Franciscan Spirituality

Prayers for the Dying: A Meditation for Lent

Jim Van Vurst, OFM May 31, 2020

For me, visiting a dying person is a special, graced-filled moment because I am so much aware of the loving care the Church gives to one about to enter eternity.

Beyond Sticks and Stones

Jennie Withers May 30, 2020

His name is Ismael, which means "May God hear. " It is an appropriate name for this 15-year-old young man of slight build, whose warm smile and lively brown eyes reveal he has wisdom to share.

‘I Believe’ or ‘We Believe’ in the Nicene Creed?

Pat McCloskey, OFM May 24, 2020

On Sundays and holy days of obligation, we recite the Nicene Creed. We begin by saying, “We believe in one God….” Although this is the first person plural, this prayer’s Latin text reads “Credo” (“I believe,” first person singular).

Franciscan Inspirations: Eternal Life

Jim Van Vurst, OFM May 23, 2020

Without the Resurrection, there would be no Christianity. Jesus would be remembered as a wonderful man, even a prophet. But it is the Resurrection that is the ultimate proof that he is the Son of God.

Simple Indoor Exercises

Christopher Heffron May 20, 2020

Here are five simple, at-home exercises to keep our hearts and bodies strong.

Saint Anthony of Padua: His Miraculous Beginnings

Jack Wintz, OFM May 19, 2020

Anthony was born in 1195 (13 years after St. Francis) in Lisbon, Portugal, at the mouth of the Tagus River, from which explorers would later sail across the Atlantic.