The Canticle of Brother Sun

Altissimu, omnipontente, bonsignore,
tue sono le laude
la gloria elhonore
et omne benedictione.

Ad te solo, Altissimo, se Kofano
et nullu homo enne dignu
te mentovare.

A Translation:

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 are worthy
To pronounce your name.

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.

La preghiera di San Francesco di Assisi

Altissimu, onnipotente bon Signore,

Tue so' le laude, la gloria e l'honore et onne benedictione.

Ad Te solo, Altissimo, se konfano,
et nullu homo ène dignu te mentovare.

Laudato sie, mi' Signore cum tucte le Tue creature,
spetialmente messor lo frate Sole,
lo qual è iorno, et allumini noi per lui.
Et ellu è bellu e radiante cum grande splendore:
de Te, Altissimo, porta significatione.

Laudato si', mi Signore, per sora Luna e le stelle:
in celu l'ài formate clarite et pretiose et belle.

Laudato si', mi' Signore, per frate Vento
et per aere et nubilo et sereno et onne tempo,
per lo quale, a le Tue creature dài sustentamento.

Laudato si', mi Signore, per sor'Acqua.
la quale è multo utile et humile et pretiosa et casta.

Laudato si', mi Signore, per frate Focu,
per lo quale ennallumini la nocte:
ed ello è bello et iocundo et robustoso et forte.

Laudato si', mi Signore, per sora nostra matre Terra,
la quale ne sustenta et governa,
et produce diversi fructi con coloriti fior et herba.

Laudato si', mi Signore, per quelli che perdonano per lo Tuo amore
et sostengono infrmitate et tribulatione.

Beati quelli ke 'l sosterranno in pace,
ka da Te, Altissimo, sirano incoronati.

Laudato s' mi Signore, per sora nostra Morte corporale,
da la quale nullu homo vivente pò skappare:
guai a quelli ke morrano ne le peccata mortali;
beati quelli ke trovarà ne le Tue sanctissime voluntati,
ka la morte secunda no 'l farrà male.

Laudate et benedicete mi Signore et rengratiate
e serviateli cum grande humilitate.

Il Cantico delle Creature

Angelo Branduardi

CLICK TO PLAY:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYdepwbwbeY&feature=email

Pace Et Bene!    Everyone!

Alms Are An Inheritance From God

If people insult you and refuse to give you alms, you should thank God for it, because you will be honoured before the judgment seat of our Lord Jesus Christ for these insults. The shame will be imputed to those who cause it, not to you 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
Rule of 1221
Chapter 9

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 tilted leaf and thorn and lumbering 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.

St. Francis And The Sister Swallows

It happened once when St. Francis was preaching in Alviano that he could not be heard because of the chattering of a flock of swallows building their nests there. So St. Francis said to the birds:

"My Sister Swallows, you have had your say. It is now my turn to speak. Be quiet now and listen to the word of the Lord."

Then to the astonishment of the people standing about, the little birds fell silent and did not move until St. Francis finished preaching.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano - First Life

Of The Bird That Rested In Francis' Hands

When the blessed Francis was going across the lake of Rieti to the hermitage of Greccio, he was sitting in a certain little boat. A certain fisherman offered him a waterfowl, that he might rejoice over it in the Lord. The blessed father accepted it joyfully, and opening his hands, he gently told it it was free to fly away. But when it did not wish to leave, but wanted to rest there in his hands as in a nest, the saint raised his eyes and remained in prayer. And returning to himself as from another place after a long while, he gently commanded the bird to go back to its former freedom. So, upon receiving this permission along with a blessing, the bird flew away, showing its joy by a certain movement of the body.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, Second Life
CHAPTER CXXVI

Thank you! St. Nicholas Parish Sunman, Indiana

With heartfelt gratitude I would like to send out a special "Thank you!" to Father Gregory Bramlage and to all his faithful, Spirit-filled Parishoners at St. Nicholas Parish in Sunman, Indiana. You certainly made my visit with you today absolutely fantastic! And the Monks of Wyoming thank you as well!

I will be offering special prayers for the youth of your Parish... and especially for those who plan on attending the Franciscan University of Steubenville Youth Conference this summer, "Go, Stubie!"

Pax Et Bonum!

