by David Torkington | Nov 3, 2016 | Franciscan Spirituality
It was in the church of St Mary of the Angels that a momentous event took place in the life of St Francis. It took place in 1208 on the feast of St Matthias that was then celebrated on the 24th February. When the priest was reading the Gospel St Francis’ heart leapt...
by David Torkington | Oct 26, 2016 | Franciscan Spirituality
After the party when St Francis had a brief mystical experience, he began to visit churches and places of solitude where he could prayer. Firstly he went with a friend, and then on his own. He was tempted to believe that all his exertions were a waste of time. Then...
by David Torkington | Oct 15, 2016 | Franciscan Spirituality
Pietro Bernadone, the father of St Francis, was proud of his son’s business skills.  He was proud too that he was  popular with his peers. He looked on with admiration to see the sons of the local aristocracy vying for his friendship and favour along with the other...
by David Torkington | Oct 3, 2016 | Franciscan Spirituality
For the feast day of St Francis on the 4 October, I am beginning a series of blogs on the life of St Francis of Assisi. In 1209 St Francis of Assisi who the medievals called The Second Christ presented his first rule, totally based on the Gospel, to the great Pope...
by David Torkington | Oct 4, 2015 | Franciscan Spirituality
When St Francis of Assisi had rebuilt a tumbledown little church given to him by the Benedictines, he called it St Mary of the Angels. It was here, over eight hundred years ago, that he heard God speaking to him through the Gospels while attending Mass. The message...
by David Torkington | Dec 8, 2014 | Franciscan Spirituality
Blessed John Duns Scotus saw so clearly that God had planned that his son, for whom the world was created, would be made flesh to live in and rule over that world as Christ the King. From this Duns Scotus argued that the very moment that God had made this decision,...