St. Francis: Admonition 3- On Perfect Obedience

3. On Perfect Obedience

The Lord says in the Gospel: "He who does not renounced all that he possesses, cannot be my disciple" (Lk 14:33); · and: "He who will have wanted to save his life, shall lose it" (Lk 9:24). · That man abandons all that he possesses, and loses his own body, who offers himself whole to obedience in the hands of his prelate. And whatever he does and says, that he himself knows, which is not contrary to his will, as long as what he does is good, is true obedience. · And if at any time the subject sees better and more useful things for his own soul than those which the prelate precepts him, let him sacrifice these willingly to God; but those which are the prelate's, let him strive to fulfill. · For this is charitable obedience (cf. 1 Pet 1:22), since it satisfies God and neighbor.

If indeed the prelate precepts anything against his soul, though he is not to obey him, nevertheless let him not give him up. · And if he has endured persecution by others for that reason, let him love (dilectio) them more for God's sake. · For he who will endure persecution rather than wanting to be separated from his brothers, in truth remains continually in perfect obedience, since he lays down "his own life" (cf. Jn 15:13) on behalf of his brothers. · For there are many religious, who under the appearance of seeing better things than those which their prelates precept, look back (cf. Lk 9:62) and return "to the vomit" of their own will. (cf. Prov. 26:11; 2 Pet 2:22); · these are murderers and on account of their bad examples cause many souls to perish.

Obedience in the Secular Franciscan Order:

Although Secular Franciscans are not "religious" in the strict sense of the word, they do commit themselves by a true and proper "religious" profession to give witness to the salvific news of the Gospel in the manner in which they live. 

 

Secular Franciscans do not make vows of obedience but  they do live the spirit of the evangelical counsel of obedience, which is obedience to the Gospel, to the Church, to the Rule and one’s conscience.

The concept of obedience is contained in article 10 of the Rule, in its final closing and in the formula of our Profession:

• Uniting themselves to the redemptive obedience of Jesus, who placed his will into the Father’s hands, let them faithfully fulfill the duties proper to their various circumstances of life.  Let them also follow the poor and crucified Christ, witness to him even in difficulties and persecutions.
  
  
• And may whoever observes (obeys) all this be filled in heaven with the blessing of the most high Father, and on earth with that of his beloved Son, together with the Holy Spirit, the Comforter…"
  
  
• … I promise to live … the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by observing its rule of life.

The obedience to those who are constituted in authority in the SFO is always connected to---and therefore refers to---the obedience to the Rule we promised to observe.