Assisting The Franciscan Youth
Ben Brevoort OFMCap

• Living together
  To assist the Franciscan Youth means to immerse oneself in a method of experiential formation that helps the young person to arrive at his or her choice of life through lived experience rather than through a theoretical knowledge. The Franciscan Youth is an experience of Fraternity, where the young person deepens his or her own vocation, under the inspiration of the gospel choices made by St Francis. The first and most important aspect is the life lived in the fraternity of the young Franciscans among themselves and with the spiritual Assistant. The Assistant must be with the young people and, together with them, participate in the life of fraternity. He must be there in order to get a better knowledge of the young people themselves and their ideas, dreams, concerns, hopes, optimism and difficulties. He must be present primarily in heart and soul, full of idealism.
  
  The presence of the Assistant is necessary, not just because of what he does, but because of the person he is. He does not have to do much, but he must be there, take part in the discussions, share his own experiences, give expression to what his ideas, dreams and concerns are. The Assistant must know how to listen, to wait, to have patience and be faithful. It's not enough to be there on some occasions, but he must be present regularly, without ever letting himself get discouraged. The young people need to know that the Assistant is faithful and will be with them in moments of difficulty as well as of disappointment. Actions speak louder than words: Do it, just don't say you'll do it! Faithful presence is the basis of the whole ministry of assistance, because it is an unequivocal expression of the Assistant's good will towards the young people.
  
  At times, especially at the beginning, we will need to go out to meet the young people, to be there where they are, not waiting for them to come to us. It means to leave one's own place for the sake of being with them and sharing their life. Then, once they are convinced of how good it is to be together, the young people will start to bring in their friends to share the same experience.
  
  To live together isn't the same thing as letting people do what they like or go where they like. It means on the contrary to know how to share, to be able to give of oneself, to have something to offer. We need to have a plan, to know what we mean and to know how it should be said. However, there should be great flexibility in this approach, because there will always be times when other experiences surface which are more important than the ones prepared in advance. Above all, we need to have clear ideas and values for our own sake and for the sake of the others, and distinguish between what is essential and what is of secondary importance.

• Walking together
  Living together is the point of departure for walking together. The experience of the Franciscan Youth is an experience of growth, both individual and in groups. It is a process, a journey, and must be understood as such by the young people. Things are done because they form part of a journey towards a clear and well defined goal. The Assistant must know where to go. Some doubts can possibly arise regarding the road to be taken, but there must be no doubts about the goal to be attained.
  
  In journeying together we take into account that not all can walk to the same rhythm. There's the one who sets a brisk pace and there's the one who needs more time. The journey however is undertaken together, where those out in front wait for the stragglers, and the slow-coaches make the effort to keep up with the leaders. In this way, the more advanced have the chance of helping the others, of restraining themselves so that they can walk together with the others. All must advance, all must journey together.
  
  This means that the Assistant must have a flexible plan, whereby individuals find challenges that they are capable of meeting. The Assistant must accompany everyone but he must devote great attention to individuals. He must be with all, not just with the vanguard or with the ones bringing up the rear, but at one moment slowing his own pace so that those trailing behind can catch up with him, at another speeding up his pace so as not to lose sight of the leaders.

• Vocational discernment
  In the Franciscan Youth, journeying together is undertaken in order to deepen one's own vocation in the light of the Franciscan ideal. The goal is to attain a clear vision of one's vocation, i.e., the response to the question: "-Lord, what do you want me to do?-" The experiences of Christian life in the Fraternity must be part of this goal.
  
  The lived experiences need to be evaluated so that one can derive some meaning from them, and see what significance they hold for this young person. Each experience must be planned, prepared, lived, and evaluated. The role of the Assistant will be to help the young person to discern whether what he feels in his heart is good and comes from God or not. The spiritual Assistant needs the gift of spiritual discernment.
  
  At the beginning, the question is posed in more impetuous terms: "-What do I want to do with my life; what do I want to achieve with my life; how can I fully realise myself?-" Little by little one grasps what the question is all about: the fulfilment of the entire human person, body and spirit, natural and supernatural. Progress is made "-from what I want-" to "-what God wants-". We need to be able to listen, to explore together with the young person, to help him or her to understand the voices of the heart, to distinguish between suggestions, to make choices. There is need to accompany the young people, to be patient with them, to know how to wait, by inviting them to open up their souls to God, to help them in the process of a conversion towards God, of metanoia , of a renewal of the spirit.
  
  Vocational discernment is a service we give to the young person, not to our Order. It is a question of a new concept of vocational apostolate, i.e., of helping a young person to identify his or her own vocation. It is a genuine ministry in the true sense of the term. It means a great readiness and openness of mind to put young people in contact with the various expressions of Franciscan life. It will be for the Lord to choose whom He wants; we can only help the young person discover the Lord's plan of salvation for him.

• Formation
  Vocational discernment relies on an integral formation: human, Christian and Franciscan. Basic to all is the need to form the young person to become mature, because only a mature person can make free and lasting choices.
  
  To live the Christian life in fraternity re-quires a solid Christian formation. The young persons need to know their religion, their catechism, the teaching of the Church. They need to feel at home in the Church, to know how to accept the Church as it is, not just as an ideal, but in the concrete with this pope, this bishop, this pastor, these priests, religious and lay people. The task of the Assistant will be to help the young people to deepen their faith, by means of the experience of faith lived in the Franciscan Youth fraternity, in the parish and in the various pastoral and diocesan activities.
  
  The journey is undertaken in the light of the message of St Francis. We need to help the young people to get a better knowledge of the Franciscan Family, the ideal and the gospel choices of Francis, Clare, and the other members of the Franciscan Family. It is a question of knowing the Franciscan movement and Franciscans who are both religious and secular, active and contemplative. Here it is also a question of a practical more than a theoretical education, based on contacts with living people and lived experiences together with other Franciscans, religious and secular. The Assistant is the sign of the fraternal affection of the religious towards the young. The enthusiasm of the Assistant for his own ideal, lived personally is very important. We have so much to give to young people, but we must be convinced that it is worthwhile to live it ourselves in everyday life.
  
  Franciscan formation is carried out by means of direct contact with members of the various branches of the Franciscan Family, inviting them to bear witness, participating in their life and activities. Often it will be for the spiritual Assistant to expedite these contacts, by preparing and then evaluating together these experiences.

^TOP