Please Help Build The Portiuncula Chapel

We need to raise $120,000 to duplicate this Portiuncula Chapel
at the Franciscan University of Steubenville

What if the Portiuncula Hermitage earned a penny every time you searched the Internet? Or what if a percentage of every purchase you made on-line went to support our cause? Well, now it can!

GoodSearch.com is a new Yahoo-powered search engine that donates half of its advertising revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. Use it just as you would any search engine, get quality search results from Yahoo, and watch the donations add up!

Although this may not sound like a lot of money, if only 1000 of our supporters use GoodSearch.com just 5 times per day for the year, the Portiuncula Hermitage would receive over $18,000 towards its mission of spreading God's love!

It's easy. Just download the GoodSearch – Portiuncula Franciscan Hermitage and Retreat Center toolbar at:

Website owners can also help by adding a customizable badge to their homepage or blog.

So please, make a commitment to browsing the Internet with GoodSearch.com with the Portiuncula Hermitage as your designated charity. Set it as your homepage, or bookmark it so using it becomes a habit.

As well, you can earn money for the Portiuncula Hermitage by doing your online shopping through GoodShop.com. It is a new online shopping mall which will donate up to 37 percent of each purchase to the Portiuncula Hermitage. Hundreds of popular stores, including Amazon, Target, Gap, Best Buy, Macy's and Barnes & Noble have teamed up with GoodShop.com and every time you place an order, you'll be supporting our valuable mission.

By simply surfing the web with GoodSearch.com and shopping with GoodShop.com you can raise much-needed funds for the Portiuncula Hermitage!

PLEASE FORWARD THIS PRAYER REQUEST TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW!

Pax Et Bonum!


T

Prone To Evil

Tomb of the Unborn Child
Franciscan University of Steubenville

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

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Virtue And Vice

Where there is Love and Wisdom,
there is neither Fear not Ignorance.
Where there is Patience and Humility,
there is neither Anger nor Annoyance.
Where there is Poverty and Joy,
there is neither Cupidity or 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




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Our Body Is Our Cell

Sacro Speco Fonte Colombo

Wherever we are, wherever we go, we bring our cell with us. Our brother body is our Cell and our soul is the hermit living in that cell in order to pray to God and meditate. If our soul does not live in peace and solitude within its cell, of what avail is it to live in a man-made cell?

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of Perugia - 80

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My God and My All! My God and My All!

Looking up to heaven and raising his hands, he prayed with intense fervor and devotion, saying: "My God and my all!" And he sobbed out those 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 - 2T

"Son" Bathing

Sitting before the Holy Eucharist: 

“It is like sitting out in the sun. You may not feel the effect at
the moment, but a little while later, you know you were singed.”
  
Sr. Briege McKenna, OSC


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Alms Wash The Stains Of Sin From Our Soul

Brother Juniper and a beggar

"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

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Rise Immediately To Pray

"If the servant of God, as may happen, is disturbed in any way, he should rise immediately to pray and he should remain in the presence of the heavenly Father until he restores unto him the joy of salvation."

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, Second Life
Chapter LXXXIX

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Woe To Those Who Insult You And Refuse You Alms

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

Saint Francis of Assisi
THE RULE OF 1221
Chapter 9

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At The Name Of Jesus...

One day when Brother Simon was praying in the woods and feeling a very great consolation from the Lord in his soul, a flock of birds, called rooks because of the great noise and clamor they make, began to disturb him with their cries, so he ordered them in the name of Jesus to go away and to never come back there again. And it is wonderful to relate that although that Place of Brunforte in the Custody of Fermo existed for over fifty years, those birds were never seen or heard again anywhere around the Place or district or entire region. And I, Brother Ugolino, di Monte Santa Maria, stayed there for three years, and I observed the wonder in a sure way, and it is known among both the lay people and the friars of the whole Custody.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Little Flowers of St. Francis - 41

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Beware Of Accepting Churches And Houses

e una doccia !

As a sign of holy poverty and humility, blessed Francis decreed that the churches of the friars were to be small and their houses to be built with only wood and clay. For he wanted the friary of St. Mary of the Portiuncula to be a pattern especially for buildings constructed of wood and clay, so that it might be a permanent memorial for all friars, present and to come, since it was the first and chief house of the whole Order. But some of the friars opposed him in this matter, saying that in some Provinces timber was more costly than stone, so that it did not seem sensible that their houses should be built of wood and clay.

