St. Francis
St. Francis and the Word of God
The Franciscan life is a high calling. But if God has given us this vocation, he will also give us his grace to carry it out.
How to Unbecome
Reflect Our life’s pilgrimage can get muddied rather easily with expectations, opinions, and norms of society. St. Francis is a great example of how to “unbecome” things of this world so that we can become who God made us to ...
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Care of Creation
Reflect We need not only appreciate the gifts of earth, water, and air, but learn to care for them. If we simply fear climate change and planetary destruction, it freezes our creativity. But the good news is that many solutions ...
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Solitude, then Conversion
Reflect According to St. Bonaventure, once, after St. Francis happened upon a leper, and a sense of revulsion turned to compassion, he felt light and peaceful. Francis then longed for solitude—opportunities to be alone with God. After some time of ...
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Be Joyful
Reflect With everything going on in our communities and in the greater world, it’s hard to be happy. But St. Francis of Assisi showed us that joy should not only be sought—it should be cherished boldly. Pray God of joy,your ...
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St. Francis of Assisi and His Canticle of the Sun
We could simply say that Francis’ prayer life was, “My God and my all!” and stop at that. Everything that can be stated about prayer in the life of Saint Francis of Assisi is expressed in those four little words.
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Notes from a Friar: St. Francis’ Prayer before the Crucifix
I have often reflected on this prayer, which—as Franciscan scholars attest—is indeed a prayer composed by St. Francis himself. And each time I pray it, I am more and more convinced that it reveals the authentic heart of St. Francis.
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