The Gospel Through a Franciscan Lens – 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Fr. Christopher
Jesus comes back again and again to this image of the child, to communicate a sense of human relationship to God.
The Gospel Through a Franciscan Lens – 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Fr. Christopher
“Whoever welcomes you welcomes Me, and whoever welcomes Me welcomes the One who sent Me.” Hospitality extended from one to another becomes a place of encounter. In welcoming another person, we may discover that Christ has already arrived ahead of us.
The Gospel Through a Franciscan Lens – 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Fr. Christopher
The deeper we travel through these days of Ordinary Time, the more we encounter the reality that discipleship is not simply believing certain things about Jesus. It’s about following Jesus.
The Gospel Through a Franciscan Lens – 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Fr. Christopher
Their first assignment is to connect and re-establish broken friendships among God’s people, to bring back the lost and forsaken, to speak a word that strengthens, the good news that saves, that God’s reign has come near.
Now Available! – Revised Handbook for Spiritual Assistance to the Secular Franciscan Order
Available on June 7th - Print version for sale on the Gospel to Life Bookstore. Also available for download from the National Website CNSA page.
The Gospel Through a Franciscan Lens – Corpus Christi – Fr. Christopher
True sharing in the prayer and the celebration of the Eucharist means that I listen, receive, and the door opens up within me, through which Christ may enter, and that I may begin to enter into Him.
The Gospel Through a Franciscan Lens – Trinity Sunday – Fr. Christopher
“Eternal Trinity, You are like a deep sea, in which the more I seek, the more I find; and the more I find, the more I seek You.” St Catherine of Siena
The Gospel Through a Franciscan Lens – Pentecost – Fr. Christopher
The Spirit does not erase differences. The Spirit speaks through difference. Pentecost is not uniformity but aids us in understanding.
REFLECTIONS ON FIFTEEN YEARS: Grateful for the Opportunity to Serve the OFS
My Franciscan vocation began with the Seculars, so when the opportunity came for me to serve as a provincial delegate in 2011, I was happy to volunteer. I was in my second assignment after ordination – middle-aged as a person, but young as a friar. This service has been an incredible opportunity for me to grow and exercise our Franciscan charism. At several points, I have been grateful for those who have walked with me in leadership. My connections grew with their support, leading eventually to the positions I have now as OFS Animator for my province and National Spiritual Assistant.
The Gospel Through a Franciscan Lens – Feast of the Ascension – Fr. Christopher
Franciscans live in the midst of the world, in our communities and from our homes. Our witness to the Risen Christ is living in a way that shines out to others: a witness of faithful love through daily life in family and fraternity, neighborhood and workplace; a witness to the struggles for social justice and human dignity; a witness of daily conversion, the willingness to conform our thoughts and actions to those of Jesus.