St. Anthony of Padua Fraternity OFS

06/05/2026

Pope Leo will be leading a rosary for peace at 1 pm eastern—if you’d like to pray along, here is a link: https://www.youtube.com/live/sclN2P_fYnQ?si=THyBEZr-MByNC10r

06/05/2026

06/05/2026

WHAT IS THIS ALL ABOUT?
Please tell me without a shout!
The very core is LOVE
The kind that comes from above!
Remember, you are following Me
In Francis’s footsteps don’t you see?
By doing so My followers must change as they go.
It is called daily conversion
That is the only way to obtain redemption!
Lead them to Calvary
Let them see what I had to suffer for their delivery!
The cross has to come first
There I will quench their thirst!
As your Formation Director… What must I do?
I cannot change you, only inspire you!
You are in charge of becoming more like your Master
….by Jeannett Grant, OFS, 4/29/2026

Jeannett writes some of the most inspired poems. She has conversations with Jesus, and in her poetry, she
answers him. She sends them out to several people. I have been getting them for literally years. Sometimes
I do an overview that is not poetic and then send it back to her. But I thought this one was appropriate to
share with you. So, here is an overview of the poem that Jeannette just wrote, breaking down its core themes,
structure, and the message it conveys about Secular Franciscan spirituality.
The poem serves as an introductory guide and an inspirational reminder of what it means to live as a Secular
Franciscan. It reframes the spiritual journey not as a rigid set of rules, but as a deeply personal, love-driven
transformation.
The poem establishes Divine Love as the foundation; that the entire spirituality is rooted in "LOVE / The
kind that comes from above!" Daily Conversion (Metanoia) our central Franciscan tenet is the idea of
continuous conversion. We note that followers "must change as they go," emphasizing that redemption and
holiness are ongoing processes, not one-time events. The theology of the cross points to Calvary and the
cross as essential. In Franciscan spirituality, contemplating Christ's suffering is not just about grief, but about
recognizing the depth of God's love and finding spiritual fulfillment ("There I will quench their thirst!").
Living a Gospel-Centric life, we are urged to know Jesus through the Gospels, beautifully noting that “the
gospels are teaching not preaching!” This highlights a lifestyle of action and relationship over lecturing
others. We look forward to Trinitarian Joy, the ultimate destination of this earthly journey, a deep
relationship with the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and the promise of eternal joy, which outweighs
any earthly suffering.
"As your Formation Director… What must I do? I cannot change you, only inspire you!"
This section of Jeannette’s poem highlights a beautiful truth about Franciscan formation: personal
accountability. The director cannot force holiness; the individual candidate must take charge of their own
relationship with Christ ("falling IN LOVE with him") and actively choose the path of discipleship.
The tone we might take here is Passionate, encouraging, and deeply personal. It reads like a loving
exhortation or a spiritual pep-talk. Her simple rhyme makes complex theological ideas highly accessible and
memorable.
It blends the voice of Christ ("Remember, you are following Me"), the voice of the Formation Director, and
the collective voice of the fraternity. ("What a wonderful journey we seculars are on").
A Summary: Ultimately, the poem captures the essence of the Secular Franciscan charism: a joyful, gospelled life of continuous conversion, rooted in the imitation of Christ and St. Francis, embraced freely by the
individual, and destined for eternal joy.

05/31/2026

Before he became a saint, St. Francis wanted what most people want to be welcomed, admired, included. To walk into a room and feel chosen.

But the deeper St Francis went into God, the more he realised that the desperate need to be accepted can quietly become a form of slavery.

Because once your identity depends on acceptance, you will betray parts of your soul just to avoid rejection.

You will stay silent when truth costs too much.
You will perform instead of live honestly.
You will slowly shape-shift into whatever keeps people comfortable.

St Francis stopped doing that.

He embraced poverty not only in possessions, but in ego. He stopped demanding that the world approve of him. He stopped negotiating his soul for belonging.

And this is why he became radiant.

Not because everyone accepted him.
Many mocked him.
Some abandoned him.
Others thought he was foolish.

But there is a strange beauty in a person who no longer needs to be constantly affirmed to remain at peace.

That kind of soul becomes untouchable.

The holiest people are often misunderstood by the world because they no longer worship acceptance.

They belong somewhere deeper.

The tragedy is not rejection.
The tragedy is losing yourself trying to avoid it.

A mature soul can survive being disliked.
An anchored soul can survive standing alone.
But a starving soul will trade truth for applause every time.

St Francis teaches us this: when your identity rests in God, rejection no longer has the power to define you.

You stop asking:
“Do they accept me?”

And start asking:
“Am I becoming real?”

🔹️ Stop over-explaining yourself
🔹️ Do not shrink to belong
🔹️ Spend less time managing impressions
🔹️ Let God decide your worth

The need to be accepted makes people perform. The love of God makes people become.

