Explores the Franciscan tradition
The historic 1219 meeting between St. Francis of Assisi and Sultan Malik al-Kamil during the Fifth Crusade is a powerful (and often overlooked) example of peacemaking and respectful dialogue between Christians and Muslims. While most people only know Francis’s side of the story, the Sultan’s openness and courage were just as important. Their surprising friendship still offers a hopeful model today for bridging deep divisions, reducing polarization, and having real conversations across religious and cultural lines.
Fr. Michael Calabria is a Franciscan friar at the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe and director of the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies at St. Bonaventure University. With more than 40 years of experience in the Middle East and Islamic world, he first fell in love with the region as an Egyptology student doing archaeological work in Egypt (BA Johns Hopkins, MA Brown). After working as an academic librarian in New York, he joined the Franciscan Order in 1996, later earning divinity degrees and a PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Exeter in England. He has lived in Cairo multiple times, ministered in a leprosarium, and taught English at a Coptic Catholic seminary. Since 2003 he has taught Arabic and Islamic Studies at St. Bonaventure University, where he founded the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies. He is the author of the 2022 book The Language of the Taj Mahal, which explores the Qur’anic inscriptions on the monument, and has appeared in documentaries including The Sultan and the Saint (2016) and Islam’s Greatest Stories of Love (2025).
The show notes are available here.
(00:00:01) Introduction
(00:03:20) Historical Context
(00:09:37) Francis’ Arrival in Egypt and His Mission
(00:16:19) The Encounter with Sultan Malik al-Kamil
(00:23:20) Francis’ Counter-Cultural Approach
(00:27:15) The Sultan’s Impact on Francis
(00:31:29) Francis’ Legacy and Missionary Approach
(00:36:26) Bridging Faiths
(00:42:55) Lessons from History: Interfaith Dialogue and Vatican II
(00:45:12) This Story’s Relevance Today
(00:48:00) The Nature of Goodness: Understanding Faith Beyond Labels
(00:52:02) Religion, Conflict, and the Human Element
(00:56:03) The Enrichment of Faith: Learning from Other Traditions
(01:02:34) The Call to Open Hearts: Interfaith Dialogue in Action
(01:09:20) Conclusion
What does it mean to age with grace, to let go without losing hope, and to face life’s deepest losses with open hands? What does it mean to move toward spiritual maturity as life unfolds, and how can a spirituality of letting go help take us there? In this conversation, Fr. Ronald Rolheiser joins Off the Page to explore themes from his powerful new book, Insane for the Light: A Spirituality for Our Wisdom Years, which was released on October 28, 2025. From the raw beauty of metanoia to the transformative power of passivity, Fr. Ron reveals how suffering, helplessness, and even death can become our greatest gifts—if we dare to live while we’re dying.
Ronald Rolheiser, OMI, is a Roman Catholic priest and member of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. He is a theologian, professor, award-winning author, and served as president of the Oblate School of Theology. He is known for his lectures, globally-syndicated column "In Exile," and his bestselling books The Holy Longing and Sacred Fire.
The show notes are available here.
(00:00:01) Introduction
(00:01:57) Spirituality of Aging
(00:03:46) Wisdom Years
(00:05:41) Insane for the Light: Story Behind the Title
(00:07:45) Getting Our Lives Together, Giving Our Lives Away
(00:12:53) Reflection No. 1: Seven Movements Toward Spiritual Maturity
(00:14:32) Giving Your Death Away
(00:15:58) Metanoia and Paranoia
(00:20:36) Pondering: Carrying and Transforming Tension
(00:27:27) How Pain Can Deepen Us
(00:34:59) Dark Nights of Faith
(00:38:37) “My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?”
(00:42:57) When the Power Point Stops Working
(00:43:53) Reflection No. 2: Take On Your Higher Mind
(00:46:43) Understanding More By Not Understanding
(00:48:06) Activity and Passivity
(00:54:10) When You Feel Helpless
(00:58:16) Reflection No. 3: Activity and Passivity
(00:58:30) The Gift and Challenge of Passivity (Passion)
(01:03:50) When You’re Told You Don’t Have Much Time to Live
(01:07:07) A Creed for Giving Your Life and Death Away
(01:09:15) Conclusion
St. Francis of Assisi famously prayed, “Who are you, my God, and who am I?” Greg Cellini found himself praying a similar prayer after almost three decades of working and climbing within the pharmaceutical industry. That's when everything changed. He began the process of entering religious life.
His journey is one that invites each of us to contemplate the source of our dreams and desires and consider who we are at the core of our identity. The timing of this conversation, just after the Feast Day of St. Francis and at the start of Franciscan Month, invites each of us to consider our own callings and dare to pray the prayer St. Francis prayed.
Brother Greg Cellini, OSF, is a Franciscan Brother of Brooklyn. His primary ministry is at St. Francis College where he has served as an adjunct professor as well as director of the Office of Mission, Ministry, and Interfaith dialogue. He is the host of "Thank God For Monday," a weekly radio talk show about the workplace. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University’s advanced certificate in Franciscan Studies. He also earned degrees at Rutgers Graduate School of Management and Seton Hall University Stillman School of Business. He is the author of Transform Yourself - Transform the World: A Franciscan View of Career.
Click here to view the show notes for this episode.
(00:00:01) Introduction
(00:01:59) Climbing in the Corporate World
(00:03:59) Spiritual Background
(00:05:43) When God Calls You Elsewhere
(00:10:18) Dreams and Desires: What is the Source?