U.S. Bishops: Reiki Is Dangerous, Superstitious

- In a document released March 25, the Committee on Doctrine of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops blasted Reiki, a practice developed in Japan in the late nineteenth century that has gained acceptance in some Catholic retreat centers and other institutions.

After distinguishing between natural medicine and supernatural healing effected by Christ, the bishops conclude:

Reiki therapy finds no support either in the findings of natural science or in Christian belief. For a Catholic to believe in Reiki therapy presents insoluble problems. In terms of caring for one's physical health or the physical health of others, to employ a technique that has no scientific support (or even plausibility) is generally not prudent.

In terms of caring for one's spiritual health, there are important dangers. To use Reiki one would have to accept at least in an implicit way central elements of the worldview that undergirds Reiki theory, elements that belong neither to Christian faith nor to natural science.

Without justification either from Christian faith or natural science, however, a Catholic who puts his or her trust in Reiki would be operating in the realm of superstition, the no-man's-land that is neither faith nor science. Superstition corrupts one's worship of God by turning one's religious feeling and practice in a false direction. While sometimes people fall into superstition through ignorance, it is the responsibility of all who teach in the name of the Church to eliminate such ignorance as much as possible.

Since Reiki therapy is not compatible with either Christian teaching or scientific evidence, it would be inappropriate for Catholic institutions, such as Catholic health care facilities and retreat centers, or persons representing the Church, such as Catholic chaplains, to promote or to provide support for Reiki therapy. The bishops add, “Some forms of Reiki teach of a need to appeal for the assistance of angelic beings or ‘Reiki spirit guides.’ This introduces the further danger of exposure to malevolent forces or powers.”

Not Concentrating On The Melody Of The Chant

And so I beseech the Minister General, my superior, to see that the Rule is observed inviolably by all, and that the clerics say the Office devoutly, not concentrating on the melody of the chant, but being careful that their words may in harmony with their hearts and and their hearts with God.

Saint Francis of Assisi
LETTER TO A GENERAL CHAPTER

We Must Act Rather Than Teach

The friars under obedience are much edified when their Ministers and preachers gladly devote their time to prayer, and apply themselves to humble and undistinguished tasks. Unless they do this they cannot admonish other friars without embarrassment, injustice, and self-condemnation; for if we follow Christ's example, we must act rather than teach, and our acting and teaching must go together.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Mirror of Perfection - 73

Becoming Like A Vessel That Is Destroyed

St. Francis was honored by all and extolled by all, with praiseworthy judgment; and he alone considered himself the most vile among men, he alone despised himself most severely. For often, when he was honored by all, he suffered the deepest sorrow; and rejecting the favor of men, he would see to it that he would be rebuked by someone.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, First Life
CHAPTER XIX

The Friars Are Chosen And Sent By God For The Salvation Of All

When he arrived in Florence, blessed Francis found there the Lord Ugolino, Bishop of Ostia, who later became Pope Gregory. The Cardinal asked Francis, "Why have you sent your friars to such distant places to die of hunger and undergo hardships?" Moved by the spirit of prophesy, blessed Francis replied with deep fervor, "My Lord, do you imagine that God has raised up the friars solely for the benefit of these Provinces? I solemly assure you that God has chosen and sent the friars for the benefit and salvation of the souls of all men in this world. They will be welcomed not only in countries of the faithful, but in those of unbelievers as well, and they will win many souls."

Saint Francis of Assisi
Mirror of Perfection - 65

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

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 meticoulosly 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 Left Side of this page:

Man's Senses Are More Prone To Evil

Take care lest, when the dung of worthlessness has been placed at your roots, you be found sterile, for then there will remain nothing but that the axe be put to you. Do not trust entirely the spirit that is in now in you, for man's senses are more prone to evil than to good, even though it may have been considerably separated from it.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Sacrum Commercium - 54

When You See A Beggar

"When you see a beggar, you are looking at an image of our Lord and his poor Mother. When you see a sick person, remember the infirmities he bore for us."

