At Home Kitchen & Gourmet : Now Selling Mystic Monk Coffee at The Loft located in the 400 block of North 10th Street

New Warm Glow store focuses on gourmet food, kitchen and Mystic Monk Coffee! When you order Mystic Monk Coffee Through The Portiuncula: the Little Portion, ten percent of the Commissions are automatically donated to Birthright (a loving alternative to abortion!)

Owner Jackie Carberry: 'We're really hoping to get a different kind of crowd'

The owner of Warm Glow Candle Co. has opened a new concept store in Richmond's Depot District.

"It's very different" from the Warm Glow outlet store, owner Jackie Carberry said, referring to the North Centerville Road store near Exit 145 on Interstate 70.

"We're really hoping to get a different kind of crowd," she said. "It's not really focused on our candles as much as the kitchen items and the gourmet foods."

Instead, she says, the 2,300-square-foot store will offer a fun and fresh place to go -- even offering cooking classes by early next year.

"She was definitely the other niche that we wanted for the building," said Stacey Dils, co-owner of The Loft. "It's been a great project. We have super tenants. We have very strong tenants. They all add kind of their own flavor to the building."

At Home Kitchen and Gourmet is The Loft's fourth tenant since Dils and her husband, Jan, bought the building in 2007. The other businesses include the restaurant Ghyslain, The Art of Hair salon, and Coco's, an accessories store. A spa and fitness center is soon locating on the building's second floor, Stacey Dils said.

"It's just been nice to have people come in and do a lot of different things in the building," she said. "We've had very strong people come in that are very good at what they do."

Warm Glow was established in 1995. Today, the company manufactures and distributes about 10,000 candles a day -- more than 60 varieties -- to more than 3,000 retail stores in the United States, Canada, Japan and England.

Earlier this year, Warm Glow was named one of "Indiana's 50 Companies to Watch" by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, its Small Business Development Centers network, Purdue University and the Edward Lowe Foundation.

Additional Facts:

The Portiuncula Hermitage is committed to tithing all Mystic Monk Coffee Sales to Birthright!

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

Please drop by "At Home Kitchen & Gourmet" at 400 North 10th Street, or you can purchase Mystic Monk Coffee by simply clicking on the Mystic Monk Coffee Icon on the leftt side of this page:

Mystic Monk Coffee At Warm Glow Candles

Warm Glow Candles of Centerville, Indiana will begin selling "Mystic Monk Coffee" through the Portiuncula Hermitage and Retreat Center in their Outlet Store located in Indiana at Exit 145 on I-70 in Indiana.

http://www.warmglow.com/outlet/index.html

When you order Mystic Monk Coffee Through The Portiuncula: the Little Portion, they will automatically donate ten percent of all their Commissions to Birthright (a loving alternative to abortion!)


FAIR TRADE / ORGANIC

Mystic Monk Coffee is pleased to offer the socially conscious consumer a coffee that respects the value of every human life and the right and dignity of every person, especially the unborn. Fair Trade Organic is a decision to act with social justice.

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.


The Portiuncula Hermitage is committed to tithing all Mystic Monk Coffee Sales to Birthright!

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

To order, simply click on the Mystic Monk Coffee Icon on the left side of this page:

Would I Might Wake Saint Francis in You All

VACHEL LINDSEY

Would I might wake Saint Francis in you all,
Brother of birds and trees,
God's Troubadour,
Blinded with weeping for the sad and the poor:
Our wealth undone, all strict Franciscan men,
Come, let us chant the canticle again
Of mother earth and the enduring sun.
God make each soul
The lowly leper's slave:
God make us saints and brave.

It Is For Us To Accept Salvation

Blessed Francis had a deeper veneration for the Nativity of our Lord than for other festivals, and he said, 'Since our Lord has been born for us, it is for us to accept salvation.' He wanted every Christian to rejoice in the Lord on that day, for love of Him Who gave Himself for us, he wished everyone generously provide not on for the poor, but for the beasts and birds as well.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Mirror of Perfection - 114

Consider Yourselves Highly Honored To Beg Alms

In truth I say to you, many nobles and scholars of this world will enter our Order and will consider themselves highly honored to beg alms.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of Perugia - 3

Do Not Be Ashamed To Beg Alms

My dear brothers and sons, do not be ashamed to go begging for alms, for God became poor for our sake in this world. That is why we have chosen the road of genuine poverty in imitation of his example and that of his most holy Mother; this is the inheritance that our Lord Jesus Christ has acquired and left us, to us and to those who, following him, have chosen to live in poverty.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of Perugia - 3

Prayer Against Hunters

MARION DOYLE

Little brown brother of the Umbrian hills,
Childlike and pure, you surely are the one
To hear a plea of pity for the ills
Man visits on all helpless things that run
Or creep and fly beneath the stars and sun.

Guard them, I pray, from human lust and greed-
The beautiful, the saucy and the shy-
And teach mankind to know wild creatures' need
Of confidence when human feet go by;
A heart that almost bursts the walls of flesh,
The frozen terror in a small bright eye,
Are plea enough for their immunity.

The Portiuncula (the Little Portion)

The brothers moved to Saint Mary of the Angels, the Portiuncula; nearby was a little dwelling in which they lived before they received the church itself. The abbot of the monastery of Saint Benedict on Mount Subasio was divinely inspired to offer this sanctuary to Franis; and Francis accepted it very humbly and openly and affectionately commended it to the minister gerneral of the Order and to all the brothers.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of the Three Companions
CHAPTER XIII

A Priest's Vineyard Was Stipped Of Grapes

Blessed Francis was once staying with a poor priest at the church of Saint Fabian near Rieti...and because of their devotion to blessed Francis, the Lord Pope Honorius and many cardianls and other high clergy came to see him almost daily.

Now this church had a small vineyard adjoining the house where blessed Francis was lodged, and nearly all those who visited him passed through the vineyard to the door of the house. And because the grapes were ripe and the place very pleasant, the entire vineyard was stripped and despoiled of its grapes. So the priest began to feel indignant, saying, 'Although it is a small vineyard, I used to make sufficient wine from it for my needs, but this year I have lost the whole crop.'

When blessed Francis heard of this he sent for him, and said, 'Father, do not worry any more, for we cannot do anything about it now. But trust in the Lord, for He is able to repair your loss in full for the sake of me, His little servant...'(at its best, it could produce no more than thirteen measures of wine.)

So the priest kept silence and said no more; and at the time of the vintage he obtained no less than twenty measures of wine.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Mirror of Perfection - 103

Surrounded And Besieged By Devils

Once at the Place of the Portiuncula, when St. Francis was praying devoutly, as was his custom, by divine revelation he saw the whole Place surrounded and besieged by devils, as by a great army. But not one of them was able to enter into the Place because the friars were so holy that the devils could find no one to whom they could gain admittance.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Little Flowers of St. Francis - 23

The Sermon of Francis

HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW

Up soared the lark into the air,
A shaft of song, a wing'ed prayer,
As if a soul, released from pain,
Were flying back to heaven again.

