Discussion Topic: SFO Rule, Article 7: Interior Radical Change

(I have finally had time to condense the presentation we made for the May meeting. Sorry that I haven't had time to breathe... enjoy!)

The Candidates this year chose to present on Article 7 of the SFO Rule, which states:

United by their vocation as "brothers and sisters of penance" and motivated by the dynamic power of the gospel, let them conform their thoughts and deeds to those of Christ by means of that radical interior change which the gospel calls "conversion." Human frailty makes it necessary that this conversion be carried out daily.
On this road to renewal the sacrament of reconciliation is the privileged sign of the Father's mercy and the source of grace.

Initially, we set out to act as if we were going to define "Interior Radical Change " for a SFO dictionary or encyclopedia. That concept is something brought into discussion from the first time any curious person comes to an Inquiry session, and follows through Initiation, Candidacy, Profession, and all the rest of our lives as a Secular Franciscan. It was such a huge concept, a concept that everyone views differently. We sought to come to a common definition so that we could discuss the Article on common ground.

One group put it this way: pick it apart. "Interior," meaning from within; "radical," with its negative connotations in some aspects, think of it as extreme, over-the-top, unusual; and "change," transforming from one form to another. Therefore, Interior Radical Change could be defined as "an extreme transformation from within." Another group put it in a different way, incorporating the important concepts of community, the Gospel Life, and centering in Christ. The third group tied it into conversion. So, as common ground, the definition in regards to the SFO life would look something like this:

Interior Radical Change (n.): 1. A transformation from within a person when exposed to the Franciscan charism of centering on the Gospel life, following in Christ's footsteps, and living within and without the secular community. 2. A shift in perspective that elicits a spiritual and internal change in the way the person views the world and therefore acts in the Franciscan spirit.

With that in mind, we took the next step: is the concept of "conversion" exactly the same as "change"? Is it redundant? And is "conversion" the same as "radical interior change"? Conversion , it was discussed, is a higher form of change, and that conversion, daily conversion (which penance is a key part of), is the path to radical interior change.

Radical interior change is that phenomenon that, when lived and viewed through the Franciscan lens colored with the gospel life, changes one's entire outlook and how people react to situations. This was a good discussion that required little guidance, as it twisted and turned and brought newer and deeper understanding for all.

We read excerpts from Fr. Bernard Green's booklet "Transformation in Christ," as a segue from the previous topic and then bringing about the subjects in the second paragraph of the Article, in regards to Confession/Reconciliation, to which we steered to the subject of penance. Here are some excerpts:

The heart of the Gospel, then, is aimed at freeing us... so that we can give ourselves fully to all that brings an enhancement of human life... extend[ing] our horizons so as to natural life in a new light and as replete with higher potentialities through genuine community with one another (from Chapter 5).

This is the he part where we started the discussion regarding penance and repentance:

...[T]he New Testament understanding of repentance is quite different from our usual understanding of repentance as the way we win God's favor or which avoid His punishment...
"As portrayed in the New Testament, repentance is radically different, and to be transformed by the Gospel, we need to recognize this. In the Gospel, repentance is our response to the prior offer of grace, not the way in which we win that grace...

The difference between the Biblical understanding and our usual understanding of the term is that in the New Testament our repentance is made possible by the encounter of grace, and is thereby a gift that we appropriate, not something that we earn. It is not something which we can claim simply as our own achievement. It is not a matter of self-achievement but of receptivity of a gift (Chapter 6).

It stands to reason that the overall concept in the entire Article starts to a willingness to say "Yes" to God. Yes, to listening to that knocking on the door, yes to God's call. Yes to the Gospel life. Yes to change from within to see change from without. Yes to being one with Christ and walking with Him. Yes to the radical interior change that is necessary to stay on that path. Yes to admitting frailty, confessing sins that are part of being human, and to practicing that often to renew my path. Yes to God's invitation to grace so that I can be saved by Him.

Yes, I accept God's invitation to explore my faith.