CC# 495 OH, HOW GOOD

OH, HOW GOOD, HOW WONDERFUL IT IS

WHEN ALL THE BROTHERS LIVE AS ONE.
OH, HOW GOOD, HOW WONDERFUL IT IS
WHEN ALL THE BROTHERS LIVE AS ONE.

It is as fragrant as pure oil,

The ointment of the Lord,
Flowing down as on Aaron of old,
Anointing everyone.(refrain)

Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: Order of Brothers

 It is as refreshing as the dew
Upon the mountain of the Lord,
For there the favor of the Lord remains
The blessing of everlasting life. (refrain)

HOW GOOD, HOW WONDERFUL IT IS

WHEN ALL THE BROTHERS LIVE AS ONE.
OH, HOW GOOD, HOW WONDERFUL IT IS
WHEN ALL THE BROTHERS LIVE AS ONE.

Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: Order of Brothers

Order of Friars Minor
Capuchin:
Order of Brothers
Br. Larson Kim Baltazar, OFMCap.

Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: Order of Brothers

Why we are called
Order of Brothers?

Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: Order of Brothers

 BROTHERHOOD
We Franciscans are
referred to as “friars,”
from the Latin frater,
meaning “brother.”
Franciscans are
essentially an order of
brothers striving to live
the Gospel with the same
simplicity and fervor as
their founder, St. Francis
of Assisi.
Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: Order of Brothers
Living the Gospel in the footsteps of St. Francis

“…there is more incentive for us to live the

Gospel in imitation of St. Francis and the first
friars of the Order. Constantly returning to our
origins, which the church today is inviting us
to do, is one of the characteristics of
Franciscan history and in particular Capuchin
history.”
(IV PCO 13 – Plenary Council of the Order –
FORMATION)

Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: Order of Brothers

 …in brotherhood.
Our Order is an order of brothers. The Gospel
form of life it proposes to us is that of
brotherhood. St. Francis applied this term first
of all to the Order as a whole: He would say
“I want this Order to be called the Order of
Lesser Brothers.” Hence, the term expresses
the real character of the Order, of the province
and the local community. (IV PCO 14)

Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: Order of Brothers

Francis asked God to give him brothers who would
be content to possess God alone as their only
treasure. Francis said, “The Lord has willed that the
brothers be called lesser because they are the people
of whom God spoke in the Gospel: “…there is no
need to be afraid little flock, for it has pleased your
Father to give you the Kingdom, and again,
whenever you did it for one the least (minor) of
these brothers of mine, you did it for me” (Luke
12:32). Thus did blessed Francis call his followers
Friar’s Minor.
(Legend of Perugia, #67)
Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: Order of Brothers
…acknowledging ourselves to be sons of the same Father.

“Let us welcome one another as brothers,” first of all

because we all recognize ourselves as sons of the same
Father in Jesus Christ, and then because we wish to
advance together in communion with Him, through daily
submissiveness to the Holy Spirit. Hence, at the heart of
our brotherhood we find common prayer and continual
contemplation of Christ, particularly in the mysteries of His
Incarnation and Passion, that is to say that “spirit of prayer
and devotion” which turns our whole life and activity into
an expression of filial love. (IV PCO 15)

Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: Order of Brothers

Being brothers means loving one another. This love makes
some very specific demands such as:

• Creating in the fraternities a family- like, simple and

joyful atmosphere in which each brother can freely
grow.
• Developing mutual trust, understanding and esteem for
one another.
• Manifesting our needs to each other with simplicity.

Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: Order of Brothers

 • Willingly placing our talents at the service of the
fraternity.

• Practicing loving obedience and fraternal correction in

a continuous striving for conversion.

