Melting Love And Compassion For The Passion Of Christ

St. Francis' heart was stricken and wounded with melting love and compassion for the passion of Christ; and for the rest of his life he carried in it the wounds of the Lord Jesus.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of the Three Companions
CHAPTER V

Thirsting After Christ

Although the man of God, Francis, was exiled from the Lord while in the body, he strove constantly to have his spirit present in heaven and thus he was already a citizen with the angels and only a wall of flesh separated him from them. His whole soul thirsted after Christ, and he dedicated not only his whole heart, but his whole body as well, to him.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, Second Life
CHAPTER LXI

Seculsion

St Francis not only despised arrogance with regard to houses, but he also had a great horror of many and exquisite furnishings in the houses. He wanted nothing on the table, nothing in the utensils, that would bring back memories of the world. Everything should show forth our state as pilgrims, everything bespeak our exile.

I am leaving for four days of seclusion at the Portiuncula Hermitage.

Please know that you will all be in my prayers this weekend!

Pax Et Bonum!

Fra Giles Mary Christopher

The Beginning Of Holiness

Mystic Monk Coffee: Order Through Portiuncula And Donate To Birthright (a loving alternative to Abortion)

Fra Giles Mary Christopher

The Portiuncula Hermitage is committed to tithing ten percent of their Mystic Monk Coffee Sales Commissions to Birthright (a loving alternative to abortion)!

The Carmelite Monks of Wyoming

Mystic Monk Coffee is roasted by the Carmelite Monks, a Roman Catholic monastery in the silence and solitude of the Rocky Mountains of northern Wyoming. The monks live a hidden life of prayer and contemplation in the pursuit of God. The monastery is inundated with young men who seek to leave everything to pray for the world, in a tradition at least a thousand years old. It is the monks’ great joy and privilege to share the fruit of their life with you in every cup of Mystic Monk Coffee.


The Monk Master Roaster

Br. Java is the master roaster who meticoulosly roasts beans in small batches. His philosophy is that each roast must be not only the labor of his hands, but a master roast of the highest quality. Br. Java is passionate about obtaining the perfect roasts for you. He carefully roasts only the finest gourmet beans under conditions that will make each roast consistent and smooth with a taste that will make your taste buds tingle. With experience and perfection, Mystic Monk Coffee is a coffee to savor and enjoy – with or without cream.


The Legend of the First Mystic Monk

Coffee is a product perfected and loved by monks from its beginning. When a monk of old heard the anguished tale of a shepherd who had sleepless goats, he himself discovered growing on shrubs the berries, which had such a wonderful affect. Delighted at his find, the ingenious monk boiled the beans in water and drank the resulting coffee. He found in his discovery a hot drink that could keep his eyes awake even amidst the midnight vigils and unceasing prayers of the monastic life.

The secret of coffee continues to keep monks ever alert and vigilant for their prayers, but now Mystic Monk Coffee shares the hidden, master roasts of monks with all who seek a delightful cup of coffee.


Monks are passionate Perfectionists

The monastic life is one of ordered perfection, which you will taste in every bag of Mystic Monk Coffee. Passionate about perfection, no challenge is too great for Br. Java and the monks, if it will result in a Mystic Monk brew suited for the most discriminating coffee drinker. The Carmelite monks have mastered the ancient art of roasting coffee, laboring with steadfast determination to make each cup of coffee simply superb. Taste the monastic perfection in each brew, which makes all the difference.

Please remember that when you buy Mystic Monk Coffee through the Portiuncula Hermitage, ten percent of all their commission sales is donated to Birthright (a loving alternative to abortion.)

Please remember to keep our pre-born in your daily prayers!

To order direct, simply click on the Mystic Monk Coffee Icon on the Left Side of this page:

Hidden In The Wounds Of The Savior

With fruitful devotion, St. Francis frequented only heavenly dwellings, and he who had totally emptied himself remained so much the longer hidden in the wounds of the Savior. He therefore frequently chose solitary places so that he could direct his mind completely to God...

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, First Life - 71

Our Brother Body Is Our Cell

Wherever we are, wherever we go, we bring our cell with us. Our brother body is our cell in order to pray to God and meditate. If our soul does not live in peace and solitude within its cell, of what avail is it to live in a man-made cell?

