For
all new Members entering the online lay monastic community-the Abbey of Saint
Francis of Peace and Compassion
The Bascilica at Assisi, Italy
To
adopt the Little Way of the Tau Interfaith Franciscan Community, the heart
needs to be open and receptive to the daily promptings of the Holy Spirit of
Divine Love.
At
the very heart of our Interfaith Franciscan Spirituality there is an acceptance
that our Creator God has both male and female energy as evident by the
reference to, ‘Our Holy Father Mother God.’ The Little Way to spiritual wholeness was
inspired by the simplicity and humility of two extraordinary souls whose
personal search for God has changed the face of humankind as well as inspiring
many millions of souls to take that leap of faith by honouring the Divine
within their monasteries without walls.
Both
Saint Francis and Saint Therese demonstrated a true love and respect of the
natural world which flooded their hearts to leave a lasting legacy of a
spiritual life that was non theological and most definitely non academic. Their
simplicity and real gift of humility came to be their hallmarks as God’s
special Little Ones whose lives would draw many back to God. Their
conversations with God resembled that of a loving child with that of a
beneficent father figure. Guided by their heart to ‘opt out’ of mainstream
society seeking solitude and silence for the rat race, here they came to know
Jesus as their ‘Friend, Teacher, Counsellor, Mentor
Their
intense love of God as their loving Father is very much reflected in their many
writings. Saint Francis Canticle to Brother Sun and Sister Moon reveals the
inner depths of his spiritual love affair with God’s creation and the animal
kingdom. No wonder they felt so at ease with him! Saint Therese had many golden
opportunities when even as she lay dying of Tuberculosis, came to experience an
explosion of God’s love direct into her heart. One has only to reflect on depth
of pure spiritual wisdom within her beautiful poetry to see the intense
spiritual love affair which had controlled her life. Though Saint Therese’s
maturity came as no surprise to her sisters, yet, here they were amazed to see
such a young women manifest in her soul the maturity beyond her young tender age
desperately longing for personal intimacy with her beloved Jesus and His loving
heavenly Father. Even in death, she demonstrated the intensity of the strength
God’s love which clearly claimed her heart, mind and soul from the very moment
she was born. Yet, Saint Therese would be the first to say in her defense that
she wasn’t academically brilliant to be adored and loved as she is today. All
she wanted was to dedicate her life to God as an enclosed nun and spend the
remaining years on earth doing the ordinary and simple things exceptionally
well for God.
As
members of the Tau monastic community without walls, we need to be reminded
that like Saint Therese and St. Francis of Assisi, we are invited by the same
God to live an ordinary life where eventually we become less and God becomes
more! Are you ready for the challenge as one of God’s many X Factor contestants
to show the world that you too have what it takes to follow the Barefoot
Galilean as a professional Prayer Consultant in service to Source?
If
you are searching for a simple way then you need not look beyond this modern
day adaptation of the Little Way to spiritual wholeness. The manuscript is
underpinned by the ancient philosophy of the Therapeutia Essenes of Mount Sinai and the Johannine Essenes of Mount Carmel . Their monastic lives became their way of
living simplicity and humility in service to their God. Their coming together
three times daily to offer worship, praise and thanksgiving to their God,
became the essence of our sacred lineage as monastic within the Tau Community
of Saint Francis- our monastery without walls where God would continue to touch
His people through a life dedicated to Providence, Selflessness, Integrity,
Faith, Gratitude, Surrender and Service to our Heavenly Father Mother God as
outlined in the Tree of Life.
The
information enclosed in this Little Way has been conveyed through the Seven
Keys representing the strands of Divine Love from God’s heart to our own heart.
Each Key will hopefully challenge the soul to become spiritually more
reawakened to the Spirit of God. Each of the Seven Keys is initially introduced
as Spiritual Reflections to provide the soul with the sense of The Supreme
Presence within one’s life.
Of
the many Holy men and women whose energetic footprints have touched our lives,
we single out two from among God’s Spiritual Advocates our beloved Saint
Francis and Saint Therese to walk with us each day as we search for simplicity
and humility. Their legacy is one of selfless love devoid of the academic theological
statements so often found in the lives of the Saints. The words of wisdom based
solely on living a simple spiritual life where the soul bypasses the academic
in preference for the heart. Today, we too are called to embrace God as a
loving Father and refrain from using lofty words that mean absolutely nothing.
