Lent
Millennial Lenten Reflections: Godly Compassion
Editor’s Note: The following is part of Millennial Lenten Reflections, a blog series in collaboration with Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good. Short reflections on the day’s readings, written by young adults from FMS and other organizations, will be posted everyday throughout Lent. In today’s gospel, we are challenged to stop judging one another. Instead, we…
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Millennial Lenten Reflections: God Knows Best
Editor’s Note: The following is part of Millennial Lenten Reflections, a blog series in collaboration with Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good. Short reflections on the day’s readings, written by young adults from FMS and other organizations, will be posted everyday throughout Lent. In today’s readings, we read two seemingly competing stories of God speaking of…
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Millennial Lenten Reflections: Put your Faith in Him
Editor’s Note: The following is part of Millennial Lenten Reflections, a blog series in collaboration with Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good. Short reflections on the day’s readings, written by young adults from FMS and other organizations, will be posted everyday throughout Lent. Why do bad things happen to good people? This question is repeated time…
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Millennial Lenten Reflections: Offer your Gifts
Editor’s Note: The following is part of Millennial Lenten Reflections, a blog series in collaboration with Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good. Short reflections on the day’s readings, written by young adults from FMS and other organizations, will be posted everyday throughout Lent. I’ve always been my own harshest critic. My perfectionism has waned as I’ve…
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Millennial Lenten Reflections: Sharing the Grace of God
Editor’s Note: The following is part of Millennial Lenten Reflections, a blog series in collaboration with Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good. Short reflections on the day’s readings, written by young adults from FMS and other organizations, will be posted everyday throughout Lent. “For everyone who asks, receives.” I can’t remember when I realized I wanted…
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Millennial Lenten Reflections: New Life
Editor’s Note: The following is part of Millennial Lenten Reflections, a blog series in collaboration with Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good. Short reflections on the day’s readings, written by young adults from FMS and other organizations, will be posted everyday throughout Lent. “A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew…
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At Long Last!
Well I finally did it. I made it to Jamaica. After about a month of being at home and ending the sadness of the Superbowl, I have arrived to this beautiful country of Jamaica. A country known for it’s beaches , resorts, and heat. The week that I came to Jamaica was the start of…
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Millennial Lenten Reflections: “Filled with God”
Editor’s Note: The following is part of Millennial Lenten Reflections, a blog series in collaboration with Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good. Short reflections on the day’s readings, written by young adults from FMS and other organizations, will be posted everyday throughout Lent. “See, I am now establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you and with every…
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Millennial Lenten Reflections: To Serve Others
Editor’s Note: The following is part of Millennial Lenten Reflections, a blog series in collaboration with Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good. Short reflections on the day’s readings, written by young adults from FMS and other organizations, will be posted everyday throughout Lent. Sometimes the question comes up of why we should even pray, fast, or…
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Millennial Lenten Reflections: Give and Receive