Saint Francis heard; it was to him
An emblem of the Seraphim;
The upward motion of the fire,
The light, the heat, the heart's desire.

Around Assisi's convent gate
The birds, God's poor who cannot wait,
From moor and mere and darksome wood
Came flocking for the dole of food.

"O brother birds," Saint Francis said,
"Ye come to me and ask for bread,
But not with bread alone today
Shall ye be fed and sent away.

"Ye shall be fed, ye happy birds,
With manna of celestial words;
Not mine, though mine they seem to be,
Not mine, though they be spoken through me.

"O doubly are ye bound to praise
The great Creator in your lays;
He giveth you your plumes of down,
Your cromson hoods, your cloaks of brown.

"He giveth you your wings to fly
And breathe a purer air on high,
And careth for you everywhere,
Who for yourselves so little care!"

With flutter of swift wings and songs
Together rose the feathered throngs,
And singing scattered far apart;
Deep peace was in St. Francis' heart.

He knew not if the brotherhood
His homily had understood;
He only knew that to one ear
The meaning of his words was clear.

Excessive Vigils, Fasts, And Corporal Penance

St. Francis reproved his brothers when they were too harsh on themselves, wearing out their strength in excessive vigils, fasts, and corporal penance. Some of them mortified their bodies so severely in order to repress all the natural human impulses that they appeared to be hating themselves. Francis being filled with the wisdom and grace of our Savior, reproached the brothers gently for all the and, using rational arguments, he forbade such excess, binding up their wounds with the bandages of sane precepts and directions.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of the Three Companions - 58

Living For The Benefit Of Mankind And Not For Self

Eventually, St. Francis and his first followers arrieved at the valley of Spoleto, still full of good dispostions, and there they fell to debating whether they should live among the people or seek refusge in solitude. Francis, who was a true servant of Christ, refused to trust in his own opinion or in the suggestions of his companions; instead, he sought to discover God's will by persevering prayer. Then, enlightened by a revelation from heaven, he realized that he was sent by God to win for Christ the souls which the Devil was trying to snatch away. And so he chose to live for the benefit of his fellow men, rather than for himself alone, after the example of Him who was so good as to die for all men.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Bonaventure, Major Life
CHAPTER IV

Go, Repair My House!

Changed now perfvectly in heart and soon to be changed in body too, he (St. Francis) was walking one day near the church of St. Damian, which had nearly fallen to ruin and was abandoned by everyone. Led by the Spirit, he went in and fell down before the crucifix in devout and humble supplication; and smitten by unusual visitations, he found himself other than he had been when he entered. While he was thus affected, something unheard of before happened to him: the image of Christ crucified moved its lips and spoke. Calling him by name it said: "Francis, go, repair my house, which, as you see, is falling completely to ruin."

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, Second Life
CHAPTER VI

Greater Humility An Better Example Is Shown When Preaching In Other Churches

When the friars have received the blessing of the local Bishops, let them go and mark out the boundaries of the land which they have accepted for their house, and as a sign of holy poverty and humility, let them plant a hedge instead of building a wall. Afterwards let them erect simple little huts of clay and wood, and a number of cells where the friars can pray or work from time to time in order to increase their merit and avoid idleness. Their churches are to be small; they are not to build great churches in order to preach to the people, or for any other reason, for they show greater humility and a better example when they visit other churches to preach.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Mirror of Perfection - 10

Warm Glow Candle Outlet Store Selling Mystic Monk Coffee

Warm Glow Candle of Centerville, Indiana is now selling "Mystic Monk Coffee" through the Portiuncula Hermitage and Retreat Center in their Outlet Store located in Indiana at Exit 145 on I-70 in Indiana.

Please remember that when you order Mystic Monk Coffee Through The Portiuncula: the Little Portion, ten percent of their commissions are donated to Birthright (a loving alternative to abortion!)


FAIR TRADE ORGANIC

Mystic Monk Coffee is pleased to offer the socially conscious consumer a coffee that respects the value of every human life and the right and dignity of every person, especially the unborn. Fair Trade Organic is a decision to act with social justice.

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.


The Portiuncula Hermitage is committed to tithing all Mystic Monk Coffee Sales to Birthright!

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

To order, simply click on the Mystic Monk Coffee Icon on the leftt side of this page:

Saint Francis And The Birds

ROY MCFADDEN

Hearing him, the birds came in a crowd,
Wing upon wing, from stone and blade and twig,
From titlted leaf and thorn and lumbered cloud,
Falling from hill, soaring from meadowland,
Wing upon widening wing, until the air
Wrinkled with sound and ran like watery sand
Round the sky's gleaming bowl. Then, like a flower
They swung, hill-blue and tremulous, each wing
A petal palpitating in a shower
Of words, till he beneath felt the stale crust
Of self crinkle and crumble of his words
Assume an independence, pure and cold,
Cageless, immaculate, one with the birds
Fattening their throats in song. Identity
Lost, he stood in swollen ecstasy.

The Healing Of A Leper

St. Francis, knowing by the Holy Ghost, that a leper man was troubled by an evil spirit, went and began to pray devoutly for him.

And having prayed, St. Francis came back to him and said: "Dear son, I want to take care of you, since you are not satisfied with the others."

And the sick man replied: "All right. But what more can you do for me than the others?"

And St. Francis said: "I will do whatever you wnat."

And the leprosy patient said: "I want you to wash me all over, because I smell so bad that I cannot stant it myself."

The St. Francis immediately had water boiled with many sweet-scented herbs. Next, he undressed the man with leprosy and began to wash him with his holy hands, while another friar poured water over him.

And by a divine miracle, wherever St. Francis touched him with his holy hands, the leprosy disappeared, and the flesh remained completely healed.

...And when the man with leprosy saw himself healed externally, he immediately began to have great compunction and remorse for his sins.

...When he was completely washed and healed physically, he was perfectly anointed and healed spiritually.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Little Flowers of St. Francis - 25

The Stigmata: The Seal Of Christ

Francis used to exhort the friars fervently to be faithful to the rule, saying that he had dictated everything as it was revealed to him by God and that nothing he had prescribed came from himself. This was proved by God's own testamony only a short time afterwards when Francis received the stigmata of our Lord Jesus Christ. This was the seal of Christ, the supreme High Priest, with which he gave the rule and its author his divine approval...

Saint Francis of Assisi
Bonaventure, Major Life
CHAPTER IV - 11

Il Cantico del Sole (The Canticle Of Brother Sun)

Gai acqueli ke morrano
ne le peccata mortali!

Beati quelli ke trovarane
le tue santissime voluntati,
ka la morte secunda
nol farra male.

Laudate et benedicite, misignore,
et rengratiate et servaite li
cum grande humilitate.

A Translation:

Woe to those who die in mortal sin!

Happy those She finds doing your will!
The second death can do no harm to them.

Praise and bless my Lord, and give him thanks,
And Serve him with great humility.