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of Perugia - 80

Owning Nothing

Francis wanted nothing to do with ownership, in order that he might possess all things more fully in God.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, First Life
CHAPTER XVI

Prepare Your Hearts To Suffer Everything Humbly And Patiently

Do not be afraid to preach penance even though we appear ignorant and of no account. Put your trust in God who overcame the world; hope steadfastly in him who, by the Holy Spirit, speaks through you to exhort all to be converted to him and to observe his commandments. You will find some men to be faithful and kind and they will receive you gladly; but you will also find many who are unfaithful, proud, and blasphemous, and they will insult and injure you and your words. Therefore prepare your hearts to suffer everything humbly and patiently.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of the Three Companions
CHAPTER X

Never Deny Anyone An Alms

Another time, when St. Francis was staying at Saint Mary of the Portiuncula, a poor woman, who had two sons in the Order, came to the friary asking alms of blessed Francis. He immediately asked Brother Peter Catanii, who was then Minister General, 'Have we anything to give our mother?' For he used to say that the mother of any friar was mother to himself and to all the friars. Brother Peter said to him, 'There is nothing in the house that we can give her, for she wants the kind of alms that can sustain her bodily needs. But in the church we have a single New Testament, from which we read the lessons at Matins.' (For at that time the brothers had no brevaries and few psalters.) So blessed Francis said to him, 'Give the New Testament to our mother, so that she can sell it for ther needs. I am sure that this will please our Lord and the Blessed Virgin better than if we were to read it.'

Saint Francis of Assisi
Mirror of Perfection - 38

The Truth of Holy Simplicity, Holy Prayer and Poverty

'But those who have cared for nothing except to know and point out the way of salvation to others, and have made no effort to follow it themselves, will stand naked and empty-handed before the judgment-seat of Christ, bearing only the sheaves of confusion, shame, and grief. Then shall the truth of holy simplicity, of holy prayer and poverty, which is our vocation, be exalted, glorified, and proclaimed; the truth which those who were swollen with the wind of their learning betrayed by their own lives and by the words of their empty learning'...

Saint Francis of Assisi
Mirror of Perfection - 72

Preach The Need To Do Penance In Every Sermon

In all your sermons you shall tell the people of the need to do penance, impressing on them that no one can be saved unless they receive the Body and Blood of the Lord.

Saint Francis of Assisi
LETTER TO ALL SUPERIORS OF THE FRIARS MINOR

We Continue Crucifying Christ

Every creature under heaven serves and acknowledges and obeys its Creator in its own way better than you do. Even the devils were not solely responsible for crucifying him; it was you who crucified him with them and you continue to crucify him by taking pleasure in your vices and sins.

Saint Francis of Assisi
The Admonitions
Admonition V

Concerning Those Determined To Live According To The Flesh

If a friar is clearly determined to live according to the flesh and not according to the spirit, no matter where he is, the others are bound to warn, insrtuct and correct him with humble charity.

Saint Francis of Assisi
THE RULE OF 1221
Chapter 5

Choosing Holy Poverty As Our Spouce

Once, when he had met a poor man and considered his poverty, he said to his companions, 'This man's poverty brings great shame on us, and is a stern rebuke to our own. For since I have chosen holy poverty as my lady, my delight, and my spiritual and bodily treasure, I feel the greatest shame when I find someone poorer than myself.'

Saint Francis of Assisi
Mirror of Perfection - 18

Mount Nebo: Looking with Faith and Hope to the Future

VATICAN CITY, (VIS) - Having celebrated a private Mass at the apostolic nunciature in the Jordanian capital of Amman, the Holy Father travelled by car to Mount Nebo. The mountain, 806 metres above sea level, is the site of the Basilica of the Memorial of Moses, a fourth century structure built over an earlier monument dating from the classical age.

Since the year 1933 there has been a Franciscan monastery at Siyagha on Mount Nebo. It has areas in which faithful from the nearby city of Madaba can pray, and special buildings for archaeologists. The top of the mountain affords a unique view over the Holy Land.

At the beginning of his address, the Pope mentioned the Franciscan Fr. Michele Piccirillo, who died last year having "devoted his life to the study of Christian antiquity, and is buried in this shrine which was so dear to him". The Franciscans of the Custody of the Holy Land have had a presence on this site since 1932.

