Francis of Assisi
Throwback Thursday in honor of Laudato Sii: Mother Earth Teaches
Today Pope Francis releases his environmental encyclical “Laudato Sii,” whose name comes from Saint Francis’ of Assisi’s Canticle of Creation. In celebration, we reshare last summer’s series “Earth Mother Teaches: Digging Deeper into Faith, Community and Justice” in which Franciscan lay missioner Annemarie Barrett reflects on what she has learned from working with communities in Cochabamba, Bolivia,…
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An FMS Night Before Christmas
Trying to find a simple and fun way to celebrate the holidays with your community, Secular fraternity, or office? This year, the Franciscan Mission Service staff played the following game at our annual Christmas party and it was a big hit. We sat in a circle and each person had in front of him or…
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Forming New Disciples: 2014 World Care Benefit
Franciscan Mission Service recently celebrated the 2014 World Care Benefit! In today’s blog, we share the evening in a post of gratitude for Anselm Moons, OFM award recipient Jack Jezreel, keynote speaker Fr. Dan Horan, OFM, and all of our sponsors and members of the Franciscan family. As part of Friday night’s 2014 World Care…
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Franciscan Feast Day Cartoon: Francis vs. “Francis”
Happy Feast of St. Francis! Our current social media domestic volunteer, Jason, is also an aspiring cartoonist. In honor of today’s feast, the feast of our patron saint, he drew this cartoon for us, entitled Francis vs. “Francis.”
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Franciscan Friday: Revisiting Ramadan
To celebrate interfaith friendship and St. Francis’ history with Islam, last summer we featured a special series on Ramadan. As our Muslim brothers and sisters once again celebrate this holy time, we encourage you to learn more about it through these posts. As a Franciscan priest and scholar of Arab and Islamic Studies, guest blogger…
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Franciscan Friday: The Franciscan Family Tree
Explaining the Franciscan “family tree” is no easy feat. The simple man from Assisi inspired and attracted so many people to his Gospel-driven lifestyle over the centuries, and each person has found (or created) his or her own place in the vast movement. Whether male or female, religious or lay, professed or just interested in…
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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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Les Misérables and the Ministry of Presence
Domestic Volunteer Anna didn’t expect to feel the spirit of St. Francis in a movie theater. And yet she couldn’t help but hear a familiar Franciscan message in the context of this pop-culture film. Les Misérables, the movie that everyone seems to be talking about struck an unexpected chord when I finally viewed it a…
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Recommended Reads – Reluctant Saint: The Life of Francis of Assisi
For today’s book review, Domestic Volunteer Anna Robinson shares a title that inspired the first steps of her Franciscan journey. Cover art of Spoto’s Book In 2010 I was selected to go with a group of students from my university to Italy on a Franciscan Pilgrimage. At the time I knew little about Italy and…
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Francsican Friday: Humbleness of the Incarnation and the Goodness of God
In the last week of Advent the readings turn to the theme of the coming of the Lord. Readings from the Old Testament remind us of the promises of God that are being fulfilled, and the New Testament readings speak to us of the lives of those who took part in the drama of the…
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Franciscan Friday: Nurturing The Gifts From God
1896 etching by William Strutt On Tuesday of the first week of Advent, Isaiah writes in chapter 11 about how God can foster life in situations where death seemingly reigns. He says that: “On that day a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom.” In this…
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Franciscan Fridays: God Give Us Courage This Advent
Ring in the new Church year and prepare for Christmas with Fr. Joe Rozansky’s four-part Franciscan Friday series on Advent: Photo by Per Ola Weiberg The Advent readings are beautiful invitations to walk in the ways of the Lord. The reading from Isaiah for the first Monday of Advent speaks about the instruction that the…
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