. 8. You shall have an awareness of your mutual belonging. You shall have a kind of conversion, a turning to the unfolding beauty of God’s love of creation. 9. You shall have access to information and environmental damage and you shall have a greater awareness of our interdependence. 10. You shall be grateful for all God has given us. The spirit of conversion is to live in gratitude. You shall be dependent on others and on the earth. You shall be cognizant of the lure of technology which leads us away from attentiveness, perseverance and loving others. Prayer and Action Please take time to pray and reflect on the last five ecological commandments, and be prepared to share how you have adapted the 10 ecological commandments in your life (3 or 4 ideas each would be great). Our JPIC committee can compile the ideas to share with all members of our fraternity. Taken from the St. Francis of Assisi Fraternity, PEI, January Newsletter 17 Goals to Transform Our World
December 8, 2019 - United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
The Sustainable Development Goals are a call for action by all countries – poor, rich and middle-income – to promote prosperity while protecting the planet. They recognize that ending poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that build economic growth and address a range of social needs including education, health, social protection, and job opportunities while tackling climate change and environmental protection.
The Sustainable Development Goals are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. The 17 Goals are all interconnected, and in order to leave no one behind, it is important that we achieve them all by 2030. The 5:52 min video is a great introduction. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals make for an excellent program to use in fraternity or individually. It is full of important material and information that we should all be aware of and take action where we can. Follow the link above - FVC Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living TogetherDecember 4, 2019 - Originally posted in St Francis of Assisi Fraternity, PEI, newsletter
As 2019 draws to a close, we take some time to reflect on the past year and make resolutions to guide us in the coming year. In this context, it may be worthwhile to reflect on the document signed on February 4, 2019 by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad
Al-Tayyeb in Abu Dhabi on “Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together”. It is most significant that this inaugural encounter between Pope Francis and Ahmed el-Tayed occurred on the 800th anniversary of the encounter between Saint Francis and Sultan al-Kamil. In its introduction, the document “invites all persons who have faith in God and faith in human fraternity to unite and work together so that it may serve as a guide for future generations to advance a culture of mutual respect in the awareness of the great divine grace that makes all human beings brothers and sisters.” Having reflected on the level of poverty, conflict and suffering in different parts of the world, Pope Francis and the Grand Imam assert that “believers are called to express this human fraternity by safeguarding creation and the entire universe and supporting all persons, especially the poorest and those most in need. As Franciscan sisters and brothers, may we all take some time to assess our efforts in building fraternity in favor of a more peaceful world for all generations to come. (Download the full text of the document) (6 pages) St Francis of Assisi, PEI, JPIC CommitteeDecember 1, 2019
At the November fraternity meeting, the JPIC team introduced the first five of the 10 Ecological Commandments (Part 1). We are all aware of the Ten Commandments given by God through Moses. The commandments on a whole can be considered as a set of guiding principles relating to ethics and worship. It is interesting to note that, in the Bible, God included creation, setting the stage with the story of creation. The JPIC team invites the fraternity to look at our responsibility toward God’s sacred creation in the light of the ten ecological commandments, and ethical principles based on our Franciscan understanding of the Gospel way of life.
First Five Ecological Commandments 1. You shall have the God of sharing, the God of protecting the planet for future generations and the God of wise choices. Their opposites are greed, stealing from those who come after us and destroying the dignity of creatures. 2. You shall honor all of God’s creation, the Earth and all its beings. You shall find ways of living that reflect the goodness and integrity of creation. 3. You shall keep the Sabbath holy by using the Sabbath Day as an opportunity to look back on our week, as an opportunity to restore hope, as a time to share with the poor and an awareness that nothing really belongs to any individual. 4. Honor Father and Mother God by being conscious of all they do, of all they have created for us. Honor Mother God with awareness I have come from Mother Earth and I will return to Mother Earth. 5. You shall not kill the Earth with asking it to accept excessive waste. You shall try to monitor your waste cart and educate yourself where this waste is originating. Poverty in Canada
St Francis of Assisi, PEI, JPIC Committee MessageOctober 6, 2019
Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation From the St. Francis of Assisi JPIC Team, October, 2019 Hatred Can Be Transformed by Love (excerpts from an article by Kathy Taormina OFS, Queen of Peace Regional Spiritual Assistant, USA) I woke up this morning thinking about my world.
What part do we “own” in this hatred? As people of this world, as Christians, as Catholics, and as Franciscans, what should our response be? As Franciscans we profess that we “with a gentle and courteous spirit accept all people as a gift of the Lord and as an image of Christ,” (Article 13) and that we must “seek out ways of unity and fraternal harmony through dialogue, trusting in the presence of the divine seed in everyone and in the transforming power of love and pardon.” (Article 19). For Reflection and Action for the Next Month
Take a Vow of NonviolenceSeptember 30, 2019
Season of Caring for Creation - Prayer for the season
LAUDATO SI’ REFLECTION & Sr.Stang - February 2019
WHY JPIC? - A Resource Book for JPIC CommitteesFranciscan Spirituality – Prayer & Action: Spirituality often has the connotation of being solely concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things. If we remain in a meditative prayerful state without some accompanying actions, it is difficult to achieve personal growth or transformation in our efforts to become more spiritual.