The challenge to our hearts as members of the Tau Community of Saint Francis is
to follow not the dictates of others but rather seek the inspiration from both
St. Therese and St. Francis as two of God’s special teachers whose love of the
ordinary brought about a spiritual revival within God’s dysfunctional religious
family.
This
selfless, reverent spiritual love affair that both men shared on a purely
spiritual level became the sole driving force behind many of the teachings that
Saint Francis wrote for his followers to adopt in their search for God through
simplicity and humility. The intense spiritual love affair that engulfed the
soul of Saint Francis became so intense that finally he was given the stigmata,
or same hallmarks of his crucified Lord, Jesus Christ.
In
his personal faith journey, Saint Francis acknowledged against the teachings of
his Church, the presence of both the Divine Feminine, Mary Magdalene as well as
the Masculine energies of Jesus. Yes, he had a devotion to Mother Mary but he
knew that as Magdalene was the ‘Beloved Disciple, whom Jesus loved,’ he
restored allegiance to balancing both energies and avoided the route of
adherence to the traditional doctrines imposed by the Catholic Church.
Franciscan spirituality embraces a new concept of balance, harmony and divine
connectedness by not only acknowledging the presence of the Divine Feminine but
also shows a great reverence to Mother Earth and all creation as noted in the respected
‘Canticle of the Creatures.’ The spirituality of Saint Francis embraced a ‘New World Order’ of four important ecologies that
would challenge the entire Christian world of that era to the present day.
Instead of adhering to the Roman Catholic view point, Saint Francis adopted the
Catholic or Universal view that as children of the same loving God/dess, we are
all one in the eyes of God. Here we have
the birth of interfaith dialogue between Saint Francis and Jesus seeking
reconciliation for all mankind to be as one, just as Jesus is with His Father
Mother God. Franciscan Spirituality takes the cry of Jesus from the cross to
his heart, ‘Father, I pray that they will be one as You and I are One.’ The
wearing of the Tau symbol is a daily reminder of God’s cry for the unity and
reconciliation of all faiths and none to unite as one spiritual family in God
for God. The Tau symbol represents our arms outstretched in prayerful
supplication to God for that unity.
As
members of the Tau Community of Saint Francis, we believe that the cry for
silence first began when we sought the intimacy of our mother’s breast. It came
in the times we longed for family outings in nature or wanted to lie with
parents in bed at night. The silence is remembered as something we wanted to
share but never quite could. There seemed to be no one who cared to help us
understand how the silence felt. Or it simply was something that was never
discussed. Yet the silence was real. The cry would come again and again, and we
would hope for someone to come and listen with us, someone to share all the
wonderful feelings the silence seemed to hold secret within itself.
The
silence is the home of God. As we search within ourselves to find our place in
the great stillness, we discover the room that has been held for each of us,
our place in the vast world of silence. As we commit ourselves to receive the
simple presence in our lives, we are opening to feel God’s presence, which is
the presence of Love.
In
our search for silence we find a path in the stillness through the people we
live with, the rooms we live in. every relationship has a unique presence of
silence. The child, the mother, the friend, the neighbour and the monastic, all
carry a special quality of silence. The earth in all its varied terrain is
filled with the presence of silence. Each mountain is a mountain of silence.
Each river carries the silence downstream. The deserts and great plains stretch
to the horizons of the silence. The earth looks out to the sky where Brother
Sun, Sister Moon, the clouds, planets, and stars give body to silence. And
underneath the sky every creature, every plant, and every flower is a blossom
of silence. Every day the world emerges out of the quiet. All of life is born
out of the quietness, full of invitations to return t the source where we find
ourselves surrounded in perfect, sacred silence.
The
invitation to ‘go and sell all you have and come’ is an invitation to let go of our complex
identity and come to a new commitment to what is central in life, to what gives
life meaning. The invitation for the monastic in everyone is to centre life
around the silence, the invisible, the unknown, so there truth can be found.
Life
is full of human struggles needing to be filled with silence through prayer.
