A Secular Franciscan

31/05/2026

Ever praised be to the most Holy Trinity for all the graces bestowed on us all.

God has revealed Himself to us as three Persons as One God and invited us to share in His inner life with Christ and the Holy Spirit. We are eternally with God. If God is love, so are we…..

30/05/2026

Dear Sabahan Friends

Wishing all of you a very joyful Kaamatan Festival Celebration wherever you are.

Festival Celebration

24/05/2026

Happy Pentecost to All!

On this Pentecost, let the Holy Spirit renew us. Let us begin anew, recognizing His perpetual presence within us, empowering us to bear good fruit.

Secular Franciscans should emulate Francis' faithfulness to the Holy Spirit's inspiration, seeking the Spirit's work within them as per GC art 11.

So, come, Holy Spirit, come!

08/05/2026

"I also beg that [sister] who will be in an office of the sisters to strive to exceed the others more by her virtues and holy life than by her office, do that, stimulated by her example, they obey her not so much because of her office as because of love."

Clare of Assisi, The Testament, Early Documents edited and translated by Regis J. Armstrong, O.F.M., Cap.

08/05/2026

Interested to find out how you can join us in the Secular Franciscan Order of St Clare Fraternity in Singapore, you can email: [email protected].

Today’s Scripture Reading:
“It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you…”

🕊 Living the Gospel in the everyday
🤍 Heart that wants more ...

St Francis didn’t create a path only for those behind monastery walls. Through the Secular Franciscan Order (the Third Order), he opened a way of life for all people, single and married, who long to live the Gospel radically.

The Rule of the Secular Franciscans is simple, but not easy. It calls for a life that is fully rooted in Christ, shaped by daily conversion, and expressed in concrete love.

Here’s the heart of Franciscan way of life:

🔹️ Live the Gospel daily, not as an idea, but as a pattern for decisions, relationships, and priorities.

🔹️ Be people of prayer, making space for God in ordinary rhythms, not just extraordinary moments.

🔹️ Embrace simplicity, choosing less, so there is more room for God and others.

🔹️ Practice penance and ongoing conversion, a constant returning to love.

🔹️ Build peace, in families, workplaces, and wherever conflict exists.

🔹️ Respect all creation, seeing every person and creature as a reflection of God.

🔹️ Serve with humility, especially the poor, forgotten, and those who cannot repay you.

🔹️ Live fraternity, walking with others

St Francis shows us that holiness doesn’t require changing your life circumstances, it requires changing your heart.

The Third Order is not about doing more. It’s about becoming different.

And in that transformation, the world around you begins to change too.

03/05/2026

When I prayed the Lauds of yesterday, I remember this verse from Ezekiel 36. It was a gift on my baptism and has stayed with me since, quietly shaping me all along.

Like Mother Mary, I treasured and pondered it in my heart is itself a form of prayer, and now share it becomes the good news lived out.

Pope Francis taught me what Evangelisation truly is? It’s not about arguments or programs first. It’s about testimony. “This is what the Lord has done for me.” This personal witness cuts through more than any polished sermon because it’s real, it’s grateful, and it’s humble.

St. Francis did the same — he didn’t start by preaching to crowds. He started by letting his own life be transformed by the love of Christ, and people noticed. The rebuilding followed.

And Thomas Merton verse came to mind: “In gratitude I recognise the love of God in everything He has given me.”

That gratitude turns my memory into my life mission. The same grace poured out on me in baptism is now being poured out through me to others in various ways or simply by sharing a word of hope.

“Go into the world, preach the good news to all” doesn’t always mean the good works that I do in Clare’s Missionary etc.

Sometimes it means crossing the room, or sharing a story, or helping someone see God’s love in the middle of their ruin.

St. Francis would call that rebuilding the Church, one heart at a time.

So this Jubilee Year of St. Francis is a year that’s all about returning to prayer, simplicity, and that first love.

Happy to share my reflection..

26/04/2026

Today is Vocation Sunday, a fitting day for me to give praise and thanks for this great gift of vocation in the Secular Franciscan Order and to pray for others to join us too.

If there’s a stirring in your heart to find out more of the Secular Franciscan way of life, do email: [email protected]

10/04/2026

The Power of Friendship
A Path to Holiness

St. Francis and St. Clare show us that friendship is not just a nice extra in life, it’s a gift from God that helps us become who we’re meant to be.

Their friendship wasn’t built on comfort, convenience, or shared hobbies. It was rooted in truth, prayer, and a shared desire to follow Christ completely. They called each other higher. They strengthened each other in moments of doubt. They reminded each other of what really mattered.

Holy friendship doesn’t pull you away from your purpose, it pushes you deeper into it.

In a world full of surface-level connections, St Francis and St Clare lived something deeper: a friendship that was pure, selfless, and centered on God.

We all need people like that.

Not just people who agree with us, but people who challenge us with love, who pray for us when we’re weak, who celebrate what God is doing in us, and who walk beside us toward something eternal.

That kind of friendship is rare. But it’s worth seeking. And even more, it’s worth becoming.

Today, ask yourself: Who in my life is helping me grow closer to God? And how can I be that kind of friend to someone else?

Because holy friendship isn’t accidental. It’s intentional. It’s sacred. And it can change everything.

05/02/2026

As the eighth centenary of St. Francis' death is commemorated through a special Jubilee Year of St Francis declared by Pope Leo XIV, spanning from January 10, 2026, to January 10, 2027, I ask myself how can I deepen my own vocation.

To begin again the study and practice of the Rule of the OFS.

To pray for a listening heart rooted in the Gospel and fraternal love so as to discern and act rightly in my daily living; in harmony with God, neighbour and creation as St. Francis did.

20/01/2026

ES 🇪🇸
EL AÑO DE SAN FRANCISCO Y LA INDULGENCIA PLENARIA

Queridos hermanos y hermanas, seguramente ya han oído que el Papa León XIV, el 10 de enero de 2026, proclamó el Año de San Francisco, con motivo de los 800 años de su Tránsito. Con esta ocasión concedió la posibilidad de obtener la indulgencia plenaria. El texto del Decreto, así como el mensaje del Papa, se pueden encontrar en la página web de CIOFS: https://ciofs.info/es/2026/01/12/2026-800th-anniversary-opening-ceremony-booklet-popes-letter/.

Las traducciones a otros idiomas (croata, polaco, portugués, árabe, húngaro, alemán) se pueden encontrar en la página: https://www.centenarifrancescani.org/index.php/es/noticias/ano-especial-de-san-francisco-saludo-del-papa-a-la-familia-franciscana-y-decreto-para-la-indulgencia-plenaria.