St. Francis of Assisi

Francis of Assisi

Living as St. Francis of Assisi Did

What does St. Francis of Assisi’s way of life have to offer laypeople?

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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.”
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Saint Clare of Assisi and her sisters

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 of Assisi

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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Illustration of somebody with mental illness

Erasing the Stigma of Mental Illness

For those who love somebody struggling with mental illness, our job is to be fully present and listen without prejudice. 
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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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