Saint Francis of Assisi
Bonaventure, Major Life
CHAPTER VIII

The Rule Of St. Francis

Because patience is a work of perfection and a proof of virtue, a certain 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 so 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 that 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

Simplicity

In those parts of the world where they were unknown and despised they were often insulted, but they were so meek in their devotion to Christ's Gospel that they preferred to remain where they had to endure physical persecution, rather than return where their holiness was recognized and they might become proud of the honor shown them.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Bonaventure, Major Life
CHAPTER IV

Offer No Resistence To Injury

The friars should not offer resistence to injury; if a man strikes them on the right cheek, they should turn the other cheek also towards him (Matthew 9:3). If a man take away their cloak, they should no grudge him their along with it.

Saint Francis of Assisi
The Rule of 1221
Chapter 14

Working In Harmony With The Clergy

St. Francis spoke thus because the harvest of souls which the friars desire to gather is more readily obtained by working in harmony with the clergy, thereby helping both them and the people, than by antagonizing them, even though they may win the people.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Mirror of Perfection - 10

Woe To Those Who Despise Priests

Blessed is that servant of God who has confidence in priests who live according to the laws of the holy Roman Church. Woe to those who despise them.

Saint Francis of Assisi
THE ADMONITIONS
Admonition XXVI

There Is No Place For "Class Warfare"

I warn all the friars and exhort them not to condemn or look down on people whom they see wearing soft or gaudy clothes and enjoying luxuries in food or drink; each one should rather condemn and despise himself.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Rule of 1223
Chapter 3

Portiuncula Chapel At Franciscan University of Steubenville Designated By Vatican

STEUBENVILLE - The tiny Portiuncula Chapel at Franciscan University of Steubenville has been designated by the Vatican as a place where the faithful can receive a plenary indulgence - an elimination of the temporal punishment due to sin.

The special designation comes in the form of a decree recently issued by the Vatican office of the Apostolic Penitentiary.

The Rev. Terence Henry, T.O.R., university president, called the announcement "an extraordinarily gracious act by the Holy See that will provide an abundant outpouring of God's mercy on the thousands of people who visit the Portiuncula Chapel every year."

The decree holds special significance because of its reference to the pro-life movement and because it is not limited to a single day in the year, as is the case with many plenary indulgences.

According to the decree, the indulgence may be obtained at any of five times during the year: Aug. 2, the feast of Our Lady of the Angels of the Portiuncula; Oct. 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi; Jan. 22, the dedication of the Tomb of the Unborn Child located next to the Portiuncula; and on any day during the year of a person's choosing or while completing a "holy pilgrimage" to the Portiuncula with a group.

The plenary indulgence decree was issued by the Office of the Apostolic Penitentiary, which is under the direction of James Francis Cardinal Stafford, the former archbishop of Denver. The request for the decree came through the office of Bishop R. Daniel Conlon of the Diocese of Steubenville in recognition of the Portiuncula's history as a beloved place of prayer and eucharistic adoration.

Completed in 1987, the Portiuncula, or "Port" as it is called by students, is a replica of one of the first churches near Assisi that St. Francis repaired after Jesus commissioned him to "Go, rebuild my Church." During academic semesters, many students go to the Portiuncula for eucharistic adoration, which is offered 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The Vatican decree went into effect on Feb. 11 and will remain in effect for seven years.

Conlon officially will promulgate the decree April 24 at the Portiuncula Chapel.

"We are excited that residents in the Ohio Valley can receive this indulgence without traveling far," said Henry.

"We know our students, faculty, staff, the thousands of visitors who come here each summer for retreats and conferences, our graduates who return for alumni events, parents and prospective students and many others will take part in the special graces now available to them here," said Henry.

Allow The Flowers To Announce The Beauty Of The Father

St. Francis forbade the brothers to cut down the whole tree when they cut wood, so that it might have hope of sprouting again. He commanded the gardener to leave the border around the garden undug, so that in their proper times the greenness of the grass and the beauty of flowers might anounce the beauty of the Father of all things. He commanded that a little place be set aside in the garden for sweet-smelling and flowering plants, so that they would bring those who look upon them the memory of the Eternal Sweetness.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, Second Life
CHAPTER CXXIV

Io Fumatori!

