Franciscan Spirit Blog

St. Anthony of Padua

St. Anthony, Help Me Find…Beauty

St. Anthony of Padua, that Hammer of Heretics, serves as a model to me that I am to preach against any dualism within myself that blocks an openness to beauty.
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St. Clare of Assisi

The Legacy of Saint Clare

Francis’ recognition and honoring of the feminine, that was such an important part of his life and teaching, took concrete and personal shape in the person of Clare. She has usually been overshadowed by her partner, Francis, in the public ...
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A man and woman hold hands in London's Hyde Park during a "Black Lives Matter" protest June 3, 2020, following the death of George Floyd, an African American man who was taken into custody by Minneapolis police and later died at a Minneapolis hospital. (CNS photo/Dylan Martinez, Reuters)

And (Equal) Justice for All

As children, we’re told to treat others with respect—to fight injustice. Too often we forget that lesson as adults
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Peace and good sign | Image: Nancy Wiechec

St. Francis and Pope Francis: Our Environmental Teachers

Francis of Assisi is my model. He saw the world as a paradise and everything in it as gifts of the Father.
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The Sacrament of Baptism: A Good Place to Start

We commonly say that the sacraments are signs that effect what they signify. That’s a fancy way of saying that they do what they say they do.
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Mother Teresa: From Holy Life to Eternal Life

One of the mainstays of Mother Teresa’s spirituality was a willingness to suffer in the service of others, to share their material poverty and, as she eventually came to believe, Christ’s passion. But in the final decade of her life, ...
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Body and Earth: Reclaiming the Connection

All good work should connect us—bodies and souls, creatures and creation.
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