Editor’s Note: The following is part of Millennial Lenten Reflections, a blog series in collaboration with Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good. Short reflections on the day’s readings, written by young adults from FMS and other organizations, will be posted everyday throughout Lent. When I read today’s first reading, I was reminded of our human weakness.…
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Millennial Lenten Reflections: Our Daily Cross
Editor’s Note: The following is part of Millennial Lenten Reflections, a blog series in collaboration with Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good. Short reflections on the day’s readings, written by young adults from FMS and other organizations, will be posted everyday throughout Lent. “Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his…
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Millennial Lenten Reflections: Ash Wednesday
Editor’s Note: The following is part of Millennial Lenten Reflections, a blog series in collaboration with Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good. Short reflections on the day’s readings, written by young adults from FMS and other organizations, will be posted everyday throughout Lent. The ancient and holy season of Lent comes upon us once again. The…
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Poor and Free: “Letting Go of Lent”
Franciscan Mission Service presents: “Poor and Free: A Spiritual Yes to Less” every Friday in Lent Series contributions: Shane Claiborne: Part I, Part II, and Part III Gigi Gruenke: “Invest in God’s Dream” Jack Jezreel: “The Simple Math of Voluntary Simplicity” Amy Echeverria: “Saying ‘Yes’ to Love” Sr. Marie Lucey (OSF): “Faith Keeps Hope Alive” Marie Dennis: “Beyond Detachment” Fr. Martin…
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Poor and Free: Saying “Yes” to Love
Franciscan Mission Service presents: “Poor and Free: A Spiritual Yes to Less” every Friday in Lent Series contributions: Shane Claiborne: Part I, Part II, and Part III Gigi Gruenke: “Invest in God’s Dream” Jack Jezreel: “The Simple Math of Voluntary Simplicity” Amy Echeverria: “Saying ‘Yes’ to Love” Sr. Marie Lucey (OSF): “Faith Keeps Hope Alive” Marie Dennis: “Beyond Detachment” Fr. Martin…
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Mission Monday: “Living Simplicity”
In today’s post, Nate Mortenson reflects on the freedom he has found in Bolivia to live simply by incorporating a mentality and lifestyle that values recycling. This intentional living has affected his own faith-life to draw closer to Franciscan spirituality. Photo of Cochabamba by Nate Mortenson Recycling came up in class the other day. It…
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Poor and Free: The Shane Claiborne Interview Part III
Franciscan Mission Service presents: “Poor and Free: A Spiritual Yes to Less” every Friday in Lent Series contributions: Shane Claiborne: Part I, Part II, and Part III Gigi Gruenke: “Invest in God’s Dream” Jack Jezreel: “The Simple Math of Voluntary Simplicity” Amy Echeverria: “Saying ‘Yes’ to Love” Sr. Marie Lucey (OSF): “Faith Keeps Hope Alive” Marie Dennis: “Beyond Detachment” Fr. Martin…
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Poor and Free: The Shane Claiborne Interview Part II
Franciscan Mission Service presents: “Poor and Free: A Spiritual Yes to Less” every Friday in Lent Series contributions: Shane Claiborne: Part I, Part II, and Part III Gigi Gruenke: “Invest in God’s Dream” Jack Jezreel: “The Simple Math of Voluntary Simplicity” Amy Echeverria: “Saying ‘Yes’ to Love” Sr. Marie Lucey (OSF): “Faith Keeps Hope Alive” Marie Dennis: “Beyond Detachment” Fr. Martin…
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Poor and Free: The Shane Claiborne Interview Part I
Franciscan Mission Service presents: “Poor and Free: A Spiritual Yes to Less” every Friday in Lent Series contributions: Shane Claiborne: Part I, Part II, and Part III Gigi Gruenke: “Invest in God’s Dream” Jack Jezreel: “The Simple Math of Voluntary Simplicity” Amy Echeverria: “Saying ‘Yes’ to Love” Sr. Marie Lucey (OSF): “Faith Keeps Hope Alive” Marie Dennis: “Beyond Detachment” Fr. Martin…
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“Poor and Free”: Not an Oxymoron!