(00:13:38) Holy Surrender
(00:17:26) Reflection No. 1: Dreams and Desires
(00:20:02) A Mysterious Encounter and the Call to Religious Life
(00:25:18) Why the Franciscans?
(00:27:36) Ordered Love, Dis-ordered Love, and Performance
(00:31:49) Reflection No. 2: Remembering Your Identity
(00:35:13) Entering Religious Life and Going Inward
(00:38:57) The Blessings of Failure and Endings
(00:44:13) What is Downward Mobility?
(00:48:10) Reflection No. 3: Downward Mobility
(00:49:56) Education and the Franciscan Charism
(00:55:06) The Challenges Young People Face
(01:00:26) What is Franciscan Month?
(01:08:20) Closing Reflections and Prayer
(01:09:54) Conclusion
Thomas Merton once wrote, “Let us come alive to the splendor that is all around us and see the beauty in ordinary things.” The busyness of life—work, family, commitments, and our seeming ever-lengthening to-do lists—can sweep us into a lifestyle of frantic doing and accomplishing that can lead to a lack of presence and awareness to the splendor that is all around us. Wonder and praise can sometimes take a backseat as we become hyper-focused on what needs to be done. Practicing presence is a lifelong journey, but what a wonderful journey it is, as our awareness for divine goodness and beauty and grace deepens and expands within us, and as our desires become channeled in a way that leads us toward joy, peace, and contentment. Mark Longhurst’s book, The Holy Ordinary: A Way to God (October 2024, Monkfish), explores this exact topic and helps readers awaken to the sacred in the ordinary. What does it look like to live contemplatively as life uniquely unfolds for each of us, even in the busyness? Influential author and theologian Brian McClaren says this of Longhurst's book: “For years, I’ve been wishing for a book that could introduce ordinary people to the spiritual life in a healthy, honest, accessible way. Mark Longhurst has written what I’ve been waiting for.”
Mark Longhurst is a writer, an “ordinary mystic,” and member of the new monastic “Community of the Incarnation.” He works as the Publications Manager at the Center for Action and Contemplation and is a former pastor who served United Church of Christ churches for 10 years and worked as a faith-based social justice activist in the Boston area for 10 more. A graduate of Harvard Divinity School and a longtime yoga practitioner, Mark lives in western Massachusetts with his family. Click here for the episode page and show notes.
(00:00:01) Introduction
(00:02:39) Why Write this Book?
(00:04:17) Struggling to Notice the Holy Ordinary
(00:09:24) What Do We Mean by "Deeper Reality"?
(00:11:50) Reflection No. 1: Letting Wonder and Praise Sing through Our Lives
(00:14:41) What Does it Look Like to "Receive Grace"?
(00:17:23) Emptiness and Letting Go
(00:22:33) Contemplation: Not a Flight From the World
(00:28:35) What is Holiness?
(00:35:34) Reflection No. 2: Thin Places
(00:37:34) Mark Longhurst's Spiritual Journey
(00:40:50) Contemplative Practice and the Importance of Community
(00:44:44) The Holy Ordinary and Lived Experience
(00:46:04) Reflection No. 3: Welcoming the Holy Spirit Into Our Inner Margins
(00:48:30) Contemplation and Desire
(00:56:48) Final Thoughts
(00:58:56) Conclusion
In the year 1202, a young Giovanni Bernardone, who we would come to know as St. Francis of Assisi, was captured in a conflict between Assisi and Perugia and held as a prisoner of war for about a year. This horrific experience as a prisoner of war changed Francis, and he likely ventured through life suffering from what we would now call PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). And yet, Francis undoubtedly became a “wounded healer" for others and the world. So, what about us? What brokenness do we carry? What traumas do our bodies hold? How can we move toward wholeness and healing and ultimately use our stories to become wounded healers for others?
This episode's guest is Richard B. Patterson, PhD, a clinical psychologist and trauma therapist practicing in El Paso, Texas. Two of the primary groups he has worked with in his career as a therapist are combat veterans and victims of clergy abuse. He is a regular contributor to St. Anthony Messenger who has a new piece in the July/August issue titled, “Turn to the Beatitudes.”
Click here to read this episode's show notes: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/off-the-page-by-franciscan-media/.
Disclaimer: This episode discusses sensitive topics, including historical and modern experiences of trauma, war, and sexual abuse, which may be triggering. If listening brings up difficult emotions, please reach out to a trusted therapist or contact a support resource like the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) at 1-800-950-6264. We encourage prioritizing your well-being.
(00:00:01) Introduction
(00:03:42) Becoming a Clinical Psychologist and Trauma Therapist
(00:06:38) Working with Victims of Clergy Abuse
(00:13:23) Wrestling with Catholicism and the Church
(00:18:28) Working with Combat Veterans and Becoming a Wounded Healer
(00:24:13) What Listeners Should Know about People Suffering from PTSD
(00:27:22) What is Trauma?
(00:31:42) Moving Through Trauma
(00:35:08) Your Trauma Doesn't Define You
(00:38:48) Anger with God and the Complexity of Trauma
(00:46:31) Tools in the Christian Tradition for Navigating Grief and Trauma
(00:51:12) Self-Rejection: An Enemy of the Spiritual Life
(00:54:36) St. Francis of Assisi's PTSD and Spiritual Awakening
(01:00:31) Grief: 'Blessed Are Those Who Mourn'
(01:06:41) Trauma Resources and Advice for Therapy
(01:10:05) The Healing Power of Listening and Presence
(01:13:12) Conclusion
The Trinity is a central component of Christian theology, and certainly Franciscanism as well, as seen in the mystical theology of St. Bonaventure and other Franciscan theologians. But there’s a problem: The Trinity often feels un-relatable, esoteric, or just downright goofy and strange. Why does the Trinity matter? Is it mere theological jargon for academics and religious? Does Trinitarian theology actually have a practical impact on our lives and walks of faith?
