News flash: We are in the midst of a global pandemic. News flash: We are in the midst of a global pandemic. Okay, maybe not so much of a news flash for any o...

Franciscan Guidance in the Midst of Pandemic Where there is charity and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance. Where there is patience and humility, th...

One Must Consider… Howard Washington Thurman was a wonderful man and human being. A sentient being acutely aware of the worldly world wherein he lived. Esote...

St Francis is said to have frequently announced, “Let us begin, for up until now, we’ve done nothing.” His words are not supposed to dishearten—“Boy, you’ve ...

Our family has over 70 manger, or crèche, sets from many different countries in our house (my wife thinks that is probably enough). They are made of wood, ca...

People are wired to understand story; our brains crave cohesiveness and narrative; they desire to connect the dots into something that makes sense. It’s why w...

In John’s Gospel, Jesus encourages us to believe that “I have come that you might have life, life in abundance.” (John 10;10) What a powerful invitation whe...

One of the three cornerstones of our mission here at the Franciscan Spiritual Center is “community.” Love is of the essence of any community. I found this...

A year and a half ago, I recognized almost nobody who came to the door at the Franciscan Spiritual Center. And many wondered who was this man who was opening...

THE PEACE OF WILD THINGS When despair for the world grows in me and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children's lives ma...

If you’ve spent any time around the Franciscan Spiritual Center, you know that Sr. Mary Jo, Sr. Celeste, Sr. Emma and Sr. Theresa exude being present - being...

Presence. As humans, we seek connections—to others, to the world around us, to ourselves, and to God. Without connection our lives would be solitary, lonely,...

#present #presence #franciscan #video

A musician was lost in New York City. Upon finding a traffic cop the musician asked, “How do I get to Carnegie Hall?” The cop said, “Practice, practice, prac...

What does it mean to connect more deeply to God, self and the world around us? I believe it comes from simply showing up with all of who we are in each of o...

One morning I saw a man driving and using an electric shaver. A clear case of Distracted Driving. But I confess that I have eaten in the car more than once,...

Our guest blogger Marshall Welch offers a video meditation on Peace. #video #peace #spirit #meditation #guest

Getting to peace in one’s mind and heart can be a difficult part of the spiritual journey. At times there may be rough patches in which our moods may drop, a...

What #peacemaking #peace