How To Conduct Ourselves Among Unbelievers

The brothers can conduct themselves among unbelievers spiritually in two ways. One way is to avoid quarrels or disputes and be subject to every human creature for God's sake (1 Peter 2:13), so bearing witness in the fact that they are Christians. Another way is to proclaim the word of God openly, when they see that is God's will, calling on their hearers to believe in God almighty, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the Creator of all, and in the Son, the Redeemer and Savior, that they may be baptized and become Christians, bucause unlesws a man be born again of water, and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God (John 3:5).

Saint Francis of Assisi
The Rule of 1221
Chapter 16

Outward Displays Of Sadness And Gloom

It is not fitting that a servant of God appear before the brothers or other men with a sad and gloomy face.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of Perugia - 97

The Revenues Of Torments

Do you think that evangelical poverty has nothing about it to be envied? It has Christ and through him it has all things in all. Why do you pant over revenues, modern cleric? Tomorrow you will know that Francis was rich, when you will find in your hand the revenues of torments.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, Second Life
CHAPTER LI

Erect Simple Huts Of Clay And Wood

When the friars have received the blessing of the Bishop, let them go and mark out the boundaries of the land which they have accepted for their house, and as a sign of holy poverty and humility, let them plant a hedge instead of building a wall. Afterwards, let them erect simple little huts of clay and wood, and a number of cells where the friars can pray or work from time to time in order to increase their merit and avoid idleness. Their churches are to be small; they are not to build great churches in order to preach to the people, or for any other reason, for they show greater humility and a better example when they visit other churches to preach. And should prelates or clergy, whether Religious or secular, visit their houses, their humble dwellings, cells, and tiny churches will speak for themselves, and these things will edify them more than any words.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Mirror of Perfection - 10

Our Body Is Our Cell

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 this cell, of what avail is it to live in a man-made cell?

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of Perugia - 80

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:

Concerning the Conversion of a Soldier

There was a certain strong soldier who had won many victories and later became a Friar Minor. And when soldiers laughed at him because he had joined such an Order rather than the Templars or a similar Order where he could do much good and still fight battles, he replied: "I tell you that when I feel thirst, hunger, cold, and such things, the impulse of pride and concupiscence and such stll attacks me. How much worse would it be if I saw my feet shod in armor and I was on a hadsome horse and so on!"

And he added: "So far I was strong in fighting others-from now on I want to be strong in fighting myself!"

Little Flowers of St. Francis - 17

The Friars Are To Call Nothing Their Own

While Francis was passing through Balogna, he heard that a house had recently been built there for the friars. Directly he learned that it was known as 'the house of the friars,' he turned on his heel and left the city, giving strict orders that all the friars were to leave it at once and live in it no longer.

So they all abandoned it, even the sick were not allowed to remain, but were turned out with the rest, until the Lord Ugolino, Bishop of Ostia and Legate in Lombardy, publicly proclaimed that the house belonged to him.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Mirror of Perfection - 6

Declining From The Highest Ideals Of Our Profession

Because of the boundless zeal that he had at all times for the perfection of the Order, St. Francis was naturally distressed whenever he heard or saw any imperfection in it. And beginning to realize that some of the friars were setting a bad example in the Order, and had begun to decline from the highest ideals of their profession, his heart was moved to the deepest grief...

Saint Francis of Assisi
Mirror of Perfection - 81

Concentrate On Gaining Holiness And Not On Worldy Events

None of the friars assembled at the chapter ever dared to recount any worldly events: they spoke together of the lives of the holy fathers of old, and how they might best live in God's grace. If by chance anyone among those present was troubled or tempted, the very sight of blessed Francis and his fervent and gentle exhortations were sufficient to drive away all temptation and trouble.

Saint Francisw of Assisi
Legend of the Three Companions - 59

Simple And Unlearned

Many simple words fell from St. Francis's lips and he spoke from the fervor of his heart for he had been chosen by God to be simple and unlearned, using none of the erudite words of human wisdon; and in all things he bore himself with simplicity.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of the Three Companions
CHAPTER VII

Honor Is To Be Rebuked

For often, when Francis 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 some one. He would call some brother to him, saying to him: "In obedience, I say to you, revile me harshly and speak the truth against the lies of others."