Among the lesser created things blessed Francis had an especial love for fire, because of its beauty and usefulness, and would not allow it to be denied its natural function...But so dearly did he love fire that, however pressing the need, he would never put out the flame, whether a lamp or a candle.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Mirror of Perfection - 116

Being Lavished With Honors

When honors were lavished upon him and his sanctity was trumpeted, blessed Francis often replied: "I have no guarantee that I will never have sons or daughters." And he added: "If, at a certain moment, the Lord wanted to take away the treasure he has confided in me, what would I have left? A body and a soul; the infidels have just as much. And I must believe that if a robber or an infidel had received as many graces from the Lord as I have, he would be more faithful to God than I am."

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of Perugia - 104

I Am The Greatest Of Sinners

A certain brother asked the blessed Francis, saying: "What, Father, is your opinion of yourself?" He replied: "t seems to me that I am the greatest of sinners, for if God had treated any criminal with such great mercy, he would have been ten times more spiritual than I."

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, Second Life
CHAPTER LXXXVI

Mystic Monk Coffee - Helping the Portiuncula Hermitage and Birthright

The Portiuncula Hermitage is committed to tithing ten percent of their Mystic Monk Coffee Sales Commissions to Birthright (a loving alternative to abortion)!

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.

What is the Carmelite Monks' goals in roasting Mystic Monk Coffee? They hope that this new monastic industry will help them to establish their Catholic monastery in the mountains of Wyoming. Catholics everywhere love coffee and why not buy their coffee from Catholic monks who are laboring to take vocations?

Every Catholic monastery has its own manual labor, a way to support itself by its own hands. Then it usually sells what it makes as its monastery gift item. Coffee is unique in that Catholics everywhere drink coffee daily. So this is a monastery gift for every day of the year. Catholics should find this as another way to integrate the church into their daily lives, through Catholic coffee. Every morning as they sip their coffee, why not think of the church and say a morning offering to Christ?

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 their Mystic Monk Coffee Sales Commissions to Birthright (a loving alternative to abortion)!

Please remember to keep the pre-born in your prayers!

To order direct, simply click on the Mystic Monk Coffee Icon on the Left Side of this Page:

Only The Perverse And Obstinate

A person would certainly have to be really perverse and obstinate to refuse to listen to St. Francis' preaching. Even dumb creatures submitted to his miraculous powers and inanimate objects came to his aid when he preached, as if they had life.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Bonaventure, Major Life
CHAPTER XII

Receiving Christ In The Eucharist

Anyone who does not have the Spirit of God dwelling in him and presumes to receive Him eats and drinks judgement to himself (1Cor. 11:29).

Saint Francis of Assisi
THE ADMONITIONS
Admonition I

For Charity And Alms We Will Receive A Reward

We must be charitable, 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

Nothing Is More Important Than Saving Souls!

St. Francis used to say that nothing is more important than the salvation of souls...

(Not even "gasp!" the flawed doctrine of Global Warming.)


Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, Second Life
CHAPTER CXXXI

Discover God's Will By Persevering Prayer

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

The Lord Give You Peace!

In the early days of the Order, when blessed Francis was travelling about in the company of a brother who was one of the first twelve, the latter greeted men and women on the roads and in the fields by saying to them" "May the Lord give you peace!" The people were completely astonished for they had never heard any other religious greet them that way. Moreover, a few men asked in an offensive tone of voice: "What is the meaning of that kind of greeting?" Blessed Francis answered: "Let them talk; they do not have a sense of the things of God. Don't be ashamed, because nobles and princes of this world will show respect to you and to the other brothers because of this greeting..."

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of Perugia - 68

Under The Pretext Of Good Or Useful Interest

We should be aware especially of the malice of Satan; his only desire is to prevent man from raising his mind and heart to his Lord and God. He goes about, longing to steal man's heart away under the pretext of some good or useful interest, and obliterate the words and commandments of God from his memory.

Saint Francis of Assisi
THE RULE OF 1221
Chapter 22

But We Sure Are Big On Global Warming!

