St.

Francis College
Pascual B. Gutay St., Sabang II
Allen, Northern Samar 6405

MODULE 5
FRANCISCAN SPIRITUALITY: DIALOGUE WITH
OTHERS AND REST OF CREATION.
SESSION : WEEK 6
GRADE LEVEL : 12
LEARNING COMPETENCIES:

 Learners will be able to apply dialogue in school context.

 The leaner will be able to demonstrate Franciscan spirituality

I. CONCEPT

Spirituality in Dialogue
 ENTRY POINT

Have you experience having some misunderstanding with your best-friend? What did you do to
patch things up and reconnect?

II. DISCUSSION

FRANCISCAN SPIRITUALITY ON DIALOGUE WITH OTHERS

AND REST OF CREATION:
By Bro. Dennis T. Tayo, OFM

A clear challenge posed by the late brother Giacomo Bini, OFM (Life as Dialogue, OFM
Curia 2005): “For those who draw their inspiration from the Gospel in the wake of St. Francis, the
outreach to dialogue has become a commitment of faithfulness and responsibility with “dialogue as
a method” for performing a mission. But before it becomes a method for a mission, dialogue must
become an experience of life…practiced first in our own fraternities, nurtured in mutual trust,
welcoming in diversity, appreciating its value and fraternally correcting one another - a wonderful
reality entailing serious commitment!” Hence, as effective and authentic person of dialogue, this
should first be reflected in our own fraternity/community. As Franciscans, we need to ripple
dialogue to everyone and the rest of God’s creation. As our distinctive Franciscan charism, our
communities should become agents of this social transformation by living dialogue first within our
local communities, advocating dialogue as a means to achieve lasting and true peace for all!

The church is strongly committed to promulgate justice, peace, and integrity of creation -
becoming today a priority movement especially given in the context of existing socio-political
injustices that cause global inequalities. This has especially affected gravely the poor and “mother
earth”. Laudato Si (LS) challenges us that “today, we have to realize that true ecological approach
always become a social approach; to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor (LS 49)”
as our approach in responding to these pressing realities. “Our insistence that each human being is
an image of God should not make us overlook the fact that each creature has its own purpose (LS
84).” Therefore, in advocating social justice, we should also the same for ecological justice or vice
versa since both are inseparable and interconnected, bearing influences over the other. Sadly, those
who have less in life, are the ones who are often even more deprived of the bounty of creation!

The message of St Francis in this field is equally clear and unambiguous: “everything that
exists belongs to God, and that man must give it back to God (ER 17, 17-19). In going to the roots
of the issues, man possesses nothing of his own except vices and sins (ER 17, 8).” This disposition
made him relate to all with impartiality. Universal brotherhood became a clear reflection of Francis,
shown by many of his writings to site a few: “all men are brothers (ER 5, 12-15; LR 2,17); never
consider yourself to be privileged (Testament 25-26); “work for all, avoid being Brother Fly
(2Cel75).”

A remarkable event in his life lead to “a change that took place when he stayed among the
lepers, living among them through a dialogue of life, discovering beyond vanities and competitive
greed of Assisi, a world of human friendship and solidarity with the outcast lepers. He learnt that it
was possible to survive outside the economy based on accumulating profits - in love for God, to
those whom society considered to be non-persons. Led by the Spirit to “use mercy” – this new
vision of humanity and indeed, of the whole creation, opened up before him to open this vision to
others so that they could know about it and experience it in their lives (LD 2). As a consequence, St.
Francis embraced Lady Poverty - the summit of his dialogical approach, in solidarity with those in
the margins and the rest of God’s creation.

In this communion, St Francis considered “creation and all created things to be “a ladder
through” which he could climb up to lay hold of Him who is utterly desirable (St. Bonaventure, ML
9, 1)” such that in his Canticle of Creation, he proclaimed this universal brotherhood by calling all
as his brothers and sisters, praising Him alone! As such, he “never viewed creation as object of
pleasure, or something to dominate but rather to be admired as having been created by Divine
freedom, for the good of the world and for humanity. It was here that the permanent dialogue of
Francis with his creatures began (LD p.127, ph 2).”

This path of dialogue ultimately leads one to the call of becoming peace makers. St. Francis
himself in the Earlier Rule, the friars are to carry the posture of “dialogue” amongst us and in
contact with others in the manner that: “Let all the brothers be careful not to slander or engage in
disputes; let them strive instead, to keep silence whenever God gives them the grace.

Let them not quarrel among themselves or with other but strive to respond humbly, saying: I
am a useless servant (ER11: 1-2). Let them be modest by showing graciousness toward everyone,
Let them not judge or condemn (ER11:8-9). As advocate of peace, he audaciously met the Sultan on
the fall of 2019, disregarding even his own safety. The “Gospel of Peace” is spread “not engaging
in arguments or disputes but be subject to every human creature for God’s sake (ER 16,6),”
reaching out to others with kindness, gentleness and humility, and without aggressive desire to
dominate but rather, setting to serve others as a way to spread peace. His admonition “Blessed are
the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God (Admonition 15)”- reverberates in the
“Peace Prayer” that is popularly associated even today, with our Franciscan identity.
 Clearly, we see the “pillars” of how this humble, just and peace-loving man dialogued. St.
Francis is a man of constant “dialogue” loudly proclaiming in his day to day life, the message of the
gospel by dialoguing with God and with himself, in solidarity with others and in communion with
the rest of creation, insightful to call “creation” as his brothers and sisters because he had conquered
“the freedom of the glory reserved to the children of God (2Cel 91).”

The rest of Francis’ life is a history of dialogue. Hence, as followers of this humble man in Assisi,
we need to be convinced by heart that “dialogue” is an indispensable component of our spirituality!
We are all called to live and proclaim dialogue in order to achieve true and just peace!

EXERCISE # 1

1.) How can you become an instrument of peace in your own unique way?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
2.) Explain briefly your understanding of dialogue after reading the essay above.
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
3.) What realization has struck you the most in this essay?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
4.) What particular social issue today, that can be solve through dialogue?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
5.) Recall an incident in the past where you effectively apply dialogue. Was it essential in solving
the conflict? Why?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

EXERCISE #2

This Graded activity may be done by group or individually.

Create a video presentation or dramatization where dialogue in the aspect of friendship are being
displayed or highlighted. You may begin your video by showing your first encounter and how you
were able to established connection. Then you may proceed by showing the challenges you have
encountered that put your friendship to test and how you are able to overcome such obstacle. And
you may end your video presentation/ dramatization by showing the things that made your
friendship strong.