This episode's guest, Wm. Paul Young, is an author who has used story to help make the mystery and beauty of the Trinity accessible to millions around the world. Paul is the author of the novel The Shack, a New York Times bestseller that has sold 25 million copies worldwide and was turned into a movie in 2017 starring Octavia Spencer, Sam Worthington, and Tim McGraw. He is also the author of Eve, Cross Roads, and Lies We Believe About God. He has a wonderful new podcast called “The Paul Young Podcast,” which features short 10-20 minute spiritual reflections 2-3 times a week. In this episode, Paul discusses our participation within the Trinity in our day-to-day lives, our living into our own inherent union with Christ, and how to distance ourselves from the lie that we are separate from God.
Consider meditating upon these Scripture passages about union with Christ: John 17, John 14:15-21, John 15:1-17, Galatians 2:20, and Colossians 1:15-20. Click here to read this episode's show notes: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/off-the-page-by-franciscan-media/
(00:00:01) Introduction
(00:02:14) Small Talk and 'The Paul Young Podcast'
(00:05:48) Paul's Journey Into Trinitarian Theology and Writing The Shack
(00:12:40) 'If God Has Ever Been Alone, Love is Not a Possibility'
(00:15:30) Reflection: Relational Thinking
(00:19:23) Invitation to Participate from Union
(00:25:12) Presence, the Eternal Now, and the Theology of Union
(00:30:07) 'Love Expands Around the Knowing'
(00:34:37) The Early Church and the Lie of Separation
(00:39:29) Reflection: Healthy Theology Leads to Healthy Anthropology
(00:44:32) Worth-ship and Worship Within the Dance
(00:50:07) The Cry of Dereliction and the Fall from a Union Perspective
(00:54:51) The Spiritual Practice of Denying Separation
(01:03:34) Reflection: Awareness of the Divine Dance We're Already In
(01:06:13) The Beauty and Relief of Union
(01:08:50) Love is the Only Way
(01:12:43) The Fire of God's Love
(01:14:18) Conclusion
We live in a concerning age. It has become commonplace to caricature, demonize, label, cheapen, and overall completely neglect the God-given humanity of a person one disagrees with. In fact, social media algorithms reward this kind of divisive behavior. TV ratings thrive on conflict and hyperbole. The better the fearmonger, the more successful the politician. Long gone seem the days of decency and civility. Thankfully, there are peacemakers in the world like this episode's guest, Chloé Simone Valdary. Chloé is a writer and entrepreneur whose company, Theory of Enchantment, teaches social and emotional learning, as well as diversity and inclusion in companies and government agencies. She has written for the New York Times, The Atlantic, and The Wall Street Journal, and she has appeared on podcasts and talkshows across the political spectrum: from "Real Time with Bill Maher" to "Honestly with Bari Weiss" to "The Jordan Peterson Podcast" to "The Megyn Kelly Show." Her three principles from the Theory of Enchantment and their alignment with Franciscan peacemaking are the focus of this episode.
Click here to read this episode's show notes: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/off-the-page-by-franciscan-media/
(00:00:01) Introduction
(00:04:19) What is Theory of Enchantment?
(00:11:44) Chloé's Spiritual Background and Worldview
(00:19:47) Enchantment, Sound, and Mysticism
(00:28:58) First Principle: Treat Others Like Human Beings, Not Political Abstractions
(00:41:11) Grace in Introspection, Journeying Inward
(00:47:25) Second Principle: Criticize Only to Uplift and Empower (Dia-Logos)
(00:56:33) Third Principle: Root Everything You Do in Love and Compassion
(01:04:09) Closing Thoughts
(01:05:51) Conclusion
Angela Alaimo O'Donnell, PhD, teaches English, Creative Writing, and courses in American Catholic Studies at Fordham University in New York City. She also serves as Associate Director of Fordham's Curran Center for American Catholic Studies. O'Donnell was awarded the New York Encounter Poetry Prize. She has been nominated for Pushcart and Best of the Web Prizes, and was a finalist for the Paraclete Poetry Prize, the Foley Poetry Prize and the Mulberry Poet's Award. O'Donnell also writes essays on and reviews of contemporary poetry and literature. She recently published her 11th poetry book Dear Dante (Paraclete Press) and writes regularly for America Magazine. Click here to read this episode's show notes.
(00:00:01) Introduction
(00:02:27) Background
(00:04:05) What is the Catholic Imagination?
(00:08:33) Bruce Springsteen and the Manifestation of the Catholic Imagination
(00:23:32) Catholic Imagination: Darkness, Beauty, and a Sacramental World
(00:34:32) Catholicism and Protestantism
(00:41:24) Poetry and the Catholic Imagination
(00:53:39) Engaging Dante's Legacy
(01:03:16) Poem: 'Dante's Smile'
(01:08:22) Mortality, Merton, and the Afterlife
(01:11:27) Poem: 'The Price of Paradise'
(01:13:40) Conclusion
Maureen O'Brien's award-winning short stories and poems have been published widely in magazines and anthologies. She lives in Connecticut, where she taught creative writing to teenagers for 25 years. She holds an MA in creative writing and a BA in philosophy and religion. She is the author of What Was Lost: Seeking Refuge in the Psalms and Gather the Fragments: My Year of Finding God’s Love. Read her latest cover story in St. Anthony Messenger here.