There arose among us those who began to long miserably for the fleshpots of Egypt, which they had left behind; and what they had once despised with a generous heart, they now shamefully wanted. They were sad in walking in the way of the commandments of God, and they were arid of heart in following their injunctions. They grew faint under the burden, and from lack of spirit they could hardly breathe. Rarely did they feel compunction, never true sorrow. They obeyed only with murmuring. Their thoughts were carnal, their joys desolute. Their sorrow was feigned, their speech unguarded; their laughter came too easliy. Gaiety filled their countenance; their gait was without modesty; their garments were soft and delicate; carefully cut, and even more carefully sewn. Their sleep was excessive, their food too abundant, their drink intemperate. They filled the air with trifling things, silly jokes, and idle words. They told stories, changed laws, did away with duties, and devoted themselves to administer diligently human affairs. They had no care for spiritual exercises, no interest in the salvation of souls. They spoke rarely of heavenly things, and there burned scarcely at all in them the desire for eternal things.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Sacrum Commercium - 47

Fornication

If a friar is tempted and commits fornication, he must be deprived of the habit. By his wickedness he has lost the right to wear it and so he must lay it aside completely and be dismissed from the Order. Then he should do penance for his sins.

Saint Francis of Assisi
THE RULE OF 1221
Chapter 13

St. Sylvester's Vision

By divine inspiration, a priest named Sylvester began to reflect on Francis' action, and said to himself: "Am I not a miserable man, old as I am, to be avid for temporal goods, when this young man despises and hates them for love of God?" During the following night in a dream he saw an immense cross reaching to the sky, and its foot was planted in the mouth of Francis, while the arms spread from on end of the world to the other. On awakening, the priest realized and was convinced that blessed Francis was indeed the friend and servant of Jesus Christ and that the form of religion he was introducing would spread over the entire earth. Thus Sylvester was brought to fear God, and he began to do penance while still living in his own house. Before long, however, he entered the fraternity in which he lived perfectly and died gloriously.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of the Three Companions - 31

Burning Sorrow For The Sins Of Our Enemies

A man loves his enemy when he is not offended by the injury done to himself, but for love of God feels burning sorrow for the sin his enemy has brought on his own soul, and proves his love in a practical way.

Saint Francis of Assisi
THE ADMONITIONS
Admonition IX

Nothing Remains Unpunished

Blessed Francis talked with his companion, Angelo Tancredi, one of the first twelve brothers, and said to him: "Why did the devils beat me? Why did they receive permission from the Lord to hurt me?" And he continued his reflection in this manner: "The devils are our Lord's policemen. Just as the podesta sends his policemen to punish a guilty man, so too does the Lord correct and chastise those he loves through his policemen, that is, the devils whom he permits to do this work. It often happens that a religious, even the 'perfect' religious sins through ignorance. Since he is ignorant of his sin, he is chastised by the devil, so that his chastisement may serve as a lesson to him, and he may understand and attentively consider within himself how he has sinned. For to those whom the Lord tenderly loves here on earth, nothing remains unpunished."

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of Perugia - 92

Refuse To Be A Thief

Once when he was returning from Sienna, St. Francis met a poor man on the road, and said to his companion, 'We ought to return this cloak to the poor man, whose it is; for we have accepted it as a loan until we should find someone poorer than ourselves.' But knowing how badly the generous Father needed it, his companion protested strongly that he should not neglect himself to provide for someone else. But the Saint said to him, 'I refuse to be a thief, for we should be guilty of theft if we refused to give it to one more poor than ourselves...'

Saint Francis of Assisi
Mirror of Perfection - 30

The Lord Give You Peace!

St. Francis declared that it was the Lord who taught him to greet people with the words: "The Lord give you peace!"

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of the Three Companions - 26

Our Whole Beings Burning With Love

Francis burned with a love that came from his whole being for the sacrament of the Lord's body, and he was carried away with wonder at the loving condescension and the most loving condescending love shown there.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, Second Life
CHAPTER CLII

Make A Dwelling-Place Within Ourselves

In that love which is God (1 John 4:16), I entreat all my friars, ministers and subjects, to put away every attachment, all care and solicitude, and serve, love, honour, and adore our Lord and God with a pure heart and mind; this is what he seeks above all else. We should make a dwelling-place within ourselves where he can stay.

Saint Francis of Assisi
THE RULE OF 1221
Chapter 21

Pontiff Says Contemplatives Give Breath to World

Calls Communities a "Spiritual Lung"

ROME, (Zenit.org).- Contemplative communities are called to be a type of "spiritual lung" for the world, so that spiritual "respiration" is not strangled by the bustle of cities, says Benedict XVI.

