Texting For Prayers

St. Francis of Assisi took a new approach in reaching out to the common people of his age.  Where Sunday sermons of that time had developed into intellectual dissertations, often spoken in Latin.  Francis preached very simply, in the language of the people.  His friar sons continued that approach, even into our Internet driven era.  The National Catholic Reporter's website is carrying a CNS story about Franciscan Friars of Holy Name Province, accepting prayer requests via text.  Cool!

Twenty Five Years with the SFO

“The rule and life of the Secular Franciscans is this; to observe the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by following the example of Saint Francis of Assisi, who made Christ the inspiration and the center of his life with God and people.” (Art. 4, Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order)

With everything going in my life lately, I had forgotten an important anniversary this month.  January 9, 2013 was the 25^th Anniversary of my Profession of the Secular Franciscan Order Rule.  The only other members of my profession class were a married couple in their eighties.  Sadly, they have long since passed away.

It has to believe that it has been 25 years; 25 years of trying to be faithful to the spirit of St. Francis.  I sometimes have done well, sometimes not.  There has always been “beginning again, for up to now, we have done little.”  There has been times of joy; times of sadness; times of frustration, and times of fulfillment.  I still find inspiration from the writings and life of St. Francis, and all the other Franciscan saints.  I am still moved by the work and lives of Franciscan Friars, Poor Clares, Franciscan nuns, and Secular Franciscans I have met over the past 25 years.  I look forward to the next 25.

St. Francis of Assisi's 8th Admonition

Beware the sin of envy


"St. Paul tells us, No one can say Jesus is Lord, except in the Holy Spirit (1Cor. 12: 3) and, There is none who does good, no, not even one (Rom. 3: 12).  and so when a man envies his brother the good God says or does through him, it is like committing a sin of blasphemy, because he really envying God, who is the only source of every good."

                                                                                            St. Francis of Assisi

Words From St. Francis of Assisi

“The Lord says: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who persecute and blame you (Mt. 5:44). That person truly loves his enemy who is not upset at any injury which is done to himself, but out of love of God is disturbed at the sin of the other’s soul. And let him show his love for the other by his deeds.” (Admonition IX)





Taken from Francis and Clare, The Complete Works, Paulist Press

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

A dedication of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial was suppose to have taken place this weekend.  Unfortunately, Mother Nature, in the form of Hurricane Irene, had other plans, the the dedication has been postponed.  the TV program, Religion & Ethics Newsweekly, has a nice report about it.

I was only 15 years old when he died, assassinated in Memphis TN.  It was only during my seminary years that I began to appreciate what he accomplished for civil rights, not just for Black Americans, but for all minorities.  He showed what power non-violent protest and action could have.  He showed what could be accomplished when you treated opponents, even violent opponents, as fellow human beings.  In many ways he reminds me of another famous preacher, of St. Francis of Assisi, who would walk amidst the warring factions of an Italian city, preaching peace; and who call a Muslim sultan a brother.

We live now in times when protests about injustices in society either turn violent, or are met with state sponsored violence.  We are becoming a society where civil discourse about issues is no longer seen as "in," and name calling and yelling is becoming part of politics.  Never has there been such a need for the spirit of  Doctor King, the spirit of Francis. 

I have an image in my mind, of two individuals, one a black man dressed in a dark suit, the other a small white man in a tattered brown robe, walking on a road to Washington, DC, ready to preach to power, ready to preach peace.

Franciscans Taking Cover in Tripoli

Franciscans have had a presence in the Arab world since the early days of the Order’s founding. It began with the first missionary journey to Morocco that lead to the first Franciscan martyrs; then St. Francis of Assisi’s own journey to Egypt and his meeting with the Sultan, and to the friars receiving responsibility for the holy sites in the Middle East. So it should not come as a surprise that there is a story of Franciscans taking cover in Tripoli, Libya, from the street fighting taking place there. This is the link to the Catholic News Service story.

Enough Already With The Royal Wedding - One Franciscan's Perspective

First, let me admit that I regularly watch the BBC America channel, and that I watch and listen to the BBS World News. I will also admit that I watched the BBC documentary series, “Monarchy,” about the daily life of Queen Elizabeth II. Okay, I will admit that I watched that series several times.

That being said, I am tired of all the hype, the hoopla that has surrounded today’s wedding of Prince Harry and Kate Middleton. Yes, it is a prime social news story that deserves coverage by the major news organizations. But when local news stations dig into their pockets to send local reporters to cover it; there is a question of where the priority lies. And they have filed so many stories leading up to today, that they are really stretching what is relevant to report on.

