Inspiration

Franciscan Inspirations: The Assumption of Mary

The doctrine of Mary’s Assumption is based on something called a theological conclusion. The Scriptures contain indirect references to the concept of the Assumption, even if the word itself isn’t used.

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Saint Francis and his canticle of the creatures

St. Francis and His Canticle of the Creatures

We all owe a great debt to St. Francis of Assisi and to his Canticle of the Creatures for leading us to the conviction that all brother and sister creatures make up one family under God’s loving care.
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Blood upon the rose

‘I See His Blood Upon the Rose’

This poem is a perfect reminder of God’s great gift of love as revealed through the suffering and rising of Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word.
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Statue of Saint Paul outside the Vatican

Saint Paul and Women: A Mixed Record

Two biblical sources give us glimpses of Paul in relation to women: Saint Paul’s own letters and the Acts of the Apostles. As a means of discovering Paul’s thinking, the letters are, of course, the primary source.
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Statue of St. Anthony and Jeuss | Photo by Wolfgang Krzemien

Saint Anthony, the Contemplative

It was not until the year 2002 that I discovered the very first book ever written about Saint Anthony, the contemplative.
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saint monica

A Celebration of St. Monica

Educated by a household servant, Monica cared for her father and siblings until she married Patricius, a pagan landowner and minor Roman official of the same town.
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Stained glass of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton

Elizabeth Ann Seton: A Profoundly Human Saint

Daughter, wife, mother, widow, friend—all of these describe Elizabeth Ann Seton, this first American-born saint.
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