(00:00:01) Introduction
(00:03:09) Background, Creativity, and Pilgrimage
(00:08:53) Franciscan Spirituality and Creativity
(00:11:44) Franciscan Faith in the Messiness of Life
(00:20:31) Reflection: Arms Wide Open (by Susan Hines-Brigger)
(00:23:07) Listening and Healing
(00:41:20) Reflection: Honest Prayer (by Susan Hines-Brigger)
(00:44:42) Following and Re-Discovering
(01:00:14) Hope Beneath It All
(01:06:38) Conclusion
It has been a little over one week since Robert Francis Prevost was elected Bishop of Rome and took the name Pope Leo XIV. In this special episode we have a discussion with Father Jim Sabak, OFM, and Deacon Matthew Halbach about Pope Leo and the significance of this historic moment. The interview took place on Wednesday, May 14, six days after the pope's election was announced.
Father Jim Sabak is a Franciscan Friar of Our Lady of Guadalupe Province and currently serves as Director of Divine Worship for the Diocese of Raleigh, North Carolina, and the Director of Religion at The Franciscan School in Raleigh. Father Jim earned his Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He has taught at Siena College; The Catholic University of America; the Franciscan School of Theology; and Providence College. Father Jim’s podcast “Inbreaking of the Word” is published every Monday morning as he reflects on the readings from Mass on Sunday and helps us to take the Word with us into our weeks.
Deacon Matthew Halbach is the President of Franciscan Media. He was ordained in 2018 for the Diocese of Des Moines, IA. He is the Director of Deacon Formation for the diocese and a national author and speaker on the topics of mercy, accompaniment, evangelization, and catechesis. He earned his PhD in Catechetics from The Catholic University of America in 2014 and is a reviewer for The International Journal of Evangelization and Catechesis. Matt is a husband and also a father of six children. Click here to read this episode's show notes: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/off-the-page-by-franciscan-media/
(00:00:01) Introduction
(00:02:26) Initial Reactions to Pope Leo XIV
(00:09:39) Why the name ‘Leo’?
(00:15:42) American Pope or Missionary Pope?
(00:22:40) Artificial Intelligence
(00:28:34) Whose Pope Is He?
(00:38:13) The Role of the Pope
(00:45:04) Papal Elections: A Strange Cultural Phenomenon
(00:52:56) Can a Pope from America Help Heal Our Wounds?
(00:58:03) Predictions and Hopes
(01:07:06) Conclusion
On April 21, 2025, Easter Monday, people around the world awoke to the news that Pope Francis had passed away at the age of 88. For listeners of Off the Page, it will be no surprise that a pope who took the name “Francis” would come up often in the Franciscan conversations featured on this podcast. This episode is a compilation of both published and unpublished interviews where guests talk about the life, legacy, and papacy of Pope Francis. Included here is Fr. Murray Bodo, OFM, talking about Pope Francis’ heart for the poor; Dr. Daniel P. Horan discussing how God’s love and mercy was a cornerstone to Pope Francis’ pontificate; Sr. Margaret Carney, OSF, talking about Pope Francis' unique ability to, like St. Francis of Assisi, speak the language of the people and make the Catholic faith accessible; Br. Keith Warner, OFM, dissecting the Franciscan undertones in Pope Francis' encyclicals; and the poet Dr. Angela Alaimo O’Donnell discussing the pope’s love for art and literature. This episode also begins with a recording from 2021 with Sr. Margaret Carney, where she frames Pope Francis’ papacy as one that is uniquely Franciscan. And this episode concludes with some of Pope Francis’ own words about divine mercy, translated and recorded on audiobook in the Franciscan Media title "Believe in Love."
Click here to read this episode's show notes.
(00:00:01) Introduction
(00:05:01) Franciscan Legacy (Sr. Margaret Carney)
(00:07:57) Transition
(00:08:16) Heart for the Poor (Fr. Murray Bodo)
(00:13:36) Transition
(00:14:45) Mission of Mercy (Dr. Dan Horan)
(00:19:09) Transition
(00:20:01) A Relatable Communicator (Sr. Margaret Carney)
(00:21:14) Transition
(00:22:04) The Most Franciscan Encyclical Ever (Br. Keith Warner)
(00:34:11) Transition
(00:35:52) Deep Love for Art and Literature (Dr. Angela Alaimo O'Donnell)
(00:46:55) Conclusion
(00:47:49) Be An Architect of Mercy (Pope Francis)
Darleen Pryds, PhD, is the academic director of the Master of Theological Studies-Franciscan Theology online degree at the Franciscan School of Theology (FST) in San Diego, California. She has taught at FST since 2001 and has a special interest in lay Franciscan spirituality and leadership. She is a historian, scholar, and author of Women of the Streets, Enduring Presence, and The King Embodies the Word.
Please consider donating to help us create more content like this. With an 800-year legacy steeped in the values of Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi, your Franciscan Media community embraces its mission of spreading the message of love, compassion, and understanding through books, St. Anthony Messenger magazine, Franciscan Media’s website, online events, videos, and daily emails like Saint of the Day.
