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”
Tag Archives: OFS Rule
Encounter
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: Shepherd Me, O God Shepherd me,Continue reading “Encounter”
The Canticle of the Creatures: Creation as Revelation of God
The Major Legend of Saint Francis by St. Bonaventure, Chapter Nine: Aroused by everything to divine love, he rejoiced in all the works of the Lord’s hands and through their delightful display he rose into their life-giving reason and cause. In beautiful things he contuited Beauty itself and through the footprints impressed in things heContinue reading “The Canticle of the Creatures: Creation as Revelation of God”
The Canticle of Creation: Kinship
The Life of St. Francis by Thomas of Celano, the First Book, Chapter 21: One day he came to a village called Alviano to preach the word of God. Going up to a higher place where all could see him, he called for silence. All remained silent and stood reverently. But a large number ofContinue reading “The Canticle of Creation: Kinship”
Canticle of the Creatures: The Goodness of God and Creation
The Life of St. Francis by Thomas of Celano, The First Book, Chapter 29: Even for worms he had a warm love, since he had read this text about the Savior: “I am a worm and not a man.” That is why he used to pick them up from the road and put them inContinue reading “Canticle of the Creatures: The Goodness of God and Creation”
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”
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”
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”
OFS Ongoing 