Alms Wash The Stains Of Sin From Our Souls

We must be charitable, too, and humble, and give alms, because they wash the stains of sin from our souls. We lose everything which we leave behind us in this world; we can bring with us only the right to a reward for our charity and the alms we have given. For these we shall receive a reward, a just retribution from God.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Letter To All The Faithful

Religious Life In Hermitages

Not more than three or at most four friars should go together to a hermitage to lead a religious life there. Two of these should act as mothers, with the other two, or the other one, as their children. The mothers are to lead the life of Martha; the other two, the life of Mary Magdalen.

(The life of Mary is symbolic of the contemplative life; that of Martha of the active life.)

Saint Fraicis of Assisi
Religious Life In Hermitages

Oldenburg, Indiana "Standing On Holy Grounds" With Mystic Monk Coffee

Mystic Monk Coffee is taking Oldenburg, Indiana by storm by offering A Special "Christmas Blend"

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


FAIR TRADE / ORGANIC

Mystic Monk Coffee is pleased to offer the socially conscious consumer a coffee that respects the value of every human life and the right and dignity of every person, especially the unborn. Fair Trade Organic is a decision to act with social justice.

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.


The Portiuncula Hermitage is committed to tithing ten percent of all Mystic Monk Coffee Commissions to Birthright!

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

To order, simply scroll down and click on the Mystic Monk Coffee Icon on the left side of this page:

Alien

MARY BRENT WHITESIDE

He crouches in the chapel, on his knees,
With matted hair that hangs in dusky strands;
Apart and strange, among the little bands
Of worshipers, for he is not as these.
Alone! and yet a deeper vision sees
That near this alien with his grimy hands,
The Little Poor Man of Assisi stands,
As Giotto painted him upon a friese.

I know one luminous Italian spring!
"Your province? Is it Umbria?" I ask.
The weariness falls from him like a mask,
And all his visage is a shining thing,
As though some dethless master of his race
Inscribed a sudden message on his face.

Give This Poor Man Your Cloak

At the beginning of the Order, when he was living at Rivo Torto with only two friars, a man named Giles, who became the third friar, came to him from the world in order to share his way of life. And when he had remained there for some days, still wearing his secular clothes, a poor man came to the place askings alms of blessed Francis. Turning to Giles, blessed Francis said to him, 'Give this poor man your cloak.' At once Giles gladly removed it from his back and gave it to the poor man. Then it became clear to him that God had imparted a new grace to his heart, since he had given his cloak to the poor man with great cheerfulness.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Mirror of Perfection - 36

We Cannot Glory In What Belongs To God

Above all the graces and gifts of the Holy Spirit which Christ gives to His friends is that of conquering oneself and willingly enduring sufferings, insults, humiliations, and hardships for the love of Christ. For we cannot glory in all those other marvelous gifts of God, as they are not our but God's, as the Apostle says: 'What have you that you have not received?'

Saint Francis of Assisi
Little Flowers of St. Francis - 8

Holy Simplicity

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

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, First Life
CHAPTER XVII - 46

Rebuking A Sad And Gloomy Face

So the Father (Francis) used to censure those who went about with gloomy faces, and once rebuked a friar who appeared with a gloomy face, saying, "Why are you making an outward display of grief and sorrow for your sin? This sorrow is between God and yourself alone. So pray Him in His mercy to pardon you and restore to your soul the joy of His salvation, of which the guilt of your sins has deprived it. Always do your best to be cheerful when you are with me and the other brethren; it is not right for a servant of God to show a sad and gloomy face to his brother or anyone else."

Saint Francis of Assisi
Mirror or Perfection - 96

Criticizing The Poor

When blessed Francis had gone to preach at a house of the friars near Rocca Brizzi, it happened that on the day he was due to preach, a poor, sick man came to him. Full of compassion for him, he began to speak about the man's poverty and sickness to his companion. And his companion said to him, 'Brother, it is true that this man seems poor enough, but it ma be that no one in the whole Province has a greater desire for riches.' He was at once severely rebuked by blessed Francis, and confessed his fault. Then the Father said to him, 'Are you ready to perform your penance that I give you?' 'I will do it willingly,' he replied. And he said to him, 'Go and remove your habit, and throw yourself naked at the poor man's feet, and tell him how you have sinned in speaking ill of him, and ask him to pray for you.' So the friar went and did all that blessed Francis had told him. And the Father said to him, 'Do you want to know how you sinned against him, and against Christ Himself? Whenever you see a poor man, remember Christ in Whose Name he comes, and how He took upon Himself our poverty and weakness.'

Saint Francis of Assisi
Mirror of Perfection - 37

Saint Francis

ALFRED LORD TENNYSON

...Are we devils? Are we men?
Sweet Saint Francis of Assisi,
Would that he were here again,
He who in his Catholic wholeness
Called the very birds and flowers
Brothers, sisters.

Daily Tears Of Contrition

In his present state of weakness, man is incapable of imitating the crucified Lamb of God perfectly and avoiding all the stains of sin. And so Francis taught his friars by his own example that those who are trying to be perfect must cleanse themselves daily with tears of contrition. He had attained extraordinary purityof soul and body, yet he never ceased from purifying his spiritual vision with floods of tears...

Saint Francis of Assisi
Bonaventure, Major Life
CHAPTER V - 8

A Franciscan Prayer

ENID DINNIS

When I am old and tutored by
The grim experience of days;
When I have proved men in their ways,
Oh, do not let the dreamer die.

When I have learned aside to toss
The foolish things that wise men hate,
Lest Littleness should hold me great,
Be mine the folly of the Cross.

When comes detachment's strength to me,
Let mine the weakness be that wept
O'er Lazarus' grave and kept
Three comrades in Gethsemane.

When head bids heart herself forget,
When Reason's lure would love deceive,
May my poor foolish heart achieve
A few life-giving blunders yet.

When I have grown too sane, too sad,
To join the angels' faerie ring
And serve the playtime of the King,
Then, Sweet Francis, make me mad.

The Chapter Of Mats

Once the most faithful servant of Christ, St. Francis, held a General Chapter on the plain at St. Mary of the ngels, where more than five thousand friars gathered together.

In all that throng no one was heard telling stories or jokes, but wherever a group of friars gathered, either they prayed or recited the office, or they wept over their own sins or those of their benefactors, or they talked about the salvation of souls.

And in that camp each group had made tents covered on top and round about with Rushes and Mats; accordingly this Chapter was called the Chapter of Rushes or Mats. They slept on the bare ground or on some straws, and their pillows were stones or pieces of wood.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Little Flowers of St. Francis, 18

Monks Point To The Heart Of Things: Pope Benedict XVI

VATICAN CITY

Benedict XVI says the vocation of monasteries is to point the world toward what is essential in life: seeking Christ and putting nothing before his love.

The Pope affirmed this today when he received in audience representatives of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Their three-day assembly concluded today.

Referring to the theme of the assembly, "Monastic Life and Its Significance in the Church and the World Today," the Holy Father said the theme was "particularly dear," as he took for his Petrine ministry the name of St. Benedict, founder of Western monasticism.

