What Way Are You Going?
... I have spent the better part of the past two months trying to think of how to write about the polarization we all encounter in our nation and in the Church. ...
CNSA- Lent 2023: Interior Cultivation
Gardens are attractive by virtue of their beauty and bounty. Gardens delight our senses and ground us in the earth. They are the object of fruitful reflection and hands-on prayer.
Our Freedom, our choice, is to live as Christ lived
Fourth of July is a civil celebration, but for us Franciscans—indeed for all Christians—any commemoration is infused with a sense of God’s presence. While many of the Founding Fathers of our nation did not believe in the kind of God we believe in as Catholic Christians, several were Christian, and others acknowledged some kind of godly presence worthy of giving direction to our lives and our common project of national government. But what kind of freedom do we celebrate? ...
Breakaway Group Activily Seeks to Draw Members from OFS
Each of our families is touched by broken relationships. At least somewhere in the family tree, there is likely to be divorce, separation, or some kind of estrangement. Our national fraternity is similar in this way: there is a group of energetic former Secular Franciscans who have broken their fraternal relationships with us to form a separate group of Franciscan tertiaries. As is all too common with broken family relationships, these former members seek to draw other members into their group.
The Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Francis of Assisi
There is the tendency to view Francis’ devotion to Mary as somewhat of an isolated entity, unrelated to his spiritual life as a whole. Yet, Francis’ love for Mary was so much a part of him that it is almost impossible to separate his Marian devotion from his daily life.
Our Life in Christ and Our Public Life
I don’t remember hearing about abortion until it was brought up for discussion in my high school English class. Abortion remains a hot topic after all these years, in spite of several commentators claiming decades ago that other issues would squeeze it out, but it still gets modest attention in many elections
National Spiritual Assistants Focus on Impact of Pandemic
Not surprisingly, the Conference of National Spiritual Assistants, understanding the impact that the pandemic has had on the brothers and sisters, took the opportunity to address the issues of this new reality.
A Culture of Contempt
This Prayer of the Church and the Profession of the OFS Rule direct our witness and mission to build a more fraternal and Gospel-centered world. In St Francis’ day, and in our own day, the members of the Franciscan Family are in a continuous struggle to build an alternative society.
Awakening!
This beautiful story of the future was sent by Fr. Christopher Panagoplos, T.O.R. It’s a “must see”!
The Virus and the Emmaus Road – Fr. Christopher, T.O.R.
We have all travelled the road the two disciples walked that Easter night—the road of deep disappointment, sadness, despair, and anger. But it is also a road in which we meet the Risen One in the guise of those who offer us […]