Avarice, Taking The Name of "Discretion"

"But once they (the Franciscans) were walking in such great fervor of love for Christ, Avarice, taking the name of Discretion, began to say to them, "Do not show yourselves so unbending before men and do not despise in this way the honor they show you; but show yourselves affable to them and do not outwardly spurn the glory they offer you, but do so at most inwardly. It is good to have friendship of kings, acquaintance with princes, and familiarity with the great, for, when they thus honor and revere you, when they rise and come to meet you, many who see this will be more easily turned to God by their example."

"They indeed, seeing the advantage of this, accepted the proffered counsel; but not guarding themselves against the snare set for them along the way, they at length embraced glory and honor with all their heart. They esteemed themselves to be also inwardly what they were proclaimed to be outwardly, placing their glory in the mouths of those who praised them, like foolish virgins giving oil to those who sold it, and like an unprofitable servant."

Saint Francis of Assisi

Sacrum Commercium

Chapter IV

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

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

Fra Chris

The Carmelite Monks of Wyoming

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


The Monk Master Roaster

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


The Legend of the First Mystic Monk

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

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


Monks are passionate Perfectionists

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

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

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

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

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Ladola Capellata

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, "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 the 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 for to Religious not to wear fine and gaudy clothing, but cloth of a humble price3 and colour, just as earth is inferior to the other elements."

Saint Francis of Assisi

Mirror of Perfection - 113

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Virtue and Vice

Where there 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 Cupicity 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

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Simplicity

St. Francis taught us to join with all creation and praise God in His creatures, while venerating priests with special reverence and holding fast to the true faith with is professed and taught by the Catholic Church. This his followers were to believe firmly and profess with all simplicity. At that time his followers obeyed his teachings to perfection, and whenever they saw a church or a crucifix, even from a distance, they knelt down humbly and prayed the way Francis had taught them.

Saint Francis of Assisi

Bonaventure - Major Life

Chapter IV

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Pace e Bene

By divine intervention Francis began to strive after Gospel perfection, inviting others also to lead a life of penance. His words were full of power of the Holy Spirit, never empty or ridiculous, and they went straight to the heart, so that his hearers were amazed. In all his sermons he began by wishing his hearers peace, saying to them, "Pace e Bene" (The Peace of the Lord be with you), a form of greeting which he had learned by a revelation.

Saint Francis of Assisi

Bonaventure, Major Life

Chapter III

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The Feast of Corpus Christi

"Every day He humbles Himself just as He did when He came from His heavenly throne (Wisdom 18:15) into the Virgin's womb; every day He comes to us and lets us see Him in abjection, when He descends from the bosom of the Father into the hands of the priest at the altar. He shows Himself to us in this Sacred Bread just as He once appeared to His apostles in real flesh. With their own eyes they saw only His flesh, but they believed that He was God, because they contemplated Him with the eyes of the spirit. We, too, with our own eyes, see only bread and wine, but we must see further and firmly believe that this is His most holy Body and Blood, living and true."

Saint Francis of Assisi

The Admonitions

Admonition I

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Flattering Ourselves With Evil Praise

Francis would often say : "No one should flatter themselves with evil praise over what a sinner can do. A sinner," he said, "can fast, pray, weep, mortify the flesh. This, however, they cannot do, namely, be faithful to the Lord. Therefore in this should we glory, that we give glory to God, that we serve Him faithfully, and we ascribe to Him whatever He has given to us."

Saint Francis of Assisi

Celano, Second Life

Chapter XCVII

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We Should Not Allow The Sin Of Others To Lead Us Into Sin

"All the friars, both the ministers, who are servants, and their subjects, should be careful not to be upset or angry when anyone falls into sin or gives bad example; the devil would be only too glad to ensnare many others through one man's sin."

Saint Francis of Assisi

The Rule of 1221

Chapter 5

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Let Us Begin

A magnificent full-length fresco portrait of St. Francis of Assisi, protected under glass in St. Gregory's Chapel. It is labeled Fr. Franciscus and the saint is shown without the stigmata or a halo, indicating it was painted during his lifetime and before 1224.

"Let us begin, brothers, to serve our Lord God, for up to now we have made little or no progress."