(00:00:01) Introduction
(00:02:43) How the Background of the Canticle Leads to Deeper Appreciation
(00:12:30) Collision of Suffering and Beauty
(00:19:47) A Spirituality of Letting Go
(00:28:03) Learning to Let Go
(00:34:13) St. Francis, Thich Nhat Hanh, and Plum Village Buddhism
(00:43:35) Interbeing, Relationality, and Integration
(00:50:35) Encounter and Spaciousness
(00:57:38) Invitation: Live Into the Depth of Your Experience
(01:03:24) Honoring Stillness
(01:09:25) Benediction
(01:11:14) Conclusion
Show Notes
Sister Rosemary Stets, OSF, is a Bernardine Franciscan Sister and author of the book Franciscan Field Guide: People, Places, Practices, and Prayers. She has served on the congregational leadership team since 2011. Previously, Sister Rosemary served as Vice-President for Mission at Alvernia University in Reading, PA, and earlier was a member of the faculty in the Department of English and Communications.
Reflections in this episode are provided by Darleen Pryds, PhD, Franciscan Media's acquisitions editor. She is also a professor at the Franciscan School of Theology, a scholar and historian on lay Franciscans, and author of Women of the Streets: Early Franciscan Women and their Mendicant Vocation.
Please consider donating to help us create more content like this. With an 800-year legacy steeped in the values of Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi, your Franciscan Media community embraces its mission of spreading the message of love, compassion, and understanding through books, St. Anthony Messenger magazine, Franciscan Media’s website, online events, videos, and daily emails like Saint of the Day.
(00:00:01) Introduction
(00:01:24) Background
(00:06:26) Franciscan Field Guide
(00:11:17) Rediscovering God with Francis as a Guide
(00:16:40) Reflection (by Darleen Pryds): Presence and Curiosity
(00:25:18) Gazing on Ordinary Human Life
(00:30:10) Rebuilding the Church: Enraptured in Love
(00:35:24) Reflection (by Darleen Pryds): Our Ever-Deepening Conversion
(00:39:21) Poverty of Being
(00:47:29) Scotus and the Incarnation
(00:51:04) Reflection (by Darleen Pryds): Contemplating the Incarnation
(00:53:32) Relationality in a Love-Saturated Universe
(00:58:50) Mission: Learn, Love, and Serve
(01:03:13) Podcasting and Media as Mission
(01:05:21) Benediction
(01:08:01) Conclusion
Show notes:
Sister Margaret Carney, OSF, is a member of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities. Her education in theology and Franciscan studies took place at Duquesne University, the Franciscan Institute of St. Bonaventure University, and she was the first woman to graduate from the Franciscan University of Rome at the doctoral level. She was the president of St. Bonaventure University from 2004-2016. Her biography on Saint Clare of Assisi, Light of Assisi, is available in the Franciscan Media store, Amazon, or wherever books are sold.
Please consider donating to help us create more content like this. With an 800-year legacy steeped in the values of Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi, your Franciscan Media community embraces its mission of spreading the message of love, compassion, and understanding through books, St. Anthony Messenger magazine, Franciscan Media’s website, online events, videos, and daily emails like Saint of the Day.
(00:00:01) Introduction
(00:05:06) Genesis of the Episode
(00:07:29) Pillars of St. Clare's Life and Historical Context
(00:13:19) Downward Mobility
(00:15:04) Pause & Pray: Downward Mobility
(00:19:49) Teaching Downward Mobility
(00:24:11) Good Ambition
(00:28:39) Lessons in Leadership from St. Clare
(00:45:23) Clarion Leadership: Primacy of Relationship
(00:48:46) Pause & Pray: Primacy of Relationship
(00:52:33) How to Live Out Clarion Leadership
(00:56:09) Culture at San Damiano
(00:59:35) Creating the Structure to Hear Others
(01:04:31) Christ in the Other
(01:09:40) Encounter: Cultivating Listening and Dialogue
(01:13:34) St. Clare’s Personal Impact on Sr. Margaret Today
(01:16:28) Conclusion
Show notes:
Dr. Elizabeth Bookser-Barkley, known by her loved ones and students as "Buffy," is an English professor and chair of the Department of Liberal Arts at Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati, Ohio. She has her PhD in English and is also the author of four books and numerous articles for St. Anthony Messenger magazine. Barkley has taught the St. Anthony Messenger's editorial director, Chris Heffron, and its executive editor, Susan Hines-Brigger. Barkley joins Off the Page to discuss her January 2025 cover story, "Dead Man Walking at 30," and March 2025 feature, "The Nuns Are OK." If you are curious what the Catholic Church teaches on capital punishment, see the new revision of 2267 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Please consider donating to help us create more content like this. With an 800-year legacy steeped in the values of Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi, your Franciscan Media community embraces its mission of spreading the message of love, compassion, and understanding through books, St. Anthony Messenger magazine, Franciscan Media’s website, online events, videos, and daily emails like Saint of the Day. Click here to subscribe to the St. Anthony Messenger.
(00:00:01) Introduction
(00:04:05) Buffy's Background
(00:10:11) Buffy's Love for Teaching and Feature Writing
(00:15:00) Who is Sr. Helen Prejean?
(00:19:08) Dead Man Walking at 30
(00:23:48) The Nuances of Capital Punishment
(00:38:22) The Nuns are OK
(00:44:53) Exploring the Decline of Religious Life
(00:47:45) Road to Renewal: Contemplative Dialogue
(00:52:47) Interviewing and Covering the Sisters of Charity
(00:55:57) Conclusion
Dr. Daniel P. Horan is a Professor of Philosophy, Religious Studies, and Theology and Director of the Center for the Study of Spirituality at Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana. He is also Affiliated Professor of Spirituality at the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas. A columnist for the National Catholic Reporter, he is the author or editor of more than fourteen books. Three of those books were published by Franciscan Media and are available in our store: God is Not Fair and Other Reasons for Gratitude, Dating God, and The Last Words of Jesus.
