“Eremophilia”
PO Box 162
Tabulam
NSW 2469
Australia
A deep longing for God is central to our way of life, and in Christ we see the perfect expression of God’s longing
and love for us. The Christ of the Gospels thus becomes the pattern of our lives. This same pattern was the inspiration
of Francis’s life.
It is the Francis whose life was Christ-centred; who sought places of solitude; who loved the whole of creation;
and who tried to live a simple, uncluttered life,that has encouraged us in our Christian vocation. Accordingly
LBF have chosen to live outside a small country town in the rocky foothills of the mountains, locally described
as ‘rubbish country’. There we try to touch the primitive spirit that moulded the beginning of the Franciscan family,
especially the tradition of the hermitages.
The lifestyle of the brothers is reflected in the way the property is set out, with individual huts scattered through
the bush around a central community building. The huts provide each brother with a place of solitude, while the
community area is for times of communal work, worship, meals, etc. We try to be as self-supporting as possible,
with a vegetable garden, orchard, bees, goats, sheep and poultry to supply some of our food needs. We have also
tried to use alternative energy sources, where possible. Similarly, we have done most of our own building.
From time to time, we may leave to preach, give a lecture, or do work of some kind, but the desire to return to
our place is fundamental to our spirituality. The brothers seek to remember that prayer is the foundation of their
every activity. We aim to acquire a constant sense of God’s presence, and nurture our relationship with Christ
by daily prayer together and in solitude.
Each brother has responsibility for certain areas of the community’s life. Decision-making is by consensus.