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Breaking Bread

Editor’s Note: The following is part of our daily holiday series celebrating “The Shared World.” Fr. Jason Welle, OFM, is a close friend of FMS. As an undergraduate, I travelled around the Middle East for several months with a group of college students. It certainly wasn’t mission work, but an attempt to appreciate better the cultures…

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St. Elizabeth of Hungary: Not One To Love Without Acting

Board member and Secular Franciscan Patrick Martin shares some thoughts for the feast of the Secular Order’s patroness, St. Elizabeth of Hungary.  Sometimes the lives of the saints can seem a bit dry, especially those who lived centuries ago. It’s so much easier to get excited about a Maximilian Kolbe, or an Edith Stein (Teresa…

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Maybe We Need To Be A Little More Like Thomas

“The Incredulity of Thomas” by Matthias Stom, public domain St. Thomas the Apostle gets a bad rap for doubting Jesus’ resurrection by saying, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” But before we…

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What’s In a Name?

 Pope Francis! Papa Francis! Holy Father Francis! For a few months now people have excitedly called out the name of our new Pope and in many different ways.  But no matter how you say it, it refers to the same person and the same mission they are to carry out for the rest of their…

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Franciscan Friday: Following Jesus’ Example of Prayer and Preaching Solidarity

For this week of reflecting on “Solidarity as Prayer, Worship and Preaching,” we asked one of our favorite preachers, Fr. Joe Nangle, OFM, to offer a Lenten reflection on solidarity.  Please join us throughout the season as we reflect on how “Walking in Solidarity.” On the First Sunday of Lent we hear the fascinating Gospel…

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Mission Monday: Realizing one’s humanity is a good place to start.

Finishing up her second week in formation, mission candidate Annemarie Barrett shares her initial thoughts and reflections on preparing for mission. What was the essence of the life of Saint Francis? Following his example, how am I called to live as a lay missioner? As I engage the second week of formation as a lay…

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St. Anthony of Padua, Friend of the Poor

One of the most recognizable and popular saints of the Church after Francis of Assisi, St. Anthony of Padua, has captured the imagination of generations for being the “finder of lost items. And with some reason: how often after a saying a prayer to him in desperation we’ve “looked again” for a misplaced set of…

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Prayers for Christmas: Food and Health

We hear the Canticle of Mary, the Magnificat, in today’s Gospel from Luke: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;my spirit rejoices in God my savior.for he has looked upon his lowly servant.From this day all generations will call me blessed:the Almighty has done great things for me,and holy is his Name.He has mercy on…

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Prayers for Christmas: The Poor and Tolerance

Fred Cain in Brazil “The Lord hears the cry of the poor.” – Responsorial psalm appointed for today. Our prayer for Christmas comes from Fred Cain, one of our returned missioners who served in Brazil from 1999 to 2001. “This Christmas, I am thankful for the reminder that Jesus is among us in the guise…

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