Isaiah 58:1–9a; Psalm 51:3–4, 5–6ab, 18–19; Matthew 9:14–15

Fasting is one of the three traditional ways to observe Lent (prayer and almsgiving are the other two), based on Jesus’ description of them in our Ash Wednesday Gospel.

Deuteronomy 30:15–20; Psalm 1:1–2, 3–4, 6; Luke 9:22–25

In the movie (based on the play by Robert Bolt) A Man for All Seasons, Sir Thomas More is on trial on trumped-up charges, having angered King Henry VIII, who had set himself up in place of the pope as head of the church in England.

Joel 2:12–18; Psalm 51:3–4, 5–6, 12–13, 17; 2 Corinthians 5:20—6:2; Matthew 6:1–6, 16–18

Around the world in October, we Franciscans celebrate the Feast of St. Francis (October 4). One part of our annual observance is a service on the evening of October 3, known as the “Transitus,” or “passing” of St. Francis. It’s a simple time of storytelling and prayers that recall how, at the moment of his death, Francis called out “Welcome, Sister Death!”

What is a pilgrimage? It’s certainly not a vacation, says Greg Friedman, OFM, who leads tours in Assisi, Italy, and the Holy Land. “When you go on pilgrimage,” Fr. Greg says, “you are there to allow God to work in your life.”