In April, the Region forwarded to our local fraternity a letter and a couple flyers (below) announcing a new proposal being put forward by the International Presidency of the Secular Franciscan Order. This initiative establishes an International Day of Secular Franciscan Solidarity that is to be recognized and celebrated every year on November 17th. This date wasContinue reading “St. Elizabeth of Hungary”
Category Archives: This and That
Ongoing Formation on the Occasion of a Profession Ceremony
This month our fraternity will hold a profession ceremony for four wonderful people who have completed the journey through Candidacy and are ready to join our ranks as fully professed members of the Order. In the midst of Holy Mass, they will stand in front of their families, friends and the fraternity and make theirContinue reading “Ongoing Formation on the Occasion of a Profession Ceremony”
The Good News of the Incarnation
The Story of Greccio from The Life of St. Francis by Thomas of Celano, Chapter XXX (A program for use in Fraternity Meetings or other similar settings.) Opening Hymn: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel; That mourns in lonely exile here, until the Son of God appear.Continue reading “The Good News of the Incarnation”
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”
Health Update
So, I have spent the morning looking back through the blog, reading the most recent posts, and preparing myself to begin writing again. It did not seem like it had been so long, but the last post was made on September 18, 2020, almost five full months ago. The post describing my cancer diagnosis isContinue reading “Health Update”
Laryngeal Cancer
I have been diagnosed with squeamish cell laryngeal cancer (cancer of the vocal chords). I know from past experience that having a family member or friend tell you about a diagnosis like this causes many questions. In order to answer those questions as completely as possible, I am putting all the information at my disposalContinue reading “Laryngeal Cancer”
Slideshow from The Shrine of Christ’s Passion
A few weeks ago, as the restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic were at their height, I was feeling the need to get out of the house. At the same time, I was also feeling the need to spend some quality time in solitude, contemplation and prayer. I went on line and checked out theContinue reading “Slideshow from The Shrine of Christ’s Passion”
OFS Ongoing 