"CUM GRANDE HUMILITATE!"

"Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words."

A special "Thank you!"
Goes out to
John Michael Talbot
for giving us permission
to use his song on our
"Come to the Quiet"
You Tube Video
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Friday, December 31, 2010

This Poor, Humble, and Unlettered Man


One day when Francis was preaching to the people of Terni in the town square in front of the bishop's palace, the bishop of the city, a discerning and spiritual man, listened to the sermon. When it was over, he rose and among other words of exhortation said, "From the time He planted and built His Church, the Lord has always endowed her with holy persons to make her grow by word and example. And in these latter days, He has shed luster on her through this poor, humble, and unlettered man."

Then blessed Francis bowed before the bishop, threw himself at his feet and said to him, "In truth, lord bishop, I say to you,'No man in this world has ever paid me the honor you have today. Other men say,'He is a saint!' Thereby they attributed glory and holiness to a creature and not the Creator. You, on the contrary, as a discerning man, have made the distinction between what is base and what is precious.' "

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of Perugia - 103

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Thursday, December 30, 2010

Parents: You Can't Give Away What You Ain't Got!

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Kissing The Lepers In Our Lives - Whom Or What Do We Abhor Most?

Among all the unhappy spectacles of the world  Francis naturally abhorred lepers; but one day he met a leper while he was riding near Assisi. Though the leper caused him great disgust and horror, nevertheless, lest like the transgressor of a commandment he should break his given word, he got off his horse and prepared to kiss the leper. But when the leper put out his hand as though to receive something, he received money along with the kiss. And immediately, mounting his horse, Francis looked here and there about him; but though the plain lay open and clear on all sides, and there were no obstacles about, he could not see the leper anywhere.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano - Second Life
Chapter V

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Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Simplicity

For holy simplicity had so filled them, innocence of life was so instructing them, purity of heart so possessed them, that they knew nothing of duplicitous mind. For, as there was one faith in them, one will, one love; there was unity of souls among them, harmony of behavior, the practice of virtues, conformity of minds, and piety of actions.


Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, First Life

CHAPTER XVII

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Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Remaining Pure And Holy

"Let the brothers of this friary speak to no one, except to those who serve them and the minister general when he visits them. It is also my wish that the lay people who serve them bring them no word or news of the world that is not beneficial to their souls. If it is my wish that no one enter this friary, I do so in order to make it easier for the brothers to keep their purity and holiness; if no useless or harmful word to the soul is uttered there, this place will remain pure and holy to the sound of hymns and the praises of the Lord."

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of Perugia - 10

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Monday, December 27, 2010

Lovingly Contemplate Poverty And Weakness

Appalachian Poverty
The Portiuncula Hermitage is located in Jerusalem, Ohio, 
in the foothills of Appalachia
(experiencing the country's highest unemployment rate)

Once Blessed Francis  had gone to the hermitage of the brothers near Roccabrizia. A poor, miserable and sick man came in search of him. Francis said to the brothers, "When you see a poor man, you must consider the one in whose name he comes, namely, Christ, who took upon himself our poverty and weakness. The poverty and sickness of mankind are, therefore, a mirror in which we ought to contemplate lovingly the poverty and weakness which our Lord Jesus Christ suffered in his body for the human race."

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of Perugia - 89

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Sunday, December 26, 2010

The Gift Of Healing

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Please email your prayer requests to the 
Portiuncula Franciscan Hermitage & Retreat Center
at:
hermitage@parallax.ws

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The Two Small Coins Of St. Francis

Body           Soul

Christ's Poor One, Francis, possessed nothing but two small coins (Mark 12:42) which he could dispose of with largesse and charity: his body and his soul. But those two mites he offered to God continually, for the love of Christ; he seemed always to be immolating his body with rigor and fasting and his soul with the flame of desire: his body, a holocaust outside in the court of the temple; his soul, incense offering in the inner temple.