Monasteries, "seeking Christ and fixing their gaze on eternal realities," the Pontiff explained, "become spiritual oases that indicate to humanity the absolute primacy of God, through the continual adoration of this mysterious, but real, divine presence in the world, and the fraternal communion lived in the new commandment of love and mutual service."

Benedict XVI invited cloistered monks to "live the Gospel in a radical way deeply cultivating the spousal union with Christ" in awaiting the "glorious manifestation of the Savior."

If the vocation is thus lived, he continued, "then monasticism can comprise for all forms of religious and consecrated life a remembrance of what is essential and what has primacy in the life of every baptized person: seeking Christ and putting nothing before his love."

The Pope added that monasteries "should be ever more oases of ascetic life," where knowledge of Scripture is cultivated.

"It is from this prayerful listening to the Word," he said, "that silent prayer is raised up in monasteries, which become a testimony for those who are welcomed as if it was Christ himself in these places of peace."

Taking The Holy Habit Of The Order

When people saw the humble and saintly lives of the friars and heard their words of peace and compassion, many spirits were inflamed with love of God and were drawn to do penance, so that with fervor and humility they took the holy habit of the order.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of Perugia - 67

Always Make A Pleasant Flower Garden

St. Francis told the friar who cared for the gardens not to cultivate all the ground for vegetables, but to set side a plot to grow flowers to bloom in their season, out of love for Him Who is called "The Rose on the plain and the Lily on the mountain slopes." Indeed, he told the brother-gardener that he should always make a pleasant flower-garden, and cultivate every variety of fragrant herb and flowering plant, so that all who saw the herbs and flowers would be moved to praise God.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Mirror of Perfection - 118

Mystic Monk Coffee Offering A Special "Christmas Blend"

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


FAIR TRADE / ORGANIC

Mystic Monk Coffee is pleased to offer the socially conscious consumer a coffee that respects the value of every human life and the right and dignity of every person, especially the unborn. Fair Trade Organic is a decision to act with social justice.

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.


The Portiuncula Hermitage is committed to tithing ten percent of all Mystic Monk Coffee Commissions to Birthright!

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

To order, simply scroll down and click on the Mystic Monk Coffee Icon on the left side of this page:

Admonition 22

Blessed that religious who never says anything just for what he can get out of it. He should never be hasty in his words (Proverbs 29:20) or open his heart to everyone, but he should think hard before he speaks. Woe to that religious who does not keep the favours God has given him to himself; people should see them only through his good works, but he wants to tell everybody about them, hoping to get something out of it. In this way he has received his reward, and it does not do his listeners any good.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Admonition XXII

Franciscus Christificatus

FRANCIS THOMPSON

Thief that has leaped Heaven's star-spiked wall!
Christ's exultant bacchanal!
Wine-smears on thy hand and foot
Of the Vine that struck its root
Deep in Virgin soul, and was
Trained against the reared Cross:
Nay, thy very side its stain
Hath, to make it redly plain
How in the wassail quaffed full part
That flown vintager, thy heart.
Christ in blood stamps Himself afresh
On thy Veronical-veil of flesh.

Lovers, looking with amaze on
Each other, would be that they gaze on:
So for man's love God would be
Man, and man for His love He:
What God in Christ, man has in thee.
God gazed on man and grew embodied,
Thou, on Him gazing, turn'st engodded!
But though he held thy brow-spread tent
His little Heaven above Him bent,
Thy scept'ring reed suffices thee,
Which smote Him into sovereignty.

Thou who thoughtest thee too low
For His priest, thou shalt not so
'Scape Him and unpriested go!
In thy hand thou wouldst not hold Him,
In thy flesh thou shalt enfold Him;
Bread wouldst not change into Him...ah see!
How He doth change Himself to thee!

Giving The World A Good Example

At times St. Francis would repeat: "There is a contract between the world and the brothers: the brothers must give the world a good example, and the world must provide for their needs. When they break faith and withdraw their good example, the world will withdraw its hand in just censure."

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, Second Life - 70

Rev. Roy Bourgeois, the Fort Benning protester, faces excommunication by Vatican

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Rev. Roy Bourgeois, the Maryknoll brother who has led protests down at Fort Benning for decades, has let it be known that he stands to be excommunicated by the Vatican for his support of the ordination of women.

Blog for Democracy gets the hat tip. And here’s the article from the National Catholic Reporter.

Bourgeois, now 70, began his protests against the School of the Americas, an Army training school he blamed for human rights abuses in Latin America, in 1989. The institution was closed. In its place, the Pentagon opened the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security and Cooperation in 2001.

Bourgeois has continued his opposition. The last major demonstration occurred two years ago, attracting an estimated 10,000 protesters.

Having Zeal For Prayer And The Divine Office

St. Francis was devout and reverent at prayer and the Divine Office that whenever he was at prayer or reciting the Divine Office he would never lean against a wall or support. He always stood upright and bareheaded, although he sometimes knelt. Indeed, he devoted the greater part of the day and night to prayer, and even when he was travelling around on foot, he would always halt when he wished to say the Hours.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Mirror of Perfection - 94

Bishop Gracida's Reaction to Fr. Newman's Letter "is one of admiration and awe"

Bishop Gracida's Reaction to Fr. Newman's Letter "is one of admiration and awe"

Fr. Newman's comments on those who voted for Obama have drawn some positive & some negative reactions. Basically, I think all Fr. Newman did was remind people of what the Church teaches. It is up to each of us to examine our own conscience. But, when a Bishop actually says to a person that he or she can't & they still try to, then it is time to be sure that Canon Law is upheld.


Bishops React to Priest who Told Obama-Supporting Catholics to Confess before Receiving Communion

By Kathleen Gilbert

GREENVILLE, South Carolina, November 14, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A South Carolina Catholic priest who advised Obama supporters in his flock not to receive Communion before going to confession elicited polarized responses from the Catholic community - ranging from outrage at a misuse of authority to warm praise for championing Church teaching on abortion. Today LifeSiteNews.com spoke with bishops Gracida, Vasa, and Chaput, all known for their outspokenness on political issues, about the priest’s actions.

Following Obama's election, Fr. Jay Scott Newman wrote a letter to parishioners stating, "Voting for a pro-abortion politician when a plausible pro-life alternative exits constitutes material cooperation with intrinsic evil."

Therefore, as Fr. Newman writes, "Persons in this condition should not receive Holy Communion until and unless they are reconciled to God in the Sacrament of Penance, lest they eat and drink their own condemnation."

Fr. Newman, pastor of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Greenville, explained to local news that he will not refuse Communion to individual parishioners, as Church law would require in the case of a pro-abortion Catholic politician or other well-known public figure. Instead the priest is simply exhorting all Catholics who supported Obama's pro-abortion ticket not to approach the altar.

St. Mary's is considered the mother church for upstate South Carolina Roman Catholics, with 7,500 registered members.

