Inspiration

Notes from a Friar: Pope Francis Said What?

Jim Van Vurst, OFM June 23, 2018

You may recall Pope Francis’ statement a couple of years ago concerning God’s love.

sand in the hand | Photo by Elijah Hiett on Unsplash

Franciscan Inspirations: Grains of Sand

Jim Van Vurst, OFM June 15, 2018

Jesus spoke of the potential of the tiny mustard seed: “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to [this] mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you” (Lk ...

How Saint Anthony Found Me

Fr. Don Miller, OFM June 13, 2018

Saint Anthony of Padua is a name that conjures up many ideas and images: some factual, some the stuff of legends, some just plain silly.

Blessed Are the Peacemakers: An Interview with John Dear, SJ

Mark Lombard April 24, 2018

Father John Dear spoke with St. Anthony Messenger about the Christian call to nurture nonviolence in the world today.

The Subtle Art of Letting Go

Christopher Heffron February 19, 2018

Letting go of things isn't formidable. It's freeing.

A Night with the Homeless

Shawn Burns January 24, 2018

A sleepless night at a homeless shelter becomes a wake-up call for this volunteer.

St. Josephine Bakhita is represented in this statue by Canadian artist Timothy Schmalz in this photo released by the Holy See Press Office Feb. 3, 2022. St. Bakhita, who was sold into slavery as a child, is the patron saint of the International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking, which is marked on her Feb. 8 feast day. (CNS photo/courtesy Holy See Press Office)

St. Josephine Bakhita—A Model of Faith

Christopher Heffron January 22, 2018

Her kidnappers gave her the name Bakhita, meaning "fortunate. " Her life in captivity wasn't quite so. Born in Darfur in 1869, Josephine Bakhita was taken by Arab slave traders when she was 9.