This reminds me of a story that the Franciscan friar and biographer of St. Francis of Assisi, Thomas of Celano, told:

“He (Francis) taught them not only to mortify vices and repress carnal movements, but also to restrain the exterior senses themselves, for through them death enters the soul. When at that time the Emperor Otto was passing through the place with much clamor and pomp to receive the crown of his earthly empire, the most holy father, who was living with his brothers in that hovel close to the road on which the emperor would pass, did not even go out to watch; and he did not let any one else to do so except one who continuously called out to the Emperor that his glory would last but a short time,..”

Yes, this is a time for the people of Great Britain to celebrate, to have a moment of joy after so much bad news. And yes, the rest of the world can watch, and enjoy the spectacle as it plays out on our televisions and computer monitors. But there are people out there that should not be forgotten, the tornado victims in the South, the earthquake victims of Japan; the Arab protestors, seeking freedom. They and others deserve our attention more!

A Good Friday Reflection; From the Writings of Saints Francis and Clare

“Let all of us, brothers, look to the Good Shepherd Who suffered the passion of the cross to save His sheep. The sheep of the Lord followed Him in tribulation and persecution, in insult and hunger, in infirmity and temptation, and in everything else, and they have received everlasting life from the Lord because of these things. Therefore, it is a great shame for us, servants of God, that while the saints [actually] did such things, we wish to receive glory and honor by [merely] recounting their deeds.” (St. Francis of Assisi, Sixth Admonition)


“Look upon Him Who became contemptible for you, and follow Him, making yourself contemptible in the world for Him. Your Spouse, though more beautiful than the children of men (Ps 44:3), became for your salvation the lowest of men, despised, struck, scourged untold times throughout His whole body, and then died amid the sufferings amid the sufferings of the Cross. O most noble Queen, gaze upon Him, contemplate Him, as you desire to imitate Him.

If you suffer with Him, you shall reign with Him,
if you weep with Him, you shall rejoice with Him;
if you die with Him on the cross of tribulation,
you shall possess heavenly mansions in the splendor of the saints
and, in the Book of Life, your name shall be called glorious among men.”
(St. Clare of Assisi, Second Letter to Blessed Agnes of Prague)

(Image from the e-newsletter of Holy Name Province, OFM)

Sister Joan Chittister OSB on St. Francis of Assisi

I do not always agree with everything that Sister Joan has written, but I like this little essay

she wrote for the the National Catholic Reporter website; on St. Francis

A Reflection on Ash Wednesday

Every Ash Wednesday, the Franciscan church I attend, begins its annual fundraising appeal. So I was standing in the rear of one of the chapels, passing out appeal envelopes to people as they were leaving the church. As I stood there, I was observing the people coming in to receive their ashes. I saw men and women coming in dressed in business suits; street people in their worn coats. I saw young women coming in with their children; elderly slowly making their way forward. There were white and black; Asian and Hispanic. Some were blessed with easy lives, while others have struggled. Yet, all of them heard the same admonition: “Remember, thou art dust, and to dust you shall return.”

I was reminded of something St. Francis of Assisi wrote in his Fifth Admonition: “What have you to be proud of? If you were so clever and learned that you knew everything and could speak every language, so that the things of heaven were an open book to you, still you could not boast of that. Any of the devils knew more about the things of heaven, and knows more about the things of earth, than any human being, even one who might have received from God a special revelation of the highest wisdom. If you were the most handsome and the richest man in the world, and could work wonders and drive out devils, all that would be something extrinsic to you; it would not belong to you and you could not boast of it. But there is one thing of which we can boast; we can boast of our humiliations (cf.2 Cor. 12: 15) and in taking up daily the holy cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

"Fruits of Penance," My February Fraternity Newsletter Column

“All who love the Lord with their whole heart, with their whole soul and mind, with all their strength (cf. MK 12:30), and love their neighbors as themselves (cf. Mt 22:39) and hate their bodies with their vices and sins, and receive the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and produce worthy fruits of penance.” (Exhortation of St. Francis to the Brothers and Sisters of Penance, Chap. 1)


“United by their vocation as brothers and sisters of penance, and motivated by the dynamic power of the gospel, let them conform their thoughts and deeds to those of Christ by means of that radical interior change which the gospel itself calls conversion. Human frailty makes it necessary that this conversion be carried out daily.” (Art. 7a, SFO Rule)


Saint Francis was constantly reminding his followers that they could never be satisfied with the level of progress they may have made trying to live the Gospel life. He is quoted as saying in the later years of his life,” Brothers, let us begin again, because up until now we have done nothing.” He recognized that the spiritual journey is never over, that we will be traveling it every day.

