Fr. Christopher Panagoplos, TOR, describes how well Jesus knows his sheep, knows our stories, and how, in spite of that intimate knowledge, He still chooses to save us and be with us on our journey. “Jesus, the Good Shepherd is our model shepherd. The one who calls us is the one we follow. ‘Lord,You lead,…

(This article originally appeared in the TAU-USA Spring Issue #111) by Fr. Jerome Wolbert, OFM National Spiritual Assistant Mt. St. Sepulcher Church, FranciscanMonastery of the Holy Land in America,Washington, DC. Photos used with permission. St. Jerome described the Holy Land as “the Fifth Gospel,” by which he meant that being in the Holy Land, seeing…

(This article appeared in the Spring 2024 Issue of TAU-USA #111) by Jane DeRose-Bamman, OFS, National Minister The theme for this edition of the TAU-USA is “Renewal.” What comes to mind? A day of rest? Something one does for a magazine subscription or a driver’s or professional license? What happens when we do not renew…

Fr. Christopher Panagoplos, TOR, speaks of living our Mission as Secular Franciscans: “Our mission is not a “mission impossible.” Conforming our life to Christ reveals the orientation of the Paschal Mystery in the Franciscan vocation. It is this willingness to imitate Him according to the letter and the spirit of the Gospel, being steadfast in…

Greetings dear brothers and sisters! Praying that the joy of the Solemnity of Easter still permeates your minds and attitudes during this Easter Season.  Christ is Risen!  He is Risen indeed!   This is something to share. I also have some other good news to share with you. The new TAU-USA newsletter/magazine team has produced its first…

“That they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be one in us.”  (John 17: 22-23) By Donna Hollis, OFS National Executive Committee Councilor

Fr. Christopher Panagoplos, TOR, on mercy and forgiveness: “Mercy is seen as an active and creative love, the ultimate act “by which God comes to meet us, the bridge that connects God and human beings, opening our hearts to the hope of being loved forever despite our sinfulness.”  This is mercy experienced in Scriptures, in…

Fr. Christopher Panagoplos, TOR, helps us understand what it means to be “Alive to God in Christ Jesus”. “Such fidelity to relationships is the new life born of water and the Spirit, raised to new life with Jesus, to share that life and its responsibilities.  Alive to God in Christ Jesus as people in whom…

Fr. Christopher Panagoplos, TOR, draws us in to Holy Week, inviting us to “Die a little, to live more fully”. “The week of passion, of devotion, of suffering and death and life given over, begins.  The Paschal Mystery, our involvement in the dying/rising of Christ, is now.  Die a little, to live more fully.  We…

Fr. Christopher Panagoplos, TOR, unpacks the meaning of “The Hour” of Jesus in the Gospel of John: “Our readings today are filled with anticipation. “The days are coming,” Jeremiah prophesies in today’s first reading. “The hour has come,” Jesus says in the Gospel. The new covenant that God promised to Jeremiah is made in the…

Fr. Christopher Panagoplos, TOR, reminds us that we don’t face our struggles alone. “Whether we gaze with longing into the garden, or with fear and trembling into the desert, of this we can be sure—God walked there first. When we who have sinned are challenged now to face the desert, we do not face it…

Fr. Christopher Panagoplos, TOR, reflects on one of the most profound mysteries of our Faith – the meaning of suffering. “Why did Jesus suffer?  God the Father wishes this perishable nature to put on imperishability, and this mortal nature to put on immortality.  Jesus accomplishes this by sacrificing His own life.  In this way, Jesus…

Franciscan Living by Francine Gikow, OFS Do you know the secret of perseverance in our vocation? Ever wonder how people remain committed as Secular Franciscans for 30, 40, 50 years? The answers seem simple but are, in fact, difficult to live because they require untiring efforts and a penitential option for the spiritual path. Even…

Fr. Christopher Panagoplos, TOR, offers insights about the Transfiguration that go far beyond  a “sneak preview” of Resurrected glory. “Today’s Gospel of the Transfiguration makes little sense without the passage just before it.  The glory of the resurrection, for Jesus and for us, comes only after we have made our “Via Dolorosa” through the dark…

(This article originally appeared in the TAU-USA Fall 2023 Issue #110)  by Kathleen Molaro, OFS

Where is the spirit driving you in 2024? Are you seeking to take the Gospel more seriously, like Francis did? Join the Franciscan friars from the newly formed Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe in a series of Lenten reflections to help you on your journey. Br. Dan Horan, OFM, presents the first the first…

As we begin 2024, we are reminded of two special calls for deepening our relationship with Our Dear Lord and our suffering sisters and brothers. The Franciscan Family is commemorating the “the Gift of the Stigmata” and the whole Catholic Church begins the final year of preparation for the Eucharistic Jubilee. Eucharistic Jubilee:  On January…

Fr. Christopher Panagoplos, TOR, joins us on our Lenten journeys to warn us of the temptations that can thwart our conversion, and to remind us of the Incarnation, which imbues our world with goodness. “These Lenten days are meant to lead us into a different view of things.  Individuals begin to come into a more…

NEC Councilor Cherryle Fruge sent this beautiful reflection to one of her fraternities.  It is shared here to remind us of the wonderful presence of God in our lives as we continue to listen for the voices of Gospel living. By Cherryle Fruge, OFS

(This article originally appeared in the TAU-USA Fall 2023 Issue #110) National Ecumenical/Interfaith Committee     by Ron Lacey, OFS One of the greatest joys at the recent National Chapter, for me, was meeting in person two of my fellow Ecumenical/Interfaith Committee members, Donna Hollis, and Carolyn Townes, as well as our friend Fr. Masud ibn…