Get ready for Lent! This Lent, Franciscan Mission Service presents “Poor and Free: A Spiritual Yes to Less”! Beginning on Ash Wednesday, March 5, with an interview of social justice activist Shane Claiborne, our weekly series contributors focus on the joyful freedom of spiritual poverty. While Christians are called to value loving relationships over possessions,…
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International Recipe: Arroz con Leche
Served warm with canela (cinnamon), arroz con leche is a traditional dessert beverage in Bolivia and many parts of Central and South America. As lay missioner Jeff Sved finished his first Lent in Bolivia, he learned that arroz con leche is usually one of dishes enjoyed on Good Friday. It is customary to fast in…
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Solidarity, Conversion and Advocacy
We are nearing the end of our Lenten series “Walking in Solidarity.” For our theme this week, Russell Testa shares with us a process to identify and act on social justice issues we see in our communities. Francis began his conversion in the Church of San Damiano, when he heard the crucifix challenge him, “Francis,…
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Mission Monday: Advocacy and Political Responsibility
Holy Week marks our last week in our Lenten blog series, “Walking in Solidarity.” Before we turn to the celebration of Easter, we’re focusing on “Promoting Solidarity: Advocacy and Political Responsibility.” Wednesday and Friday we’ll have tips and reflections on how you can be an advocate for solidarity, but today we look at how Franciscan Mission…
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Franciscan Friday: Coming Together to Be Good Stewards
We wrap up this week’s Walking in Solidarity theme of “Investing in Solidarity: Stewardship of Resources” with a reflection by Br. Hermann Borg, OFM, a German friar serving in Kenya with the Mother Earth Network. Some of Mother Earth Network’s ministries include planting trees, environmental conservation and restoration, community mobilization, education and raising awareness about…
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Stewardship of Resources: Recycling Old Clothes
This week of Lent we continue Walking in Solidarity, and this time towards a green, sustainable future! Explore these tips on recycling old clothes and share with friends and family to make a bigger impact. Spring cleaning is upon us, and this may be the year you decide to tackle your closet. What to do…
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Mission Monday: Being Good Stewards of Resources
Twenty-seven days into our Lenten journey of “Walking in Solidarity,” we turn our attention to this week’s theme of Investing in Solidarity: Stewardship of Resources. “As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” (1 Pt 4:10) We’re going to focus mainly on stewardship…
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Franciscan Friday: Solidarity with Workers
Continuing this week’s Walking in Solidarity theme of “Living Solidarity: Work, Family and Citizenship,” Secular Franciscan Susan Burke offers a reflection on what her work has taught her about solidarity. When I went to work for a union almost 18 years ago, I wasn’t as excited about it as I might have been. It didn’t…
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Living Solidarity: Tools for Faithful Citizenship
The theme for this week’s Walking in Solidarity Lenten Series is “Living in Solidarity: Work, Family and Citizenship.” Today we talk about some wonderful resources provided by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops that can help you understand your position as a citizen who can affect change for others. For the 2007 election, the…
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Mission Monday: Patience in Solidarity
To kick off week three of our Lenten Walking in Solidarity series with its theme of”Living Solidarity: Work, Family and Citizenship,” new missioner Jeff Sved writes about his experiences so far in Bolivia. Paciencia. With time and practice I’ll be able to communicate adequately in a new language. Paciencia. With time I’ll get used…
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Teaching Solidarity: See-Judge-Act Model
As we continue this week’s Walking in Solidarity theme of education and formation, we share with you one of the tools we use to “teach” solidarity to our long-term missioners and short-term trip participants: the See-Judge-Act model. This Lent, we encourage you to use See-Judge-Act in your own social justice analysis so that you may…
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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: Praying for Solidarity
During this first full week of Lent we start our “Walking in Solidarity” series by looking at how we can be in solidarity with others through prayer, worship and preaching. On Mondays during this series we share how Franciscan Mission Service – be it our staff, missioners, board or volunteers – is striving to live…
Read MoreFranciscan Friday: The Fasting That I Wish
Today is only the third day of Lent, so chances are good that your fast is still going strong. Three days without whatever you “gave up” – be it sweets, television, alcohol, coffee, Facebook – probably has not been too bad. By fasting from temptations and distractions over these 40 days, we can purify ourselves…
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Walking in Solidarity this Lent
