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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Cross and a crown of thorns

Lent with St. Clare: Fifth Tuesday

Early biographies extol the piety and generosity Clare exhibited in her youngest years. While such praise was common in telling the stories of saints, the evidence of her early behavior contrasts sharply with that of Francis.
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Purple flowers

Lent with St. Clare: Fifth Monday

Beginning with Mother Mary, our faith is blessed with a long line of strong and holy women. Clare is definitely one of them. Just like Mary, it took great strength and courage to take the path that she did.
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Purple flower in a field

Lent with St. Clare: Fifth Sunday

Clare’s holiness began while she was still a child. She was known for her mercy for others, often wore a hairshirt under her fine clothes, and vowed celibacy at a young age. Those stirrings were fueled by her mother’s staunch ...
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The angel visits Mary

The Power of the Annunciation

“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38).
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Cross inside a purple heart

Lent with St. Clare: Fourth Saturday

Clare’s incarnational spirituality is radical. It is not a “consumer spirituality” for curious seekers nor is it a spirituality for the ambivalent or weak of heart. It is a spirituality of participation in the mystical Body of Christ.
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Cross in a bowl of ashes

Lent with St. Clare: Fourth Friday

When Clare entered San Damiano, she came into possession of the beautiful Byzantine cross before which Francis had prayed. Now it was her “book” of prayer, her silent reminder each day: “Take up your cross and follow me.”
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