“Personally, I think it is valuable to have this discussion in the secular media because, many times, many Catholics don’t go to Mass, and so they come at this issue from a secular viewpoint,” said diocesan spokesman Steve Gajdosik to the Greenville News.

“I think to Father Newman’s credit, he isn’t afraid to tackle tough issues. And sometimes there is a lot of pressure to conform and just be nice and go along.”

Fr. Newman's sentiments aligned with those of Msgr. Martin Laughlin, the diocese's administrator.

"We must not be guided by the so called 'lesser of two evils' or attempt to justify the acceptance of intrinsic evil for some greater good. We may never embrace evil," Msgr. Laughlin had written in an October letter, in which he called abortion "an affront to human dignity."

Archbishop Burke, formerly archbishop of St. Louis, MO and the current Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, had said in an interview just before election day that for a citizen to not "support and vote for the candidate who most supports the inalienable dignity of innocent and defenseless life" is "to participate, in some way, in the culture of death which pervades the life of the nation and has led to so much violence.”

Bishop Emeritus Rene Henry Gracida of Corpus Christi, TX, told LifeSiteNews.com (LSN) his reaction to Fr. Newman's letter "is one of admiration and awe. I find nothing in what he has written that is at variance with the Magisterium of the Church. He is to be congratulated."

Bishop Vasa of Baker, OR told LSN that, while Fr. Newman was correct to say that voting for Obama constitutes a material offense against moral teaching, it would nonetheless be impossible to "to ascertain with any degree of certainty the sinfulness of the action of any particular voter" as many voters may or may not have been aware of Obama’s extreme stance on abortion.

In a further statement, Fr. Newman appears to agree with Bishop Vasa. Newman said his statement on the "enormously complex subject" could be easily distorted when taken out of the context of his fidelity to normative Church doctrine. Within this context, he said, "no one could conclude that a vote for Senator Obama is in itself or by itself a mortal sin.

"But from that same teaching, though, we must conclude that a vote for a pro-abortion candidate can be a mortal sin if the intent is to support abortion, that abortion is not merely one issue among other important issues, and that no Catholic should endorse a pro-abortion politician if a plausible pro-life alternative is available."

Bishop Chaput, one of the most outspoken bishops on political matters, declined to comment on Fr. Newman's letter, stating only that Charleston diocesan administration had authority to speak on the matter.

"Praise God for priests with mettle enough to put what's right and good for their flocks before what is politically expedient," said Jim Sedlack, Vice President of the American Life League. "We pray more men like Fr. Newman will stand up and enforce Canon 915." Canon 915 deals with the subject of the distribution of Communion to those who are obstinately persisting in grave sin.

Numerous U.S. bishops issued a sustained volley of statements throughout the months prior to the presidential election condemning Catholics who supported pro-abortion candidates; these statements often contained thinly veiled references to Obama, considered by many to be poised to become the most pro-abortion president in history.

Prior to his election to the pontificate, Cardinal Ratzinger had written to U.S. bishops saying that Catholics indiscriminately receiving communion without discerning their worthiness "is an abuse that must be corrected," and that voting for a pro-abortion candidate without proportionate reason incurred moral guilt that disqualified a Catholic from receiving communion (See: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/apr/050419a.html).
See related LifeSiteNews.com articles:

Can Catholics Who Vote for Obama Still Receive Communion?http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/jun/08061208.html

Special Report: Worthiness to Receive Holy Communion, General Principles
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/apr/050419a.html

Woe To Those Who Applaud Themselves

Woe to those who applaud themselves for the mere appearance of the religious life; they will grow numb with sloth and they will not be able to resist steadfastly the temptations permitted as a trial for the elect; for only those who have been tried will receive the crown of life, those whom meanwhile the malice of the wicked has put to the test.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, Second Life
CHAPTER CXVI - 157

Lead By Example And Not By Fear

If through my exhortations and my example I can neither surpress nor correct the brothers, I do not wish to become an executioner who punishes and flogs, as the worldly leaders do.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of Perugia - 76

Oldenburg Sisters: Daughters And Handmaids Of The Most High King

Since by divine inspiration you have made yourselves daughters and handmaids of the Most High King, the Father of Heaven, and have embraced the Holy Spirit as your spouce, choosing to live according to the perfection of the Holy Gospel, I resolve and promise that personally and through my brothers I will always have the same special care and solicitude for you as I have for them.

Saint Clare of Assisi
Rule of St. Clare
CHAPTER VI

St. Clare's Image In The Mirror: To My Sisters In Oldenburg

Because the vision of Christ is the splendor of eternal glory, the radiance of eternal light and the mirror without stain, look upon that mirror each day, O queen and spouce of Jesus Christ, and continually study your countenance within it, so that you may clothe yourself inside and out with beautiful robes to cover yourself with the flowers and garments of all the virtues, as becomes the daughter and most chaste bride of the Most High King. Indeed, blessed poverty, holy humility, and ineffable charity are reflected in that mirror, and, with the grace of God, you can contemplate them throughout the entire mirror.

Saint Clare of Assisi
Fourth Letter of St. Clare to Blessed Agens of Prague, 14-19

The Village Store in Oldenburg, Indiana Partners With Mystic Monk Coffee And Birthright

The Village Store in Oldenburg, Indiana is now selling "Mystic Monk Coffee" through the Portiuncula Hermitage and Retreat Center. Please remember that when you order Mystic Monk Coffee Through The Portiuncula Hermitage/Retreat Center, ten percent of their Commissions go directly to Birthright (a loving alternative to abortion!)

Drop by and say "Hi!" to Jeff Paul and tell him that Doug and Sarah Pulskamp sent you to get some of his great Mystic Monk Coffee!

FAIR TRADE / ORGANIC

Mystic Monk Coffee is pleased to offer the socially conscious consumer a coffee that respects the value of every human life and the right and dignity of every person, especially the unborn. Fair Trade Organic is a decision to act with social justice.

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.


The Portiuncula Hermitage is committed to tithing 10% of their Commissions of Mystic Monk Coffee Sales to Birthright!

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

To order, simply click on the Mystic Monk Coffee Icon on the left side of this page:

US Catholic Bishops Warn Obama on Abortion

WASHINGTON (AFP) — US Roman Catholic bishops on Wednesday warned president-elect Barack Obama against enacting an "evil law" that would deregulate the "abortion industry", saying it would alienate millions of Americans and sow disunity.

"In the last Congress, a Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) was introduced that would, if brought forward in the same form today, outlaw any 'interference' in providing abortion at will," the bishops said in a statement issued at an annual meeting in Baltimore.

"It would deprive the American people in all 50 states of the freedom to enact modest restraints and regulations on the abortion industry," they statement said.

It would also "coerce all Americans into subsidizing and promoting abortion with their tax dollars" and "counteract sincere efforts to reduce the number of abortions in our country," they said.

Condemning abortion as "a medical procedure that kills", the bishops warned that if FOCA is passed, "the unity desired by president-elect Obama and all Americans at this moment of crisis will be impossible to achieve."

