...Today's events call us to refocus our lives in the light of the Gospel, to rediscover and deepen our common contemplative, fraternal and missionary vocation in a pluralistic world which more and more asks us for the reasons for the Hope that is within us. Today more that ever there is need for clarity and authenticity. Francis and Clare, with their lives, had the courage to make prophetic choices, setting out from the Person of Jesus Christ, "opening ways of relationship with the Lord and with the brothers, relationships charged with profound humanity and spirituality." This chapter too can become, for you Brothers in a special way and for us Sisters, "a place of communion and of fraternal dialogue to discover that 'something new concerning the Lord', which Clare asked of Juniper, and which our times and our generations urgently expect from us."

Dear Brothers, on the strength of that belonging which both unites and distinguishes us, we would like to draw attention together with you to some challenges that especially confront us today, as contemplatives and missionaries, called to carry into every heart, to the ends of the earth, the annunciation of the Gospel.

To give back hope and show the meaning of existence to a world that no longer hopes and that no longer knows why it lives. In the midst of the many pieces of information and confusions that "stun" even consecrated life, we are asked to "speak of God" with our life, as Clare indicates to us: "Meditate and contemplate and strive to imitate him"; i.e. witness with our existence that there is but one Word that saves, made visible in Our Lord Jesus Christ. "Looking to Francis and Clare we cannot but recognise that they gave life to a spirituality built upon listening and obedience to the Word of God; they allowed themselves to be de-stabilised, attracted, moulded by the Word to conform themselves to His demands without allowing themselves to be distracted and became a living and prophetic word for the world in which they lived."

To bring fraternity to a world where hatred and indifference, individualism and antagonism reign. From this comes "a decided obligation: that of communion, which incarnates and manifests the very essence of the mystery of the Church;" communion within the Franciscan Family and between all the living forces of the Church. I believe that this identifies us and expresses us as sons and daughters of Francis and Clare of Assisi. We feel all the urgency of the Spirit who urges us to promote and to live a "spirituality of communion" that knows how to make space for our brother/sister, carrying each others burdens. In her Testament, our Mother St. Clare exhorts us: "Love each other in the love of Christ: that love which you have in your hearts, show it outside with works, so that the sisters (brothers), provoked by this example, may always grow in love of God and in mutual charity."

To announce the Good News in a world where religious pluralism becomes conflict and indifference narrow-mindedness. As Francis had the courage to meet the Sultan in peace, so today dialogues of love and life are the most direct and sure path to reach the one Truth together.

Dear Brothers, from this common feeling, we "Poor Sisters" are called, on the strength or our specific mission, to "remain" in our cloister, accompanying you in your "going" through the world, so that, "together", according to the exhortation of our Father St. Francis, "we may give witness to the voice of Jesus Christ by word and by works and we may make known to all that there is no almighty except Him."...