Franciscan Life
Franciscan life is a love story — with God, with the poor, with the earth, with the stranger. Rooted in the spirit of Francis and Clare of Assisi, these posts explore what it means to embrace simplicity, kinship, and courageous countercultural choices in a world that constantly pushes the other direction. From returning land to Indigenous communities to the spirituality of dumpster diving to what the feast of St. Francis has to teach us today, this is a space for anyone drawn to the Franciscan way — whether you’ve taken vows or are just beginning to feel its pull.
Peace shouldn’t be a privilege
It’s International Day of Peace! This day is also known as Peace One Day. This is a day for us to unite as citizens of…
Black cloth
Red broth, steaming soup, vegetables just picked, now my lunch; I slurp life in. Phone rings Sister Laura on the line, “Sister Rita is dying…
In a time for falling
Lately, falling has been on my mind. The season for this is approaching, as leaf after leaf will soon let go and make its journey…
Appropriately disturbed and loving my distant Aleppo neighbor
Along with many people far and near, I have been terribly disturbed by images from the Syrian war recently. Appropriately disturbed. Early last week, I…
Being merciful to yourself in the Year of Mercy
Mercy is the point where God’s love meets the needs of the world. When Pope Francis opened this Year of Mercy he stated, In this…
Hearts wide open: in the sky, on earth
Happy Feast of St. Clare! The following prose-poetry is dedicated to her. This past Monday I drove north, from Kansas City to La Crosse, through…
Lessons learned from my students
A few weeks ago I saw my first “Back to School” flier of the season. In the past several years, such fliers stirred up emotions…
Praying with children crawling every which way
Recently—and a bit ironically, considering my vocation—my life has offered me an opportunity to learn all sorts of lessons about prayer and parenting. When I…