Seekers, pilgrims, disciples; all are wayfarers who find themselves stumbling along the stony path toward integrity. They are people trying to live into life’s lessons by taking hard-earned insights to heart and turning them into habits. Whether they perceive it as troublesome, disturbing, inspiring, or consoling, seekers embrace everyday wisdom by adopting a receptive attitude, cultivating a learning heart, and approaching life as novices, for whom each experience is welcomed anew. In some Buddhist circles this has been called the Beginner’s Mind. Christians might simply call it cultivating a disciple’s heart.
This internal attitude involves claiming and reclaiming our authentic status as lifelong disciples, perennial pupils—people who are always practicing.
After all, those who wish to be guided must first admit to their own unknowing before they can entrust their lives to another, wiser guide. And rather than attempting to contain or control facts, parse out details, or digest information, disciples choose: to listen attentively, pause regularly, ponder quietly, question honestly; to rest in reflecting and reflect while engaging in social action; to seek guidance regularly and to deliberately let their lives be led by a Presence greater that moves them into currents deeper.
Enjoy this journey into the grace of God.
St. Francis of Assisi: The Ultimate Disciple
The ultimate disciple. The poor, itinerant, preaching brother of penance. He who suffered in the wilderness with Christ, he who was misunderstood, betrayed by some of his own brothers and who loved Christ so much that he became the Lovescape of Christ. This is St. Francis of Assisi.
His had been a grand ambition: He wanted, a merchant’s son though he was, to become a knight, to ascend through military prowess to the ranks of the nobility. He desired to be somebody, to be influential, to matter. Read more…
My Uneven Path to God
I find there are two types of people who attack me when they discover I’m Catholic. The first are lapsed or disgruntled Catholics who claim to be revolted by the Church but can’t stop talking about it. The second type, the Pharisees, are always trying to get me to say something bad about other (in their eyes, lukewarm) members of the Church. None of these folks can bear the hideous gap between how a follower of God should be and how a person who claims to be a follower of Christ actually is.
But you have to be somewhat nuts to sign up for something that is basically impossible to achieve. As Thomas Merton observed: “We must remember that in order to choose religious life, you must be a misfit.” Read more…
St. Clare of Assisi: A Path of Her Own
It was time for Clare to marry.
She was getting older and the negotiations for her betrothal heightened. One by one available men approached Clare’s father and uncle for Clare’s hand in marriage. While the men were preoccupied with negotiations, Clare sneaked out of the house to go listen to the traveling friar, Francis of Assisi. When he spoke, it was as if he was speaking directly to her. His ideas were so much like her own. Soon after, they met on several occasions to discuss the Gospels and their beliefs. The two were of one mind. Read more…
Mary, the First Disciple
“I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said” (Luke 1:38).
She may be the most famous woman who ever lived, and yet there is surprisingly little in the New Testament about her. Mary is featured only in a few Gospel scenes and the first chapter of Acts. Nevertheless, these Marian passages, arranged in a plausible chronological order, illustrate how quickly devotion for the Virgin Mary developed over the centuries. Read more…
Following the Example of St. Francis
When St. Francis of Assisi returned home from war, several moments led to a life-changing conversion. One of which involved his time spent with lepers outside the city. What once repulsed him suddenly became a source of great love and humility. Could we be so bold as to see Christ in those on the periphery? Read more…
Why I Became a Secular Franciscan
What is a Secular Franciscan? St. Francis established three different Orders. The first one is for the friars; the second is for nuns, such as the Poor Clares; and the third is for laypeople.
When Francis was establishing his Order, there were people who wanted to follow him but said, “We can’t join your First Order, we have a different calling from God. We can’t join the Second Order, we don’t have that calling. How can we follow the Gospel as secular people?” Read more…
St. Francis Meets the Leper
St. Francis of Assisi had a fear and abhorrence of lepers. One day, however, he met a man afflicted with leprosy while riding his horse near Assisi. Though the sight of the leper filled him with horror and disgust, Francis got off his horse and kissed the leper. Then the leper put out his hand, hoping to receive something. Out of compassion, Francis gave money to the leper.
But when Francis mounted his horse again and looked all around, he could not see the leper anywhere. It dawned on him that it was Jesus whom he had just kissed. Read more…
Clare and Francis: Assisi’s Most Dangerous Citizens
In 1212, if the small Umbrian city of Assisi’s post office had displayed “Wanted” posters, Chiara di Favarone di Offreduccio and Francesco Bernardone might well have been on them. Their crime? Seriously disrupting the social, economic, and religious stability of their native city.
Intervening centuries of veneration for Assisi’s two most famous citizens have obscured for many people how much Clare and Francis challenged the most important foundations and assumptions of their society. Read more…
St. Bonaventure: Loving God with Heart and Mind
When did “God” become more than a word to you? When, even for just a moment, did you glimpse the meaning of your life and personal vocation? When, in the midst of the challenges and complexities of adult responsibilities, did you regain the joy and passion you felt as a child? Or, in a time of trouble, struggling to find your way, how did God’s amazing grace become real to you and, though the path remained difficult, you knew that God was with you and trusted that you would find your true home?
Perhaps it was the birth of your child or grandchild, a starry night in the Rockies, a sunrise at the beach, a time when you hit rock bottom and discovered the Rock, your child received a cancer diagnosis, or you felt Christ come alive in the bread and wine. Read more…
Lady Jacoba and the Spirituality of Presence
Lady Jacoba—affectionately known as “Brother Jacoba” from one of Thomas of Celano’s accounts of Francis—is a favorite among Franciscans. Say her name to any member of the Franciscan family and they will likely smile and knowingly mention almond cookies. We all love cookies, don’t we? But we may be overlooking the real significance of this laywoman if we let our focus remain just on the cookies themselves.
The stories of laity in the Franciscan tradition are less well-known and reflected on than stories of Francis or Clare. In fact, laypeople are often overlooked when we talk about the Franciscan tradition in general and Franciscan spirituality in particular. Read more…
Journeying toward God
There are times when the interior journey is impeded by the refusal or inability to make an external journey. The outward journey may be the move toward another person to seek forgiveness or offer forgiveness; or the journey may be toward some inner place you are afraid to enter or reenter that is closing down your world and keeping you from surrendering to God’s Providence and care. The outer journey is inexplicably entwined with the inner journey and vice versa. Read more…
Following Christ with Small Steps
When we think of responding to God’s call, we often remember the dramatic stories: Moses dumbfounded by Yahweh’s presence, Gabriel announcing Mary’s pregnancy, Paul struck blind. Subsequent Bible verses then record a courageous lifetime of service that follows. But the ordinary Christian wonders: Confronted with a massive, stupefying presence, usually starting with “Don’t be afraid,” who could say no? Read more…
