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.
Table manners and global sisterhood
Over eight years ago, I had a conversation about table manners that continues to challenge me. At the time I was a canonical novice and…
Someone else’s Jackie: a soliloquy to my newborn daughter
As I came walking down the hall to return to you just now, returning triumphant with the coffee I set out to retrieve, I saw…
When Jesus asked for food (or, how I realized Easter is an ordinary thing)
Sometimes the Easter story is just plain unbelievable to me. Doubts invade my prayer and distract me from the whole point of the story— of the entire…
An empty tomb
Happy Easter! On this Holy Saturday the Easter story, read from the Gospel of Mark, left me more confused than comforted. This is how Mark…
Holy Week in images
This is a Holy Week, a week to review all of salvation history. This is a week to enter into the story of Jesus’ last…
Singing with my Sister Thea
Today is a day for singing. And I mean singing. We are celebrating the life of a Sister whose legacy continues to unfold. Sister Thea Bowman…
On bedtime routines and the preferential option for the poor …
I had a Jesus moment while putting my daughters to bed the other night. My 3 year old was sick: fever, cough, runny nose, etc.,…
Grace and the Incomplete Flush
By Sara Zarr Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a condo in a cool old building downtown. Great location, hardwood floors, exposed brick,…