Build the Kind of Fraternity that Replaces Rejection with Rejoicing

The Poco a Poco Podcast with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal

If you live community life well, if you live family life well, people are going to see your sins and weakness and failures. That can be a hard place. But if you can stay there, and people can stay there with you: that’s the good stuff. That’s the place of abundant fruit.

Real fraternity—the love of brothers and sisters—is powerful.

There can be a real infection in our hearts today that comes from experiences of rejection. We need spaces where we can rejoice in one another despite our weaknesses: moments of welcome and mercy that redeem our life experiences.

This has to start somewhere. Where does this happen? In intentional relationships where we decide to have mercy on each other.

People who keep choosing community, keep choosing to be patient with each other and have mercy on each other. To keep saying, “yeah, it’s hard, but I’m here and I’m not going to leave you.”