🌿 Franciscan Clarean Prepping Manual
Holy Readiness for a Fragile World
For internal use by the Order of Franciscan Clareans
Compiled by Sister Abigail Hester, OFC
🕊 Preface: Why We Prepare
We are not preppers because we fear collapse.
We prepare because love requires readiness.
Saint Francis and Saint Clare lived through social upheaval, famine, plague, and war. Yet their response was not retreat — it was conversion, compassion, and creative simplicity.
Prepping, for us, is a spiritual discipline:
To remain calm when others panic.
To share when others hoard.
To repair when others destroy.
To bless when others curse.
Our readiness is not survivalism — it’s service.
🌾 Section I: The Spiritual Foundation of Prepping
“We must be vigilant, for the enemy of our soul is most dangerous when he whispers, ‘There is nothing to prepare for.’”
— St. Clare (adapted)
- Daily Practices
Morning Offering: “Lord, make me ready to love today.”
Lectio Divina: Reflect on Luke 12:35–40 — “Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit.”
Evening examen: Ask, “Where did I show readiness today? Where was I caught unready to love?”
- Dispositions of the Heart
Peaceful Presence: Keep inner silence when news or crises strike.
Poverty of Spirit: Live unattached; mobility of heart is true freedom.
Communal Faith: Pray together often. Panic isolates, prayer unites.
🔥 Section II: Prophetic Awareness – Reading the Signs of the Times
As Francis heard God say, “Rebuild my Church,” so too we hear the Spirit’s call:
“Be ready to rebuild peace wherever it falls apart.”
- The Global Landscape
Recent data remind us that our age is precarious:
The World Food Programme (Oct 2025) warns 13.7 million people face famine amid funding cuts.
The European Commission (Mar 2025) urges citizens to maintain 72-hour emergency supplies.
Scientists from NOAA and NASA (2025) report this past summer was the hottest on record, fueling displacement and crop loss.
We are not alarmed by these headlines — we are awakened by them.
- The Franciscan Response
Where the world says hoard, we say share.
Where the world says defend, we say befriend.
Where the world says prepare for war, we say prepare for peace.
🤝 Section III: Communal Prepping Plan
- Community Emergency Framework
Each local fraternity shall:
Designate a Preparedness Sister to coordinate plans.
Keep a three-day communal supply of food, water, candles, first aid, and medications.
Maintain a contact tree for communication during outages.
Establish mutual aid relationships with local parishes and shelters.
- Shared Skills & Rotations
Gardening and composting
Food preservation and bread baking
Herbal medicine preparation
First-aid and basic caregiving
Radio communication or solar charging
Each member should train or pair with another sister in at least one skill.
- Hospitality Commitment
Each house shall maintain a Hospitality Kit — ready bedding, meal provisions, and hygiene items for guests in need.
“In times of scarcity, let your table grow longer, not shorter.” — Franciscan maxim
🌍 Section IV: Sustainable & Practical Stewardship
Prepping the Franciscan Clarean way honors creation as a partner, not a resource.
- Sustainability Practices
Use solar lanterns and charge kits where possible.
Maintain rainwater collection barrels and filtration.
Keep an herbal apothecary of natural remedies.
Compost organic waste; minimize plastic and disposable goods.
- The 72-Hour Holy Readiness Kit
Each community should have:
Food and clean water for three days (per person)
Medications and basic first aid
Flashlights, candles, batteries
A radio or solar communicator
Essential documents and small cash
Prayer book, rosary, and small crucifix
Keep it simple, functional, and spiritually centered.
📿 Section V: Formation Reflections
Use these for monthly reflection or chapter meetings.
- Luke 12:35–40 – “Keep your lamps lit.”
How do we stay spiritually alert in our daily life?
- Matthew 25:1–13 – The Wise and Foolish Virgins
What is the “oil” we’re called to store — faith, trust, peace?
- Romans 12:12–13 – “Be patient in tribulation, persevere in prayer, share with those in need.”
How does this describe Franciscan Clarean prepping?
- Laudato Si’, §217 – “The ecological conversion needed to bring about lasting change is also a community conversion.”
How can our prepping witness to ecological conversion?
✝️ Section VI: In Crisis, Our Vow Still Holds
Should times become difficult:
Remain together. No sister left alone or isolated.
Stay prayerful. The Office and the Rosary become anchors of stability.
Stay generous. Give as you can, share what you have.
Bear witness. Let our calm and kindness be a living sermon.
“The Lord will be our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)
🌸 Section VII: After the Storm
Franciscan readiness also includes recovery:
Helping rebuild local trust and cooperation.
Offering trauma care through listening and presence.
Planting gardens again, restoring beauty to broken places.
“We have been given hands to build peace.” — Sister Clarean Rule
🕯 Benediction
“May we be found ready — not with fear in our hearts,
but with bread in our hands,
light in our windows,
and peace on our lips.
Amen.”
Sister Abigail Hester 