Saint Francis of Assisi
St. Bonaventure, Major Life
Chapter 9

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Friday, December 24, 2010

Merry Christmas From The Portiuncula!


Brother Francis would recall with an abundance of tears what great want surrounded the poor Virgin on that day. Once when he was sitting at dinner, a certain brother talked about the poverty of the Blessed Virgin and recalled the want of Christ, her Son. Francis immediately rose from the table and, with great sighs and many tears, ate the rest of the meal on the bare ground, telling the brothers, "Know, my sons, that poverty is the special way to salvation; its fruit is manifold, but it is really well known to only a few."

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, Second Life - 200

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Thursday, December 23, 2010

The Daily Nativity Of The Lord



Every day he humbles himself just as he did when he came from his heavenly throne (Wis. 18:15) into the Virgin's womb; every day he comes to us and lets us see him in abjection, when he descends from the bosom of the Father into the hands of the priest at the altar.

Saint Francis of Assisi
The Admonitions
Admonition 1

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Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Christmas - The Feast Of Feasts

The Christmas Creche at the 
Franciscan University of Steubenville 
(adjacent to the Port)

Francis observed the birthday of the Child Jesus with inexpressible eagerness over all other feasts, saying that it was the feast of feasts, on which God, having become a tiny infant, clung to human breasts. Pictures of those infant members he kissed with thoughts filled with yearning, and his compassion for the Child flooded his heart and made in stammer wordes of sweetness after the manner of infants.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, Second Life - 199

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Tuesday, December 21, 2010

The Walls Should Be Smeared With Meat!

Cardinal Sean O'Malley (a Capuchin Monk)

When the question arose about eating meat on Christmas Day, because it fell on a Friday.  St. Francis replied to Brother Morico, "You sin, Brother, calling the day on which the Child was born to us a day of fast. It is my wish," he said, "that even the walls should eat meat on such a day, and if they cannot, they should be smeared with meat on the outside."

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, Second Life
Chapter CLI

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Monday, December 20, 2010

The First Christmas Crib - Greccio, Italy

Pace e bene! Peace and all good!


May the peace and love and joy of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you this Christmas and every day of your lives. We offer this little story about St. Francis at Greccio—from the Major Legend of St. Francis-- for your reflection and meditation. The tradition of the crèche (or crib) originates with St. Francis and is uniquely Franciscan contribution to the celebration of Christmas. Know that we, your Franciscan brothers, are keeping you in our prayers at this most sacred time as you continue to discern God’s will for you in your hearts and in your lives. Merry Christmas!

“It happened, three years prior to his death, that he (Francis) decided to celebrate at the town of Greccio the memory of the birth of the Child Jesus with the greatest possible solemnity, in order to arouse devotion. So that this would not be considered a type of novelty, he petitioned for and obtained permission from the Supreme Pontiff.

"He had a manger prepared, hay carried in and an ox and an ass led to the spot. The brethren are summoned, the people arrive, the forest amplifies with their cries, and that venerable night is rendered brilliant and solemn by a multitude of bright lights and by resonant and harmonious hymns of praise. The man of God stands before the manger, filled with piety, bathed in tears, and overcome with joy.

"A solemn Mass is celebrated over the manger, with Francis, a levite of Christ, chanting the holy Gospel. Then he preaches to the people standing around him about the birth of the poor King, whom, whenever he means to call him, he called in his tender love, the Babe from Bethlehem.

"A certain virtuous and truthful knight, Sir John of Greccio, who had abandoned worldly military activity out of love of Christ and had become an intimate friend of the man of God, claimed that he saw a beautiful little child asleep in that manger whom the blessed father Francis embraced in both of his arms and seemed to wake it from sleep.

"Not only does the holiness of the witness make credible the vision of the devout knight, but also the truth it expresses proves its validity and the subsequent miracles confirm it. For Francis's example, when considered by the world, is capable of arousing the hearts of those who are sluggish in the faith of Christ.

