Way of St. Francis: The Sacred Mountain of La Verna

La Verna Italy

“In 1213 Count Orlando Catani of Chiusi gave Francis a mountainous parcel of land called La Verna to use as a place of retreat. Tucked into the wilderness east of Florence, La Verna features a solitary peak, known as Monte Penna, and is covered with …

Jesus, I trust in you!

Trust is an important part of my faith. But even when I am in that place of trust, I am always amazed at how God works in my life.  I would love to tell you that I always had this trust but that is not so.  It’s something Our Lord is teaching me day by day.  Aren’t …

Feast Day of Saint Francis

FRANCIS OF ASSISI, FRIAR D. 1226 PATRON OF ANIMALS AND OF ECOLOGY St. Francis was born in the hill country of central Italy in the town of Assisi around 1181. He was the only child of a prosperous cloth merchant and grew up among the …

Eat, Pray and Walk the Way of St. Francis

Some of the highlights along The Way of St. Francis Santuario della Verna (La Verna, our starting point) We start our walk from La Verna, a remote mountain retreat. As we leave the Sanctuary of La Verna, through the Casentino park, it is like walking back in time …

Galilee … enjoy the beauty along the Jesus Trail!

Galilee, which is where most of Jesus’ ministry took place, is one of the most beautiful landscapes of Israel. As you saunter along the Jesus Trail, beauty and peace will surround you. When you walk with Prayerful Path, you will be spoiled by this beauty …

“But Mommy, do you love yourself?”

By: Mary Maddox From the mouths of babes. “But Mommy do you love yourself?” I will never forget those words and that moment. It happened 20 years ago. I was tucking my daughter Haley into bed and we were having an amazing little conversation.  Amazing …

Kindness of Strangers

When I travel, I am never surprised by the kindness of people…people of all lands and of all religions.   As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. — Colossians 3:12  One day in Israel, we had just finished our …

Have you met St. Francis?

A Mystical encounter in Tuscany By: Andrew Harvey When I was 18, I spent eight months hitchhiking around Italy. At the time, I was about to go to Oxford, and I thought that I wanted to be an art historian. So I visited all the …

Walking with St. Francis

BY Gretel Ehrlich | MAY 1, 2000 Gretel Ehrlich walks in the footsteps of St. Francis through the Umbrian countryside and ponders the life of a saint who was “radical without bitterness, vital yet gentle, dramatic—even outrageous at times—without narcissism.” The road to Gubbio veers north …

I say, “YES” my Lord!

“I say “YES” my Lord”  One of my favorite songs.   I say “Yes,” my Lord, in all the good times, through all the bad times. I say “Yes,” my Lord, to every word you speak.   We sing our songs…we read our Bible verses and relish the many uplifting quotes that …