Showing results by publisher "Franciscan Media" in All Categories

This series of reflections reveals the importance of gratitude in helping us see beyond the immediate to a broader and deeper reality. The discovery of this perpetual alleluia will help you discover what you are, become who you are, and grow with gratitude into the unknown.

In Lifesigns, Nouwen explores three elements of what he considered the call of all people: Intimacy - the gospel invitation to communion with God and relationship with others; Fecundity - the exhortation to be open to a fruitful life of both growth and change; Ecstasy - the Gospel wish and promise of Jesus that "your joy may be complete". Nouwen shows how these elements are essential to our movement from the "house of fear" to the "house of love".

Whether you’re considering a religious vocation or simply trying to lead a Christ-centered life, Franciscan friar Casey Cole has news: Christian life doesn't end with a profession of faith or hearing of God's call. That's when it begins. Called: What Happens After Saying Yes to God reflects on realities that are common to anyone who is serious about living a sincere Christian life and trying to follow the message of Jesus in the Gospels.

Franciscan Father Richard Rohr served as the principal Christian representative at the 2013 Festival of Faiths held in Louisville, KY., sharing the stage with other religious leaders including His Holiness, the Dalai Lama.

What do you do when life makes a sharp left turn? When the coronavirus pandemic hit, Terry Hershey found himself unexpectedly asking that question; and as a popular speaker and author, he was inundated with other people asking it too. In Stand Still, Hershey lays out the answer: that in every unforeseen challenge there is an invitation to pause, re-evaluate the status quo, and welcome the change of heart that is knocking on your door. “Transformative events will be hard,” he writes. “So, whatever love is in your heart, nurture it. Develop it. Grow it. Spread it.”

This is a guided tour through the mind of one of the most acclaimed voices in contemporary Catholic writing. Brian Doyle effortlessly connects the everyday with the inexpressible and consistently marries searingly honest prose with interruptions of humor and humanity.

From a pilgrimage through the streets of Assisi to contemplative walks on the beaches near his home, Bruce Epperly has pondered the questions of privilege, prayer, and social justice while walking with the teachings of Francis of Assisi. From his roots in reformation traditions, he has a deep understanding of the call Francis received to rebuild the church and the need for constant reformation not only in our personal lives but also in our society and in our religious institutions.

Healing After Divorce is a breath of fresh air for all who are going through the divorce process. Rowland offers insightful advice about how to begin to rebuild one's emotional, spiritual, physical, romantic, familial, and financial life after divorce. Acknowledging the heartbreak, Rowland offers practical and easy-to-follow steps to begin to mend a broken heart and find hope, fulfillment, and love after divorce.

Stories of Jesus provides a portrait of Our Lord in a day-by-day reflection format, based on the Gospel accounts of his life and teachings. Through these reflections, Girzone introduces Jesus and his adult ministry - from his baptism by John the Baptist through his public life and work, to his death and resurrection - pausing along the way to focus on the important people and events of Jesus s world.

St. Francis had a deep and lifelong devotion to Mary, the Mother of God, committing his order to her care. Franciscan Murray Bodo explores that relationship in this evocative and deeply spiritual encounter with Marian devotion across the centuries.

For more than forty years, Saint of the Day has been a trusted guide, and this latest edition continues the tradition. Like his predecessors, Pope Francis continues to recognize and acclaim people from all walks of life. Newly added saints and blesseds include Oscar Romero, Marie of the Incarnation, François de Laval, Miriam Teresa Demjanovich, Stanley Rother, Pope Paul VI, and Solanus Casey.

Spend seven days letting St. Anthony of Padua guide you on an interior journey to find yourself and your way to God. Through guided prayer activities and probing questions drawn from his preaching and the stories of his life, you will learn about this Franciscan saint but even more important, you learn about your own spiritual life.

Radical Saints: 21 Women for the 21st Century features 21 saints who walked the earth in the 20th century and were canonized in the 21st. Each chapter tells the story of one woman’s radical gift and the world in which she lived. You’ll also find stories of everyday women who are living these gifts in ways large and small today.

In The Franciscan Saints, spiritual trailblazers span the centuries from Francis and Clare to Solanus Casey and Mychal Judge, with representatives from every walk of life and corner of the world. Each entry features the essential biographical facts and adds the insight and depth only Ellsberg can provide. The author’s sharp eye for signs and stories of holiness in the gritty, messy real world informs his selections, making his work unique.

Deepen your devotion to the Blessed Mother with this unique look at Mary’s relationship with her son throughout Jesus’ life - and beyond. Fr. McBride invites us to know Mary not only as the young mother of a newborn but also as the nurturer and caretaker of her son through his adolescence and into his adult ministry. We see Mary in grief at Christ’s death, and we meet her as the mother of the infant Church at Pentecost. These 42 reflections help us understand the whole picture of Mary as a mother.

Do you sense there is a greater purpose designed for your life and work? Good news! You were designed on purpose for a purpose. John McCarthy is here to guide you on a practical journey to gain purpose, freedom, and a life of joy! The Renewal Journey is a 10-day, 45-minute per day retreat to gain awareness of your purpose and map out a plan to obtain it through your career search. A career of richer purpose and joy will result from your 450-minute investment in the Renewal Journey. This is The Purpose Promise.

At the close of the tumultuous Middle Ages, there lived a man who seemed destined from birth to save the world. His name was Peter Morrone, a hermit, founder of a religious order, and depending on to whom you talk, a reformer, an instigator, a prophet, a coward, a saint, and possibly the victim of murder. A stroke of fate would, practically overnight, transform this humble servant of God into the most powerful man in the Catholic Church.

We are born to savor life, to live in the moment. What holds us back? When we stop the noise, the distraction, the compulsion to perform, the fear of rejection, we make space to savor the power of the present moment. We carry this capacity to honor the present into every encounter and relationship, meaning that we honor the dignity that is reflected by God’s goodness and grace. Every encounter, every relationship, is a place to include, invite mercy, encourage, receive, heal, reconcile, repair, say thank you, pray, celebrate, refuel, and restore.

In When We Were Eve, Colleen Mitchell draws on the creation story in Genesis to show women God’s gracious plan for their whole being: body and soul in harmony with themselves, others, creation, and their Creator. Through her own story and those of other women, she explores the many ways women struggle with their bodies and the way a biblical understanding of what it means to be a woman can bring them peace and joy.

In this spiritual memoir, writer Maureen O'Brien reflects on the many ways in which she found a home and a refuge in the biblical psalms, drawing strength from them in a wide variety of experiences and seeking in them a safe shelter from life's storms.