"Aggressively pro-abortion policies, legislation and executive orders will permanently alienate tens of millions of Americans," the statement warned.

A 1973 Supreme Court decision known as Roe versus Wade legalized abortion on the basis that a woman has a right to privacy under the 14th Amendment to the US constitution.

According to a survey conducted in May by Gallup, roughly 50 percent of Americans are pro-choice -- for abortion rights -- and around 40 percent are pro-life -- opposed to abortion rights.

During the contest for the Democratic Party's nomination, Obama said it was "important to protect a woman's right to choose".

And in the closing weeks of the race for the White House, in which abortion took a back seat to issues like the souring economy and the war in Iraq, the Obama campaign ran ads in swing states highlighting the opposition to abortion of the Republican Party presidential ticket of John McCain and the openly pro-life Sarah Palin.

Intoxicated By Love And Compassion For Christ

Intoxicated by love and compassion for Christ, blessed Francis sometimes used to act in ways like these. For the sweetest of spiritual melodies would often well up within him and found expression in French melodies, and the murmors of God's voice, heard by him alone, would joyfully pour forth in the French tongue.

Sometimes he would pick up a stick from the ground, and laying it on his left arm, he would draw another stick across it with his right hand like a bow, as though he were playing a viol or some other instrument; and he would imitate the movements of a musician and sing in French of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But all his jollity would end in tears, and his joy would melt away in compassion for the sufferings of Christ. And at such times he would break into constant sighs, and in his grief would forget what he was holding in his hands, and be caught up in spirit into heaven.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Mirror of Perfection - 93

My God And My All!

Looking up to Heaven and raising his hands, St. Francis prayed with intense fervor and devotion, saying: "My God and my all!" And he sobbed out these words with so many tears and kept repeating them with such devout persistence that until matins he said nothing but "My God and my all!"

Saint Francis of Assisi
Little Flowers of St. Francis - 2

The Village Store in Oldenburg, Indiana Partners With Mystic Monk Coffee

The Village IGA in Oldenburg, Indiana is now selling "Mystic Monk Coffee" through the Portiuncula Hermitage and Retreat Center. Drop by and say "Hi!" to Jeff Paul and tell him that Doug and Sarah Pulskamp sent you to get some of his great Mystic Monk Coffee!


Please remember that when you order Mystic Monk Coffee Through The Portiuncula Hermitage/Retreat Center, ten percent of their Commissions go to Birthright (a loving alternative to abortion!)


FAIR TRADE ORGANIC

Mystic Monk Coffee is pleased to offer the socially conscious consumer a coffee that respects the value of every human life and the right and dignity of every person, especially the unborn. Fair Trade Organic is a decision to act with social justice.

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.


The Portiuncula Hermitage is committed to tithing 10% of their Commissions of Mystic Monk Coffee Sales to Birthright!

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

To order, simply click on the Mystic Monk Coffee Icon on the left side of this page:

Fear To Look Upon The Bride Of Christ

Once, when St. Francis was going to Bevagna, he refreshed a mother and her virgin daughter (who was vowed to God) with the word of God. But while he preached to them, he did not look at either of them in the face. When they departed, his companion said to Francis: "Why, Brother, did you not look at the holy virgin who came with such great devotion?" The father answered: "Who must not fear to look upon the bride of Christ? But when a sermon is preached with the eyes and the face she looks at me, but not I at her."

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, Secon Life
CHAPTER LXXX - 114

Humility Befitting The Brothers

In that love which is God, I entreat all my friars, whether they are given to preaching, praying, or manual labor, to do their best to humble themselves at every opportunity; not to boast or be self-satisfied, or take pride in any good which God says or aqccomplishes in them or by them; as our Lord himself put it, "Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you" (Luke 10:20).

Saint Francis of Assisi
Rule of 1221
CHAPTER XVII

Come Holy Spirit, Let The Fire Fall

And while St. Francis, St. Clare, and their companions were sitting at St. Mary of the Angels, in a rapture, with their eyes and hands raised to Heaven, it seemed to the men of Assisi and Bettona and the entire district that the Church of St. Mary of the Angels and the whole Place and the forest which was at that time around the Place were all aflame and that an immense fire was burning over all of them. Consequently the men of Assisi ran down there in great haste to save the Place and put out the fire, as they firmly believed that everything was burning up.

But when they reached the Place, they saw nothing was on fire. Entering the Place, they found St. Francis with St. Clare and all the companions sitting around that very humble table, rapt in God by contemplation and invested with power from on high.

Mystic Monk Coffee, The Portiuncula, And Birthright

Mystic Monk Coffee: Order Through The Portiuncula and Donate To Birthright

Order Mystic Monk Coffee Through The Portiuncula: the Little Portion and Donate to Birthright!


FAIR TRADE / ORGANIC

Mystic Monk Coffee is pleased to offer the socially conscious consumer a coffee that respects the value of every human life and the right and dignity of every person, especially the unborn. Fair Trade Organic is a decision to act with social justice.

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.


The Portiuncula Hermitage is committed to giving ten percent of their Mystic Monk Coffee Commissions to Birthright!

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

To order, simply scroll down and click on the Mystic Monk Coffee Icon on the left side of this page:

Prayer Novena For Barack Obama's Conversion

My wife attended a Pro-Life dinner this evening. One of the speakers requested that every Christian pray every day for the conversion of Barack Obama so that he becomes Pro-Life. Can you imagine the repurcussions of such a magnificent change of heart?

We are asking that all children pray a simple "Hail Mary" every single day for the President's conversion and that all adults pray the following daily prayer Novena:

Our Lady Of The Holy Rosary Prayer

My dearest mother Mary, behold me, your child, in prayer at your feet. Accept this Holy Rosary, which I offer you in accordance with your request at Fatima, as a proof of my tender love for you, for the intentions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in atonement for the offenses committed against your Immaculate Heart, and for the conversion of Barack Obama to become a staunch Pro-Life advocate.

I beg you to present my petition to your Divine Son. If you will pray for me, I cannot be refused. I know, dearest Mother, that you want me to seek God's holy Will concerning my request. If what I ask for should not be granted, pray that I may receive that which will be of greater benefit to my soul.

I offer you this spiritual "Bouquet of Roses" because I love you. I put all my confidence in you, since your prayers before God are most powerful. For the greater glory of God and for the sake of Jesus, your loving Son, hear and grant my prayer. Sweet heart of Mary, be my salvation.

When We Think, Speak , And Do Holy Things

Once when St. Francis was staying in a cell at Siena, he called his sleeping companions one night, saying: "I have asked the Lord, brothers, to deign to show me when I am a servant. And the most kind Lord just now deigned to give me this reply: 'Know that you are then truly my servant when you think, speak, and do holy things.' Therefore have I called you, brothers, because I wish to be filled with shame before you if at any time I do nothing of these three things."

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, Second Life
CHAPTER CXVIII - 159

For Those Who Serve God, Money Is The Devil

"For those who serve God, my brother, money is the Devil, a poisonous snake!"

