The Gospel of John 1:1-11: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the Light of all mankind. TheContinue reading “Chapter Two: Beginning”
Author Archives: Tim Short
Chapter One: Background and Introduction
The Gospel of Mark 4:26-29: He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then theContinue reading “Chapter One: Background and Introduction”
Letting God’s Will Prevail
I attended Unity Day a couple weeks ago. This annual early August gathering invites all Secular Franciscans in the Our Lady of Indiana Region (northern half of the state) to a day of formation and fellowship. There is a guest speaker who gives presentations before and after lunch and there is plenty of time forContinue reading “Letting God’s Will Prevail”
Something New (A Short Story)
I have been thinking hard for some time now about whether or not the material I am posting today belongs on this site. I’ve been working on it for several months and just made a final push to finish it last week. Today’s entry is not part of a formation series or a stand aloneContinue reading “Something New (A Short Story)”
Journey Thru John, Chapter 14: On Peace
If you have one of those bibles where the words of Jesus are indicated in red, take a second look at chapter 14 just on the macro level. There are 31 verses in the chapter. Only three of them are in black. Everything else is in red to indicate that Jesus is speaking. If youContinue reading “Journey Thru John, Chapter 14: On Peace”
The Secret of Salvation, Revealed By Unceasing Prayer
The below is an excerpt from the book, The Way of a Pilgrim. The passage that is the source of this material is much longer. To make it more accessible and suitable to a blog post, I have re-written and condensed it as well as I am able. Hopefully my audacity is not excessive andContinue reading “The Secret of Salvation, Revealed By Unceasing Prayer”
An Orthodox Perspective on Presence
On the same day that I made my last post, I completed a book I was reading about the Jesus Prayer. The author is Frederica Mathewes-Green. The title of the book is The Jesus Prayer: The Ancient Desert Prayer That Tunes the Heart to God. I forwarded my post to Frederica, asking her to letContinue reading “An Orthodox Perspective on Presence”
Encounter Versus Knowledge
Most people know that it is the custom of Catholics to make sacrifices during Lent. The typical stereotype revolves around giving up chocolate, or cookies, or some such thing. The idea is that sacrifice helps us to recall the need for repentance. In the Lenten season we are supposed to be especially aware of ourContinue reading “Encounter Versus Knowledge”
Prophetic Creativity: Questions for Discussions at the Regional Level
The following questions are meant to be used in association with an article written by Jan Parker, OFS National Minister, on Prophetic Creativity. Click this link to find the article. Question #1: “The function of servant leaders………is not limited to administration or bureaucracy but, most importantly, applies to.………the full realization of the Secular Franciscan life…….”Continue reading “Prophetic Creativity: Questions for Discussions at the Regional Level”
A Call to Prophetic Creativity
This article has been reprinted in its entirety from the Winter 2021 issue (Issue 102) of TAU-USA magazine. Its author is Jan Parker, OFS, the National Minister. (TAU-USA is a publication of the National Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order.) For discussion questions on this article, click here. As Clare once said to Agnes, “LetContinue reading “A Call to Prophetic Creativity”
OFS Ongoing 