But blessed Francis refused to argue with them, especially since he was nearing death and seriously ill. So he had it to be written in his Testament: "Friars are to beware of accepting churches, houses, and all other places built for them unless they conform to holy poverty; and they are always to lodge in them as pilgrims and strangers."

Saint Francis of Assisi
Mirror of Perfection - 11

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Shelter Under A Rock Of The Mountain

la Sanctuario il Poverello d'Assisi

Francis said: "When the Lord withdrew into solitude to pray and fast for forty days and nights, he did not have a cell or a house built for himself but he took shelter under a rock of the mountain." That is why, following his example, he refused to have either a house or a cell on this earth and forbade that one be built for him.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of Perugia - 13

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Escape

Francis learned how to distribute the time in which he could gain merit wisely, devoting part of it to his neighbor by doing good, and part to the restful ecstasy of contemplation. According to the demands of time and circumstances he would devote himself fully to the salvation of his neighbor, but when he was finished, he would escape from the distracting crowds and go into solitude and peace. There he was free to attend exclusively to God and he would cleanse any stain he had contracted while living in the midst of the world.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Bonaventure, Major Life
CHAPTER XIII

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Heirs And Queens Of The Kingdom Of Heaven

Sister Briege McKenna, OSC

The summit of Most High Poverty has made you, my dearest sisters, heirs and queens of the kingdom of heaven. It has made you poor in material things, but rich in virtue.

Saint Clare
The Rule of St. Clare
CHAPTER VIII

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St. Clare Instructs Her Sisters

St. Clare Sisters Palm Harbor, FL

For the Lord Himself has not only placed us as examples and mirrors for others, but also for our own sisters whom the Lord has called to our way of life, so that they in their turn will be mirrors and examples for those living in the world.

Saint Clare of Assisi
The Testament of St. Clare - 6

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Fasting On Christmas

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

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, Second Life
Chapter CLI

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St. Francis of Assisi Built The Very First Nativity Scene in Greccio

What Francis did on the birthday of our Lord Jesus Christ near the little town called Greccio in the third year before his glorious death should be especially noted and recalled with reverent memory. In that place there was a certain man named John, of good reputation and an even better life, whom blessed Francis loved with a special love, for in the place where he lived he held a noble and honorable position in as much as he had trampled upon the nobility of his birth and pursued nobility of soul. Blessed Francis sent for this man, as he often did, about fifteen days before the birth of the Lord, and he said to him: "If you want us to celebrate the present feast of our Lord at Greccio, go with haste and diligently prepare what I tell you. For I wish to do something that will recall to memory the little Child who was born in Bethlehem and set before our bodily eyes in some way the inconveniences of his infant needs, how he lay in a manger, how, with an ox and an ass standing by, he lay upon the hay where he had been placed." When the good and faithful man heard these things, he ran with haste and prepared in that place all the things the saint had told him.

...The manger was prepared, the hay had been brought, the ox and the ass were led in. There simplicity was honored, poverty was exalted, humility was commended, and Greccio was made, as it were, a new Bethlehem.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, First Life
CHAPTER XXX

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Please Help Build The Portiuncula Chapel

Please help us duplicate this Franciscan University of Steubenville
Chapel at the the Portiuncula Hermitage in Jerusalem, Ohio

What if the Portiuncula Hermitage earned a penny every time you searched the Internet? Or what if a percentage of every purchase you made on-line went to support our cause? Well, now it can!

GoodSearch.com is a new Yahoo-powered search engine that donates half of its advertising revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. Use it just as you would any search engine, get quality search results from Yahoo, and watch the donations add up!

Although this may not sound like a lot of money, if only 1000 of our supporters use GoodSearch.com just 5 times per day for the year, the Portiuncula Hermitage would receive over $18,000 towards its mission of spreading God's love!

It's easy. Just download the GoodSearch – Portiuncula Franciscan Hermitage and Retreat Center toolbar at:

Website owners can also help by adding a customizable badge to their homepage or blog.

So please, make a commitment to browsing the Internet with GoodSearch.com with the Portiuncula Hermitage as your designated charity. Set it as your homepage, or bookmark it so using it becomes a habit.

As well, you can earn money for the Portiuncula Hermitage by doing your online shopping through GoodShop.com. It is a new online shopping mall which will donate up to 37 percent of each purchase to the Portiuncula Hermitage. Hundreds of popular stores, including Amazon, Target, Gap, Best Buy, Macy's and Barnes & Noble have teamed up with GoodShop.com and every time you place an order, you'll be supporting our valuable mission.

