Canticle of the Creatures: The Influence of Scripture, Tradition and Prayer

Psalm 148 Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights above. Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his heavenly hosts. Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars. Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for at his command they were created, and he established themContinue reading “Canticle of the Creatures: The Influence of Scripture, Tradition and Prayer”

Canticle of the Creatures: The Attributes

Genesis 1:29 Then God said. “I give you every seedbearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.” In the last reflection, we looked at the structure of the Canticle of the Creatures in terms of the flow ofContinue reading “Canticle of the Creatures: The Attributes”

Leisure as Opposition to the World

The relationship between Poverty, Penance, and the “world” is a common theme in most of the reflections I write.  Whenever I need to define either Poverty or Penance, I invariably do so in reference to the word “world.”  I like to suggest that in the Franciscan charism the core practice of both Poverty and PenanceContinue reading “Leisure as Opposition to the World”

The Tension Between Work and Leisure

In the first reflection, I asserted that the ancients and the Greeks had a different definition of the word “leisure” than the one we use today.  I also asserted that the definition advanced by the Greeks would have been identical to the one understood by Francis. It sometimes shocks me how the Franciscan sources neverContinue reading “The Tension Between Work and Leisure”

Canticle of the Creatures: The Flow of Creation

Genesis 1:14-19 And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. God made two greatContinue reading “Canticle of the Creatures: The Flow of Creation”

Petition and Supplication

Introduction:The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.– Amen. God, come to my assistance:– Lord, make haste to help me. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit: -As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen. Hymn: Just a Closer WalkContinue reading “Petition and Supplication”

Thanksgiving and Praise

Invitatory:The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit-Amen. Lord, open my lips.-And my mouth shall praise your name. Antiphon: He is my God and my Shepherd, and I will follow His Way. In the morning, Lord, I will pray to you. I will place myself before you and hope in your Mercy. Please, Lord, hearContinue reading “Thanksgiving and Praise”

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”

2: “I am the Resurrection and the Life”

John 11:17-37 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.  Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother.  When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meetContinue reading “2: “I am the Resurrection and the Life””

1: The Death of Lazarus

By way of introduction, this formation path contains six short reflections prepared for use during the Centenary Celebration of the Stigmata of St. Francis taking place in calendar year 2024, which is precisely 800 years after the actual event, which took place in 1224.  The first two entries come from a series of reflections forContinue reading “1: The Death of Lazarus”