Dear John, Thank you for sharing this week with me. As Susan Hines-Brigger and I prepare our hearts for Advent, we are getting more and more excited to meet all of you who will be joining us this season by getting the book, A Catholic Family Advent. We can promise you that we will provide simple ways for you and your families, youth groups, classrooms, and prayer groups to slow down this Advent season and bring it back to the place of preparation and hope. I am so excited to share my family-life with you this Advent. My husband, Ben, and kids, Josie (16), Benji (14), and Claire (11), have been in full Advent mode as we prepare A Catholic Family Advent for you! You will meet us via email and video each day of Advent. I can tell you that being intentional and sitting down together for even just five minutes each day of Advent has impacted our family in the most beautiful way. I want this for your family this season as well. Check out what Susan Hines-Brigger and I have put together for you this Advent season. And, learn more about this book and getting automatically signed up for our daily Advent series with you here. We love you and pray for you daily at Franciscan Media. This Advent, join me and Susan to have the best Catholic Family Advent without the stress...simply the hope and love of the expectation of Jesus. I look forward to sharing this season with you! Peace, Patty Crawford Marketing, Director |
Saint of the Day for November 8: John Duns Scotus (c. 1266 – November 8, 1308) Listen to Blessed John Duns Scotus’ Story Here A humble man, John Duns Scotus has been one of the most influential Franciscans through the centuries. Born at Duns in the county of Berwick, Scotland, John was descended from a wealthy farming family. In later years, he was identified as John Duns Scotus to indicate the land of his birth; Scotia is the Latin name for Scotland. John received the habit of the Friars Minor at Dumfries, where his uncle Elias Duns was superior. After novitiate, John studied at Oxford and Paris and was ordained in 1291. More studies in Paris followed until 1297, when he returned to lecture at Oxford and Cambridge. Four years later, he returned to Paris to teach and complete the requirements for the doctorate. In an age when many people adopted whole systems of thought without qualification, John pointed out the richness of the Augustinian-Franciscan tradition, appreciated the wisdom of Aquinas, Aristotle, and the Muslim philosophers—and still managed to be an independent thinker. That quality was proven in 1303, when King Philip the Fair tried to enlist the University of Paris on his side in a dispute with Pope Boniface VIII. John Duns Scotus dissented, and was given three days to leave France. In Scotus’s time, some philosophers held that people are basically determined by forces outside themselves. Free will is an illusion, they argued. An ever-practical man, Scotus said that if he started beating someone who denied free will, the person would immediately tell him to stop. But if Scotus didn’t really have a free will, how could he stop? John had a knack for finding illustrations his students could remember! After a short stay in Oxford, Scotus returned to Paris, where he received the doctorate in 1305. He continued teaching there and in 1307 so ably defended the Immaculate Conception of Mary that the university officially adopted his position. That same year the minister general assigned him to the Franciscan school in Cologne where John died in 1308. He is buried in the Franciscan church near the famous Cologne cathedral. Drawing on the work of John Duns Scotus, Pope Pius IX solemnly defined the Immaculate Conception of Mary in 1854. John Duns Scotus, the “Subtle Doctor,” was beatified in 1993. Reflection Father Charles Balic, O.F.M., the foremost 20th-century authority on Scotus, has written: “The whole of Scotus’s theology is dominated by the notion of love. The characteristic note of this love is its absolute freedom. As love becomes more perfect and intense, freedom becomes more noble and integral both in God and in man” (New Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 1105).
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Care for the Poor Being present to the poor through friendship, solidarity, and service isn’t just a helpful set of moral principles. It’s a virtuous circle, with each feeding and amplifying the others, and all leading to a more authentic way of being in the world. Because when we make room for these in our life, we’re making room for love, the common bond that can bridge any gulf poverty may create. —from the book Making Room: Soul-Deep Satisfaction Through Simple Living
by Kyle Kramer |
Are you looking for a simple way to have a more meaningful Advent season with your family, youth group, or friends? Look no further! Join author, Susan Hines-Brigger, and mom, Patty Crawford, on this daily Advent journey. |
A Reflection of Christ’s Love to Others Reflect Compassion lies at the heart of Franciscan spirituality. St. Francis showed deep empathy and love for all people, particularly the marginalized and suffering. By practicing compassion, we can reflect Christ’s love to others and foster a more loving and inclusive community. Pray Loving God,
Fill our hearts with compassion for all your children.
Help us to see the world through the eyes of Christ,
offering love and empathy to those in need.
May we, like St. Francis, be instruments of your love
and bring comfort to the suffering. Amen. Act Think about a situation where you can show more compassion. Offer a listening ear, a helping hand, or a kind word to someone in need. Make a conscious effort to approach others with empathy and understanding. Today’s Pause+Pray was written by Paul Lipowski. Learn more here! |
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