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”
Tag Archives: formation
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”
Rediscovering the Meaning of Leisure
Psalm 46:10 The Lord says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” _____________________ If I were to ask someone for a contemporary definition of the word “leisure,” they would probably respond with something like this: “Leisure is free time meant to be usedContinue reading “Rediscovering the Meaning of 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”
6: True and Perfect Joy
Please read the following passages multiple times: The Little Flowers of St. Francis, Chapter VIII, How St. Francis Set Forth to Friar Leo Where Perfect Joy Was to be Found The Writings of Francis of Assisi: The Undated Writings, True and Perfect Joy Then focus on the following: ………. if we bear all these injuries withContinue reading “6: True and Perfect Joy”
5: The Life of St. Francis by Thomas of Celano, the Second Book, Chapters 8 through 10
Read the chapters (pages 277 to 287) multiple times. Then focus on this passage from chapter nine: The whole city of Assisi rushed down as a group and the entire region hurried to see the wonderful works of God which the Lord of majesty gloriously displayed in his holy servant……………People considered it a great giftContinue reading “5: The Life of St. Francis by Thomas of Celano, the Second Book, Chapters 8 through 10”
4: The Life of St. Francis by Thomas of Celano, the Second Book, Chapters 4 through 7
Read the chapters (pages 266 to 277) multiple times with the passage below in mind. Pay close attention to how the suffering of Francis is a theme that runs through the narrative. “His right side was marked with an oblong scar, as if pierced with a lance, and this often-dripped blood, so that his tunicContinue reading “4: The Life of St. Francis by Thomas of Celano, the Second Book, Chapters 4 through 7”
3: The Life of St. Francis by Thomas of Celano, the Second Book, Chapters 1 through 3
Read all three chapters several times. (The Second Book starts on page 258 of the link.) Because the focus of this study is the Stigmata, it is tempting to concentrate on chapter three, which gives the details of Francis receiving the wounds of Christ. Chapter two, however, sets the scene and defines the conditions thatContinue reading “3: The Life of St. Francis by Thomas of Celano, the Second Book, Chapters 1 through 3”
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”
OFS Ongoing 