The hay from the crib was kept by the people and miraculously cured sick animals and drove away different kinds of pestilence. Thus God glorified his servant in every way and demonstrated the efficacy of his holy prayer by the evident signs of wonderful miracles.”

St. Francis of Assisi
Celano, First Life
Chapter XXX

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With Our Whole Soul Melted



To those who have experienced it knowledge is given, not to those who have not experienced it. Thus, filled with a glowing fervor of spirit and his whole appearance and his whole soul melted, St. Francis dwelt already in the highest realms of the heavenly kingdom.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, Second Life
Chapter LXI

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Saturday, December 18, 2010

Possessions Are ANYTHING That We Appropriate To Ourselves


"When we think of possessions, we usually have material things in mind, but St. Francis used to remind us that possessions are material and spiritual, ANYTHING we appropriate to ourselves."

Saint Francis of Assisi
Admonition 2

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Those Whose Sanctity Is Known Only To God


These brothers are my Knights of the Round Table, who remain hidden in deserts and lonely places in order to devote themselves more completely to prayer and meditation, lamenting their own sins and the sins of others, living simply and behaving humbly, whose sanctity is known only to God, and at times to other brothers, but unknown to the world.

Saint Francis of Assisi
 Mirror of Perfection - 72

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Friday, December 17, 2010

Catch The Wind!


A brother came to Abba Poemen and said, "Abba, a variety of thoughts are coming into my mind and I am in danger!" The old man took him out into the air and said, "Open your robe and take hold of the wind." The young brother answered, "No, I cannot do it." The old man said, "If you cannot do it, neither can you prevent those thoughts from entering into your mind. What you should do is stand firm against them."

Sayings of the Desert Fathers

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When People Refuse You Alms



If people insult you and refuse to give you or your ministry alms, you should thank God for it, because you will be honored before the judgment-seat of our Lord Jesus Christ for these insults. THE SHAME WILL BE IMPUTED TO THOSE WHO CAUSE IT, NOT TO THOSE WHO SUFFER IT! Alms are an inheritance and a right which is due to the poor because our Lord Jesus Christ acquired this inheritance for us.

Saint Francis of Assisi
THE RULE OF 1221
Chapter 9

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What Was Bitter Became Sweetness

The pond at the Portiuncula Hermitage in Jerusalem, Ohio

Every day Francis meditated on the humility and example of the Son of God; he experienced much compassion and much sweetness from this, and in the end, what was bitter to his body, was changed into sweetness.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of Perugia - 37

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Thursday, December 16, 2010

A Rapture Of Contemplation


St. Francis was convinced that the grace of prayer was something we should long for above all else. No one, he declared, could make progress in God's service without it, and he used any means he could to make the brothers concentrate on it...

He was often taken right out of himself in a rapture of contemplation, so that he was lost in ecstasy and had no idea what was going on about him, while he experienced things which were beyond human understanding.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Bonaventure, Major Life
Chapter X

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Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Mystic Monk Coffee: Order Through the Portiuncula and Donate to Birthright (a loving alternative to Abortion)


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"Guess who hasn't had their cup of Mystic Monk Coffee yet this morning!"


Fra Chris

The Carmelite Monks of Wyoming


Mystic Monk Coffee is roasted by the Carmelite Monks, a Roman Catholic monastery in the silence and solitude of the Rocky Mountains of northern Wyoming. The monks live a hidden life of prayer and contemplation in the pursuit of God. The monastery is inundated with young men who seek to leave everything to pray for the world, in a tradition at least a thousand years old. It is the monks’ great joy and privilege to share the fruit of their life with you in every cup of Mystic Monk Coffee.


The Monk Master Roaster

Br. Java is the master roaster who meticulously roasts beans in small batches. His philosophy is that each roast must be not only the labor of his hands, but a master roast of the highest quality. Br. Java is passionate about obtaining the perfect roasts for you. He carefully roasts only the finest gourmet beans under conditions that will make each roast consistent and smooth with a taste that will make your taste buds tingle. With experience and perfection, Mystic Monk Coffee is a coffee to savor and enjoy – with or without cream.