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano - First Life

Chapter VI

 
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Unmoved By Insults!

Habit worn by St. Francis of Assisi

Cortona, Italy

When his friends and relatives saw Francis, 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 must be 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 the Three Companions

Prologue: Chapter VI

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Franciscan Prayer Ministry

 

We are a

Franciscan Prayer Ministry

located in  

Jerusalem, Ohio.

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

Simply e-mail your Prayer Requests to:

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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The Miracle of the Vines in Rieti

Tiers Vino outside Assisi, Italy

Blessed Francis was staying near the church of St. Fabian in Rieti. A number of cardinals, accompanied by clerics, almost daily visited the saint out of respect and devotion.The church had a small vineyard and since the church had but one door, all those who came to visit passed through that one door, trampling the vineyard under foot. The priest was scandalized and disturbed: "This year," he said, "my vintage is lost. The vineyard is small but every year I harvest enough grapes for my needs."

St. Francis said to the priest: "Stop being disturbed and scandalized: nothing can be done about it. Place your trust in the Lord, because through me, his poor servant, he can repair the damage..."

The priest usually harvested thirteen loads of wine, but that year he harvested twenty from his destroyed vineyard.

Saint Francis of Assisi

Legend of Perugia - 25

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Rivotorto

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Rivotorto

In Italian, Rivotorto means crooked stream. Flowing meekly through the Spoleto Valley – only several kilometers from Assisi – the Rivotorto knows Francis well. After Pope Innocent’s initial approval of Franciscan life in 1209, Francis and his brothers found a small old shed near the stream where they settled for a period of time. No one lived in the shed. Its sad, unassuming state fit the group’s need to live poor, humble lives.

When a local farmer returned to the shed with his donkey (allowing the animal to roam throughout the shed), the Franciscans – with permission from the Benedictines – relocated to the Porziuncola (the Church of St. Mary of the Angels). They had already been attending Mass at the Porziuncola for some time.

A bed of stones where St. Francis slept when visiting the Rivotorto

Today Rivotorto is regarded by many as the “protoconvento”. Here the community took another big step in its development. Plus Francis’ presence at Rivotorto almost immediately made it a place of pilgrimage. By 1250, an Altar already stood where the first Franciscans had once lived.

From the Altar, over several centuries, a chapel grew. In their 1491 General Chapter, the Franciscans expressed their wish to maintain the Rivotorto chapel as a place of devotion. Today the church at Rivotorto is precisely that. Pilgrims and parishioners now also have the opportunity to see reconstructions inside the church of the shed that Francis and his followers once called home.

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Utmost Perfection In Absolute Humility

If some brother did not give Francis what he needed or spoke a harsh word to him, he immediately withdrew to pray. When he returned he did not want to remember anything and did not say: "Brother so-and-so neglected to take care if me or said such-and-such a thing to me." The closer he came to death, the more attentive he was in studying the best way of living and dying with utmost perfection, in absolute humility"...

Saint Francis of Assisi

Legend of Perugia - 106

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Happy Father's Day To All Priests!

"Remember your dignity, then, my friar priests. You shall make and keep yourselves holy, because God is holy (Leviticus 11:44). In this mystery God has honoured you above all other human beings, and so you must love, revere, and honour him more than all others. Surely this is a great pity, a pitiable weakness, to have him present with you like this and be distracted by anything else in the whole world. Our whole being should be seized with fear, the whole world should tremble and heaven rejoice, when Christ the Son of the living God is present on the altar in the hands of the priest. O wonderful majesty! What stupendous condescension! O sublime humility! O humble sublimity!"

Saint Francis of Assisi

Letter to a General Chapter

 
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Seeking Heavenly Things With Burning Zeal

..."In our Order," Francis said, "is a very great company, a kind of general assembly, which has come together from every part of the world to live under one form of life. In it the wise turn to their own advantage what is characteristic of the simple, when they see the illiterate seeking heavenly things with burning zeal and those who have not been taught by men learning to savor spiritual things through the Holy Spirit."

Saint Francis of Assisi

Celano, Second Life

Chapter CXLIV

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Remember Jesus, Close To Your Side!

