Stillness and Bells
Maureen O'Brien
October 3, 2025
Legend has it that, in 1226, the bells of St. Stephen in Assisi began to clang spontaneously as Francis took his final breath.
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Maureen O'Brien
Maureen O'Brien's award-winning short stories and poems have been published widely in magazines and anthologies. She lives in Connecticut, where taught creative writing to teenagers for 25 years. She holds an MA in creative writing and a BA in philosophy and religion. She is the author of What Was Lost: Seeking Refuge in the Psalms and Gather the Fragments: My Year of Finding God’s Love (Franciscan Media).
Love Abounds and Astounds
Maureen O'Brien
September 27, 2025
We return over and over to the same place, a connection to the unswerving, the unchanging: God.
When Joy Swims
Maureen O'Brien
September 25, 2025
Like many who follow Francis, I’ve read “Canticle of the Creatures” over the years, but recently sought it out again for the words “to you alone, Most High, do they belong”.
Whispers of Prayer from St. Clare
Maureen O'Brien
September 23, 2025
I’ve always been fascinated by how St. Clare drew so close to God in prayer while living most of her life entirely within the enclosure of San Damiano.
Mary Finds Us
Maureen O'Brien
September 17, 2025
It is our mother who will never forget. It is our mother who will always find her child.
Frailty’s Hidden Blessings
Maureen O'Brien
September 13, 2025
Where does frailty show up in your life; what loved ones come to mind? What about your own frailty?
A Rose in Full Bloom
Maureen O'Brien
August 22, 2025
When we say a rosary, we know that the repetition upon the beads calms us down, brings solace and peace. Today, rediscover the simple words of the Hail Mary prayer, and how wonderful it is that when we say a rosary we ask Mary to pray for us–50 times.