Saint Francis of Assisi
Bonaventure, Major Life
CHAPTER VII - 6

Pope Gregory IX: The Father Of The Whole World

When blessed Francis saw the faith and love of the Lord Bishop of Ostia for the friars, he was drawn still closer to him in the bond of affection. By a divine revelation blessed Francis knew that the Bishop would become Pope, and in his letters he always addressed him: "To the venerable Bishop in Christ, the father of the whole world." This prophesy was verified shortly afterwards, for on the death of Pope Honorius III, the Lord Bishop of Ostia was elected sovereign Pontiff under the name of Gregory IX. From that day on he was the great benefactor and defender of the friars and of other religious, and above all Christ's poor, for which reason he is believed to be a saint.

Lay Franciscans of Richmond November Meeting

The Richmond Lay Franciscans of the Sisters of St. Francis Oldenburg, Indiana will meet on Saturday, November 8, at 11:30 A.M. in the Fr. Minton Room at Seton West School (Holy Family Church).

Everyone is welcome!

Please plan on attending...

Be Not Disturbed By Any Injury Or Insult

While in Balogna, a certain learned doctor of laws, seeing and reflecting on Brother Bernard's constancy and virtue in not being at all disturbed by any injury or insult for many days, said to himself: "That man certainly must be a saint." And going up to Brother Bernard he asked him: "Who are you, and why have you come here?"

As his reply, Brother Bernard put his hand in his bosom and brought out the Rule of St. Francis, which he bore in his heart and practiced in his deeds, and gave it to him to read.

And when the judge had read it through, reflecting on its lofty state of perfection, he was utterly amazed, for he was an intelligent man. And turning to his companions, he said with the greatest surprise and admiration: "This certainly is the highest form of religious life I have ever heard of! And therefore this man and his companions are some of the holiest men in the world. So those who insult him are committing a very great sin, for he should be given the highest honors rather than insults, as he is a great and true friend of God!"

Saint Francis of Assisi
Little Flowers of St. Francis - 5

Mystic Monk Coffee: A Perfect Gift For The Holiday Season!

Happy Autumn!

As the holiday season approaches and your attention turns to family and friends, please prayerfully consider our great products and gift ideas for your holiday entertaining and gift giving. Order early and avoid the last minute rush. Check out our great Featured Products below or visit our website:

Simply scroll down and click on the "Mystic Monk Coffee" Icon on the left side of this page for all our fresh-roasted gourmet coffees.

What better way to say, "I love you!" than by allowing them to listen to their very own "Mystical Chants of Carmel" CD over a delicious pot of "Mystic Monk Coffee!"

Send a "Mystic Monk Coffee Holiday Gift Basket" and have it delivered right to their front door!

Please remember that the Portiuncula Franciscan Hermitage and Retreat Center is tithing all sales to Birthright (a loving alternative to abortion.)

Kindly remember to keep our precious pre-born in your prayers.

Who Or What Is The Leper In Your Life?

"So greatly loathsome was the sight of lepers to Blessed Francis at one time, he used to say that in the days of his vanity, he would look at their houses only from a distance of two miles and he would hold his nostrils with his hands. But now, when by the grace and power of the Most High he was beginning to think of holy and useful things, while he was still clad in secular garments, he met a leper one day and, made stronger than himself, he kissed him."

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, First Life
CHAPTER VII - 17

Note: From that time on, the fear St. Francis once had of lepers was ripped from his heart. What is it in your life that is your greatest fear? By facing it (indeed embracing it and kissing it) God will rip that fear from your heart as well...

Encouraging Others By Our Good Example

Saint Francis used to say that we should feel sorry for a preacher who sought his own glory in his work and not the good of his listeners, or who destroyed by the example of his bad life what he had accomplished by his teaching. Such a man was devoid of any true religious spirit. He maintained that an ordinary friar with no claim to eloquence was in a better position because he encouraged others to do good by his good example.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Bonavtnture, Major Life
CHAPTER VII - 13

Seeking Praise

Those who want to be praised rather as rhetoricians than as preachers, speaking as they do with elegance rather than with sincerity, Francis did not greatly love. These, he said, divide wickedly who spend All their time at preaching and none at devotion.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, Second Life
CHAPTER CXXIII - 164

The Canticle of Brother Sun

Most high, all-powerful, all good, Lord!
All praise is yours, all glory, all honor
And all blessing.

To you alone, Most High, do they belong.
No mortal lips areworthy
To pronounce your name.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through all that
you have made,
And first my lord Brother Sun,
Who brings the day; and light you give us
through him.

How beautiful is he, how radiant in all his
splendor!
Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Moon
and Stars;
In the heavens you have made them, bright
And precious and fair.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through Brothers
Wind and Air,
And fair and stormy, all the weather's moods,
By which you cherish all that you have made.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Water,
So useful, lowly, precious, and pure.

Allpraise be yours, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
Through whom you brighten up the night.
How beautiful he is, how gay! Full of power
and strength.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Earth,
our mother,
Who feeds us in her sovereignty and produces
Various fruits and colored flowersand herbs.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through those who
grant pardon
For love of you; through those who endure
Sickness and trial.

Happy those who endure in peace,
By you, Most High, they will be crowned.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Death,
From whose embrace no mortal can escape.

Woe to those who die in mortal sin!

Happy those She finds doing your will!
The second death can to no harm to them.

Praise and bless my Lord, and give him thanks,
And serve him with great humility.

Brother Ass and Saint Francis

JOHN BANISTER TABB


It came to pass
That "Brother Ass"
(As he his Body named,)
Unto the Saint
Thus made complaint:
"I am unjustly blamed.


"Whate'er I do,
Like Balaam you
Requite me with a blow,
As for offence
To recompense
An ignominious foe.


"God made us one,
And I have done
No wickedness alone;
Nor can I do
Apart, as you,
An evil all my own.


"If Passion stir,
'Tis you that spur
My frenzy to the goal:
Then be the blame
Where sits the shame,
Upon the goading soul.


"Should one or both
Be blind or loth
Our brotherhood to see,
Remember this,
You needs must miss
Or enter heaven through me."


To this complaint
The lowly saint
In tears replied, "Alas,
If so it be,
God punish me
And bless thee, Brother Ass."

We, Wretched Creatures, Enjoy So Many Luxuries!