"All harm comes to us from not keeping our eyes fixed on You; if we were to look at nothing else but the way, we would soon arrive...Remember Jesus, close to your side...Get used to this practice! Get used to it! I'm not asking you to do anything more than look at Him."

St. Teresa of Avila

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Zeal For Observance Of The Rule

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St. Francis told his followers (the Franciscans) that our profession was the book of life, the hope of salvation, the pledge of glory, the heart of the Gospel, the way of the Cross, the state of perfection, the key of paradise, and the compact of the eternal covenant. He wanted the Rule to be understood and accepted by all, and wished it to be discussed in our conferences, and meditate on it frequently by ourselves, in order to remind us of our guiding vows. He also taught that the Rule should be always before our eyes, as a reminder of the life we should lead and had bound ourselves to follow. And, in addition, Francis wished and taught that we should die with it before us.

Saint Francis of Assisi

Mirror of Perfection - 76

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Spiritual Gluttony Suffered By Beginners

Some beginners, intoxicated by the sweet tidbits they cling to, forget about their own wretchedness and insignificance. They lose touch with their loving dread and awe in the face of God's greatness. They demand that their teachers meet with them all the time. Worse than that, they sometimes dare to engage in sacred rituals without the permission and guidance of those who have earned the privilege to steward souls. They follow their own opinions and conceal the truth. Addicted to self-expression, they express themselves carelessly. So eager to partake of holy rites, they fail to partake with purity and perfecftion. Between these two extremes, humble resignation is the best.

Saint John of the Cross

Dark Night of the Soul

Chapter 6

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Begging Alms "For the Love of God!"

St. Francis said that to offer the love of God to get an alms was a noble prodigality, and those who valued it less then money were most foolish men. He himself kept unfailingly to his death the resolution he had made while he was still enmeshed in worldly things, namely, that he would never turn away a poor man who asked an alms for the love of God.

Saint Francis of Assisi

Celano, Second Life

Chapter XCLVIII

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Complete Stillness

The spider weaves its web and then waits in complete stillness. Only from this stillness can it feel even the slightest movement of the web as a small prey flies into it and gets entangled. Likewise our inner hermit, stilling body and soul so that the still and serene spirit might emerge is of paramount importance. Then we can rightly discern whether the thoughts that come to us are ours or from God.

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Both The Giver And Those Who Receive Experience Joy

"The other day I received fifteen dollars from a man who has been paralyzed for twenty years. The paralysis only allows him to use his right hand. The only company he tolerates is tobacco. He told me, 'I have stopped smoking for a week. I'm sending you the money I've saved from not buying cigarettes.' It must have been a horrible sacrifice for him. I bought bread with his money, and I gave it to those who were hungry. So both the giver and those who received experienced joy."

Mother Teresa of Calcutta

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Our Vocation: Encouraging, Not Instructing

One day, when St. Antony of the Desert had gone out and all the monks came to him asking to hear discourse, he spoke to them as follows:

"The Scriptures are enough for our instruction. Yet it is well that we should encourage each other in the Faith and stimulate each other with words."

Saint Antony of the Desert

(251-356 A.D.)

By St. Athanasius

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The Portiuncula Should Always Be The Model And Pattern Of All Fraternities

What follows took place at the time of the Chapter for at that time it was held every year at St. Mary of the Portiuncula. By the grace of God, the brothers had multiplied and were multiplying every day. Now, all they had for the general gathering was a poor small hut covered with straw and a wall made of branches and mud, such as the brothers had built when they settled in that place. The inhabitants of Assisi noticed this and organized a group to come to their aid. In a few days and with much haste and fervor they built a large house made of stones cemented together, but without the consent of blessed Francis and in his absence.

When he returned to Chapter from the providence where he was and saw the house they had built in that place, he was very astonished. Then he said to himself that this would serve as an excuse for the brothers in the friaries where they lived or would live to erect or have erected large buildings. Since he desired the Portiuncula friary should always be the model and the very pattern of all the fraternities, one day before the end of Chapter he got up, climbed on the roof of this house and ordered several brothers to climb up with him. With their help, he began to throw the tile with which the house was covered down to the ground, having decided to demolish it.

