Franciscan Spirit

I have a confession to make: Sometimes I don’t like my kids. The same thing goes for my husband, Mark, too.

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 ...

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.

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.

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

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.