We all can become complacent about where we are in our relationship with God. The upcoming season of Lent provides us with an opportunity to do a reality check on that relationship, an opportunity to deepen that relationship. The Church calls us to intensify our practice of the spiritual disciplines of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Lent gives us the inspiration, the nudge, to spend more time in solitude, reading and reflecting on Scripture, letting the Holy Spirit speak to our hearts. We then can see if we are making a relationship with God a priority for us; if we are letting the Spirit inspire us to greater acts of charity; if we are really letting the Gospel of Christ guide us in our daily lives.

Our Rule and this season of Lent both remind us that the process of conversion is never finished, never over, no matter how long we have been professed. Each day we must answer anew the call of Jesus to pick up our cross and follow Him.

The Christmas Creche

As we enter the final days of Advent, with Christmas day looming, I reread an entry Rocco Palmo made on December 14th in his blog, “Whispers in the Loggia.” He reported on Pope Benedict XVI’s blessing of the figures of Baby Jesus, who soon be placed in the crèches many in Rome had in their homes. The Pope preached on the importance of contemplating the reality the Christmas crèche represents; that God so loved the world that He sent His Son into the world, that we all might be saved. That God the Son, was willing to come to us as a little child.

It was this example of Jesus’ love, and humility that St. Francis of Assisi wanted to celebrate when he created the first Christmas crèche in a cave near the Italian town of Greccio hundreds of years ago. And it is important to remember that in the place where Francis made this Christmas tableau, the Eucharist was celebrated, reminding the people of Greccio, and us, that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, still comes to us in the form of bread and wine.

In Boston, MA, I regularly go to St. Anthony Shrine for prayer and Mass. In one of their chapels, the Franciscan friars have built a Christmas crèche. As is traditional in many churches and homes, the place for the Baby Jesus is empty right now, until Christmas day. As I meditate on the scene, it reminds me that we all wait in anticipation of the coming of the Lord into our lives. Now it maybe a coincidence, or not: but the crèche is next to a little shrine dedicated to St. Francis.

My October Column for Secular Franciscan Fraternity Newsletter

“The rule and life of the Secular Franciscans is this: to observe the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by following the example of Saint Francis of Assisi, who made Christ the inspiration and the center of his life with God and people.” (Art. 4, SFO Rule)

A story in The Little Flowers of St. Francis of Assisi has Brother Masseo asking St. Francis, “Say, why it is that all the world comes after you, and everybody desires to see you, and to hear you, and to obey you?” Almost 800 years later, the question still has relevance. Why is it that the world is still attracted to the figure of St. Francis? For many, they attracted to the image of St. Francis, the man who was connected to nature, to whom animals and birds came to readily. For others, it is the image of Francis, the servant of the poor, the forgotten. And there are those who see in Francis, a perfect person of prayer and contemplation.

Why are we attracted to this little poor man of Assisi? For me, Francis shows me how an ordinary person can live the Gospel of Jesus Christ, by being a person of prayer, by giving up those things that distract me from loving God, and emptying myself in the service of others. Francis provides the inspiration for me, and for many others, to find the path that Jesus wishes each of us to take to the Kingdom.

We can all still learn from Francis what it means to live the Gospel life. It means that we need to learn more about him, read and reflect on his words. Each of us should try to read the early biographies of his life, written by authors who were still close to him or to those who knew him. Feel the excitement and the power of his presence that those early biographers felt, and open our hearts and our minds to feel it also. Then we will come to know the answer to Brother Masseo’s question, “Why after you?”