Please consider donating (https://www.franciscanmedia.org/donate/) to help us create more content like this. With an 800-year legacy steeped in the values of Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi, your Franciscan Media community embraces its mission of spreading the message of love, compassion, and understanding through books, St. Anthony Messenger magazine, Franciscan Media’s website, online events, videos, and daily emails like Saint of the Day.
(00:00:01) Introduction
(00:03:52) Leaving Religious Life
(00:10:29) Understanding the Transitus
(00:14:59) Listening to God in Transition, Liminality, and Change
(00:23:06) Discernment: Getting Beneath the Layers
(00:31:32) Learning to See Ourselves How God Sees Us
(00:35:09) God Is Not Fair
(00:41:07) The Challenge in Accepting God's Love
(00:50:55) Reflections on the Last Decade and the True Self
(00:55:41) Conclusion
Thomas Moore is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Care of the Soul. He has written thirty other books about bringing soul to personal life and culture, including The Soul of Christmas, which was published in 2016 by Franciscan Media. In his youth Thomas was a Catholic monk and studied music composition. He has a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Syracuse University and was a university professor for a number of years. He is also a psychotherapist influenced mainly by Carl Jung and James Hillman. In his work he brings together spirituality, mythology, depth psychology and the arts, emphasizing the importance of images and imagination.
Please consider donating to help us create more content like this. With an 800-year legacy steeped in the values of Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi, your Franciscan Media community embraces its mission of spreading the message of love, compassion, and understanding through books, St. Anthony Messenger magazine, Franciscan Media’s website, online events, videos, and daily emails like Saint of the Day.
(00:00:01) Introduction
(00:04:26) Writing 'The Soul of Christmas'
(00:07:17) The Christmas Tree
(00:15:35) What Do We Mean by 'Mystic' or 'Magic'?
(00:19:22) Gift Giving: The Heart of Christmas
(00:24:01) Light in the Darkness
(00:30:02) Lessons from Psychotherapy for Christmas
(00:34:30) Universality of Christmas
(00:39:01) Incarnation: The Transcendent and the Ordinary
(00:44:14) Christmases of our Youth
(00:48:53) A Lived Theology at Christmas
(00:50:29) Christmas: Lessons on Peace
(00:52:42) Santa Claus: The Holy One
(00:58:30) Body, Soul, Spirit
(00:59:28) Angels and Messengers
(01:04:51) Embracing the Transcendent in Everyday Life
(01:07:47) A Mystical Christmas
(01:10:13) Conclusion
Keith Douglass Warner, OFM, is associate professor of ethics and spirituality at the Franciscan School of Theology in San Diego. He is a practical social ethicist in the Franciscan tradition, and teaches eco-spirituality, social entrepreneurship, and moral theology. In 2007, he helped author the award-winning "Care for Creation: A Franciscan Spirituality of the Earth" with Ilia Delio, OSF, and Pamela Wood. The expanded edition of "Care for Creation," released on December 10, 2024, includes extensive front and back matter which delve into Pope Francis’s 2015 encyclical "Laudato Si’: On Care for our Common Home." You can order the expanded edition of "Care for Creation" by visiting shop.franciscanmedia.org.
Please consider donating (https://www.franciscanmedia.org/donate/) to help us create more content like this. With an 800-year legacy steeped in the values of Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi, your Franciscan Media community embraces its mission of spreading the message of love, compassion, and understanding through books, St. Anthony Messenger magazine, Franciscan Media’s website, online events, videos, and daily emails like Saint of the Day.
(00:00:01) Introduction
(00:03:24) Personal Journey Into Eco-Spirituality
(00:11:31) Hippie Jesus Freaks
(00:13:53) Personal Journey Into Franciscan Spirituality
(00:15:35) On Being Immersed in the Woods
(00:19:27) Writing Care for Creation
(00:24:02) Personal Impact of Laudato Si’
(00:30:28) The Heaviness of the Call
(00:34:38) Beneath the Apathy: A Spiritual Crisis
(00:38:17) Canticle of the Creatures and Franciscan Relationality
(00:45:05) Contemplative Living, Activism, and Sadness
(00:49:28) The Expanded Edition of Care for Creation
(00:53:34) Next Steps for Ecological Conversion
(00:55:33) Conclusion
Susan Saint Sing, PhD, is the author of God’s Love Song with Fr. Murray Bodo, which was released this past year, and Francis and the San Damiano Cross: Meditations on Spiritual Transformation. She received her doctorate in sport history and kinesiology from Penn State University, and she is a Secular Franciscan. She has been a main speaker at national conferences on St. Clare and on spirituality, and she resides in Stuart, Florida. Visit the Franciscan Media Store to experience Susan's work.
Please consider donating to help us create more content like this. With an 800-year legacy steeped in the values of Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi, your Franciscan Media community embraces its mission of spreading the message of love, compassion, and understanding through books, St. Anthony Messenger magazine, Franciscan Media’s website, online events, videos, and daily emails like Saint of the Day.
(00:00:01) Introduction
(00:03:20) Childhood and Upbringing
(00:09:39) Listening to the Muse
(00:18:21) Insomnia
(00:23:19) Rock Bottom
(00:34:13) Seeking Answers
(00:38:00) Going to Assisi with $100
(00:51:58) Finding Francis
(00:55:49) Openness in Aloneness
(00:59:48) When We Feel Alone
(01:02:40) All Oneness and Aloneness
(01:06:34) Fr. Murray Bodo
(01:10:37) Conclusion
Garrett Galvin, OFM, graduated from the University of California, Irvine, and joined the Franciscan Friars in 1992. He began teaching full-time at the Franciscan School of Theology in 2009. He published his first book, Egypt as a Place of Refuge in 2011. David’s Successors: Kingship in the Old Testament was published in 2016. Fr. Garrett has several wonderful lectures, one of which is the title of this episode, available on the Franciscan School of Theology’s YouTube channel.
