A Secular Franciscan

09/10/2025

This is a recording of the presentation and discussion of the Canticle of the Creatures sponsored by the National Secular Franciscan Order on Oct. 5, 2025.

20/09/2025

Promotion of Vocation:

The Rule Art 45 states:

1. The promotion of vocations to the Order is a duty of all the brothers and sisters and is a sign of the validity of the fraternities themselves.
The brothers and sisters, convinced of the validity of the Franciscan way of life, should pray that God may give the grace of the Franciscan vocation to new members.

2. Although nothing can substitute for the witness of each member and of the fraternity, the councils must adopt appropriate means to promote the secular Franciscan vocation.

If you feel called to joirney with us in St Clare Fraternity, email to: [email protected].

17/09/2025

Happy Feast of the Stigmata of St Francis.

The stigmata is a mystical experience where a person receives the wounds of Christ's Passion. St. Francis is the first person in Christian history to have been documented with these wounds.

According to tradition, as he was praying on Mount La Verna, a six-winged Seraph appeared to him on a cross. This vision imprinted the wounds of the Crucifixion on his hands, feet, and side.

15/09/2025

Happy to be a Secular Franciscan. Thanks be to God for the gift of vocation in the Secular Franciscan Order.

🎊*What a Blessed Day!*🎊

Yesterday, 14 Sep 25, we had our OFS vocation promotion from St Clare Fraternity at Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea and we are so grateful for the wonderful response!

It was heartwarming to meet parishoners who are genuinely interested in learning more about living the Gospel in the spirit of St Francis of Assisi.

Thank you to everyone who had stopped by our booth n took the time to chat with us. Your openness n curiosity truly touched our hearts 💕

For those who expressed interest- we look forward to welcoming you this Sunday to observe n learn more about our Franciscan journey together 🙏

04/09/2025

Season of Creation | Sept 1–Oct 4

We enter this season with Isaiah’s vision echoing in our hearts: “Justice will dwell in the wilderness… peace will abide in the fruitful field.”
(Isaiah 32:14–18)

"The Season of Creation is the annual Christian celebration to pray and
respond together to the cry of Creation: the ecumenical family around the
world unites to contemplate and care for our common home, the Oikos of
God."

This year’s symbol begins in the barren desert and ends in green hills—the dove flying between reminds us that peacemaking is a journey from suffering toward sacred renewal.

This year’s theme, Peace with Creation, reminds us peace is practiced, not passive—and it’s shared, not imposed.

May our reflection deepen into commitment, so that this Season of Creation becomes more than a season—it becomes a way of life.

🔗 Learn more and download the celebration guide here: https://seasonofcreation.org/

29/08/2025

Each of us uniquely is called to holiness by God.

What is my path? The Secular Franciscan Order.

What is the rule of the Order? There are 3 chapters:

One: The Secular Franciscan Order
Two: The Way of Life
Three: Life in Fraternity

The Tau cross is the sign of the Secular Franciscan Order. Francis saw the Tau as a symbol of the cross of Christ. He embraced it with love.

We wear it as a sign of our commitment “to observe the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by following the example of St. Francis of Assisi, who made Christ the inspiration and centre of his life with God and people.” OFS Rule Art.4.

23/08/2025

Happy Feast of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary on 22 August 2025z

Happy to share the many titles that St. Francis use to praise Mary in his Salutation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

1. Hail, O Lady, holy Queen, Mary, holy Mother of God: you are the virgin made church
2. and the one chosen by the most holy Father in heaven whom He consecrated with His most holy beloved Son and with the Holy Spirit the Paraclete,
3. in whom there was and is all the fullness of grace and every good.
4. Hail, His Palace! Hail, His Tabernacle!
Hail, His Home!
5. Hail, His Robe! Hail, His Servant! Hail, His Mother!
6. And [hail) all you holy virtues which through the grace and light of the Holy Spirit are poured into the hearts of the faithful so that from their faithless state you may make them faithful to God.
Amen.

11/08/2025

Become Poor:

How do we center ourselves in the love of God?

Clare’s answer is simple and disarming: Become poor.

Clare wrote to encourage Agnes to pursue a life of poverty, to become poor enough to embrace the poor Spouse. It is hard to admit in a consumer culture that poverty is the key to the fullness of life. To the secular mind it seems absurd. Western culture is immersed in a capitalism based on the idea that worldly success is a blessing of God. The type of poverty that Clare and the Franciscans speak of is opposed to the spirit of capitalism. It means to be dependent on others. That is exactly what Clare and Francis saw in the mystery of Jesus Christ.

— from the book “Clare of Assisi: A Heart Full of Love” by Ilia Delio, OSF

02/08/2025

Happy Feast of the dedication of the Chapel of St. Mary of the Angels in Assisi.

Francis desired that everyone experience the overwhelming love and mercy of God in this place just as he had and so, according to tradition, in 1216, he persuaded Pope Honorius III to grant a plenary indulgence to all persons who visit this chapel, prayerful and repentant, on the feast of its dedication. On 2 August, thousands of pilgrims still converge here to receive the “Pardon of Assisi, “ as this indulgence is common,y called in Italy.

Today, this plenary indulgence may be gained in any Franciscan church or chapel and in all parish churches throughout the world from noon on 1 August through midnight of 2 August to honour Our Lady of the Angels.

The usual conditions for this indulgence apply: sacramental confession (up to a week prior or after) , Mass with Holy Communion, recitation of the Apostle Creed and the Our Father, prayer for the intentions of the Pope.

St. John Paul II once said that the message of the Portiuncula Indulgence is one of “pardon and reconciliation”, that is, of grace, which divine goodness pours out on us if we are well disposed because God is truly rich in mercy.”

- Materials from Franciscan Intellectual-Spiritual Tradition.

30/07/2025

Peace be with you.

In all his preaching, before he set forth the word of God to those gathered about, Francis first prayed that they might have peace. “The Lord give you peace,” he would greet them.
- Thomas of Celano

28/05/2025

“Afterward the Lord gave me and still gives me such faith in priests who live according to the manner of the holy Roman Church because of their order, that if they were to prosecute me, I would [still] have recourse to them.
- Testament of St Francis