The lives of Jesus and Francis are examples of prayerful figures who shared a solidarity with the marginalized of society and who confronted the civil and religious authorities by denouncing injustice. Francis is often described as the saint who is most like Jesus. To follow in their footsteps is the essence of Franciscan Spirituality. The duality of Franciscan Spirituality is comprised of Prayer and Action. To focus exclusively on Prayer is like trying to stand on one leg. You can do it for a little while but then you realize that you need the other leg (Action) to attain a stable Spirituality. JPIC is the Action part of Franciscan Spirituality. Read More: DOWNLOAD THE RESOURCE BOOK - a tool for any fraternity compiled by Michael Cassidy, ofs, St Francis of Assisi Fraternity, PEI
November 10, 2017 - the Carmelite NGO
Curriculum on Laudato Si': Laudato Si' can change the world
Sept 3, 2017
Here is a Canadianised Season of Creation prayer service; an update of one produced last year. It includes some reflections from a practical guide aimed for the Canadian situation by the Canadian Bishops (1 September 2017) to help us engage more deeply with the challenge of Laudato Si'. The reflections, questions and resources for action, are under the headings See, Learn, Pray, Act. I find them very good and will definitively use them. I hope you will too!
- Andrew Conradi ofs, National JPIC Animator ORIENTATIONS FOR THE CREATION AND ANIMATION OF A COMMISSION FOR JUSTICE, PEACE, AND INTEGRITY OF CREATION AND INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUEThis is a tool prepared by the CIOFS Commission for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation and Interreligious Dialogue to give OFS members a basic introduction to JPIC issues, a start to commit themselves in JPIC. For those who wish to go deeper in JPIC knowledge go to Understanding JPIC prepare by our own Andrew Conradi, National JPIC Animator.
"The Franciscan Journey" JPIC Supplements
JPIC supplements contain additional material from Understanding JPIC by Andrew Conradi, ofs (National JPIC Animator) to integrate JPIC into Franciscan Journey at particular relevant places/times in formation. JPIC supplements aim to enrich our understanding of JPIC, Franciscan vision and values and their central place in the Franciscan charism and spirituality.
A supplement is usually 1-7 pages long and its use, although entirely optional at the discretion of the formator, is strongly encouraged. One fraternity’s experience with a couple of the earlier supplements lead formators to say they are useful and at the very least should be assigned as additional reading. Click on a Chapter below to open pdf copy of the supplement.
You will then have the option to save it to your desktop or a folder of your choice. Franciscan Journey - Chapter 1 Franciscan Journey - Chapter 2 Franciscan Journey - Chapter 3
Franciscan Journey - Chapter 4 Franciscan Journey - Chapter 5 Franciscan Journey - Chapter 6 Franciscan Journey - Chapter 7 Franciscan Journey - Chapter 8 Franciscan Journey - Chapter 9 Franciscan Journey - Chapter 10 Franciscan Journey - Chapter 11 Franciscan Journey - Chapter 12 Franciscan Journey - Chapter 13 Franciscan Journey - Chapter 14 Franciscan Journey - Chapter 15 Franciscan Journey - Chapter 16 Franciscan Journey - Chapter 17 Franciscan Journey - Chapter 18 Franciscan Journey - Chapter 19 Franciscan Journey - Chapter 20 Franciscan Journey - Chapter 21 Franciscan Journey - Chapter 22 Franciscan Journey - Chapter 23 Franciscan Journey - Chapter 24 Franciscan Journey - Chapter 25 Franciscan Journey - Chapter 26 Franciscan Journey - Chapter 27 Franciscan Journey - Chapter 28 Franciscan Journey - Chapter 29 Franciscan Journey - Chapter 30 Franciscan Journey - Chapter 31 Franciscan Journey - Chapter 32 Understanding JPIC, A Primer for Formation and Animationby Andrew Conradi, ofs, National JPIC Animator, National Fraternity of Canada, Ordo Franciscanus Sæcularis (Secular Franciscan Order)
Another world is needed. Together it is possible!A series of 7 articles on the 2016 World Social Forum held in Montreal
World Social Forum (WSF), Aug 8 to 14th, 2016, Montreal by Andrew Conradi, ofs Articles will deal with mining, climate, agriculture and finally what we can do to help bring about the necessary changes. They are for a general audience but you may remember to emphasize the Franciscan background and links to Laudato Si'. These could be another way to bring JPIC formation into fraternity meetings.
In addition here is a short video about the
Development and Peace Experience at the WSF (2.52 mins.) 12 months of Franciscan Peace
View Carolyn's' Peace Video. Using St. Francis' prayer sung by Robert Kochis, this video introduces the 5 Peace Principles: Prayer, Empathy, Active Listening, Compassion and Agapé (Evangelical Love)..
St. Louis and his public commitment as a Christian
JPIC Overview Presentation
A big "Thank You" to Andrew Conradi, our National JPIC Animator who has prepared an overview of JPIC in the form of a presentation which can be used in our fraternities. From understanding JPIC to a fuller explanation of the three main steps for integrating JPIC in to our daily lives (See, Judge, Act) and the important place of prayer, this presentation will provide food for thought for your fraternity meetings.
From Gospel to Life - How the Gospel supports OFS RulesJPIC Meeting Suggestion
JPIC in Fraternity - Some tips
Authors from left to right: Michael Cassidy, Marion Marshall, Louise Larkin, Doug Hagen
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Living out Laudati Si'A Commentary and Practical Resource for Canadian Catholics
Published by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops " … Indigenous teachings parallel the encyclical of Pope Francis. Pope Francis praises the attitude and way of life of Saint Francis of Assisi (see Laudato Si’, nos. 10–12). In his Canticle of the Sun, Saint Francis uses descriptive family concepts such as Brother Sun, Sister Moon, Brothers Wind and Air, Sister Water, Brother Fire, Sister Mother Earth and Sister Death. Similarly, Indigenous people speak of Mother Earth, Grandmother Moon, Father Sky and Grandfather Sun." This is another excellent option for fraternities looking to introduce JPIC and Laudato Si' to their fraternities through ongoing formation. Download the pdf file below.
Peace Prayer Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love; when there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood, as to understand, to be loved as to love; for it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. |