The monastery is not an escape from life’s struggles but simply a place to
remember to attach prayer to every struggle, so that the presence of the
unsounded is always with us.
The
monastery with or without walls is a place where we can find the heartfelt
prayer that takes us to the silence inside.
Every
monastery can provide at best a shelter for prayer and for learning the ways of
silence. The quiet places inside us discover that obstacles to the silence are
not enemies to battle with but are before us as an invitation. Each barrier to
silence is given to us to help forgive and heal so that more of life will be
included in the silence, more of our soul returned to our awareness. We are
given noise to heal so that the silence can be sung again, the notes more
loudly and clearly lifting our hearts. Every obstacle is here for us, for
prayer, to help restore the natural music of silence so that the world once
again can be a great cathedral of silence.
THE LITTLE WAY
Throughout
history God has continually shown to mankind that their Creator is a God of
absolute love, tenderness and compassion. Even when God’s people endured
hardships in the desert, God came to their aid triumphantly. We know from the
Old Testament Bible that man failed many times to heed God’s call to fellowship
and instead of honouring their God they persistently disobeyed Him as God’s
Chosen People.
Today,
man has chosen ‘the self’ before God by making every excuse to avoid accepting
His personal invitation to spiritual intimacy. The invitation is given freely
to each soul to enjoy the fruits of the Earth where an abundant life is
promised to those who are willing to engage with their heart. Jesus reiterated
His Father’s promise many times to His followers and that same invitation is
for our hearts today. “I came that you might have life and have it to the
full.” What did He mean by this? Simply, that if we are willing to forego the
ego and earthly trappings and temptations, then we shall experience another
more abundant life where the mind, body and spirit are refreshed not yearly,
but each waking moment of every day.
Those
who choose to remain loyal to their belief in a loving Heavenly Father Mother
God are singled out for ridicule and rejection as were the ancient Prophets.
The price of discipleship cuts deep within the very heart of God which has
created many divisions within God’s family down through the centuries. It would
seem an illogical step to make any attempts to convince society about God being
a loving Father Mother until we have addressed the internal strife and discord
which has eaten away at the very heart of the soul.
What
is important today is that we honour the Divine within everyone, disregarding
our personal views and whilst historical differences are there, we can choose
to move away from them. The challenge we
have today is not to preach God’s message but more to the point to ‘Walk God’s
Talk.’ The Little Way is a tool preparing the soul to reawaken the heart to
regular silence wherein the Father Mother God can communicate intimate messages
to the heart in guided prayer.
The
Little Way of the Tau Community should be perceived as a ‘Spiritual Ice
Breaker’ empowering the soul to break free from the traps that are placed
before us by the anti Christ. When we distance ourselves from the chaos of
everyday life, the soul engages in fruitful dialogue from the heart now resting
in silence to the heart of God. The need to disengage with noise and one’s ego
is essential for the soul to discern what God is saying.
Within
God’s interreligious family, we have such an array of exceptionally gifted
individuals whose simple faith and integrity are a source of joy, particularly
when one is faced with disquiet and interior restlessness of the soul. Many who
have chosen to live the enclosed hermitic life do so without any form of
recognition or praise. The journey of the soul is a journey which travails many
terrains made of lush Pasteur fields as well the dry arid desert plains of
In
a society where liberation theology has taken centre stage, we now see a surge of
many interesting philosophies and New Age teachings which appear inviting to
the soul seeker in search of truth. On the surface they seem harmless enough
but when scrutinised in prayerful silence, God’s Spirit assures the heart not
to be fooled by glossy presentations which will eventually compromise
simplicity for recklessness. Temptation comes in many disguises and none more
so than our world’s media. The ‘user friendly language’ is another ploy from
the dark side to suck us into a web of deceit that will rape our divinity and
leave us spiritually paralysed in the process. The temptation to discard our
truth can be an everyday occurrence which often wears the soul into an unsafe
place where we are forced to surrender our truth for the sake of compromise. At
this time, we are guided to stand firm and face our greatest fears with God’s
weapon of Love rather than walk away discouraged
The
advancement of the internet highway with its array of modern technology to
improve our communications with each other and with the outside world has
created a two edged sword effect for soul seekers trying to balance a life of
simplicity with a life of living in the fast lane towards success. The need to