O Jesus, meek and humble of heart,
Hear me. From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, O Jesus.
+ Litany of Humility

05/31/2026

When Rejection Loses Its Power
The Strength of a Humble Soul

One of the deepest fears of the human heart is not failure, but contempt. To be ignored hurts. To be criticized hurts. But to be looked upon with disdain, to be considered insignificant, foolish, or unworthy touches something even deeper.

St. Francis understood this fear. Yet he discovered a profound secret: the soul that belongs to God no longer needs to be protected by human approval.

The world spends enormous energy trying to avoid being despised. We polish our image, defend our reputation, and seek validation. St Francis let go of the exhausting task of managing how others saw him and entrusted his identity entirely to God.

He knew that contempt cannot wound a person who has stopped building their life upon praise.

The saints are not people who never experienced rejection. They are people who learned that rejection is not the final word. A heart anchored in God can survive misunderstanding, criticism, and even contempt because it no longer asks the world for permission to know its worth.

The fear of being despised begins to die the moment we realize that no human judgment can add to or subtract from what God already sees.

The person who no longer needs to be admired becomes impossible to enslave.

🔹️ Accept a small misunderstanding without immediately defending yourself.

🔹️ Do a good deed that nobody will notice or praise.

🔹️ When criticized, pause and ask what God may be teaching you before reacting.

A humble heart is not crushed by rejection because it has already found its home in God's love.

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

05/31/2026

Solemnity of the Holy Trinity

Father, you sent your Word to bring us truth
and your Spirit to make us holy.
Through them we come to know
the mystery of your life.
Help us to worship you,
one God in three Persons,
by proclaiming and living our faith in you.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Journals

05/31/2026

The courage to face the Truth
A doorway to grace

One of the hidden fears that governs many hearts is the fear of being corrected, criticized, or rebuked.

We would rather be praised than challenged. We prefer affirmation over truth. Yet St. Francis discovered that spiritual growth often enters through the door of correction.

St Francis did not seek rebukes, but neither did he run from them. He understood that every criticism contains a question: Am I defending my pride, or am I seeking the truth?

A rebuke can wound the ego, but it can also heal the soul.

The humble person is not someone who is never corrected. The humble person is someone who allows correction to become a path to conversion rather than a reason for resentment.

Not every criticism is fair. Not every rebuke is wise. But every rebuke is an opportunity to become less attached to our image and more attached to God.

The saints were not made by applause. They were formed in the quiet places where pride was challenged and grace was welcomed.

Perhaps the goal is not to avoid rebukes, but to learn how to receive them with peace, discernment, and a heart that remains teachable.

🔹️ Before defending yourself, ask: "Is there any truth in this?"

🔹️ Thank God for people who help you see your blind spots.

🔹️ Pray for a teachable heart rather than a flawless reputation.

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

05/21/2026

Our Identity as Catholics and as Secular Franciscans (Part 1 of 3)

[For personal formation take each part separately. For ongoing formation, all three parts will be useful when presented together and discussed.]

Refer to Anne Mulqueen, OFS-FUN Manual-Our Identity as a Secular Franciscan

“Identity as a person is impossible to define definitively because each one that God creates is unique and unrepeatable. God calls us by name, and one of the sweetest sounds to anyone’s ears is the sound of their name.”

Faith, values, passions, what we do, whom we are related to, our associations and many other things make up our identity. Here are some questions Anne offers us about identity in general. We can ask ourselves:

· “Who am I?” God has a purpose for us.

· “Who are we?” Church—we use our individual gifts for the good of all.

· “What is my purpose?” We are to proclaim that Christ is present among us through our behavior and our words.

· “To whom do I belong?” We belong to God; we belong to the Franciscan family; we belong to those we love and those we serve.

As Catholic Christians—through Baptism:

· We are members of the community of believers

· We have the responsibility to listen to and implement the word of God

· We receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit

· We receive the fruits of the Holy Spirit

· We go forth as witnesses and instruments of the Church’s mission.

· We offer ourselves and our activities to God as a spiritual sacrifice.

· We are invited to prophetic service

· We accept the word of God

· We are faithful in living the Gospel

· We bear witness to the world to God’s way of achieving peace, joy, love and justice.

· We are given a place in the Kingdom of God and its mission

Within our personal identity as Catholic Christians we will find the makings of a Secular Franciscan. (To be continued)

For discussion or to be answered in your journal:

+Look at the first section above. Think about, then answer the four questions listed. +What are the gifts of the Holy Spirit? (Look them up if you’re not sure.) Which gifts are strong in you? +What are the fruits of the Holy Spirit? Which of these fruits are most evident in you? +According to the bullets presented above, how are you living out your commitment as a Catholic? Give some examples.

05/20/2026

05/20/2026