"It is appropriate that my pilgrimage should begin on this mountain, where Moses contemplated the Promised Land from afar", said the Holy Father. "Here, on the heights of Mount Nebo, the memory of Moses invites us to 'lift up our eyes' to embrace with gratitude not only God's mighty works in the past, but also to look with faith and hope to the future which He holds out to us and to our world".

Like the prophets, the apostles and the saints, we too, said Benedict XVI, "are called to welcome the coming of Christ's Kingdom by our charity, our service to the poor, and our efforts to be a leaven of reconciliation, forgiveness and peace in the world around us. ... And we know that the God Who revealed His name to Moses as a pledge that He would always be at our side will give us the strength to persevere in joyful hope even amid suffering, trial and tribulation".

"Here, in the footsteps of the countless pilgrims who have preceded us in every century, we are challenged to appreciate more fully the gift of our faith and to grow in that communion which transcends every limit of language, race and culture".

The Pope recalled how "from the beginning the Church in these lands has commemorated in her liturgy the great figures of the Old Testament, as a sign of her profound appreciation of the unity of the two Testaments. MORE

1209 to 2009 - Celebrating 800 Years of Franciscan Life

Poggio Bustone

The Rieti Valley in Italy is a mountainous region just over 60 miles northeast of Rome. In the early 13th century, Francis of Assisi visited the area on several occasions. Seeking a place of isolation where he could meditate and get closer to the Lord. He found exactly what he was looking for in the Rieti Valley. One specific place, amongst several, where Francis spent a fair bit of time when he was in the Rieti Valley was a village called Poggio Bustone. Here a tiny abandoned hermitage served Francis and his brothers as a home where they could pray and fast.

Convento di San Giacomo

Although Francis thrived spiritually in the isolation of the hermiate, he was not one to distance himself completely from society. When he first entered Poggio Bustone in 1209, curious residents peaked from their houses, wondering who had visited them. To all of these people Francis offered a gregarious, “Buon giorno, buona gente (good morning, good people).” Today every October 4th – the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi – a local man will walk through the village, knock on doors, and yell out the same greeting Francis used so many centuries ago.

Poggio Bustone

Around his 1217 visit to Poggio Bustone, Francis founded the Convento di San Giacomo, which today houses several friars and welcomes pilgrims. From the convento one can walk for about a half hour up an inclined path to the hermitage where Francis prayed upon his first visit to Poggio Bustone in 1209. Along this path stand six little chapels dedicated to Francis. The sanctuary, pilgrims discover, is a chapel hewn out in rock. A little farther on is a small cave. In this very special place an angel appeared to Francis and said, “Francis, here your sins are forgiven as you have asked” while handing him a book. A picture in the cave commemorates this event.

The Rieti Valley

Fr. Corapi, Cardinal Newman Society Launch Prayer Campaign for Notre Dame "Travesty" on National Day of Prayer

MANASSAS, Virginia, May 8, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Televangelist priest Rev. John Corapi, S.O.L.T. and The Cardinal Newman Society (CNS) are leading a national prayer campaign for Catholic higher education and an end to the scandal caused by the University of Notre Dame’s decision to honor pro-abortion President Barack Obama at commencement on May 17, 20

The campaign began yesterday, the National Day of Prayer, when Americans are invited to pray for their country.

In a video released on the Internet, Fr. Corapi, on behalf of the Cardinal Newman Society, is calling for prayer for Catholic higher education. In particular, Corapi urged supplication for the University of Notre Dame, which he said "dishonored itself, and to some extent the entire Catholic world" by deciding to honor President Obama with the commencement address and an honorary law degree May 17.

While Notre Dame has honored many past U.S. presidents, said Corapi, Obama is the first "that has such an obviously public and pernicious anti-life and anti-Catholic Christian bias.

"No president in history has been so damaging to the cause of respect for life than this one, and he's only just begun." President Obama's hostility to pro-life laws, including regulations protecting the conscience rights of doctors objecting to performing abortions, "marks him as a singular enemy of essential elements of the Catholic Church's moral teaching."

"Metaphorically and morally," he said, the Notre Dame invitation "is like shooting yourself in the foot. But Notre Dame limps on.

"Many of you did what you could to prevent this travesty from actually happening, and at this moment, barring a bolt of lightning or divine intervention, it looks like it will happen."