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, First Life - 52

Becoming Like The Angels On Jacob's Ladder

St. Francis never failed to keep himself occupied doing good; like the angels Jacob saw on the ladder (Genesis 28, 12) he was always busy, either raising his heart to God in prayer, or descending to his neighbor. He had 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 in restful ecstacy of contemplation.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Bonaventure, Major Life
CHAPTER XIII

No Friar May Preach Contrary To Church Law

No friar may preach contrary to Church law or without the permission of his minister. The minister, for his part, must be careful not to grant permission indiscriminately. Allthe friars, however, should preach by their example.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Rule of 1221
Chapter 17. Preachers

Remember Your Dignity, My Friar 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

How Holy, And Virtuous, And Worthy Should A Priest Be

Listen to this, my brothers: If it is right to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary because she bore him in her most holy womb; if St. John the Baptist trembled and was afraid to touch Christ's sacred head; if the tomb where he lay for only a short time is so venerated; how holy, and virtuous, and worthy should not a priest be; he touches Christ with his own hands, Christ who is to die now no more but enjoy eternal life and glory, upon whom the angels desire to look (1 Peter 1:12). A priest receives him into his heart and mouth and offers him to others to be received.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Letter To A General Chapter

Correction Of Ministers And Friars Who Have Fallen Into Sin

If the friars see that any of the ministers is leading a worldly and not a religious life, as the perfection of our life demands, they should warn him three times.

Saint Francis of Assisi
The Rule of 1221
Chapter 5

St. Francis Addresses Certain Ministers

"Let them live as it suits them, for the damnation of a few is a lesser loss then the damnation of many!" Francis did not say this because of all the ministers, but because of some who seemed to claim their prelacy by a hereditary right since they had held office for so long a time.

St. Francis of Assisi
Celano, Second Life
CHAPTER CXLI

Father Robert Mazzola "Abortion Not An Important Issue!"

Mark well the hour of this posting!

Matthew 18:6

Therefore I beseech the Holy Spirit:

Luke 1:20

More than 700 from FUS to March for Life

STEUBENVILLE, OH — On the eve of the 36th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case legalizing abortion, all are encouraged to attend a Holy Hour for Life at Franciscan University of Steubenville on January 21, 2009. The holy hour is from 10:00 to 11:00 p.m. in Christ the King Chapel and is sponsored by Students for Life.
The holy hour commences the overnight departure of 350 students on 7 buses for the March for Life in Washington, D.C. An estimated 400 additional students, alumni, and friends of the University are expected to join them on January 22, under the Franciscan University banner. Every year this Franciscan contingent is one of the largest at the March for Life.

Before the march, students will participate in Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

“Franciscan University is very pro-life and since the mission of the school is education, our main focus on campus is educating students about the pro-life movement and how they can be pro-life,” says Students for Life Vice President Emily Espinola. “Yet we’re not just about staying here, but carrying the prolife movement outside of campus, where our role is evangelization.”

The group’s ongoing activities include prayer ministry outside abortion clinics four days a week, training sidewalk counselors, hosting prominent speakers and educational talks on campus, and connecting with students from other universities and colleges to train them as pro-life leaders in their communities. Once a year, the Students for Life Coffeehouse raises over $1,000 to donate to AIM Women’s Center, a Steubenville pregnancy help center.

We Are Bound To Fast And Avoid Vice And Sin

We [the brothers] are bound to fast and avoid vice and sin, taking care not to give way to excess in food and drink, and we must be Catholics. We should visit churches often and show great reverence for the clergy, not just for them personally, for they may be sinnersw, but because of their high office, for it is they who administer the most holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Letter to All the Faithful

Consider It An Honor To Beg For Alms

It is not right for the heirs of the kingdom to be ashamed of their heavenly inheritance. I say to you, there will be many noble and wise men who will join our order and who will consider it an honor to beg for alms.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, Second Life
CHAPTER XLIV

St. Teresa's Treasures Now Offering Mystic Monk Coffee Through The Portiuncula Hermitage

The Richmond Catholic Community is now offering Mystic Monk Coffee Through The Portiuncula at St. Teresa's Treasures (Holy Family Parish.)

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.)


FAIR TRADE / ORGANIC

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

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


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

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

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

When Anyone Falls 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

Cling To Heaven With Our Minds

With their eyes directed toward the ground, they clung to heaven with their minds. No envy, no malice, no rancor, no abusive wspeech, no suspicion, no bitterness found any place in them; but great concord, continual quiet, thanksgiving, and the voice of praise were in them.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, First Life - 41

Virtue Should Be Concealed Or It Will Be Lost

Blessed the religious who treasures up for heaven (Matthew 6:20) the favours God has given him and does not want to show them off for what he can get out of them. God hmself will reveal his works to whomsoever he pleases. Blessed the religious who keeps God's marvellous doings to himself.

Saint Francis of Assisi
The Admonitions
Admonition XXVIII

Be Careful To Conceal Your Gifts From God

Francis was careful to conceal the gifts which God showered upon him as closely guarded secrets and refused to expose them to the praise of others, which might lead to a fall.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Bonaventure, Major Life
CHAPTER VI

Alms Are An Inheritance From God

Alms are an inheritance and a right which is due to the poor because our Lord Jesus Christ acquired this inheritance for us. The friars who are busy begging alms will receive a great reward themselves, besides enriching those who give them.

Saint Francis of Assisi
The Rule of 1221
Chapter 9

Concerning Hidden Mysteries

Let silence speak where words are wanting, for the thing itself cries out where the words fail.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, Second Life
CHAPTER CLIV

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: