For those who are curious what the changes in our Franciscan environment and our
behavior looks like, I offer the following perspective. I call it 'a brother's perspective' because the emphasis of my life is service oriented as opposed to others in my community whose thoughts and focus is sacramental and administrative.

From my urban friary of 8 religious men, roughly 20 weeks now of this pandemic environment has affected our experience of each other and ourselves, especially as it relates to our changing relational roles. If we presuppose that a most important aspect of our vocation as Franciscans is our response to the changes and needs of our society, how can we not be radically challenged and changed during the past 140 days or so?

What have we experienced? The new constraints, modifications and limitations on our behavior as a result of an informed, increased sensitivity to our heightened awareness of the needs to protect our own health and safety and the health and safety of those around us leads us to a reassessment of our relational roles as Franciscans in the present and near future. This COVID-19 awareness was to be a two week 'stay at home', that some thought initially, before we would collectively resume the life activities that marked and defined our behavior. This brief 'flattening the curve' response would have no lingering or lasting residue - or so we thought at the time. Rather, a wave of unpredictable, unforeseen directives creating new boundaries and new modes of interaction has caught us all by surprise.

Our Franciscan friary's relational focus has become, to a certain extent, a measure of the quality of our common life together. It seems we find ourselves with more time and reason to listen, understand, see and know one another. Celebrations, recreation, and the liturgies in our chapel have taken on a newer, greater significance, in my opinion. When the Rule of St. Francis is read aloud as part of our weekly discipline, the descriptive precepts of our observance of Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience somehow, and perhaps mysteriously, become easier to interpret and comprehend without the usual distractions of our mind overwhelmingly and justifiably defending our own former and current habits -
as our habitual mannerisms and patterns have been dispensed of and challenged, to say the least, in this COVID-19 environment!

This new landscape of relational discovery can be humorous. From our time during the 'shelter in place' back in the Spring, our community began to emphasize coming together every Wednesday night to play dominoes. While a few abstained, it was presumed that those who were gathering at the table possessed some interest in the game. Last week, murmuring blossomed forth from one of our conversational interludes that went something like this: "Domino night!"... "Yay!"..."Do we have to?", someone replied..."What?" "Haven't we all been looking forward to this?"... "But I don't like dominoes!", the same one responded. "But you have been here, participating, all this time, week after week!" "Look", he said, "I am interested in supporting you guys and spending time together, but my
recreational interest has never been in the GAME OF DOMINOES!" While our friary can properly be called our 'Administration House', this has not ever excluded a continuation of ministerial assistance at neighboring parishes for our ordained members residing here. While we do not have a parish attached to the responsibilities of this friary, our priest's here do reach out as they are still requested to do by other Pastors.

One amazing example, in my estimation, that I recently discovered about one of our younger priests came to me indirectly through time spent at a non-profit organization that has been receiving some of my time and attention. There, I overheard a student (on a video chat) discussing how she was coping with the 'new normal'. And much to my own surprise, she was mentioning how this priest was offering these daily 'podcast' reflections on the Gospel. This priest she spoke of I knew, because, well, I live with him! I was not aware of these 'daily reflections on the Gospel' that evidently were being broadcast far and wide through the Latino community in Albuquerque and beyond! So, yesterday, I approached this priest, and asked him to elaborate a little, amazed as I was at this creative outreach that was happening right under my nose without my knowledge. It turns out that, yes, he waits until the house is quiet, and then records a daily meditation and Gospel reflection before uploading them through a well known social media app that is then distributed to literally hundreds or more! Wow! Thank you Fr. Jose Luis Peralta, OFM. for doing this! 

This sharing is but a brief, lite snapshot into how our lives here at the friary have been impacted and changed. I am certain that this year, 2020, will be one for the history books, so to speak. The gravity and heaviness of the pain, suffering, isolation, and economic devastation will hopefully be written about, too. My prayer is that all of us continue to listen to one another. And that our focus, as we move toward 2021, be on our collective identity as brothers and sisters. If we are given lemons, as the saying goes, make lemonade. Let us be sensitive to the real needs of our families today, and no matter what boundaries and modifications we must create in the near future, may we do so in a spirit of love.