Sister Abigail Hester

🌿 Franciscan Clarean Catechism

🌿 Franciscan Clarean Catechism

  1. God

Q: Who is God?
God is not a “being in the sky,” but the sacred depth of all being — Love, Mystery, and Life itself. God is found in the beating heart of creation, in the cry of the poor, in Brother Sun and Sister Moon.

  1. Jesus

Q: Who is Jesus?
Jesus is the human face of divine love. We do not worship him as a magical figure from heaven, but honor him as the one who lived God’s love fully — showing us what humanity can become in radical compassion, justice, and kinship.

  1. Sin

Q: What is sin?
Sin is not inherited guilt but alienation — forgetting our belonging to God, one another, and the earth. Grace is remembering and living that kinship.

  1. Mary and the Birth of Jesus

Q: Was Jesus born of a virgin?
The virgin birth is a sacred story, not a biological report. Its meaning is that Mary said “yes” to God’s love, and through her courage, the world changed. Every “yes” to love continues the incarnation.

  1. Miracles

Q: Do miracles happen?
Yes — not as suspensions of natural law, but as moments of restored harmony. A miracle is forgiveness, healing, reconciliation, justice breaking through.

  1. The Cross

Q: Why did Jesus die on the cross?
Not to appease an angry God. The cross is God’s ultimate act of solidarity with the suffering, and the revelation that love is stronger than violence or empire.

  1. Resurrection

Q: What does resurrection mean?
It does not mean a corpse walking out of a tomb. Resurrection is the Spirit of Christ alive in the community, hope reborn, love unkillable. We see resurrection whenever life rises out of death.

  1. Ascension

Q: What happened at the Ascension?
Jesus did not fly into outer space. Ascension means humanity is lifted into God’s life, and Christ’s Spirit now fills all creation.

  1. Ethics

Q: How do Franciscan Clareans live?
We follow not stone commandments but the law of kinship: love of God, neighbor, earth, and self. We live simply, care for creation, stand with the poor, and seek peace.

  1. Prayer

Q: What is prayer?
Prayer is not asking favors from a sky-father. Prayer is dwelling in the presence of Love, listening, aligning with God’s rhythms in silence, song, and service.

  1. Eternal Life

Q: What happens when we die?
We do not fear hellfire or hope for heavenly prizes. Eternal life is union with God here and forever. Death is a doorway into deeper communion.

  1. Salvation

Q: Who is saved?
All are saved, because all are beloved. No one is outside God’s circle. As Francis said, every creature is brother and sister. The kingdom of God is universal kinship.

✨ Closing Creed (short form)

We, Franciscan Clareans, believe in God who is Love,
in Jesus who reveals Love,
in the Spirit alive in all creation.
We reject fear-based religion.
We embrace kinship with all beings.
We walk in simplicity, joy, and justice.
We proclaim: All are included. All are beloved. All are one.

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