Franciscan Spirit

At those places in the world where God is active in the ministry of Jesus Christ, the Spirit throws open those doors that all too often we want to close.

The start of the Advent season usually finds me with a “divided spirit.”

Charlie Brown’s emotional honesty, intellectual curiosity, and overall bravery—amidst unmet expectations, failure, shame, and humiliation—reflects the spiritual path for each of us.

Our neighborhood, once teeming with upwardly mobile immigrants, became one of the nation’s poorest during more recent decades. To their credit, the Franciscans remained here.

Throughout the season of Advent, we explore the mystery of the Incarnation, Jesus letting go of divine splendor to embrace a human existence.

Advent, which comes from the Latin word for arrival or coming, is a period of preparation for the birth of our Lord.