San Damiano Cross Illustration

Feast Day of Francis, the Pledge

On the Feast Day of Saint Francis I imagine Francis would be most pleased with efforts that continue his peacemaking work.

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Heart Illustration

Deeds of Blessed Francis

Francis taught that, at the end of the day, it is not the sophisticated argument, not the polished apologetics, that matters most but rather our ability to remain open to the Holy Spirit that fills us with the love that gives our simple words meaning.

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Protesters Illustration by Tracy Stone

The Train Wreck

In a recent installment of the video blog Vortex, Michael Voris addresses a looming cultural disaster and forecasts we will see tough times ahead. Looking to the historical record he observes, “when the lights were going out across the Roman Empire, men and women who were heirs of nearly a thousand years of global superiority had to sober up fast.”

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Mediation Table Illustration by Tracy Stone

Taming the Wolf in Archdiocese News

The Tidings article provides an informative introduction to the work of the Rev. Brian Cox of the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy who spoke as a guest at the workshop regarding advances in the emerging field of faith-based diplomacy.

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Sun and Rays Illustration

Face of a Franciscan

Face Work is a social science discipline that studies a person’s need to Save Face, Protect Face, and Restore Face, thus managing threats to their social image, identity, or standing. The ultimate tool for effective Face Work is hinted at in friar Murray Bodo’s phrase “the Face of a Franciscan.”

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San Damiano Cross Illustration

The Spirit of Assisi

On October 27th of this year the 25th anniversary of the Spirit of Assisi will be celebrated. The theme this year will be Pilgrims of truth, pilgrims of peace.

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Heart Illustration

A Saint in Auschwitz

This morning Saint Maximilian Kolbe, my local parish’s patron saint, a Polish Conventual Franciscan friar who was arrested and sent to Auschwitz, was honored with a special Mass.

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Taming the Wolf the Hidden Influence

We Were Deceived

Last week I watched a refreshingly candid interview with Archbishop Dolan conducted by Raymond Arroyo on The World Over (EWTN). Their discussion of the passage of New York’s “same-sex marriage” bill brought to mind my earlier posts.

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Spider in Web Drawing

In the Garden

This morning I encountered a marvelous spider web glistening in the early light. It reminded me of John Paul Lederach’s peacemaking treatise, The Moral Imagination.

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San Damiano Cross Illustration

A Silent Movie

Ron Austin, Hollywood screenwriter, delivering a commencement address at Dominican School of Philosophy & Theology, offered a thought provoking idea: “I think we American Catholics are now called to create a ‘silent movie’ of who we are—that is, a living, visible alternative way of life.”

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