escape the pressures of modern day life and return to simplicity seems idyllic
but not practical for many who prefer to live in chaos. The sole purpose of
writing the ‘Little Way’ is not to replace sacred texts but rather to engage
the soul in reappraising what is relevant and what is not. In other words, as
with all of life’s experiences, we collect so much baggage and rubbish in our
walk towards God, that sometimes we cannot see the ‘wood for the trees.’ The
Little Way is more about offering your heart an ‘opt out clause’ to revisit
what is relevant and discard the minutiae from your spiritual life.We are told repeatedly from various Spiritual Masters, ‘that if our soul seeks to see the face of God, then it has to take responsibility by choosing the right action that will set it free from guilt, fear, religious oppression and all forms of fundamentalism. The Little Way of Simplicity invites the soul to reconnect with the heart of God within to abandon all practices whether they are religious or secular experience, that no longer serve our highest good. Yes, it takes a person of absolute courage and integrity to step out from one’s comfort zone and walk the solitary path of the Great Masters. The Little Way is seen as a spiritual reappraisal interview that will equip the soul to see the face of God. It is a safe return to what is acceptable and attainable for the soul which seeks simplicity without the rhetoric or dogma that is associated with conventional forms of religion. When the monastic Fathers initially established their spiritual communities in the desert, many were on fire with a zeal for God’s will for their lives. Such zeal required urgent action to stop monks from getting carried away with their enthusiasm and so, a series of rules and regulations as to what they would wear, eat, say and do, etc were enforced. As with all human groups, the rule of life became so top heavy and dogmatic that it eventually killed common sense and sacrificed the innocent heart on the altars of man’s ego and punitive ambitions for notoriety as would be potential saints.
The
Little Way is a practical way to God through the Natural World-the Franciscan
Soul. It is a means to an end, not an end in itself. In the early years when
many of the monastic orders where first founded, founders established a rule of
life in keeping with that time in history. However, as time progressed,
cultural and religious differences made the monastic rule a burden for many of
the men and women who dedicated their lives to God. Their hearts became
enslaved to an unhealthy oppressiveness instigated by a controlling fear. Many
souls who entered monastic orders in the 21st century discovered
that the rule of life was exactly the same for them as it was for the early
Founding monks. The rule of life was denied the very breath of God’s Spirit and
so modern day monastic’s would be voiceless when trying to bring their
spiritual life into mainstream liturgical life.
The
Little Way incorporates the essence of simplicity and speaking one’s truth from
a heart infused by selfless love of God -for God to God in all that lives, moves
or has its very existence from God. The Little Way is rooted in the ancient
teachings of the Therapeutia Essenes of
We
read in the lives of many spiritual men and women how their faith was tested.
Many of the early Saints, including that of St Francis and St Therese, were not
immune from their exposure to hardships, failure or even criticism. Instead of
being led by the nose, they knew that once they let go of the ‘self,’ and
remained in their heart, Francis persisted in following his heart to the caves
and meadows nearby. It was here where he would find sanctuary from the many
influential friends and clerics who were threatened by his grace and composure.
I dare say, many would have envied him of his ability to connect with God they
were given the protection of Heaven itself. Their simple way of life allowed
them to try and test everything that would become useful in their personal war
against the world, the flesh and their demons. Yet, despite criticism from
within their religious communities their simplicity to living out their Little
Way continues to touch many lives today. Could that be why so many men and
women are desperately hungry for an alternative lifestyle that involves
simplicity in their spiritual life not in a monastery but from the comforts of
their own sacred space?
Saint
Therese of Lisieux, or better known as the Little Flower of Jesus, like St.
Francis, embraced as part of her spiritual formation, she left us a legacy
about LOVE and the practical means whereby you and I can achieve holiness by
doing the ‘ordinary common garden
things,’ extraordinarily well for God.
Saint
Therese said: "I have reached the point of not being able to
suffer any more, because all suffering is sweet to me." Could
that be said of us today? There is reluctance within the mind set of modern man
that suffering is alien to our psyche and that we should avoid it at all costs.
Without the daily toils and trials of life, there is no other way which we can
learn from our human frailty and humanity to aspire to holiness as brothers and
sisters within the Tau Interfaith Franciscan Community.