Interested in learning more about Franciscan spirituality? Explore our St. Francis collection in our online store. There you’ll find several wonderful Franciscan classics by authors like Ilia Delio, Murray Bodo, and Richard Rohr and a number of other resources exploring St. Francis’s life, legacy, and spirituality. Please consider donating (https://www.franciscanmedia.org/donate/) to help us create more content like this. With an 800-year legacy steeped in the values of Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi, your Franciscan Media community embraces its mission of spreading the message of love, compassion, and understanding through books, St. Anthony Messenger magazine, Franciscan Media’s website, online events, videos, and daily emails like Saint of the Day.
(00:00:01) Introduction
(00:02:29) Personal Journey to the Friars
(00:10:31) Feast Day of St. Francis
(00:13:08) Hidden Gems in Franciscanism
(00:17:13) Goodness, Blessedness, Orderliness
(00:21:30) Positive Anthropology in the Bible
(00:26:58) Renewal in a Franciscan Key
(00:36:06) Abundance: A Pathway to Renewal
(00:39:55) Finding Abundance on the Margins
(00:43:57) Academia’s Role in Renewal
(00:50:31) The Franciscan Emphasis on Lived Experience
(00:53:22) Gospel Living as Francis Followed Christ
(00:59:39) Conclusion
Richard Rohr is a globally recognized ecumenical teacher whose work is grounded in Christian mysticism, practices of contemplation and self-emptying, and compassion for the marginalized. He is a Franciscan priest and founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque. Fr. Richard is the author of many books, including the bestsellers "Just This," "What Do We Do with Evil?," "The Universal Christ: How a Forgotten Reality Can Change Everything We See, Hope for, and Believe," and "The Wisdom Pattern: Order, Disorder, Reorder." The Center publishes Richard’s Daily Meditations, free reflections emailed to hundreds of thousands around the world.
Consider donating (https://www.franciscanmedia.org/donate/) to help us create more content like this. With an 800-year legacy steeped in the values of Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi, your Franciscan Media community embraces its mission of spreading the message of love, compassion, and understanding through books, St. Anthony Messenger magazine, Franciscan Media’s website, online events, videos, and daily emails like Saint of the Day.
(00:00:01) Introduction
(00:02:37) 10-year Anniversary of Eager to Love
(00:04:41) Why the Title?
(00:07:01) Sweetness and Alternative Orthodoxy
(00:10:40) Holy Foolery
(00:13:20) Creation: the First Book
(00:18:15) Animals: Ensouled Beings
(00:20:50) 800-year Anniversary of Francis’s "Canticle of the Creatures"
(00:24:28) Francis: A Natural Spiritual Genius
(00:32:53) Franciscanism’s Inclusion of the Negative
(00:36:13) Edge of the Inside
(00:38:05) Order, Disorder, Reorder (Third Way Thinking)
(00:44:18) Francis’s Humble Way
(00:47:28) Divine Perfection is the Inclusion of Imperfection
(00:49:13) Cancer, Frailty, and the Humble God
(00:52:41) Legacy, Francis, and Thérèse of Lisieux
(00:56:59) Benediction
(00:59:07) Conclusion
Mark Shea is an author, blogger, and longtime contributor to the St. Anthony Messenger. He often takes on challenging topics that face Catholics today. His September 2024 cover story, "The Dangers of Christian Nationalism," in the St. Anthony Messenger explores the rise of nationalistic ideology in America and what the Christian response should be. Shea lives in Washington State with his wife, Janet, their sons, and grandkids. His book The Church's Best-Kept Secret: A Primer on Catholic Social Teaching was published in September 2020 by New City Press. Learn more at MarkPShea.com. Subscribe to the St. Anthony Messenger by visiting https://www.franciscanmedia.org/st-anthony-messenger-subscribe/.
Consider donating (https://www.franciscanmedia.org/donate/) to help us create more podcasts like this. With an 800-year legacy steeped in the values of Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi, your Franciscan Media community embraces its mission of spreading the message of love, compassion, and understanding through books, St. Anthony Messenger magazine, Franciscan Media’s website, online events, videos, and daily emails like Saint of the Day.
(00:00:01) Introduction
(00:01:56) What is Christian nationalism?
(00:12:28) Christian nationalism's psychological appeal
(00:20:17) Patriotism vs. nationalism
(00:27:11) Who is my neighbor?
(00:37:52) God's radical humility
(00:44:28) Manichaeism and Scapegoating
(00:51:56) 'It's right there in the label: Catholic'
(01:01:32) Each person's invitation
(01:02:36) Conclusion
Ilia Delio, OSF, PhD, is a Franciscan Sister of Washington, D.C.,and an American theologian specializing in the area of science and religion. Her work often bridges evolution, physics and neuroscience with Franciscan theology. She currently holds the Josephine C. Connelly Endowed Chair in Theology at Villanova University and also holds two honorary doctorates, one from St. Francis University in 2015, and one from Sacred Heart University in 2020. She is the founder of the Center for Christogenesis (https://christogenesis.org), which seeks to deepen the integration of science and religion by understanding the contribution of each discipline to the whole field of knowing and loving. This conversation revolves around themes from two books of hers that were recently re-published by Franciscan Media: "Humility of God: A Franciscan Perspective," which was re-released on June 4, and "Franciscan Prayer: Awakening to Oneness with God," which was re-released on July 2. Though Sr. Ilia wrote these books 20 years ago, you’ll find that they are even more relevant today and are foundational to the work she continues to do around Franciscan theology.
