Franciscan Spirit
Advent with Richard Rohr: Monday of the First Week
Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed.
—Matthew 8:8
The American Declaration of Independence says we have an “unalienable right” to the pursuit of happiness. God created us to be happy and joyful “in this world and the next,” and Jesus says the same several times in John 14-17. The only difference between the two is that any happiness that is demanded from life never becomes happiness because it is too narcissistically and self-consciously pursued.
Advent with Richard Rohr: First Sunday
Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. —Matthew 24:42 “Come, Lord Jesus,” the Advent mantra, means that all of Christian history has to live out of a kind of deliberate emptiness, a ...
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Proclaiming the Gospel
“The Gospel always needs to be proclaimed!” says Roger Lopez, OFM. But this friar understands that proclaiming the Gospel in the 21st century can be challenging but also exciting: podcasts, videos, and other forms of digital media can be a ...
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Raising Saints: A Message for Parents
I once heard a priest refer to everyone he met as a “saint.”
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St. Francis: Lover of the Eucharist
The Eucharist was the summit of St. Francis' faith life.
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Embracing the Now
“We should do this more often.” A middle-aged man is speaking to a woman somewhat north of middle age standing at his side. I am doing what I do best: Eavesdropping.
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Facing Life’s Monsters
It’s October, and the long sunlight in the afternoons and the coming chill in the air sing the approach of autumn. Fall has always been my favorite season, with hayrides and visits to the apple orchards south of Chicago with ...
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Includes Saint of the Day, Minute Meditations, and Pause + Pray.