Franciscan Spirituality
St. Francis of Assisi: Preacher, Poet
The spirituality of St. Francis of Assisi is not so much about the heroic deed as it is about the heroic love with which even the smallest deed is done. That is very clear from the quintessential story of Perfect Joy.
Growing In Faith Like St. Francis
Francis of Assisi was always a saint, right? Absolutely wrong! In his teens and early 20s, he often found God’s ways to be an obstacle to the generous life for which he would much later be revered.
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St. Francis of Assisi and His Canticle of the Sun
The Canticle of the Sun sings in simple words of praise all that Francis discovered of the glory and goodness of God.
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Do Animals Go to Heaven?
From time to time, I am posed with an interesting theological question: Do animals go to heaven?
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Sister Shirley Shafranek, OFS/T
You could say that Sister Shirley Shafranek, OFS/T, was born a Franciscan and that, as her life unfolded, so did her realization that God was calling her to religious life.
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Friar to Friar: Richard Rohr on John Duns Scotus
The unkind word “dunce” is a pejorative of the little town of Duns in southern Scotland where John the Scot was born and raised.
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Al Hirt, OFM
When Father Al Hirt, OFM, was a child growing up in Batesville, Indiana, the Franciscan friars who ran St. Louis Church seemed omnipresent in the small Midwestern town.
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