The Pope said this today when he visited the Oblate Sisters of Santa Francesca Romana. He stopped at the convent after having visited the headquarters of Rome's civil authorities, where he addressed the mayor and other civil leaders.

Today is the feast day of St. Francesca (1384-1440), whom the Holy Father referred to as "the most Roman of saints."

After spending some time in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and in veneration of the saint's body, the Pope addressed the sisters and students that reside at the center.

Referring to his spiritual exercises last week with the members of the Curia, the Holy Father said "he had felt once again how indispensable silence and prayer are."

He noted how the convent is located at the heart of the city, saying, "How can we not see in it the symbol of the need to return the spiritual dimension to the center of civil coexistence, to give full meaning to the multiple activities of the human being?"

The Bishop of Rome told the nuns: "Your community, together with the other communities of contemplative life, is called to be a sort of 'spiritual lung' of society, so that the performance, the activism of a city, is not devoid of spiritual 'respiration,' the reference to God and his plan of salvation. [...]

"A singular balance is lived here between religious and secular life, between the life of the world and outside of the world. A model that was not born in a laboratory, but in the concrete experience of a young Roman woman: written -- it could be said -- by God himself in Francesca's extraordinary existence.

"It is no accident that the walls of this environment are decorated with images of her life, demonstrating that the real building that God wishes to construct is the life of the saints."

In this context, the Pope stressed that also today "Rome needs women who are all for God and for their neighbor; women able to recollect themselves and give generous and discreet service; women who are able to obey their pastors, but also able to support and motivate them with their suggestions."

This vocation "is the gift of a maternity that is made one with religious oblation, modeled after Mary," the Pontiff reflected. "Mary's heart is the cloister where the Word continues to speak in silence, and at the same time is the furnace of a charity that leads to courageous gestures, and also to a persevering and hidden generosity."

A Desire For Glory

Let the brothers who are court chaplains take note of this and let them know that they have been drawn before their time from the womb of their mother.

A certain brother, seeing some brothers living at a certain court and attracted by what desire for glory I know not, wanted to become a court chaplain with them. And while he was curious about the court, he one night saw in his sleep such brothers placed outside of the place of the brothers and separated from their companionship. He also saw them eating from a ver foul and unclean pigs' trough, from which they were eating peas mixed with human dung. Seeing this, the brother was greatly astonished and getting up long before daybreak he had no more desire for court.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, Second Life
CHAPTERS LXXXIV and LXXXV

Do Not Tear Out The Foundation!

St. Francis did not build a church anew, but he repaired an old one, restored an ancient one. He did not tear out the foundation, but he built upon it, ever reserving to Christ his prerogative, though he was not aware of it, for other foundation no one can lay, but that which has been laid, which is Christ Jesus.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, First Life
CHAPTER VIII

Welcome Everyone With Kindness And Holy Affection

St. Francis made three murderous robbers welcome with kindness and holy affection, and he consoled them by telling them many inspiring stories, and gave them back assurance that they would win God's mercy. Moreover he promised them that he would obtain mercy and grace for them from the Lord Jesus. He also taught them how the infinite greatness of divine mercy surpasses all our sins, even if they are boundless, and how, according to the Gospels and St. Paul the Apostle, Christ came into this world in order to redeem sinners.

As a result of these wholesome instructions, the three robbers renounced the world and the devil and his works, and St. Francis received them into the Order, and they remained faithful to him in mind and deed. And they began to do great penance.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Little Flowers of St. Francis - 26

We Are To Act Rather Than Teach

St. Francis said, 'The friars under obedience are much edified when their Ministers and preachers gladly devote their time to prayer, and apply themselves to humble and undistinguished tasks. Unless they do this they cannot admonish other friars without embarrassment, injustice, and self-condemnation; for if we follow Christ's example, we must act rather than teach, and our acting and teaching must go together.'

Saint Francis of Assisi
Mirror of Perfection - 73

Virtue And Vice

Where the is Love and Wisdom,
there is neither Fear nor Ignorance.
Where there is Patience and Humility,
there is neither Anger nor Annoyance.
Where there is Poverty and Joy,
there is neither Cupidity nor Avarice.
Where there is Peace and Contemplation,
there is neither Care nor Restlessness.
Where there is Fear of God to guard the dwelling,
there no enemy can enter.
Where there is Mercy and Prudence,
there is neither Excess nor Harshness.

