The Poems of the Lay Franciscan Brother, “Crazy Jim”
Some may call it crazy to try and speak to the soul. Yet few would chide poetry for its attempt
September 25, 2018
The official blog of the Knights of the
Holy Eucharist
Some may call it crazy to try and speak to the soul. Yet few would chide poetry for its attempt
The story of Our Lady of Ransom is, at its outset, that of Saint Peter Nolasco, born in Languedoc about
Something remarkable happened this quiet Sunday in a little country tucked away in central Europe. 80,000 people took to the
Pope Francis had a tremendous insight and caution last week about those things that stifle faith; namely, hidden idols. It
Litanies, always remind me of a march towards a battle on the horizon. I always hear Sousa and the drums,
Several threads in recent news have woven together to create one great tug! Let’s revisit what it means to be
Here is the full text of Pope Francis’ homily at the Vigil of Prayer and Fasting in Saint Peter’s Square,
What are the chief effects of a worthy Holy Communion? An increase of sanctifying grace; Preservation from mortal sin the
In the words of Pope Francis, “Obedience as listening to God’s will, in the interior motion of the Holy Spirit
Brother Michael working in the vineyard. Such great yield. It reminds me of a passage from Archbishop Sheen’s, Life of
Every three years as the Church is reading the Gospel of Mark, during the dog days of summer it stops
Today I had a thought, or rather connections of thoughts, that led to an unexpected sacramental destination. A friend had
The cornerstone of St Francis’ imitation of Christ, was simplicity, a wellspring found in the seeming desert of humility. St.
Perhaps the only encyclical written by two popes, Lumen fidei or The Light of Faith, contains a beautiful passage on
July 27 is the feast of a great saint and knight – St. Theoblad, or Thibaut, of Marly. Born at
Beware of routines that snub the heart and the Holy Spirit’s promptings to prayer, scripture, encounter, and The Holy Eucharist.
We often hear the expression, you are not alone. But that’s only part of God’s tenderness towards our plight in
St. Bonaventure’s meditation upon the seraphic vision of St. Francis, in which he received the stigmata, produced his great treaties
You may be accused and persecuted, brought before the magistrates and the powers of men, so that you can stand
In Francis’s time, the people of an Italian city like Assisi were divided into the “majores” and “minores”. The upper
With all the unbridled web-critique of Catholics by Catholics there is a marked erosion of the respect due the ‘office’
Is the Franciscan spirit of poverty at odds with the building of churches? Do we still beg for stones? John
Worthiness to Receive Holy Communion: General Principles by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger Prefect, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Personal
Today is the feast of the Dedication of St. Michael the Archangel. On Mount Gargano, St. Michael appeared with a
Today is the Feast of St. Francis Laval — a knightly bishop whose diocese extended from Canada to New England,
“Neither praise nor threats will distance me from God.” Known as the Lion of Munster, Blessed Bishop Clement Galen stood
A crucial observation from writer Michael Cook on the nature of mercy in Pope Francis’ pontificate: A young officer in
Take a real selfie snapshot of yourself. Spend time with the selfless Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and allow him
What do you want? Humility to see Lord. Dr. Alice plumbs the depth of that truthful plea, mirrored through the
The Franciscans have a unique relationship with Nazareth that is enduring and endearing. They are the guardians of the Church
The TAU is the sign with which St. Francis of Assisi loved signing his letters and blessings. Indeed, the TAU,
I found myself re-reading Blessed Pope John Paul II’s homily of October 2000 on the Jubilee of Athletes as the
Many youth about this time, in the heart of winter, plan their spring and summer adventures. For some it will
Fr. Dwight Longenecker in his essay, Understanding the Apocalyptic Vision of Pope Francis gives us a refresher on the battle
At the Votive Mass of The Precious Blood of Christ at Westminster Cathedral (in September 2010) Pope Benedict XVI spoke
Rolling back the clock to Eden and the first sin, we ask ourselves — what is a real man? The
The ancient Greek, Aeschylus, (Robert F. Kennedy’s favorite poet) had this to say in one of his tragedies, So in
In our age, the noise and bombardment of images can submerge true image, and we can loose focus on authentic
In the recent sci-fi film, Arrival, the story’s premise pivots on language being a gateway to time. Although such films
“If the Magi had come in search of an earthly King, they would have been disconcerted at finding that they
“O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver, desire of the nations, Savior of all people, come and set us free, Lord our
It is the third week of Advent, a time of joyful expectation, and I find myself thinking about faith and