Religious Education - Children
Catechist BlogThe Time of Fulfillment
Although only 14 verses into the gospel narrative, St. Mark has already introduced us to John the Baptist, Jesus has been baptized, and tempted in the desert. Then, in a typically abbreviated style, Mark merely refers in passing to the whole story of John’s...
A reluctant leader
One aspect of Francis’ changing life that has attracted recent attention is the movement of Francis from solitary figure, living a quasi-hermetical life for four to five years, now beginning to live in a growing community of brothers – all of whom are looking to...
“And the Lord gave me brothers”
It is later in the autumn of 1206 that with his decision to “leave the world” Francis began to be aware of the powerful Divine Presence in his life through, his work among the lepers near Assisi, and his habit of taking refuge in churches for prayer and rebuilding the...
Finding Peace
There are three events that seem to highlight the “period of crisis” in Francis life during the period from late 1205 until the summer of 1206: Francis’ experiences at the abandoned San Damiano chapel – especially his prayers before the cross Francis’ “leaving the...
No Turning Back
“When I was in sin…. I delay a little and left the world.” (Testament of St Francis 1-2) In the previous article about this period of Francis’ life we highlighted his experiences at the abandoned San Damiano chapel – especially his prayers before the cross – and how...
The Struggling Veteran
In the previous article we had left Francis in the spring of 1205, in his early 20’s, just released from a year as a prisoner of war, suffering severe physical effects and psychological burdens, that to the modern mind fit the description of PTSD. He returned with...
Honor, Chivalry and War
Much of Francis’ youth had been spent as an apprentice in his father’s cloth business by day and as playboy by night – a time that the older Francis refers to as “When I was in sin.” At the same time, the intrigue and rivalry of imperial and papal politics swirled...
Be Made Clean!
In today’s Gospel, a leper comes to Jesus and says: “Lord, if you will to do so, you can make me clean.” Jesus’ response is: “I do will it. Be made clean!” In this miracle, like many other miracles of Jesus, one of the important elements is the reason Jesus performed...
Fulfilled in your hearing
Jesus preaches the shortest homily in history! In today’s Gospel Jesus reads a text from the prophet Isaiah and then gives a homily on this text. While His homily is very short it sets forth the mission that He will fulfill in the rest of the Gospel. His homily is...
For the love of Christ
When asked how they could possibly feed so many people, Jesus said to disciples “in reply, ‘Give them some food yourselves.’” Today the Church celebrates the Memorial of St. John Neumann, Bishop of Philadelphia and the first male US citizen canonized. Neumann began...