By simply surfing the web with GoodSearch.com and shopping with GoodShop.com you can raise much-needed funds for the Portiuncula Hermitage!

PLEASE FORWARD THIS PRAYER REQUEST TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW!

Pax Et Bonum!

T

Living As Strangers And Pilgrims

Francis gave orders that the houses the brothers built should be small, like those of the poor. The brothers should not live as if the house belonged to them, but as strangers and pilgrims in a house which was not their own. It was part of a pilgrim's life, he said, to shelter under another's roof and pass on peacefully, longing for home. On a number of occasions, Francis ordered the brothers to leave a house, or even had it pulled down, if he thought it offended Gospel poverty, either because the brothers claimed the building as their own or because it was too sumptuous.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Bonaventure, Major Life
Chapter VII

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From A Hovel

"From a hovel one ascends more quickly to heaven than from a palace."

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, First Life
CHAPTER XVI

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Welcome To The Portiuncula Healing Ministry

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

We are a

Franciscan Prayer Ministry

located in Jerusalem, Ohio.

Through prayer and Adoration before our Eucharistic Lord, we seek His awesome power, grace, and mercy, to bring His divine healing and peace into your life.

To receive prayer simply e-mail your Prayer Requests to:

hermitage@parallax.ws

We encourage you to participate in our

Healing Services

and

Retreats

Thank you for visiting.

Pax Et Bonum!

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"Come To The Quiet" - Become A Monastic Without Having To Leave Your Day Job!

Dr. Tom Ringenberg during personal prayer time at the
Portiuncula Hermitage in Jerusalem, Ohio

Dear Christian Brothers and Sisters,

Having just experienced one of the most peaceful and fulfilling weekends of my Christian life, I feel led to write you and encourage you to take a fresh breath of the clean air at the Portiuncula Retreat in Jerusalem Ohio. Surrounded by the beauty of God’s creation in the hills of Appalachia, I was refreshed in God’s peace.

The initial reaction to a weekend of silence, fasting and prayer was mixed as I revel in the world’s flash of media and the madness of twenty-four hour news. I feared boredom and the lack of external stimulus. But God is good, and He provided plenty for me. Walks in the woods and fields, silent prayer and meditation, communal prayer with my Brothers in Christ, prayers of intercession, and theological discussion on the travel to and from Jerusalem, stimulated my spirit far more than my flesh has ever been stimulated.

It is my hope that the Portiuncula will become a haven for those who need a fresh touch of God. I will return soon to restore my soul with peace.

Please prayerfully consider joining me in supporting the Portiuncula Retreat Center by simply contributing $5.00 $10.00 $15.00 or more a month.

Simply Click On The
Parish Pay
Icon

Or mail payments to:

"Portiuncula Hermitage"
% 508 South 16th Street
Richmond, IN 47374.

Thank you and God bless!

Yours In Christ,

Dr. Tom Ringenberg
Centerville, IN

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When We Are the Bride, Brother, And Mother Of Christ

A person is the bride of Christ when their faithful soul is united with Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit; we are His brothers we do the will of His Father who is in Heaven (Matthew 12.50), and we are mothers to Him when we enthrone Him in our hearts and souls by love with a pure heart and sincere conscience, and give Him birth by doing good.

Saint Francis of Assisi
LETTER TO ALL THE FAITHFUL

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Choosing To Live For The Benefit Of Others Over Self

Brother Francis and his companions arrived at the Valley of Spoleto, still full of good dispositions, and there they fell to debating whether they should live among the people or seek refuge 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 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

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Silent Monks Singing Halleluia

Our Sisters The Flowers

Francis told the brother gardener not to plant vegetables everywhere, but to leave a part of the ground for hardy plants which in time would produce our sisters the flowers. He even said that the brother gardener ought to reserve a place in a corner for a beautiful small garden where he would put all kinds of aromatic herbs and flowering plants so that in their season they might invite all men who looked at them to praise God; for every creature says and proclaims: "God has created me for you, O man!"

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of Perugia - 51

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Begging For Stones

Monroe County, Ohio Catholics are being asked to collect all their field stones and drop them off at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Cemetery on Ozark-Eddy Bridge Road so that we can duplicate this Portiuncula Chapel located at the Franciscan University of Steubenville

Francis set to begging for stones with which to restore the church of San Damiano. He called to the passers-by: "Whoever gives me one stone will have one reward; two stones, two rewards; three stones, a treble reward!"

