The "Franciscan Reflections" in this index are written by Fred Schaeffer, OFS., unless otherwise noted. He began writing these reflections
and catechetical teachings for OFS, and for the Church in general, in 1996.

If you spot any glaring errors, please let Fred know. Thanks!

Inner Conversion (Metanoia)

Be Close to God
Faith Refreshment
Bloom where you are planted
Can we hear Jesus?
Changes in our Lives
Conquering Weaknesses
Create a Clean Heart in me, O Lord
Cure the sickness of our spirit
Did you grow in your relationship with me?
Difficult moments, seek God
Disappointments and pain in life is preparation
... for Heavenly Joy
Discernment/Discretion
Examination of Conscience
God and Man
Happy moments, praise God
Harden Not Your Hearts
Have you arrived?
Have you experienced suffering?
Hear the Sound of my Pleading
His Everlasting Love
His Everlasting Love 2
Jesus, how precious is Thy Name?
Our true relationship with God
Personal Conversion
Seasons of Change
Put Away the old Self (#594)
Seasons of the Soul
The Saints Say Contemplation is for Everyone
Your relationship with Jesus

Inner Life

A moment of silence, please!
Are you a friend of Jesus?
Arise with Jesus
Ascent to Interior Prayer
Be Eucharist!
Be Open to His Touch
Brief Day in Our Lives
Clothed with Gladness
Do we love God?
I live in you
Emotions in the Spiritual Life
Giving yourself to God and to others
--Part IPart II Part III Part IV Part V Part VI
God wants us to love Him!
God Wants You!
God is Love
God's Love for all.
God's Love for Us (Part 1) Part 2 Part 3
God's Love in Difficult Times
He dwelt among us
He gave his only Son
He is within us.
He knows everything!
He seeks us Out.
He will Heal You!
He won't let us down!
Hunger for God
In His Presence, I
In His Presence, II
Inner Peace
Jesus is always with us
Jesus is present to us in the least of our brothers and sisters
Jesus wants to Heal us
Jesus wants to talk to you...
Listen to Jesus in your heart
More on Contemplation
Our Sanctuary
Reflection on a Soul (#600)
Stay close to Jesus
The Interior Life is for All Christians
Things invisible
Heavenly Rest (#549)

Intercession

Let us pray!
"I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you"
Praying for Intercession (#563)
Praying to and with Jesus (#562)

Jesus Christ

Christ the King (#544)
The Immaculate Lamb of God (#559)

Marriage

The Marriage Covenant and other unions
Seeing Things as They Are (#542)

Marian, Blessed Virgin Mary

Coredemptrix, Mediatrix, and Advocate
Mary Immaculate
Mary's Fiat
Mary's Month
Mary the Mother of Christ
Mary, woman of the Eucharist
On the Immaculate Conception by St. Francis Anthony of Lucera [Fasani]
Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us.
Perfect Consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Throne of God
Why Mary Appears
Stella Maris (#569)
The Marian Dedication of St. Francis of Asisi

Maturity, Self-worth

Are you a beautiful person?
Be a person of Integrity!
Dignity
Do you love yourself even a little?
He knew Jesus
Loving oneself for God's sake
Take my Card

Meditation

Midwinter Dreams
Lenten Meditations
Music is often a means to meditation
In the Palm of His Hand
Lord Restore My Sight...
Praising God
The Voice within You (#557)

Minority, friars

An Alternative Model for Society, Inspired by
...Minority by Luis Carlos Susin, OFMCap.