Fr. John Corapi thanked the signers to the petition at NotreDameScandal.com, which now holds nearly 355,000 signatures. Fr. Corapi also urged Catholics to continue the fight for the renewal of Catholic campuses across the country.

“Authentic Catholic identity needs to be restored in our Catholic universities and other institutions of learning," Corapi warned. "If it is restored our nation will be restored. If it is not restored, we will have much to answer for in the moral unraveling of a great nation.

“If we chose prestige over principles and popularity over morality then we become part of the problem, not part of the solution.”

“The Cardinal Newman Society’s work to renew Catholic higher education has been ongoing for 16 years,” commented Patrick J. Reilly, President of CNS. “We encourage prayers from Catholics across the nation that the energy of protest will be directed to the larger task of reform and renewal of Catholic higher education.”

Youtube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X89_XLYbpxU

Taking Nothing With Us But Christ Crucified

Because St. Francis and his companions had been called by God and chosen to bear the Cross of Christ in their hearts and in their actions and to preach it by their words, they appeared to be and they were crucified men, both in their habit and their austere life and their deeds and their actions. Therefore, they had a greater desire to receive shame and insults for the love of Christ than the vain honors or respect or praise of the world. On the contrary, they rejoiced in being insulted, and they were made sad by being honored. And so they went through the world as pilgrims and strangers, taking with them nothing but Christ Crucified.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Little Flowers of St. Francis - 5

Possessions Require Weapons

The brothers often asked the advice of the Bishop, who received Francis with kindness, but said, "It seems to me that it is very difficult to possess nothing in the world." To this blessed Francis replied, "My Lord, if we had any possessions we should also be forced to have arms to protect them, since possessions are a cause of disputes and strife, and in many ways we should be hindered from loving God and neighbor. Therefore in this life we wish to have no temporal possessions."

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of the Three Companions - 33

Perfect and Imperfect Obedience

There are many religious who under the pretext of doing something more perfect than what their superior commands look behind and go back to their own will that they have given up (Prov. 26:11). People like that are murderers, and by their bad example they cause the loss of many souls.

Saint Francis of Assisi
The Admonitions
Admonition III

Never Cease Doing Good

Even though people may call them hypocrites, the friars should never cease doing good. They should avoid expensive clothes in this world in order that they may have something to wear in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 22:11).

Saint Francis of Assisi
THE RULE OF 1221
Chapter 2

The Canticle of the Creatures - St. Francis of Assisi

il Cantico delle Creature

by
Angelo Branduardi

Lyrics

A te solo Buon Signore
Si confanno gloria e onore
A Te ogni laude et benedizione
A Te solo si confanno
Che laltissimo Tu sei
E nullomo degno e
Te mentovare.
Si laudato Mio Signore
Con le Tue creature
Specialmente Frate Sole
E la sua luce.
Tu ci illumini di lui
Che e bellezza e splendore
Di Te Altissimo Signore
Porta il segno.
Si laudato Mio Signore
Per sorelle Luna e Stelle
Che Tu in cielo le hai formate
Chiare e belle.
Si laudato per Frate Vento
Aria, nuvole e maltempo
Che alle Tue creature dan sostentamento.
Si laudato Mio Signore
Per sorella nostra Acqua
Ella e casta, molto utile
E preziosa.
Si laudato per Frate Foco
Che ci illumina la notte
Ed e bello, giocondo
E robusto e forte.
Si laudato Mio Signore
Per la nostra Madre Terra
Ella e che ci sostenta
E ci governa
Si laudato Mio Signore
Vari frutti lei produce
Molti fiori coloriti
E verde lerba.
Si laudato per coloro
Che perdonano per il Tuo amore
Sopportando infermite
E tribolazione
E beati sian coloro
Che cammineranno in pace
Che da Te Buon Signore
Avran corona.
Si laudato Mio Signore
Per la Morte Corporale
Che da lei nesun che vive
Pue scappare
E beati saran quelli
nella Tua volonte
che Sorella Morte
non gli fare male

Mystic Monk Coffee: Order Through Portiuncula And Donate To Birthright (a loving alternative to Abortion)

Fra Giles

The Portiuncula Hermitage is committed to tithing ten percent of their Mystic Monk Coffee Sales Commissions to Birthright (a loving alternative to abortion)!

