Holy Poverty Fraternity OFS

06/03/2026

The fear of being forgotten...
St Francis spent his life disappearing

People spend their whole lives trying not to disappear. They collect achievements, titles, followers, recognition, and approval hoping that if enough people remember their name, they will somehow escape the feeling of being small.

Yet beneath that desire often lies a quiet fear: "What if I am forgotten?"

St. Francis stopped trying to become important. He understood that our value does not come from the space we occupy in the minds of others, but from the space we occupy in the heart of God.

This is the paradox of holiness:
The soul becomes lighter when it no longer needs to leave a monument to itself.

A humble heart does not ask, "Will my name endure?" It asks, "Did I become love?"

Because names fade.
Stories are forgotten.
Even the greatest accomplishments are eventually overtaken by time.

But love is never wasted.

Every hidden act of mercy. Every unnoticed sacrifice. Every quiet "yes" to God. Nothing disappears. What is given in love becomes eternal.

Franciscan practice: Do one good thing today that nobody will know about. Leave no signature. Leave only love.

O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, hear me. From the fear of being forgotten, deliver me, O Jesus. + Litany of Humility

05/24/2026

Making peace with the past
When the past loses power...

St. Francis teaches us that peace is not found by pretending the past never happened. Peace begins when we stop carrying yesterday like a wound that defines us.

St Francis knew regret. He knew failure, pride, broken dreams, and the ache of becoming someone entirely different after meeting Christ. Yet he did not spend his life chained to who he used to be. He allowed God to transform even his wounds into places of grace.

Some people stay trapped in the past because they keep reopening what God is trying to heal. Others cannot move forward because they still seek answers, apologies, or justice from people who may never give it. But St Francis shows another way.

He walked away from bitterness.
He stopped arguing with his old life.
He made peace with what had already passed and gave his future completely to God.

Not everything in your past deserves another conversation. Some things only need surrender. The past can teach you, but it should not imprison you.

5 practical ways to make peace with the past inspired by St. Francis of Assisi:

🔸️ Stop reopening healed wounds.
Not every memory needs to be relived. Learn from the past, but do not live inside it.

🔸️ Forgive even without closure. Some people will never apologise or understand the pain they caused. Forgiveness frees your soul, not their conscience.

🔸️ Speak differently about yourself.
Do not define your identity by your worst season, mistakes, or failures. God sees who you are becoming.

🔸️ Spend more time with God than with regret. St Francis found freedom when he fixed his eyes on Christ instead of constantly looking backwards.

🔸️ Create peace in the present. Walk in nature. Pray. Serve others. Build holy routines. A peaceful life today slowly heals yesterday.

Real peace begins when the soul finally says: “What happened shaped me, but it no longer owns me.”

09/22/2025

04/02/2025

This past Sunday members of Holy Poverty Fraternity spoke at most of the Masses at our home parish of St. Patrick in Bayshore. They shared the history of our order & what it means to be a Secular Franciscan & encouraged anyone who may want to learn more to reach out either after Mass or contact our formation director.

03/29/2025

Holy Poverty Fraternity members join Lenten soup supper.

02/02/2025

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. Let’s be the light, not the darkness.

Pax bonum

01/29/2025

May your life preach more loudly than your lips. 🙌