Suggestion for a Patron Saint of Veterans

Yesterday, October 4th, was the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi. Now St. Francis has been designated as the patron saint of Italy, Catholic Action, animals, and the environment. A patron saint is considered a special intercessor before God for an either group of people with a specific profession, illness and who work for special causes. I would like to make the suggestion that St. Francis be considered the patron saint of veterans who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Now I say this because Francis was not always the little holy friar, constantly in prayer, communing with the birds and the animals. In his younger days, he was an active, wealthy, young buck; the leader of the Assisi party scene, who longed to be a part of the nobility. Now for a commoner to move into those circles, he had to be knighted. To be knighted, he had to perform some great military service for a local lord. In medieval Italy, it was not hard to find some little war, somewhere. As it turned out, Francis’ home town of Assisi was going to war with their neighbors, the city of Perugia. So Francis had his father spring for armor and weapons, and he joined the other Assisian men of arms as they marched on Perugia. The two armies met at a bridge and a battle ensued. Now in those days, soldiers fought each other with spears, swords, axes and daggers. It was close, in your face, combat. One survived by chopping off an opponents' limbs or gutting him. Blood and gore would have been everywhere. Long story short, the Perugians whipped the men of Assisi butts. Those who survived were either scattered or captured. The captured commoners were sent to hard labor for Perugia, the nobles were cast into dungeons, to await their families ransoming them. Because Francis was so well decked out, he was considered to be a noble and was incarcerated with the others.

Now the dungeons were dark, damp, with little water or food. It is reported that Francis tried to keep his companions’ spirits up by singing songs made famous by French troubadours. But eventually, even he was worn down by the long captivity. Finally, his family was able to pay his ransom, and he was released. Francis was bedridden for a long time with illness when he got back to Assisi. When he recovered, he was able to go out once again amongst the hills and valleys of Umbrian countryside. But nature’s beauty no longer touched him. Parties no longer brought joy to his heart. Feeling empty, he began turning to God for help. He would spend more time in prayer, seeking out caves for solitude. As he opened himself more to the Father’s presence, he began to experience God’s love for him, and the peace that comes with it. It was the beginning of his conversion.

In his book, “My Life with the Saints,” Father James Martin, SJ, writes: “My novice director told me that he thought of the saints as older brothers and sisters to whom one could look for advice and counsel.” I would like to think that veterans can see in Francis, somebody they can identify with, and someone they can turn to for help and encouragement.

The Cardinal and His Critics

“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raqa,’ will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,” will be liable to fiery Gehenna.” (Matthew 5: 21-23)

“Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.” (Luke 6: 37)

“Nothing should upset the servant of God except sin. And no matter how another person may sin, if the servant of God lets himself become angry and disturbed because of this, [and] not because of love, he stores up guilt for himself (cf. Rm2:5). That servant of God who does not become angry or upset at anything lives justly and without anything of his own. And he is blessed who does not keep anything for himself, rendering to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s (Mt 22:21).” Admonition XI, - St. Francis of Assisi.


The Catholic blogosphere has been alive with comments about the funeral of Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, and the participation of Cardinal Sean O’Malley, OFM Cap., Archbishop of Boston, at that funeral. The Cardinal has taken a lot of heat for being in attendance, and for leading the final prayers. Michael Paulson of the Boston Globe gives some of the details of this story. His Eminence has also commented on his own position concerning giving a Catholic funeral to the Senator, and what all this harsh rhetoric and comments is doing to the Church and the pro-life movement.

The Church is at its best when it shows compassion and mercy even to those who disagree with it, who may have taken positions against Church teaching. Yes, the Church has a prophetic role to play in the world and it must speak truth to power, but it must do so in such a way that does not violate Christ command to love one another. And when Jesus says love one another, he is not just talking about our friends, he is also talking about those who oppose us, who harm us. It is a spiritual work of mercy to admonish the sinner, but not with words of fire, brimstone, and damnation, but with words of concern, courtesy and respect for a fellow child of God.

Finally, it is a corporal work of mercy to bury the dead. And the Church in Boston was showing mercy to Ted Kennedy and his family, when it gave the Senator a Catholic funeral, trusting in the Father’s love and wisdom.

Photo from Boston Herald

Feast of St. Clare of Assisi - August 11

The story of Francis and Clare of Assisi is one that no one could make up. The young daughter of one of the noblest families of the city of Assisi, Italy; meets with Francis Bernandone, son of one of the richest merchants in the city, turned itinerant preacher. In that meeting, Clare finds herself inspired to leave all her rich clothing, her jewels, and her comfortable home, to live the gospel as a nun. In March, 1212, Francis would take Clare to a Benedictine sister’s monastery as a temporary abode. There she would be joined by her sister Agnes. They would eventually take up residence at San Damiano, where other women would join them.