Miscellaneous

A Good Four Years
All in Perspective
Almost Instantaneously
Making time for God/ Internet
At the end of a Busy Day
Beautiful Music
Catholics... have a heart, please!
Chatrooms are dangerous places
Desert Fathers
Diversity of Opinion
Do not deny the Holocaust
Do not be Afraid
Medieval Chant
Good Catholic Reading
Gregorian Chant
How can they hate so much?
It's true
Inspirational Windows
Love Your Enemies
No Fishing Allowed!
Of Hay and Horses
On Ordinations
Ongoing Crisis in our Church
Personal Praise Report
Remembering
Seeing God in Ordinary Things
Personal Praise Report
The Divine Potter
The Light in the Dark
The Magisterium
The President
The Truth of the Matter Is
True Christian Values
Twilight Zone
Eager Anticipation #552
Monks and Mice (#553)
Please pray for the Children (#565)
The Reality of Everyday Life (#570)
Week before Holy Week 2011 (#556)
What did mother do for us? (#560)

Morality

Morality
Morally Speaking
Pretending Nothing is Wrong (#550)

Nativity

Our Bethlehem
Why was Jesus born in a stable?
Christmas Tree Symbolizes Endurance (#584)

Obedience

A Fine Point in Obeying
Easter People
Honor the Sabbath
Keeping Jesus company
The Spirit of Obedience
What good did you do, today?

Papal Messages

Message of John Paul II to the SFO General
Chapter 2002
"Heaven is not a location in the cosmos, but a place within God" (Benedict XVI)

Parish

Parish Community
We are church!

Poverty

Christmas Stable
Driven by Things?
What do I know about Poverty?

Power of God

The love of God is all-powerful

Prayer

Make time for God
Make time for prayer amid the havoc of this world
Bless His Holy Name
Franciscan Prayer Life: A mosaic
God really hears us!
Grant to us, Oh Lord
How to Pray
Intercession (595)
Just one Word
Our Greatest Friend
Our Heart Must Enter Into It
Prayer is an Expression of Love
Pray for Seminarians
Pray for your Parish Clergy
Prayer and Offerings to God
Prayer - Rosary
Prayer-Striving for Perfection
Prayer: God's gift that keeps on giving!
Solitude is not Isolation
What are you seeking?
Why should we pray?
His Abundant Love (#545)
Pray Constantly (#601)

Pro-Life & other Life issues

Anniversary of Roe v. Wade, 37th
It depends on you!
Justice for All
Shocking Crimes Against People (#577)
Stilled Infant Voices (#586)

Prudence

Inner Strength
Status quo

Purgatory

Please pray for the Souls in Purgatory (#543)

Reflection

Franciscan Reflections on the Past Few Months
..by Loren T. Connell, OFM
Go the Extra Mile
Good Priests I Have Known
Last Letter between Friends
Misery at our Doorstep
Seeing God in Ordinary Things
Our Sharing in the Spiritual Goods of the Franciscan Family by Helen Caldarone, SFO
Reflections in Silence
Seven Last Words of Christ
Spirituality and Awe
The Face of Christ (#593)
The Storms Brought Out the Best in Us
The Promised Land
What God has planned for you?
What is Asceticism?
We need to be strong! (#537)

Repent, Penance

Do we want to go to Heaven?
Forgive me, Lord
Freedom
Harden Not Your Hearts
Keep the fires burning
Let us Stop Offending God
One Hour's Faith
Stop running away from me!
Suffering for Your Faith
Suffering with Jesus
To dust you will return
To much talk about the end-times

Respect, Reverence

Respect and Awe
Saying "Thank You"
The Eyes Have It
Respect for All (#554)

Sacrament, Eucharist

Come have breakfast
Sunday Eucharistic Celebration: a Gift from Jesus Christ

Sacrament, Penance

Sacrament of Penance
How to go to Confession
Is it so hard to forgive?
Lent is the time for Daily Conversion

Sacred Heart of Jesus

The Silence of Inner Peace

Saints Writings and Feastdays

A Touch of Green
Blessed Helen of Arcella
Holy Men and Women
St. Elizabeth of Hungary
St. Francis of Assisi and Sister Lark
St. Francis as a model for priests
St. John of the Cross
St. John, Apostle and Evangelist (#587)
St. Mary Faustina Kowalska
St. Pius X, SFO Pope
St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
St. Teresa of Avila - Oct. 15
St. Thomas Aquinas - Jan. 28
On St. Anthony
On St. Theresa's views on Purgatory
Our Forgotten Saints
Pope's Teachings: St. Bonaventure
We Bring Forth Christ in Faith (St. Ambrose)

