Daily Homily 

Are you searching for a place that offers words of guidance and inspiration for your faith life? Would you like to remain up to date with the Church's daily readings? 

Fr. Howard Hansen, OFM, Conv., writes a daily homily for the FranciscanRetreats.net website. If you haven't heard Fr. Howard preach or read his words of wisdom before, now is your opportunity! (See the Our Staff page for his bio).

You will find Fr. Howard's homilies on our Home Page, under the Daily Homily link and under his picture on the bottom right side of every page of our website. Click on one of these links for a sample of Fr. Howard's insightful and inspirational homilies.

2010 Retreat Theme: “Come to Me: Healing, Hope and Holiness"

We are pleased to announce our retreat theme for 2010: “Come to Me: Healing, Hope and Holiness”. After the overwhelming response to our 2009 Lenten Prayer Days on the theme of Healing, our staff thought that it would be good to develop the theme of healing in greater detail for our weekend and midweek retreat programs. 

While most people think of a physical cure or attrition of symptoms when they use the word “healing,” we often discover some type of wounding in our life that stunts our spiritual growth. Our image of God, and of ourselves, has not been allowed to grow or develop. Sometimes this wounding can be traced to a specific person or event. Sometimes, we are just stuck in a particular way of viewing the Almighty and ourselves, and we cannot see the wonder of the living God inviting us to “life in the fullest.”

The four conferences for the retreat will be:
Healing Our Image of God;
Healing Our Self-Image;
Healing and Life Transitions 
Living in the Now: The Sacrament of the Moment.

As always, our prayer services and liturgies will serve to expand upon the themes presented in the retreat conferences. There will be opportunities to receive individual spiritual direction as well as the sacraments of reconciliation and the sick.

Please consult the retreat Calendar and make your reservation today! If you have not made a retreat in a few years, perhaps now is the time for you to give yourself the gift of some time at Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center.

Pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi, March 2011

Franciscan Retreats, in conjunction with Franciscan Pilgrimage Programs, will be offering a ten day Pilgrimage to Assisi and Rome, escorted by Fr. Steve McMichael, OFM Conv., from March 17 to March 27, 2011. 

The pilgrimage begins “at home” in Assisi where we will become absorbed in the Franciscan story through places such as San Damiano (with the famous cross that spoke to St. Francis); the Porziuncola (St. Mary of the Angels, St. Francis’ beloved chapel and the site of his death in 1226); the Carceri (the hermitage outside the city walls of Assisi, where Francis often went for periods of intense prayer); and the Basilicas of St. Francis and St. Clare.


       

On our way to Rome we pass through the Rieti Valley and stop at Greccio, the place where Francis acted out the Christmas drama. And it was in Rome, the heart of the Catholic Church, that the dreams of Francis and Clare were confirmed for the entire world to live. We will visit St. Peter's Basilica, St. John Lateran, the Baptistry of the Franciscan Order and the Vatican of Francis' day, and San Francesco a Ripa, all of which relate to the story of Francis and our Franciscan heritage. 

The input offered on the Franciscan charism and spirituality provide an opportunity to look at oneself in a new way through the eyes of Saints Francis and Clare. There will be opportunities for daily prayer and Eucharist, as well as blocks of free time for leisure and fun with companion pilgrims.

Should you have further questions, please contact Bro. Bob at Director@FranciscanRetreats.net or 952-447-2182.

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Father Howard's Homilies
17th Week Ord Time 2010
18th Week Ord Time 2010

Franciscan Retreats - 16385 Saint Francis Lane - Prior Lake, MN 55372 - 952-447-2182 - email:  secretary@franciscanretreats.net