The Legend of the First Mystic Monk

Coffee is a product perfected and loved by monks from its beginning. When a monk of old heard the anguished tale of a shepherd who had sleepless goats, he himself discovered growing on shrubs the berries, which had such a wonderful affect. Delighted at his find, the ingenious monk boiled the beans in water and drank the resulting coffee. He found in his discovery a hot drink that could keep his eyes awake even amidst the midnight vigils and unceasing prayers of the monastic life.

The secret of coffee continues to keep monks ever alert and vigilant for their prayers, but now Mystic Monk Coffee shares the hidden, master roasts of monks with all who seek a delightful cup of coffee.


Monks are passionate Perfectionists

The monastic life is one of ordered perfection, which you will taste in every bag of Mystic Monk Coffee. Passionate about perfection, no challenge is too great for Br. Java and the monks, if it will result in a Mystic Monk brew suited for the most discriminating coffee drinker. The Carmelite monks have mastered the ancient art of roasting coffee, laboring with steadfast determination to make each cup of coffee simply superb. Taste the monastic perfection in each brew, which makes all the difference.

Please remember that when you buy Mystic Monk Coffee through the Portiuncula Hermitage, ten percent of all their commission sales is donated to Birthright (a loving alternative to abortion.)

Please remember to keep our pre-born in your daily prayers!

To order direct, simply click on the Mystic Monk Coffee Icon on the Top of this page:

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Welcome To The Portiuncula Healing Ministry




"Only say the word Lord, and I shall be healed"

We are a
Franciscan Prayer Ministry
located in Jerusalem, Ohio.
Through prayer and Adoration before our Eucharistic Lord, we seek His awesome power, grace, and mercy, to bring His divine healing and peace into your life.
Simply e-mail your Prayer Requests to:
We encourage you to participate in our
Healing Services and Retreats
Thank you for visiting.

Pax Et Bonum!

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God Is Still Homeless



We build a church to God and He is still homeless because we have built it for ourselves, and our humble God sits on the step outside begging.

Brother Juniper
God's Holy Fool


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Monday, December 13, 2010

Praying With Every Fiber Of Our Being





Sunday, December 12, 2010

How To Pray

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How Should We Pray?


The novice monks asked Abba Macarius, "How should we pray?" The old man answered, "A long speech is not necessary, but instead stretch out your hands and say, 'Lord, as you with and as you know, have mercy.' Yet, if you feel a conflict is breaking out, you have to say, 'Lord, help me!' He knows what is good for us and treats us mercifully."

Sayings of the Desert Fathers

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Lifting His Eyes And Hands To Heaven


Lifting his eyes and hands to heaven, Francis prayed with the greatest devotion and fervor, saying, "My God and my all! My God and my all!" And he continued saying nothing but "My God and my all!" and weeping profusely until matins.

St. Francis said this prayer while contemplating in awe the excellence of the Divine Majesty which had bent down to this perishing world and was about to provide a saving remedy for Francis and others through the little poor man, Francis himself. For, enlightened by the Holy Spirit through a prophetic spirit, Francis saw the great things God was going to accomplish through him and his Order. But when he considered how inadequate he was and how meager was his virtue, he cried out in prayer to God that in his mercy, without which human frailty can do nothing, he would supply, help, and fill up what was lacking in Francis.

St. Francis of Assisi
Little Flowers of St. Francis
CHAPTER 2

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Saturday, December 11, 2010

A Thief Of God's Treasures


When you are visited by the Lord in prayer, you should say, "Lord, you have sent me this comfort from heaven, even though I am a sinner and unworthy, and I entrust it to your keeping because I feel like a thief of your treasures." And when you leave your prayer, you should seem to be only a poor little sinner, and not someone especially graced by God.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Bonaventure, Major Life
Chapter X

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