Saint Francis of Assisi
THE ADMONITIONS
Admonition XXVII

What A Priceless Treasure Poverty Is!

A Moslem took pity on some of the friars who had arrived in a pagan country and offered them money for the food they needed, but they refused to accept it. He was amazed, because he could see they were destitute. Then he realized that it was for the love of God that they had become beggars and refused to take money, and he felt so attracted to them that he offered to supply all their needs, as long as he had anything left. What a priceless treasure poverty is! Its extraordinary charm could move even the savage heart of a barbarian to pity and kindness.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Bonaventure, Major Life
CHAPTER IV

Mystic Monk Coffee - Helping the Portiuncula Hermitage and Birthright

The Portiuncula Hermitage is committed to tithing ten percent of their Mystic Monk Coffee Sales Commissions to Birthright (a loving alternative to abortion)!

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.

What is the Carmelite Monks' goals in roasting Mystic Monk Coffee? They hope that this new monastic industry will help them to establish their Catholic monastery in the mountains of Wyoming. Catholics everywhere love coffee and why not buy their coffee from Catholic monks who are laboring to take vocations?

Every Catholic monastery has its own manual labor, a way to support itself by its own hands. Then it usually sells what it makes as its monastery gift item. Coffee is unique in that Catholics everywhere drink coffee daily. So this is a monastery gift for every day of the year. Catholics should find this as another way to integrate the church into their daily lives, through Catholic coffee. Every morning as they sip their coffee, why not think of the church and say a morning offering to Christ?

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 their Mystic Monk Coffee Sales Commissions to Birthright (a loving alternative to abortion)!

Please remember to keep the pre-born in your prayers!

To order direct, simply click on the Mystic Monk Coffee Icon on the Left Side of this Page:

Rejoice In Being Despised, Reviled and Called Ignorant

Blessed the one who has no more regard for himself when people praise him and make much of him than when they despise and revile him and say he is ignorant. What a man is before God, that he is and no more.

Saint Francis of Assisi
THE ADMONITIONS
Admonition XX

The Truth Spoken By A Few Is Not Believed

St. Francis experienced that it is a great evil to make known all things to every one, and that he cannot be a spiritual man whose secrets are not more perfect and more numerous than the things that can be read on his face and completely understood by men. For he had found some who outwardly agreed with him but inwardly disagreed with him, who applauded him to his face, but ridiculed him behind his back, who acquired credit for themselves, but made the upright suspect of him. For wickedness often tries to blacken purity, and because of a lie that is familiar to many, the truth spoken by a few is not believed.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, First Life
CHAPTER III

Make No Excuses

Blessed the religious who is in no hurry to make excuses, but accepts the embarrassment and blame for some fault he did not commit.

Saint Francis of Assisi
The Admonitions
Admonition XXIII

Rebuke Evil

St. Francis denounced evil wherever he found it, and made no effort to palliate it; from him a life of sin met with outspoken rebuke, not support.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Bonaventure, Major Life
CHAPTER XII

Admonition XX

What a man is before God, that he is and no more.

Saint Francis of Assisi
THE ADMONITIONS

Longing For Martyrdom

In the fervor of his love, St. Francis felt inspired to imitate the glorious victory of the martyrs in whom the fire of love could not be extinguished or their courage broken. Inflamed with that perfect love "which drives out all fear" (1 John 4:18), he longed to offer himself as a living victim to God by the sword of martyrdom; in this way he would repay Christ for his love in dying for us and inspire others to love God.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Bonaventure, Major Life
CHAPTER IX

Living In Peace With Prelates And Clerics

St. Francis always soght permission of the local bishops because the good of souls, which the brothers wish to achieve among the people, will be greater if, living in peace with prelates and clerics, they win the people and the clergy over to God rather than if they were to convert only the people to the scandal of the clergy.