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of the Three Companions
CHAPTER VII

Please note : We are begging our Catholic brothers and sisters in Monroe County, Ohio to round up all their field stones and dump them into the woods next to the Church of the Immaculate Conception Cemetery on Ozark-Eddy Bridge Road (in the direction of the large white house towards Woodsfield). These stones will be used to erect the Portiuncula Chapel.

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

The Legend of the First Mystic Monk

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

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

Monks are passionate Perfectionists

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

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

To Order Direct, simply click on the Mystic Monk Icon at the very top of this page!

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

Fra Chris

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Humility And Poverty

We must follow the example of humility and poverty more than the other religious because that i s what we have been called to do and have promised before God and man.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of Perugia - 32

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A Desire To Depart And To Be With Christ

"Death Fork" area at the Portiuncula Hermitage in Jerusalem, Ohio

The man of God Francis had been taught not to seek his own, but to seek especially what in his eyes would be helpful toward the salvation of others; but above everything else he desired to depart and to be with Christ...In the clefts of the rock he would build his nest and in the hollow places of the wall his dwelling.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, First Life
CHAPTER XXVII

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Brother Fire

So dearly did Francis love fire that, however pressing the need, he would never allow any friar to throw burning or smouldering wood from one placed to another, as is often done; he wished them to lay it properly on the ground out of reverence for God Who created it.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Mirror of Perfection - 116

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A Fool And A Madman

An original tunic worn by St. Francis found in Cortuna, Italy

When St. Francis' relatives saw him, they covered him with insults, calling him a fool and a madman, and hurling stones and mud at him. Seeing him so changed, they thought he was out of his mind.

But God's servant paid no heed to all this; unmoved by insults, he thanked almighty God for everything.

Saint Francis of Assisi
THE LEGEND OF ST. FRANCIS
CHAPTER VI

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Please Help!!!

The Portiuncula
Franciscan
Hermitage and Retreat Center
Needs Your Help!

As you know, I'm a supporter of Portiuncula Franciscan Hermitage and
Retreat Center and I want to share with you a simple way for you to help
support this organization.

WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR DONATIONS!!!!

Just download the GoodSearch – Portiuncula Franciscan Hermitage and
Retreat Center toolbar at
http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/portiuncula-franciscan-hermitage-and-retreat-center

THAT'S IT! PERIOD!

Each time you search the web with GoodSearch's Yahoo-powered search
engine, about a penny will go to the Portiuncula Hermitage.

Also, every time you shop online at 1,000 participating stores including
Amazon, eBay, Target, Apple, Staples, Expedia, etc., a percentage of your
purchase will be donated for free! The site also has thousands of
money-saving coupons! 

THAT'S IT! PERIOD!

Then please e-mail this page to 10 of your closest friends today.

Please remember that the Portiuncula Hermitage
tithes 10% of their income to BirthRight
(a loving alternative to Abortion).

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"Listen" And "Silent" Are Spelled With The Same Letters

The Pond at the Portiuncula Hermitage in Jerusalem, Ohio

At certain times the blessed and venerable father Francis left behind the crowds of the world that were coming together daily with the greatest devotion to hear and see him, and he sought out a quiet and secret place of solitude, desiring to spend his time with God and to cleanse himself of any dust that may have clung to him for his association with men.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, First Life
CHAPTER I

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Quiet and Meditation

Where there is quiet and meditation, there is neither preoccupation nor dissipation.

Saint Francis of Assisi
THE ADMONITIONS
Admonition 27

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Willingly Enduring Suffering, Insults, Humiliations, and Hardships

"Above all the graces and gifts of the Holy Spirit which Christ gives to His friends is that of conquering oneself and willingly enduring suffering, insults, humiliations, and hardships for the love of Christ. For as they are not ours 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

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Many Noble And Wise Men Will Join Us

Franciscan University of Steubenville, T.O.R. (Third Order Regular)

"You will find some men to be faithful and kind and they will receive you gladly; but you will also find many who are unfaithful, proud, and blasphemous, and they will insult and injure you and your words. Therefore prepare your hearts to suffer everything humbly and patiently."

When the brothers heard these words they began to be afraid, but St. Francis said to them: "Do not fear; before long many noble and wise men will join us, kings and princes, too, with numbers of men, and very many people will be converted to the Lord and he will multiply and increase this family in the whole world."