The messages from our
Masters to our hearts today are to embrace everything as a ‘Blessing!’ We who
have surrendered our hearts to the Supreme Source of our lives should not
confuse ‘Childlike Trust and Simplicity’ with childishness. They are total
opposites and if not fully understood, they will isolate the soul from God by creating
havoc in one’s interior spiritual life. It is so easy to lose sight of our
gifts when faced with negativism, doubt, fear, low self esteem where we finally
succumb and end up compromising all that we have been given. This is not the
‘Little Way!’ When we take our eyes off the big picture we give permission to
our ego to return to our ‘old ways,’ or one’s ‘wounded self.’ Human nature
doesn’t like change so we have to face truth face on.
The spirit of the Little
Way encourages our hearts to be still and reconnect with our truth; God’s
absolute and perfect truth that we are loved not for what we do, or can do to
please God. Many have asked ‘what does God look like? My reply is simple! Look
at all the wonderful people who breezed into your life leaving special mementos
such as their laughter or smile. If we reflect back then we can build a simple
picture of how God appears to us and maybe we have to return to Gratitude
rather than procrastinating. Throughout time, God has sent special envoys to
support His weary and overburdened children through the Prophets and Saints.
Their lives emulated that ‘X Factor’ which touched lives to re-treat from the
egoic self back to being that special child again.
Another important point is that
to fully enter the dynamics of living simplicity as part of our Little Way of
Life, we may have to face other fears, or anxieties which may lying dormant for
using the word as long as we care to remember. We need to recognise that when
we embrace the Little Way, we are leaving the heart wide open to being challenged
not to engage with past life issues or wallow in victimhood with a defenceless
attitude against change.
There is a rhythmic pattern very
much connected within the dynamics of surrendering the heart to honouring the
Little Way of childlike trust and simplicity. Nature teaches us how to
reconnect with that flow of energy by grounding, protecting and safeguarding
the soul from the onslaught of the anti Christ within. To pretend otherwise
will leave the soul wide open to vitriolic attack of the most heinous
kind.
When I was first introduced to
the Little Way of Saint Therese back in 1966, I was a young novice monk in
training and aspects of the life did not resonate with what was being said in
the book. I found it really challenging to break the habits of a lifetime of
learning as I knew I was emotionally stuck but too scared to ask for help.
Saint Therese’s account of how she found God as a child left me feeling
overwhelmed by personal struggles about God as loving Father.
Throughout my life, there were so
many occasions when I would have done anything to experience a loving gesture
from my Dad. Sadly, the only closeness which I was ever allowed to cherish
between father and son was towards the latter end of his life where he lay
dying in a confused state. As soon as the ideal moment presented itself, my
heart knew intuitively what I had to do to help release both our hearts from
the disease of unforgiveness. This was achieved by anointing dad’s feet with
the healing oils of Spikenard; the same oils that Mary Magdalene used on the
feet of the Master Jesus, her beloved. I knew in my heart that finally, we both
‘struck gold’ in a dysfunctional father and son relationship torn by
selfishness and the lack of love.
The Little Way of the Tau Community is only possible
when we know how to love ourselves and then we are best placed to comprehend
the love that God has for each individual heart. As a child of God, we accept
that God is a loving Shepherd who cares for His sheep. Within the world famous
23rd Psalm, we have found the blueprint of the Little Way which
invites every heart to ‘Come and See.’ ..................................
The Lord is
my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in
green pastures:
he leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul: he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
he leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul: he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yet, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever
When you embrace the Little Way
of the Tau Community of Saint Francis you are surrendering your heart to
Truth-God’s absolute Truth. The seven keys which form the Little Way have been
divinely inspired for the modern day soul who seeks not academia but spiritual
support to combat the onslaught of darkness which seeks to destroy our soul.
Yes, we are guided here not to pretend but face reality by ensuring that we are
‘watchful and ready’ for when the Master comes to guide and support the weary
heart in service.
http://www.interfaithfranciscans.com/Field-of-Dreams.htm
A Spiritual Watering Hole where the soul is recharged and allowed to fly.
About the Tau Community of Saint Francis-an Interspiritual international lay monastic community for men and women:
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