“Solidarity” is a word that is often used in social justice circles to describe the unity or oneness we strive to have with others, especially those who are experiencing poverty or inequality. There are many more ways to describe solidarity, and even more ways to live it out. This is something we will continue to…
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Postcard from Bolivia: Carnaval in Oruro
About 28,000 dancers and 10,000 musicians parade over four miles at the Oruro Carnaval. Just because new missioners Annemarie Barrett and Jeff Sved are in language school right now doesn’t mean they can’t have some fun. Our missioners joined about seven other classmates from the Maryknoll Language Institute to experience the most famous of Bolivia’s…
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Franciscan Friday: Preparing for a Green Lent
As we approach the season of Lent, keep in mind these suggestions to add to your observance. It’s hard to believe that Lent is just a few weeks away. It feels like we just finished Christmas, a time of light and hope and new beginnings, and soon we’ll be immersed in a time we often…
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“To be loved as to love” – Saying Goodbye
Part of the journey toward Easter peace is moving away from “me” and toward “thee,” thinking less of myself and more of others — we are trying becoming “Little Christs.” Like Christ, we are called to love. We are to open our hearts with abandon. Our missioners travel abroad to serve with open hearts. Years later,…
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“Where the is sadness, joy” – A survivor in Kenya
Some of the people overseas with whom our missioners walk have witnessed and experienced horrible tragedies from natural disasters to genocide. Filled with memories of death and destruction, these people still found things in which to rejoice, living out today’s petition from the peace prayer, “Where there is sadness, joy.” Fr. George Corrigan, OFM, reflects on one of the…
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“Where there is darkness…” God’s light in Africa
May the following reflection by one of our first missioners, Megeen White Testa, help us ponder today’s plea from the peace prayer that we might bring light to the darkness.Megeen served in Zimbabwe and Zambia from 1991 to 1993 as part of our first class of lay missioners. After returning to the U.S., she served…
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“Where there is despair, hope” – The blind teenager in El Salvador
“Where there is despair, hope” asks today’s line of the Franciscan Peace Prayer. The blind teenager whom Maria Fernandez met on mission had such dispair that when they met, he cried, “I just want to die.” May this story from Maria’s time in El Salvador (2002-2005) remind us how we can accompany people through their darkest times. Even…
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“Where there is doubt” – Proclaiming the Gospel in South Africa
Tim Marcy gives most of the Sunday homilies at his church in Johannesburg, South Africa. His other ministries include working at the antri-retroviral treatment center and visiting the local hospital. “Many people here lead somewhat restricted social lives primarily, I believe, because most homes are walled-in and gated-off, and people don’t casually visit each other. Deacon…
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“Where there is injury” – Healing presence in El Salvador
From 2004 to 2007, Pat Clausen was on mission as a nurse practitioner in Chiltiúpan, El Salvador. She recounts below a time when the community there came together to support one of her terminal patients. In today’s peace prayer petition, we ask to that the Lord use us to bring pardon where there is injury. …
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February Soups: Broccoli Cheddar and Moroccan Lentil
Paul O’Keeffe, OFM, and his soup (Photo by Dan Horan, OFM). Br. Paul O’Keeffe, chef-turned-development director, whipped up two more delicious soups for our second Souposium this past Sunday. If you couldn’t make the event or need some meatless dishes for Lent, here’s how you can make these soups yourself. Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Soup Ingredients…
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“Let Me Sow Love” – Death and Life in Colombia
As we work our through the Franciscan Peace Prayer today’s petition is, “Where is hatred let me sow love.” May the corresponding story remind us to honor the dignity of all people through simple gestures of compassion even in the face of chaos. The author, Tom McGregor (mission class XIV), served in Columbia from 2000 to 2002. Colombia has been…
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Reflect on the Franciscan Peace Prayer with FMS this Lent
Journey with FMS this Lent as we pray and reflect on the famous Franciscan peace prayer. On Mondays and Fridays, we will share mission stories that correspond with the petitions of the prayer. Lord make me an instrument of your peaceWhere there is hatred, let me sow love;Where there is injury, pardon;Where there is error,…
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47 ways to help the Earth this Lent
Instead of giving up sweets or alcohol this Lent, why not give up wasted water and energy? Starting some great new habits (and breaking old bad ones) this liturgical season could help protect the Earth today and for future generations. This Lenten Caring for Creation Calendar from the Environmental Outreach Committee of the Archdiocese of Washington…
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