Saint Francis of Assisi

Legend of Perugia - 11

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In Solitude And Silence We Are Able To Hear God's Revelations

The Pond at the Portiuncula Hermitage and Retreat Center

Jerusalem, Ohio

Once Francis was free from the bonds of all earthly desires in his disregard for the world, he left the town and sought out a place where he could be alone, without a care in the world. There in solitude and silence he would be able to hear God's revelations.

Saint Francis of Assisi

Bonaventure, Major Life

Chapter II

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Portiuncula Franciscan Hermitage - Meditatio (Meditation Prayer of the Monastics)

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When Approached By Beggars

When Francis was approached by beggars, he was not content merely to give what he had - he wanted to give his whole self to them. At times he took off his clothes and gave them away, or ripped or tore pieces of them, if he had nothing else at hand. He came to the aid of priests who were in need, respectfully and devoutly, especially when it concerned the upkeep of the altar. In this way he earned a share in the homage offered to God, while relieving the needs of those who pay homage to Him.

Saint Francis of Assisi

Bonaventure, Major Life

Chapter I

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"Come to the Quiet" Retreat Schedule for 2011

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The Portiuncula Hermitage and Retreat Center

Jerusalem, Ohio

"Come to the Quiet" Retreats

May 20-22

Men's Retreat (Fully Booked)

June 24-26

Women's Retreat (Nearly Booked)

July 15-17

CRHP or Cursillo (Group)

August 19-21

Men's Retreat

September 23-25

Lay Franciscan's of Richmond, Indiana

There appears to be a growing interest in the monastic life among people of all lifestyles - and no wonder! For centuries, the monastic life has provided monks and nuns with disciplines and practices aimed at helping them maintain balanced, healthy and centered lifestyles while they "prefer nothing to Christ." But these practices are not only for monks! Join us as we explore practices such as silence, prayer, simplicity, solitude and celebration, and the benefits they have for all our lives.

Fee $110.00 per person ($40.00 non-refundable, non-transferable deposit due upon registration), which includes meals, lodging and transportation and healthy snacks and drinks throughout the weekend (this fee does not include meals while travelling to and from the Portiuncula).

The Church Van will leave St. Andrew's parking lot at 12:00 O'Clock Friday afternoon and return immediately following Sunday Mass at St. Sylvester's Catholic Church in Woodsfield, Ohio, arriving back at St. Andrew's in Richmond around 4:00 O'Clock in the afternoon.

A "Come to the Quiet" Retreat is a SILENT RETREAT which means no cell phones, beepers, computers, radios or television, and there will be no talking except when gathered together for prayer. Joining together with God and being able to listen to Him as He speaks to us in the silence of our hearts is the focus of this retreat.

What should I bring?

1.  Medications you may require

2.  Shaving Kit

3.  Extra change of clothes (Dress for Comfort - CASUAL)
4.  Change of clothes for Sunday Mass
     (Business Casual - Brown and Tan colors preferred)

5.  Extra pairs of dry sox and undergarments

6.  Towel and Washcloth

7.  Sweater in case it gets chilly

8.  Pillow

Please make checks payable to:

The Portiuncula Hermitage

% 508 South 16th Street

Richmond, IN 47374

Occupancy is extremely limited so please call for your registration in as quickly as possible!

Cell: 765.220.1623

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Penitence And The Life Of Evangelical Perfecftion

One day during the celebration of the Mass St. Francis heard the words in which Christ bade his disciples go out and preach, carrying neither gold nor silver, nor haversack for the journey, without staff, bread, or shoes, and having no second garment. After listening to the priest's explanation of these words of the Gospel, full of unspeakable joy, he exclaimed: "This is what my whole heart desires to accomplish."

Francis meditated on these words and put them into practice. He discarded his second garment, and from that day onwards he used no staff, shoes, or haversack; he kept one miserable tunic, and instead of the strap took a length of cord as a belt. He set his whole heart and mind on how he could best carry out the words of grace that he had heard, and, divinely inspired, he began speaking in public very simply of penitance and the life of evangelical perfection.

Saint Francis of Assisi

Legend of the Three Companions

Chapter VIII

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