Consider donating (https://www.franciscanmedia.org/donate/) to help us create more content like this. With an 800-year legacy steeped in the values of Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi, your Franciscan Media community embraces its mission of spreading the message of love, compassion, and understanding through books, St. Anthony Messenger magazine, Franciscan Media’s website, online events, videos, and daily emails like Saint of the Day.
(00:00:01) Introduction
(00:02:37) God’s Humility
(00:05:44) Into the Heart
(00:08:23) Bonaventure vs. Aquinas
(00:17:07) Connecting Teilhard and Bonaventure
(00:20:12) The Franciscan Approach to the Incarnation
(00:24:40) In Dialogue with Bonaventure
(00:28:08) Let the Tradition Loose
(00:31:47) Becoming a Living Prayer
(00:36:40) Prayer and Desire
(00:45:00) The Self-Diffusive God Diffused in Our Lives
(00:51:22) Franciscan Prayer
(00:58:23) Conclusion
Fr. Murray Bodo, OFM, is a Franciscan priest and an award-winning author of numerous books including his bestselling Francis: The Journey and the Dream, Nourishing Love: A Franciscan Celebration of Mary, and, most recently, God’s Love Song: The Vision of Francis and Clare, which he co-authored with Susan Saint Sing. His book Song of the Sparrow: Four Seasons of Prayer will be re-published in August 2024 as we near the book’s 50th anniversary. It will feature a new introduction and several new poems, one of which he reads during this two-part interview. All these books can be purchased in the Franciscan Media store: shop.franciscanmedia.org. Fr. Murray is also founding staff member of Franciscan Pilgrimage Programs, where he led yearly pilgrimages to Assisi, Italy, for over 40 years before retiring in 2020. He has had poems, stories, and articles published in magazines and literary journals in the United States, England, and Ireland. Fr. Murray resides in the inner city Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio, where he continues to write and minister.
Consider donating (https://www.franciscanmedia.org/donate/) to help us create more content like this. With an 800-year legacy steeped in the values of Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi, your Franciscan Media community embraces its mission of spreading the message of love, compassion, and understanding through books, St. Anthony Messenger magazine, Franciscan Media’s website, online events, videos, and daily emails like Saint of the Day.
(00:01:16) The Poet’s Heart
(00:08:10) Green Sparrow in the Bougainvillea
(00:13:18) Paying Attention as Stories Arise
(00:24:38) Prayerful Creativity
(00:40:15) Praying with the Dalai Lama
(00:49:41) Petting Sally
(01:00:03) Conclusion
Fr. Murray Bodo, OFM, is a Franciscan priest and an award-winning author of numerous books including his bestselling Francis: The Journey and the Dream, Nourishing Love: A Franciscan Celebration of Mary, and, most recently, God’s Love Song: The Vision of Francis and Clare, which he co-authored with Susan Saint Sing. His book Song of the Sparrow: Four Seasons of Prayer will be re-published in August 2024 as we near the book’s 50th anniversary. It will feature a new introduction and several new poems, one of which he reads during this two-part interview. All these books can be purchased in the Franciscan Media store: shop.franciscanmedia.org. Fr. Murray is also founding staff member of Franciscan Pilgrimage Programs, where he led yearly pilgrimages to Assisi, Italy, for over 40 years before retiring in 2020. He has had poems, stories, and articles published in magazines and literary journals in the United States, England, and Ireland. Fr. Murray resides in the inner city Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio, where he continues to write and minister.
Consider donating (https://www.franciscanmedia.org/donate/) to help us create more content like this. With an 800-year legacy steeped in the values of Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi, your Franciscan Media community embraces its mission of spreading the message of love, compassion, and understanding through books, St. Anthony Messenger magazine, Franciscan Media’s website, online events, videos, and daily emails like Saint of the Day.
(00:02:04) What is Prayer?
(00:08:46) The Discipline of Prayer
(00:13:24) Behind the Books / Models of Prayer
(00:23:12) Journeys
(00:29:32) Emptiness and Waiting in Prayer
(00:44:34) Conclusion
Rev. Dr. Bruce G. Epperly served as a congregational pastor, university chaplain, professor, and seminary administrator for over forty years. He is the author of more than seventy books including Walking with Francis of Assisi, Simplicity, Spirituality, Service, and his new book Head, Heart, and Hands: An Introduction to Saint Bonaventure. He lives in Potomac, Maryland, with his wife Rev. Dr. Katherine Gould Epperly, where he continues to teach, write, and pastor in his retirement, and daily cares for his grandchildren. He is published widely throughout Franciscan Media.
Consider donating to help us create more content like this. With an 800-year legacy steeped in the values of Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi, your Franciscan Media community embraces its mission of spreading the message of love, compassion, and understanding through books, St. Anthony Messenger magazine, Franciscan Media’s website, online events, videos, and daily emails like Saint of the Day.
(0:00) Introduction
(1:35) What is theology?
(6:46) Importance of good theology
(10:36) Bonaventure's integrative theology
(19:37) Bonaventure's fountain metaphor
(25:44) Where is the flow taking us?
(30:14) A fountain that is not zero-sum
(35:32) Why write this book?
(43:24) God's center and circumference
(46:59) Why Bonaventure is a theologian for our time
(59:28) Conclusion