St. Francis of Assisi

I accept all people with love. Do you?
Authentic Spirit of St. Francis
Canticle of Brother Sun
For Saint Francis of Assisi No One Was Excluded
Franciscan Love for Jesus
Francis Saw the Trees for the Forest
Humility and St. Francis of Assisi
St. Francis of Assisi 1181-1226 what else happened in those years?

Life and Legends of Saint Francis of Assisi by Father  Candide Chalippe, OFM, Revised by Father Hilarion Duerk, OFM  (.pdf file)
Little Flowers of Saint Francis
Of the Sacred and Holy Stigmata of Saint Francis and Certain Considerations thereon
Reflections on a Franciscan Weekend
The Mystic: St. Francis of Assisi
The Simplicity of St. Francis of Assisi (and how we can imitate him in our lives today by Helen Calderone, SFO)
Was St. Francis a dreamer?
With Humility and Simplicity
The Marian Dedication of St. Francis of Asisi

Scripture Study

Be a Bible Reader
Mental Images in Holy Scripture
Praying Scripture with Imagination: writing yourself into the scene.
Temptation and Ingegrity (598)
Tradition and Sacred Scripture
What is Grace?

Seasons - Liturgical

Holy Week
Holy Week
Holy Week: what it means to us
The Days after Christmas

Secular Franciscans, General

Duc in altum - Put out into the deep
Eucharist in the Life and Mission of the Secular Franciscans (Fr. Michael J. Higgins, TOR)
Franciscans are Good People
Going Up the Mountain
Holy Spirit is at work, The
In Quiet Moments
Minister's Message (Lisa Stauffer, SFO)
Secular Franciscans at Your Service
SFO in the Church, The (Rosalvo G. Mota, SFO)
SFO IN THE CHURCH: Man and Woman: Diversity and Mutual Complementarity
That excessive Love by Father John Corriveau, OFM Cap
The Apostolate
We are called for each other
Women of the SFO: When the Baobab Falls by Fr. Fabiano Aguilar Satler ofm
Worthy Fruits of Penance
Are we people of God? (#582)
Fundamental Thrust of the Order (SFO) is to live the Gospel Life! (#579)
Messengers of Perfect Joy! (#538)
Profession in the Secular Franciscan Order (#578)
Responsibility (#574)
Silence Please! (#541)
XIII General Chapter OFS (#580)

Sin

Death: It happens to everyone
In Denial
Let's walk in God's Light
No Sin is Unforgivable
Turning from God is painful

Spiritual Communion

Be there even if you can't
Quiet moments, worship God
A Rich Diversity
Spiritual Communion (#571)

Storms

A very tragic week
In the eye of the Storm (Overcoming Challenges)
Naked, we came into this world
Seek God's Will in these perilous times
Watch what you wish for!

Suffering

Joy of Suffering
On Suffering
Quiet suffering: the human condition
Very difficult times need healing too
Why did God allow this to happen to me?
Why do we worry so?

Sundays

A Sunday Prayer

Trinity, Holy

The Holy Trinity
The Holy Spirit in our Lives

Tradition, Teaching

Basic Teaching
Every House must have a solid Foundation
What is "IHS?"
Jesus was betrayed (#558)

Transfiguration

This is my Beloved Son

Veterans

Our Country's Finest

Vocations

Looking for a few holy priests
Priests have a unique role
Vocation: Come and See
Vocation: What is a Franciscan Vocation?
We are invited
What is a Religious Vocation?
Are you doing what God planned for you? (#548)

YouFra (OFS)

WYD It is here. (#573)