Father Michael Scanlan, TOR, to Receive Pro Fidelitate et Vertute Award

Father Scanlan to Receive Pro Fidelitate et Virtute Award



STEUBENVILLE, OH—In celebration of his love for the Church and his commitment to religious life, Father Michael Scanlan, TOR, chancellor of Franciscan University of Steubenville, will receive the 2009 Pro Fidelitate et Virtute Award from the Institute on Religious Life. This annual award, to be presented on April 18, honors those "who manifest a strong love for the Church and a zealous commitment to the consecrated
life."

Father Scanlan graduated from Harvard Law School in 1956. It was during this time in his life that he experienced God’s presence during a walk in the woods and an interior voice asking, "Will you give me your whole life?"

After completing law school and serving as Staff Judge Advocate in the U.S. Air Force he answered God’s invitation and entered the Franciscan Third Order Regular in 1957. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1964.

After serving his religious order in various assignments, he accepted the office of president at the College of Steubenville, Ohio, in 1974.

As president, Father Scanlan spearheaded a spiritual revolution that led the University out of the moral chaos of the sixties and seventies and back from the brink of bankruptcy to financial stability.

During his tenure Franciscan University gained national recognition for its fidelity to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church, infusion of Catholic values into the academic and residence life programs, and its commitment to excellence in education. In 2000, after serving 26 years as president, he was named chancellor of the University.

In selecting Father Scanlan for the Pro Fidelitate et Virtute Award, the Institute on Religious Life states that "one of his greatest accomplishments has been helping to form the hearts, minds, and souls of thousands of young people to live their baptismal commitment and to serve the Lord in their God-given vocation. Through his efforts in renewing Catholic education and providing spiritual nourishment, many young men and women have responded to Christ’s call to the priesthood and the consecrated life, as well as to Christian marriage and ministry within the Church."

Father Scanlan will receive the Pro Fidelitate et Virtute Award during the national meeting of the Institute on Religious Life at a dinner on Saturday, April 18, at the University of St. Mary of the Lake, in Mundelein, Illinois. Following the dinner, Father Michael will give an address: "Walking in the Spirit: Discovering God’s Purpose and Plan."

For more information, go to www.religiouslife.com or call 877-267-1195. The mail registration deadline is March 31.

"Radical Sabbatical" at the Portiuncula Hermitage June 5th,6th,7th

Those who live the life of Mary are to have a seperate enclosure
and each should have a place to himself, so that they are not forced to live or sleep together. At sunset they should say Compline of the day. They must be careful to keep silence and say their office, rising at Matins. Their first care should be to seek God and his justice (Luke 12:31). Prime and Terce should be said at the proper time, and after Terce the silence ends and they can speak and go to their mothers.

Saint Francis of Assisi
RELIGIOUS LIFE IN HERMITAGES

Renounce Self

We are bound to order our lives according to the precepts and counsels of our Lord Jesus Christ, and so we must renounce self and bring our lower nature into subjection under the yoke of obedience; this is what we have all promised God. However, no one can be bound to obey another in anything that is sinful or criminal.

Saint Francis of Assisi
LETTER TO ALL THE FAITHFUL

First Draw From Secret Prayers

"The preacher must first draw from secret prayers what he will later pour out in holy sermons; he must first grow hot within before he speaks words that are in themselves cold." St. Francis said this is an office to be revered and that those who administer it should be revered by all. "These," he said, "are the life of the body; they are the attackers of the devils; they are the light of the world."

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, Second Life
CHAPTER CXXII

No Pets Allowed

The friars, both clerics and lay brothers, whether travelling about the country or attached to a certain place, are forbidden to have animals of any kind, either in their own keeping or in the keeping of others, or in any other way.

Saint Francis of Assisi
THE RULE OF 1221
Chapter 15

A Joyful Face Has A Greater Influence On People

By a joyful face, therefore, St. Francis understood fervour, thoughtfulness, and the disposition and preparation of mind and body to a ready undertaking of every good work; for this fervour and rediness often have a greater influence on people than by the good deed itself.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Mirror of Perfection - 96

Going Through The World As Pilgrims And Strangers

At the end of the chapter St. Francis blessed all the friars and assigned to each his province; he gave permission to preach to anyone who had the spirit of God and the necessary eolquence, whether cleric or brother. When all present had received his blessing, in great joy of spirit they started on their way through the world as pilgrims and strangers, taking nothing with them for the journey except their office book.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of the Three Companions - 59