When the Lord Bishop of Ostia, who later became Pope Gregory IX, attended the Chapter of the friars at Saint Mary of the Portiuncula, he entered the house with many knights and clergy to see the friars' dormitory. And seeing how the friars lay on the ground and had nothing beneath them but a little straw, and a few poor broken-down pallets, and no pillows, he began to weep freely before them all saying, 'Look how the friars sleep here! But we, wretched creatures, enjoy so many luxuries! What will become of us?' So he and all the others were much edified. He did not even find a table in the place, because the friars used to eat on the ground; for as long as blessed Francis lived, all the friars in that house used to eat on the ground.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Mirror of Perfection - 21

Lodola Capellata : The Hooded Lark

Above all birds St. Francis loved the little lark, known in the language of the country as lodola capellata (the hooded lark). He used to say of it, "Sister lark has a hood like a Religious and is a humble bird, for she walks contentedly along the road to find grain, and even if she finds it among rubbish, she pecks it out and eats it. As she flies she praises God very sweetly, like good Religious who despise earthly things, whose minds are set on the things of heaven, and whose constant purpose is to praise God. Her plumage resembles the earth, and she sets an example to Religious not to wear fine and gaudy clothing, but cloth of a humble price and colour, just as earth is inferior to the other elements.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Mirror of Perfection - 113

Mystic Monk Coffee At Warm Glow Candle

Warm Glow Candle of Centerville, Indiana will begin selling "Mystic Monk Coffee" through the Portiuncula Hermitage and Retreat Center in their Outlet Store located in Indiana at Exit 145 on I-70 in Indiana.

http://www.warmglow.com/outlet/index.html

Please remember that when you order Mystic Monk Coffee Through The Portiuncula: the Little Portion, you will automatically be donating to Birthright (a loving alternative to abortion!)


FAIR TRADE ORGANIC

Mystic Monk Coffee is pleased to offer the socially conscious consumer a coffee that respects the value of every human life and the right and dignity of every person, especially the unborn. Fair Trade Organic is a decision to act with social justice.

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.


The Portiuncula Hermitage is committed to tithing all Mystic Monk Coffee Sales to Birthright!

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

To order, simply click on the Mystic Monk Coffee Icon on the left side of this page:

Showing Humble Reverence For Priests

Whenever the followers of St. Francis came to a priest, rich or poor, good or bad, they bowed humbly before him; and when it was time to seek shelter for the night they preferred to lodge with priests sooner than with layfolk. If, however, the priest could not offer them hospitality, they sought out the houses of Godfearing, spiritual men.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of the Three Companions
CHAPTER XIV - 60

Words Like Burning Fire, Penetrating The Heart

St. Francis began to preach penance to all with great fervor of spirit and joy of mind, edifying his hearers with his simple words and his greatness of heart. His words were like burning fire, penetrating the inmost reaches of the heart, and it filled the minds of all the hearers with admiration.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, First Life
CHAPTER X - 23

Never Judge Those Who Live In Luxury

Blessed Francis warned his brothers never to judge or criticize those who live in luxury, eat fastidiously, and indulge in superflous and splendid clothes. God, he said, is their Lord and ours; he has the power to call them to himself and to justify them.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of Perugia - 58

All Of Heaven Rejoices Over The Example Of Your Holiness

Over your conversion, dearest Brothers, all the citizens of heaven have rejoiced with great joy and have sung new songs before the eternal King...The apostles rejoice to see their own life renewed, their teaching preached, and examples given by your outstanding holiness. The martyrs are happy in the expectation that their own constancy in pouring forth their sacred blood will be renewed. The confessors dance with joy, knowing that their frequent triumphs over the enemy will be renewed in you. The virgins rejoice, following the Lamb wherever he goes, for they know that their number is daily increased through you.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Sacrum Commercium
CHAPTER III - 68

We Seem To Think

by PETER MAURIN

Saint Francis thought
that to choose the poor
is just as good
as if one should marry
the most beautiful girl in the world.
We seem to think
that poor people
are social nuisances
and not the Ambassadors of God.
We seem to think
that Lady Poverty
is an ugly girl
and not the beautiful girl
that Saint Francis of Assisi
says she is.
And because we think so,
we refuse to feed the poor
with our superflous goods
and let the politicians
feed the poor
by going around
like pickpockets,
robbing Peter
to pay Paul,
and feeding the poor
by soaking the rich.

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Fr. Frank Pavone to Pro-Choice (Abortion) Candidates:

October 27, 2008

Dear brothers and sisters,

In these days you are seeking the votes of your fellow Americans for public office. At the same time, you take the position that abortion, however regrettable it may be, should remain legal.

I write to express the convictions of tens of millions of citizens. Your position is a blatant contradiction to the very meaning of public service, the first requirement of which is to be able to tell the difference between serving the public and killing the public!

We ask, first of all, Have you ever seen an abortion? So many who defend abortion’s legality cannot even bring themselves to look at the horrifying pictures of children torn apart by the procedure (www.unborn.info). But if we cannot look at it, why should we tolerate it?

We likewise ask, Are you willing to publicly describe what you think should be legal? Abortionist Dr. Martin Haskell, in sworn testimony, described the “D and E” abortion procedure, still legal throughout our nation, by saying, “Typically the skull is brought out in fragments rather than as a unified piece…" (Madison, WI, May 27, 1999, Case No. 98-C-0305-S). In the same case, abortionist Dr. Hylan Raymond Giles, when asked, “Can the heart of a fetus or embryo still be beating during a suction curettage abortion as the fetus or embryo comes down the cannula?” answered, “For a few seconds to a minute, yes.”
When you say the word “abortion,” is this what you mean? When you say it should be legal, are you willing to quote those who explain what it is?

Your position is undermining the fabric of our nation. We repeat to you again the question posed by Mother Teresa in her speech at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC on February 3, 1994. “And if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another?"

We have not yet heard a “pro-choice” candidate answer any of these questions.
That’s why people cannot vote for you, and you shouldn’t be asking for their vote. If you can’t respect and protect the life of a little baby, how are you supposed to respect and protect our lives, or any other right we possess?

When you ask someone for your vote, you are actually asking them to share in your failure to protect these children. You’re asking them to share in the deception by which you justify that failure. You’re asking them, too, to contradict the meaning of public service. They are not morally permitted to say yes to what you are asking.

We in the pro-life movement do not need any reminders about the plight of young mothers. We serve them every day, providing real alternatives to abortion.

Nor do we accept the accusation that we are narrowly focused on a “single issue.” We are not ashamed of the fact that we recognize a holocaust when we see one, and that we understand the foundation, heart, and core of our concern for all the other issues – life itself.

We’re not a vote for you to court or an interest group for you to appease. Rather, our movement represents the heart and core of every movement for justice. That is why, whether you end up elected to public office or not, we will be there – in the halls of government, in the media, and on the streets of every city, town, and countryside across America – pressing the cause of justice for a group of human beings whose rights you have forgotten.
We will neither cease to remind you, nor will we wait for you to remember. Our cause is as great as America itself, and it will prevail. May you have the wisdom to join us.

Sincerely,

Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life

Secret Wisdom Is Called A Ladder

A thief climbs a ladder to break into the vault where treasures are stored. The soul, too, ascends the secret contemplation to plunder the riches of heaven.

St. John of the Cross

il Cantico del Sole (The Canticle of Brother Sun)

Laudato si, misignore, per quelli ke perdanano
per lo tuo amore
et sostengo infirmitata
et tribulatione.

A Translation:

All praise be yours, my Lord, through those who
Grant pardon
For love of you; through those who endure
Sickness and trial.