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: Second Sunday

Most of us will never be canonized as saints. We are flawed individuals trying to live a life worthy of Christ’s sacrifice. That does not mean, however, that we are not called to do our very best to follow “the ...
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Purple flowers

Lent with St. Clare: First Saturday

One of the mistakes most of us make is to think that we always have enough time. We put off things we should do, promising to get to them later. What we don’t think about, though, is the possibility that ...
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Purple flower in a field

Lent with St. Clare: First Friday

From a young age, St. Clare of Assisi was encouraged by the strong faith of her mother, Ortalana, to carry out God’s work, even before she joined Francis and the brothers. Clare ministered and cared for the less fortunate when ...
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Cross inside a purple heart

Lent with St. Clare: First Thursday

Since St. Clare of Assisi and her sisters never left the convent of San Damiano, it seems this directive could be challenging. Yet Clare still showed her love outwardly through her letters and through service to her sisters.
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Cross in a bowl of ashes

Lent with St. Clare: First Wednesday

When St. Clare died on August 11, 1253, she was only fifty-nine years old. Yet what she accomplished in those fifty-nine years has endured even today. That says a lot about her and the strength of her faith.
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Cross laid on palms

Lent with St. Clare: First Tuesday

“This woman, noble by birth, but nobler by manner of life, eminently preserved the virginity she had already protected from the first under this rule of holiness.” —Papal Decree of Canonization
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