• Supporting one another in times of difficulty or

discouragement.
(IV PCO 16)

Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: Order of Brothers

Equality among
Brothers

Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: Order of Brothers

 “By reason of the same vocation,
brothers are equal. Therefore, according
to the Rule, the Testament and the
earliest custom of the Capuchins, all of
us are called ‘brothers’ without
distinction.”
-Constitution of the Capuchin Friars Minor 90

Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: Order of Brothers

 Equality of Brothers and Equality of Opportunity

“…each should be given equal

opportunity to develop his own gifts
and talents, in his own state of life,
for the service of others, both within
and outside the fraternity.”
(I PCO 20– Plenary Council of the Order – Fraternal Life,
Poverty and Minority)

Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: Order of Brothers

 Means of fostering equality

To foster the equality of the friars, the following

means are proposed: (I PCO 21)

• There should be a common novitiate,

without any distinction between clerics
and non-clerics
Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: Order of Brothers
Means of fostering equality

• Throughout the whole

period of initiation,
the first place should
be given to Religious
and Franciscan
formation, and this
applies equally to
clerics and non-
clerics.

Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: Order of Brothers

 Means of fostering equality

• The Liturgy of the Hours and the Eucharistic

liturgy should be celebrated in the vernacular
and with the active participation of all.

Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: Order of Brothers

 Means of fostering equality

• All should receive an adequate formation

according to their aptitudes to carry out the
variety duties within the Order and to engage
in apostolic work.

Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: Order of Brothers

 Means of fostering equality

• The participation of all the friars in domestic

chores, unless prevented by more urgent work,
should be put into practice. (cf. Constitutions of the
Capuchin Friars Minor 90)
Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: Order of Brothers
 THE BROTHERS AND THE FRATERNITY

In order that the Constitutions may be put into practice more

faithfully, Guardians should take care that the friars do not
habitually live away from the fraternity, even for the apostolate, and
that they are not deprived of the benefit of fraternal life.

Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: Order of Brothers

 BROTHERS IN CRISIS

Among all the friars, an educative

process should be going on so that they
may learn to understand in a fraternal
manner the anguish and distress
suffered by friars undergoing a crisis
and try not to be their judges but their
guardians and truly their brothers.
(I PCO 28)
Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: Order of Brothers
BE A BROTHER TO ALL!
BE A CAPUCHIN!

Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: Order of Brothers

 BROTHERS TO ALL

In order to realize more fully our vocation as

brothers to all, people and creatures, we should:

• We open our fraternities to those who wish to share,

periodically, our life of prayer, our life in common,
our reflection and our work (Constitution 68:2, 50:3
57:1ff)
• We cultivate a spirit of welcome and solidarity with
all people, specially the needy, by offering hospitality
and placing our buildings and goods at their service.

Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: Order of Brothers

 BROTHERS TO ALL

• In all our encounters and service of people, we

always give primacy to our message of fraternity and
community spirit, specially stressing fraternal
esteem, understanding and dialogue with all.

• By preference, our fraternal life be lived close to the

needy, the marginalized and the oppressed and that
we unite our energies with voluntary movements and
with the initiatives of collaboration, unity and
solidarity among people.

Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: Order of Brothers

 BROTHERS TO ALL

• Sensitive to the needs of the local churches wherein

we work, creating an atmosphere of generous
solidarity and availability of our personnel and
houses.

• We favor movements of fraternal integration with the

whole Franciscan family particularly with the
Secular Franciscan Order, in order to live and offer a
message of fraternity among ourselves and with the
world.

Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: Order of Brothers

 BROTHERS TO ALL

• We cultivate a sense of universal fraternity

with all creation by promoting with all
peoples, respect and religious sensitivity
towards everything in nature.

Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: Order of Brothers

“The Order must preserve its character as a
brotherhood in minority.” (cf. IV PCO 29)
Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: Order of Brothers
Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: Order of Brothers
Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: Order of Brothers
Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: Order of Brothers
Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: Order of Brothers
 “To Brother
Anthony, my
‘Bishop’, Brother
Francis sends
greetings.
It pleases me that
you teach sacred
theology to the
brothers, provided
that amid such study
you do not
extinguish the spirit
of prayer and
devotion,Order
as isof Friars Minor Capuchin: Order of Brothers
 Let us bless our Lord
and God, living and
true; to Him we must
attribute all praise,
glory, honor, blessing
and every good forever.
Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: Order of Brothers
 PAX
ET
BONUM!

Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: Order of Brothers

 Guide Questions for Sharing:

• What is Fraternity Life for you?

• Do you see yourself living in a

fraternity?

• Am I ready to be a ‘Brother to all’?

Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: Order of Brothers