“Fear and honor, praise and consecrate, thank and adore the omnipotent Lord God in the Trinity and in the Unity, Father and Son and Holy Spirit, creator of all things.” (From the Earlier Rule)
St. Margaret of Cortona Region of the Secular Franciscan Order (OFS) is eagerly preparing to welcome brothers and sisters from across the country Sept. 9-13, for the upcoming National Chapter gathering.
When we walk by the Spirit we will be kind and good, we grow gentle and faithful. We experience incomparable peace, a joy the world cannot give.
A common statement that we have all probably heard is, “The United States is a melting pot.” But that doesn’t really seem right if you think of what a melting pot does and what its contents looks like. A melting pot melts down everything in it into one single entity. I picture a glutinous unicolored mass. Not an attractive site at all.
The 2026 Chapter of Mats is canceled, but there is another way to gather as Secular Franciscans. Plan on attending the Quinquennial in 2026.
If I have said that word once, I probably said it thousands of times during my thirty-five-year career as a Spanish teacher. The results varied each time the word was uttered in either language. When I was asked to write an article on communication for this issue of the TAU-USA, I looked back at the many articles (most recently, a 2023 issue) and presentations I’ve given on the topic. An integral part of those sharings has been listening, which will be the main focus here.
One of our recent Formation Friday”s offered a beautiful reflection on St. Francis’ Canticle of the Creatures that we’re all celebrating during these centennial years. We were asked to write our own canticle. I offer to you my humble “New England Spring Canticle.”
The receiving and giving among the friends of Jesus creates a unity that becomes a message to the non-unified world, a world that lives by taking and holding.
Peace signifies the restoration of harmonious relations between God and humankind. Peace is also the bond of accord between one another.
Regional Roundup In this issue, five of the 30 regions are highlighted - St. Thomas More Region, St. Kateri Tekakwitha Region, Troubadours of Peace, St. Joan of Arc Region, St. Junipero Serra Region.