Franciscan Fanfare
Franciscan Fanfare: obedience to the circumstances of my life
FR. JONATHAN ST. ANDRÉ In one of his presentations at Franciscan University of Steubenville in February, the Rev. Jacques Philippe spoke about one element of openness to the Holy Spirit as the capacity to be obedient to the circumstances of one’s life. He expanded on this, saying that as we receive our life as it is, with all its ups and downs, […]
Franciscan Fanfare: 5 marks of penance of Francis of Assisi: A little more on love of neighbor
FR. JONATHAN ST. ANDRÉ, TOR In the last segment of this column, we began by speaking of Francis of Assisi’s prescription for living penance (in other words: ongoing conversion, metanoia). This prescription includes five elements: love of God, love of neighbor, hatred of sin, reception of the Eucharist, and worthy fruits of penance. We began by speaking about the complementary call […]
Franciscan Fanfare: 5 marks of penance from Francis of Assisi — love of God and love of neighbor
FR. JONATHAN ST. ANDRÉ, TOR In the beautiful and diverse expression of the Gospel given to us by the saints, sometimes we’re blessed to draw from them a motto or a phrase that stays with us. One can hardly think of St. Ignatius without hearing the powerful words, “Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam” (it’s not just a vibrant men’s household!). If you’re a devotee […]
Franciscan Fanfare: Pray with DESIRE
FR. JONATHAN ST. ANDRÉ, T.O.R. FRANCISCAN FANFARE COLUMNIST In the spiritual conversations which filter through the stratosphere up on the hill here at Franciscan University, one can often hear the declaration, “I need to work on my prayer life.” When I hear this from students, I am first and foremost glad that they desire to have a […]
Franciscan Fanfare: Franciscan ‘MythBusters’
FR. JONATHAN ST. ANDRÉ, T.O.R., and KAITLIN ROONEY You may have had the opportunity to watch the show “MythBusters,” in which myths and urban legends are put to the test in order to determine which myths are true and which are not. It’s a lot of fun to watch and pretty intriguing to see how it […]
Franciscan Fanfare: Life is supposed to be hard … therein is the beauty
FR. JONATHAN ST. ANDRÉ, T.O.R. Have you ever been caught up in the following self-talk: “I never thought I would be dealing with this trial … this sickness … this struggle. My life is hard — what did I do wrong Lord?!” We might talk about the cross and the value of suffering, but if we’re honest, we don’t really want it. This is part of the good news […]
Franciscan Fanfare: What fills your soul?
FR. JONATHAN ST. ANDRÉ, T.O.R. “When an unclean spirit goes out of someone, it roams through arid regions searching for rest but, finding none, it says, ‘I shall return to my home from which I came.’ But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits more […]
Franciscan Fanfare: Letters with Leo
FR. JONATHAN ST. ANDRÉ, T.O.R. Dear Brother Leo: I hear that you were the scribe to whom most of Francis of Assisi’s writings were dictated (thank goodness; I hear his grammar wasn’t always the best). I also know you were his confessor. (I won’t ask you to talk about that.) My question is this: Having spent so much time with this extraordinary saint, what do […]