Franciscan Saints
Reflections on the Stigmata of St. Francis
The Greek word stigma means “a scar left by a hot iron: brand,” according to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (Eleventh Edition). Stigmata—the plural form of the same Greek word—can also mean “bodily marks resembling the wounds of the crucified Christ.”
My Visit to Padre Pio’s Tomb
My visit to Padre Pio's tomb deepened my appreciation for his life.
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St. Clare: Light of Assisi
When St. Clare died, the Church lost a luminary. But her legacy shines brightly to this day.
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St. Clare’s Prayerful Life
The privilege of poverty, as much as I can embrace it, is an outer simplification. Advancing age reveals it to me, but Clare shows me how to maximize its revelations.
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Perfect Joy
With the health crisis and unrest facing our world, finding a reason to be joyful may be hard. But it’s important that we smile—even if it’s through tears.
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Why St. Anthony Holds the Child Jesus
Next to Mary of Nazareth, the saint most often seen in artwork holding the child Jesus in his arms is St. Anthony of Padua.
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Lent with St. Francis: ‘Let Us Begin Again’
Easter is a beginning, not an ending. And this Easter story from Thomas of Celano reminds us that for Francis, the challenge to remain true to the Gospel was one that needed to be renewed again and again.
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