THE ANGLICAN GREYFRIARS
OUR WAY OF LIFE
Our Charism is very much focussed on the Franciscan life, lived within the Parish and Diocese, with particular emphasis serving the poor and marginalised, hence our composition as a
fellowship of dispersed religious, rather than a geographically fixed community or order.
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The seven emphases of our “Way of Life” are:
POVERTY
We renounce materialism, avarice, and greed of any kind. For Franciscans, everything is sacred as it has its source in God: for this reason, we seek to defend Creation, whether that be human, animal, or plant. We treasure the "thisness" of everything (John Duns Scotus). We seek to be detached from possessions, believing that anything we have is a gift to be stewarded. We pursue kindness, mercy, and mutual peace.
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Chastity
This is lived as faithfulness to our love for God, and those whom we love and are in relationships with. Whether single or partnered, we do not use anyone or anything for our own sexual gratification: rather, we seek to sacrificially love and serve those whom God has called us to love. We see Chastity expressed as Kenotic (self-giving) love to others, and so an extension of the vow of Poverty.
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Obedience
This pertains to the Gospel, our Way of Life, and the leading of the Holy Spirit. In this vow, we seek to hear God through our living of the teachings of Jesus, especially in the Sermon on the Mount. We seek to conform our lives to the Gospel through formation in community, and in doing so to respond boldly to the prompting and signs of the holy Spirit working in the world.
PRAYER, SOLITUDE, SILENCE, & RETREAT
We like to be with God. We hold to the daily discipline of the four offices of Morning Prayer, Midday Prayer, Evening Prayer, and Night Prayer - we do not prescribe the method, other than that we seek to grow in our prayer lives, and to support others in this discipline. Where possible, we encourage a daily time of silent, contemplative prayer, or Eucharistic adoration.
We encourage regular quiet days, and regular silent retreat. We also encourage regular fasting, according to our capacity and health. Some among us may choose to live for a time as hermits, to focus their lives on prayer and the contemplation of God.
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Eucharist
Encountering the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist is a central part of our worshipping life: this would normally be in our Parish contexts. Through the Eucharist, we are reconciled, fed, healed, forgiven, and empowered. It is in this divine encounter with God and one another that we seek to grow in our lives as Greyfriars. We encourage where possible the regular celebration and reception of the Eucharist.
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Mission & Ministry
Since the earliest days, Greyfriars have practiced incarnational mission in their ministries. We as a Fellowship do this through striving to embody the Five Marks of Anglican Mission (i.e. "Tell, Teach, Tend, Transform, Treasure") in our Way of Life.
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FORMATION
Formation is lifelong, beginning as a Candidate, and progressing to Postulant, Novice, and finally Professed. That being said, ​formation is not always linear in its progression, and it is certainly not a way of promotion: on the contrary, it is a journey to minority, which may be why so few desire to walk this path.
The Franciscan charism is a "letting go" of our power, in order that we might know god's self-giving loving power living through us. It is a lifelong journey towards the Trinity of Love, and we grow in that not only by the disciplines above, but also by responding to the love of God in us and one another. Each of us is unique, and the journey of formation is to see you fully in love with God, and to grow in maturity in your vocational and spiritual life.