Value of Being

Which is valuable ‘Being or Doing’?

There is a desire in every normal human heart to achieve many things, do this and that so that one secures comfort, wealth and happiness. It is also a thirst deep in human beings to have some achievements to call as one’s own and find fulfillment in it. Proportionate thirst for achievement is a needed thing but when one attempts act with too much of greed with an extreme focus on external doing, it will not bring true fulfillment. Attempting to do many thing at the cost of one’s true well-being, spirituality, responsibility to one’s life and the humanity seem to be the pattern of modern society.

Needless to say that in Religious life (and in Capuchin Franciscan life) also there is always a temptation to do too much external things and find joy in achieving materialist excellence. A provincial, guardian, a procurator and a friar may attempt to do many things while neglecting the needed aspect of being a brother who gifts his affective presence to the community.
Inspiration from Br. Mauro our General Minister

“More than what one kept on doing, his ‘being’ is more precious and valuable. Some elderly brothers feel very sad when they are not able to do many things which they did in the past. But what is precious is the value we attach to our being with its ability to gift oneself for the community. I ask for the grace from God for our brothers to increase the value of being and then becoming a blessing,” was the fraternal sharing of Br. Mauro our General Minister in one of our fraternal chats recently.

Let us have the grace of becoming a blessing through our being and of course in that process we could also achieve a few things that the Lord wants us to do. The fraternal life initiatives of Brother Francis and Sister Clare have the deep meaning of gifting our being to the community by our very presence.

Are you being oriented or doing oriented?