OFS Oxford

Time: 2 pm to 4:30 pm, Saturday

No. of Attendees: 14

Venue: Greyfriars, 182 Iffley Road, Oxford OX4 1SB

2 pm Friary Chapel: Private devotions

2:15 pm: Holy Mass and ‘Rite of Profession to the Gospel Life’ for three of our Oxford fraternity Candidates

In his homily, our Spiritual Assistant, Fr. Gordon Pesterfield OFM Cap., spoke about St. Francis’ prayer before the San Damiano crucifix and the call he received to “go and repair my church, which as you see is wholly in ruin” – how he set about physically repairing in stone and then rebuilding by calling people back to the sacraments, to the Church as the people of God. A brother once asked “why are people flocking to you, a small insignificant man – why?”. The question remains – why do people wish to be open to a calling as St. Francis was?  St. Francis, in following the Gospel, wished all to return to Christ. In the Gospel reading of Mass we heard how the tax collector Levi, when called by Christ to follow Him, did so without hesitation. The call is to each of us, with all our faults and fears; Christ calls us to come – follow me; He wishes to transform our lives – He will never abandon us. We respond in how we live and witness to the Gospel message – a community of faith – we respond with conversion – a turning back to God – responding to the call from Jesus Christ.

We were all delighted to congratulate our three newly professed members into the Secular Franciscan Order, Oxford fraternity – an occasion for great joy and thanksgiving.