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of the Three Companions - 36

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The Portiuncula Is Most Dear To The Blessed Virgin

Several herds of Whitetail Deer share the magnificent beauty of the
fields surrounding the Portiuncula Hermitage in Jerusalem, Ohio

It was at the Portiuncula that St. Francis began his religious life in a very small way; it was here that he made such extraordinary progress, and it was here that he came to a happy end. When he was dying, he commended this spot above all others to the friars, because it was most dear to the Blessed Virgin.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Bonaventure, Major Life
Chapter II

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A Mind Free To Fly To The Greatest Heights

It should not appear strange to anyone that the prophet of our time should stand forth with such privileges; in fact, freed from the darkness of earthly things and having brought into subjection the pleasures of the flesh, his mind was free to fly to the greatest heights and pure enough to enter into the light.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, Second Life
CHAPTER XXIV

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The Portiuncula Hermitage Needs Your Help

What if the Portiuncula Hermitage earned a penny every time you
searched the Internet? Or what if a percentage of every purchase
you made on-line went to support our cause? Well, now it can!

GoodSearch.com is a new Yahoo-powered search engine that
donates half of its advertising revenue, about a penny per search,
to the charities its users designate. Use it just as you would any
search engine, get quality search results from Yahoo, and watch
the donations add up!

Although this may not sound like a lot of money, if only 1000 of
our supporters use GoodSearch.com just 5 times per day for the
year, the Portiuncula Hermitage would receive over $18,000
towards its mission of spreading God's love!

It's easy. Just download the GoodSearch – Portiuncula Franciscan
Hermitage and Retreat Center toolbar at

http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/portiuncula-franciscan-hermitage-and-retreat-center

Website owners can also help by adding a customizable badge to
their homepage or blog.

So please, make a commitment to browsing the Internet with
GoodSearch.com with the Portiuncula Hermitage as your designated
charity. Set it as your homepage, or bookmark it so using it
becomes a habit.

As well, you can earn money for the Portiuncula Hermitage by
doing your online shopping through GoodShop.com. It is a new
online shopping mall which will donate up to 37 percent of
each purchase to the Portiuncula Hermitage. Hundreds of popular
stores, including Amazon, Target, Gap, Best Buy, Macy's and
Barnes & Noble have teamed up with GoodShop.com and every time
you place an order, you'll be supporting our valuable mission.

By simply surfing the web with GoodSearch.com and shopping
with GoodShop.com  you can raise much-needed funds for the
Portiuncula Hermitage!

PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO AT LEAST 10 OF YOUR CLOSEST FRIENDS!

Pax Et Bonum!

Fra Chris

CLICK HERE




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St. Francis Swept And Cleaned The Churches He Visited

Thanks to Fra Martin (L) St. Andrew's Church is always
"So clean, you could eat off the floor!"

Once blessed Francis went to a village church in the neighborhood of Assisi, and humbly began to sweep and clean it. A report of what he was doing immediately spread through the whole village, for the people were always happy to see him and even more happy to listen to him. But when a peasant named John, a man of wonderful simplicity, heard about it as he was plowing his field, he went to him at once and found him humbly and devoutly sweeping the church. And he said to him, "Brother, give me the broom; I would like to help you." And taking the broom from his hands, he swept the rest of the church.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Mirror of Perfection - 57

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By Your Holy Cross You Redeemed The World

With his companions Francis now went to live in an abandoned hut near Assisi, where they lived from hand to mouth according to the rule of poverty, in toil and penury, drawing their strength rather from tears of compunction than from any bodily food. They spent the time praying continuously, devoting themselves especially to fervent mental prayer; they had not yet got any of the liturgical books, so that they could not chant the Divine Office. Christ's cross was their book and they studied it day and night, at the exhortation and after the example of their father who never stopped talking to them about the cross. When the friars asked him to teach them how to pray, he said, "When you pray, say the Our Father, and We adore you, O Christ, in all your churches in the whole world and we thank you, because by your holy cross you redeemed the world."

Saint Francis of Assisi
Bonaventure, Major Life
CHAPTER IV

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Canonical Hours

Francis recited the Canonical Hours no less reverently than devoutly. For though he suffered from infirmity of the eyes, stomach, spleen, and liver, he did not want to lean against a wall or a partition when he chanted, but always said the hours standing erect and without a capuche, without letting his eyes roam about and without interruption.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, Second Life
CHAPTER LXII

T