The Carmelite Monks of Wyoming

Mystic Monk Coffee is roasted by the Carmelite Monks, a Roman Catholic monastery in the silence and solitude of the Rocky Mountains of northern Wyoming. The monks live a hidden life of prayer and contemplation in the pursuit of God. The monastery is inundated with young men who seek to leave everything to pray for the world, in a tradition at least a thousand years old. It is the monks’ great joy and privilege to share the fruit of their life with you in every cup of Mystic Monk Coffee.


The Monk Master Roaster

Br. Java is the master roaster who meticoulosly roasts beans in small batches. His philosophy is that each roast must be not only the labor of his hands, but a master roast of the highest quality. Br. Java is passionate about obtaining the perfect roasts for you. He carefully roasts only the finest gourmet beans under conditions that will make each roast consistent and smooth with a taste that will make your taste buds tingle. With experience and perfection, Mystic Monk Coffee is a coffee to savor and enjoy – with or without cream.


The Legend of the First Mystic Monk

Coffee is a product perfected and loved by monks from its beginning. When a monk of old heard the anguished tale of a shepherd who had sleepless goats, he himself discovered growing on shrubs the berries, which had such a wonderful affect. Delighted at his find, the ingenious monk boiled the beans in water and drank the resulting coffee. He found in his discovery a hot drink that could keep his eyes awake even amidst the midnight vigils and unceasing prayers of the monastic life.

The secret of coffee continues to keep monks ever alert and vigilant for their prayers, but now Mystic Monk Coffee shares the hidden, master roasts of monks with all who seek a delightful cup of coffee.


Monks are passionate Perfectionists

The monastic life is one of ordered perfection, which you will taste in every bag of Mystic Monk Coffee. Passionate about perfection, no challenge is too great for Br. Java and the monks, if it will result in a Mystic Monk brew suited for the most discriminating coffee drinker. The Carmelite monks have mastered the ancient art of roasting coffee, laboring with steadfast determination to make each cup of coffee simply superb. Taste the monastic perfection in each brew, which makes all the difference.

Please remember that when you buy Mystic Monk Coffee through the Portiuncula Hermitage, ten percent of all their commission sales is donated to Birthright (a loving alternative to abortion.)

Please remember to keep our pre-born in your daily prayers!

To order direct, simply click on the Mystic Monk Coffee Icon on the Left Side of this page:

The Seven Canonical Hours

All are to say the seven canonical Hours, that is, Matins, Prime, Sext, None, Vespers, and Compline. The clerics are to say them after the manner of the clergy. Those who know the Psalter are to say the Deus in nomine tuo and the Beati immaculati up to the Legem pone for Prime, and the other psalms of the Hours, with the Glory be to the Father...

Saint Francis of Assisi
FIRST RULE OF THE THIRD ORDER
Chapter IV

For The Love Of God!

St. Francis said, "In truth I say to you, many nobles and scholars of this world will enter our Order and will consider themselves highly honored to beg for alms. Go therefore and beg with confidence, with a joyful heart, and with the blessing of the Lord God. You ought to ask for alms with more cheerfulness and joy than a man who would offer a hundred pennies for one; in exchange for alms that you solicit, you will offer the love of God, since you will say, 'Give us an alms for the love of God!"

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of Perugia - 3

Lesser Brothers

St. Francis said, "The Lord has willed that the brothers be called 'lesser' because they are this people whom the Son of God asked of his Father and of whom he said in the Gospel: 'There is no need to be afraid, little flock, for it has pleased the Father to give you the kingdom,' and again: 'In so far as you did this to one of the least (minor) of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.' "

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of Perugia - 67

Insensible To All Earthly Desires

St. Francis felt like an exile, as long as he remained in this earthly life separated from God and, at the same time, his love of Christ had left him insensible to all earthly desires.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Bonaventure, Major Life
CHAPTER IV

Poverty, Chastity and Obedience

The Rule and life of the Friars Minor is this, namely, to observe the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by living in obedience, without property, and in chastity.

Saint Francis of Assisi
The Rule of 1223
Chapter 1

The Friars Should Not Say, This Is Another Rule

The friars should not say, this is another Rule...The Minister General and all the other ministers and custodes are bound in virtue of obedience not to add anything to these words or subtract from them. They should always have this writing with them as well as the Rule and at the chapters they hold, when the Rule is read, they should read these words also.

Saint Francis of Assisi
The Testament of St. Francis