Franciscan Spirituality
Franciscan Inspirations: Jesus Chooses His 12 Apostles
Many people find Jesus’ choice of his apostles curious. Why did he choose them in the first place? A cynic might think he could have done better blindfolded. The account of Jesus’ selection of his apostles as related in the Gospel of Luke (6:12-19) contains a lot of details about this important event. In fact, it tells us a lot of about Jesus himself at that moment.
Franciscan Inspirations: The Power of Novenas
The Latin word novena means “nine.” Novenas are a form of prayer in which a person, individually or with a group, prays for some special intention for nine days.
Read More →
Franciscan Inspirations: God Doesn’t Punish
It is common for religious people to attribute natural disasters as a punishment by God for sins. If that’s true, then God’s aim is off target because it’s usually the innocent who suffer rather than the guilty.
Read More →
Franciscan Inspirations: Size Doesn’t Matter, Really
In our society, it seems that everything has to be bigger or the greatest. “More is more,” as they say. But the truth is this: size is not really that important.
Read More →
Franciscan Inspirations: Reincarnation and Judgment
In recent years, we’ve heard references to the concept of reincarnation. This is the theory that the soul or spirit, after death, begins a new life in a new body depending on the moral quality of the person’s previous life.
Read More →
Franciscan Inspirations: Seed Planted Comes to Life
The Gospels are full of moments in which people met Jesus, often in very difficult circumstances, and years later, the significance of their meeting produced marvelous fruit.
Read More →
Franciscan Inspirations: ‘On the Way,’ Gratefully
In America, most of us have friendly relations with other Christians. We work on community projects and services together or have interfaith ministerial associations. We are grateful for how much we share in the Scriptures, beliefs, and values.
Read More →