Franciscan Spirit

art of Saint Francis of Assisi

St. Francis of Assisi: Preacher, Poet

Murray Bodo, OFM February 13, 2023

The spirituality of St. Francis of Assisi is not so much about the heroic deed as it is about the heroic love with which even the smallest deed is done. That is very clear from the quintessential story of Perfect Joy.

Statue of Jesus with outstretched arm | Photo by the blowup on Unsplash

Jesus’ Brief Ministry

Jim Van Vurst, OFM February 3, 2023

Jesus’ life can be divided into two parts. What is surprising is that, while he is the Son of God who came to redeem the world, he spent 90 percent of his life in the remote town of Nazareth.

Saint Francis of Assisi on horeseback

Growing In Faith Like St. Francis

Pat McCloskey, OFM February 2, 2023

Francis of Assisi was always a saint, right? Absolutely wrong! In his teens and early 20s, he often found God’s ways to be an obstacle to the generous life for which he would much later be revered.

Trappist Father Thomas Merton, one of the most influential Catholic authors of the 20th century, is pictured in an undated photo. "The Advent mystery in our own lives is the beginning of the end of all, in us, that is not yet Christ," Merton wrote in his essay, "Advent: Hope or Delusion?" (CNS photo/Merton Legacy Trust and the Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University)

The Friends of Thomas Merton

Daniel P. Horan, Phd January 31, 2023

Thomas Merton continues to exercise an “apostolate of friendship,” bringing people together across many divides.

Woman looking at the sunrise | Image: Unsplash

Making God Too Small

Jeremy Harrington, OFM January 30, 2023

At the start of any year, I am usually focused on St. Francis of Assisi and his wonderful appreciation of God and the natural world.

Canticle of the sun, moon, and stars | Illustration by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

St. Francis of Assisi and His Canticle of the Sun

Patti Normille January 27, 2023

The Canticle of the Sun sings in simple words of praise all that Francis discovered of the glory and goodness of God.

A homeless woman holds a container bearing a sign reading "Please Help Me" as she begs for money on a street in Sydney Oct. 28, 2016. In a pre-election statement, Australian bishops did not endorse an political platform, but said voters should consider candidates who might prioritize people who need palliative care, those in low-paying and insecure jobs, First Nations peoples, asylum-seekers and refugees. (CNS photo/David Gray, Reuters)

Notes from a Friar: Loving the ‘Least of Us’

Mark Soehner, OFM January 25, 2023

Moving is disorienting, no matter how often a person has done it.

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