What We Do
To make our Lord known and loved everywhere.
By word and example, Tertiaries witness to Christ in their daily lives.
By prayer and sacrifice, we help forward God’s work wherever He has called us.
To spread the spirit of fellowship.
By working happily with people of different race, color, creed, education and opportunity, Tertiaries seek to break down the divisions in the world. We try to live in the spirit of the St. Francis prayer: “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.”
To live simply.
Acknowledging that everything belongs to God, we seek to use His gifts wisely and to be good stewards of this fragile earth, never destroying or wasting what God has made. We provide the things necessary for ourselves and our families without demanding luxuries. We seek never to forget the needs of others.
How We Serve
Prayer.
Tertiaries are called to prayerful lives — of openness to God and to others.The Eucharist is the heart of our prayer.
Study.
While Tertiaries give first place to the study of the Scriptures, we also seek to widen our understanding of the Church’s mission, of our Franciscan vocation, and of God’s world.
Our Rule
Work
Tertiaries seek to discover what God wants us to do. In our daily work and lives,we try to serve God and work for the good of others. The best service we can offer is to reflect the love of Christ, and to show his joy and peace to others by example.
The Holy Eucharist
Since we see the Eucharist as the heart of our prayer, our personal rule would call us to frequent participation in this Sacramen
Penitence
Regular examination of our obedience to Christ is necessary. To be reconcilers we must first be deeply reconciled to God. We practice self-examination and the use of the Sacrament of Reconciliation is recommended as part of our understanding of penitence.
Retreat
Silent retreats and quiet days provide an opportunity to rest and grow physically, mentally and spiritually. At least once a year, we participate in organized or private retreats.
Personal Prayer
We set aside a definite time for prayer each day to spend time with God, to pray for others, to meditate and to express our thankfulness. Prayer is the root from which our lives and ministries grow and are nourished.
Service
Service has always been an important part of the Franciscan vocation. Daily work is one way in which Tertiaries serve God and others; we are often also called to serve God and our brothers and sisters in individual ministries, ranging from prayer to social activism.
Self Denial
This is the discipline of saying “No” to oneself by putting God first. We are often aware of the places in our lives where additional self- discipline is needed, but our Spiritual Directors should be asked to help in this area. We also focus on eliminating the ways we may manipulate others to our own ends.
Obedience
All Tertiaries are obedient to the decisions of The Third Order Society of St Francis, Province of The Pacific Chapter. We say the Daily Offices, we support each other by prayer, attendance at area meetings and a pledge of financial support to the The Third Order Society of St Francis, Province of the Pacific. We report regularly to the Order on the keeping of our Rule. We have Spiritual Directors whom we see a minimum of twice a year.
Simplicity of Living
Simplicity calls us to examine our giving of self as well as the material things over which we have control. Our cluttered lives, our preoccupations with “belonging”, can interfere in our relationships with God and our brothers and sisters. We are called to a life of simplicity, eliminating those aspects of ourselves and our lives which prevent our full expression of God’s love.
Study
We all need to learn more about God and His will for us. Study of the Scriptures and of Franciscan spirituality is important to our Christian growth.