Under the guidance and support of St. Francis and his brother friars, Clare developed a contemplative community that was unique in the Church of that time. She and her sisters, known then as the "Poor Ladies of San Damiano," lived a life of prayer and contemplation, supporting themselves by their own labor and accepting alms. They lived a life of poverty, not accepting endowments of money or property, like other monasteries. Clare would struggle with the leadership of the Church over the “privilege” of poverty for the rest of her life. She would survive Francis by 27 years,

There are very few writings of hers in existence, but they reveal a woman of deep prayer, a true Franciscan mystic. Her words continue to inspire many Poor Clare nuns around the world; her words and her example can inspire us. I close with words Clare wrote to Agnes of Prague, a fellow Poor Lady:

“O most noble Queen,
gaze upon Him,
consider Him
contemplate Him,
as you desire to imitate Him.
If you suffer with Him, you will reign with Him.
If you weep with Him, you shall rejoice with Him;
If you die with Him on the cross of tribulation,
you shall possess heavenly mansions in the splendor of the saints
and, in the Book of Life, your name shall be called
glorious among men.”

(Image by Robert Lentz)

The Porziuncola

"When the Lord saw him coming over to look more closely, God called out to him from the bush, 'Moses! Moses!' He answered, 'Here I am.' God said, 'Come no nearer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.'" (Exodus 3: 4-5)

If today had not been a Sunday, Franciscans would be celebrating the feast of the Porziuncola. It is the short name given to a chapel St. Francis of Assisi repaired back in 1208, "St. Mary of the Angels of the Little Portion. For Franciscans throughout the world, it is sacred space, it is "holy ground." In the early days of the Friars Minor, the chapel was rented to them by the Benedictines of Monte Subasio monastery. The friars, including Francis, built simple huts around the chapel, and prayed there daily. As the Order expanded throughout Europe, Francis called the friars back to the Porziuncola once a year for a meeting, a Chapter, during the Feast of Pentecost.

Every worshiping community needs its' sacred space, a place where they can come together in prayer, to experience together a sense of the divine. For Christians, many, if not most, find their sacred space in churches. Some find it in simple parish churches, or in grand cathedrals and basilicas. We must remember though, why we are gathering in a particular place, at a particular time. Our Lord said, "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them." It is the coming together in His Name, that makes that space sacred, that ground holy!

I would go even farther. Francis said that when a friar is on the road, he carries his cell with him, in his body; and it is in that cell that the friar prays, and opens his heart to God. Anytime that we open our hearts to the Father, we open ourselves to the opportunity to experience the divine, to experience His Presence, to know that we are standing on "holy ground."

Memorial Feast of St. Martha

“As they continued their journey he entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha burdened with much serving, came to him and said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.’ The Lord said to her in reply, ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.’” (Luke 10:38-42, NAB)


I think Martha would be described as a “Type A” personality. Always rushing around, doing everything, getting the guest quarters ready, making sure that the refreshments are prepared, and served. She was the original “Martha Stewart” of her times. And it drove her crazy to see her sister Mary just sitting there, with all that was needed to be done. Mary, however, was being present to the Lord, receiving wisdom and grace.

We are all involved with things that need to be done; be it housework, on the job or in the marketplace. We can get so involved in activities that we can crowd out the voice of the Lord. We need to balance our lives, and to make time in our daily lives for prayer and contemplation. We need that space and quiet, to let the Lord in and speak to us.

St. Francis of Assisi, in his Rule of life for his friars, encourage those who had a skill or trade, to keep practicing them. But he let them know what the priorities are, “The friars to whom God has given the grace of working should work in a spirit of faith and devotion and avoid idleness, which is the enemy of the soul, without however extinguishing the spirit of prayer and devotion, to which every temporal consideration must be subordinate.” (The Rule of 1223, St. Francis of Assisi) This is wisdom that all of us can recognize and apply to our own lives.

Sunshine at last

"Most high, all-powerful, all good, Lord!

All praise is yours, all glory, all honor and all blessing.

To you, alone, Most High, do they belong.

No mortal lips are worthy to pronounce your name.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through all that you have made,

And first my lord Brother Sun,

Who bring the day; and light you give to us through him.

How beautiful is he, how radiant in all his splendour! Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.

(The Canticle of Brother Sun, St. Francis of Assisi)

Today the sun is out! The rain has departed, for now. At least on this day that we celebrate the birth of the United States, the day is warm and bright. It lifts one's spirits, to see the bright colors of God's creation once again!