It is a big feast day for Hallel today as it is St Francis today! Her co-founder, Fr Jean Claude, is a Franciscan and therefore on one side of the altar in all of their chapels is St Francis and St Clare! Hence there is no doubt in my mind that they will be having long periods of amazing prayers as well as a wonderful special meal!
Of course the pinacle of the day will be the mass and adoration! So much love for our Lord is evident when you are allowed the priviledge of sharing with them in prayer and mass! Their voices are like angels raised in amazing song!
Their lives are simple and beautiful as they follow him and love even when wounded! Much like St Francis did! "He led a life of evangelical poverty and preached the love of God to all." see http://www.magnificat.com/
The Gospel comes to life! With both of my daughters looking to ST Francis in their call to religious life... he is huge for me... with his statues so easy to find... I have him outside and inside my home, but mostly inside my heart!
Maria joining the Poor Clares for 5 months... St Clare also lived in Assisi and with the help of ST Francis started an order of nuns that embraced his life of poverty and love of neighbor! St Francis became a beloved and familiar saint around here from then on!
St Francis and ST Clare are the two saints that begin the litany of saints that ends each rosary for me every day! They took us deeply into the lives of the saints and how they add so much for us on our spiritual journey! We never walk alone!
When you think of St Francis - you think of birds and animals sitting on his shoulders and around his feet... Mary took this picture of her beloved animals a few days ago... How she loves them and the real ones too!
It looks like Snowball knows that just like St Francis... Mary loves her and cares for her!
Opening prayer for mass today -
"Father, you helped St Francis to reflect the image of Christ through a life of poverty and humility. May we follow your Son by walking in the footsteps of Francis of Assisi, and by imitating his joyful love.'
St Francis and his followers not only modeled for us the life of Christ and how it can bring us to true happiness, but he traveled about in his sandaled feet sharing the Gospel with all those that he came in contact with... as St Paul says today to the Galations:
"Now I want you to know brothers and sisters, that the Gospel preached by me is not of human origin. For I did not receive it from a human being, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ." The sight of Paul blinded by the Truth that came to him in a blinding light comes to mind as you read this! 
Joy and praise are mentioned so much for ST Francis! He truly cut on the earthly bonds of the material world... when he even stipped off all his costly clothes.... as he was the son of a wealthy man, and walked away from all the burden of the material world!
The sharing of my pictures just came to a halt as I have to buy more storage... I am disappointed as now I have to wait a day... I had taken some for the morning... oh, well! I was just having too much fun on this amazing feast day!
ST Francis... we look to you this day to help us simplify our lives so that we can focus with great joy on what truly matters in this lifetime... our walk with our Lord and to follow the path that He has just laid out for us!
Life is a wonderful gift that we embrace and celebrate! How wonderful to have all these days of celebration to lift us up from the day to day grind and rejoice with you in the beauty of creation!
Be with the farmers, dear Lord, as they strive to get the crop out of the fields!
Bless Fr Jean Claude today on this special feast day and the day that they celebrate and honor St Francis! 
Here are the words of ST Francis:
He is speaking to the Gospel today is the one where Jesus teaches the parable of the Good Samaritan... answering the question of who our neighbor is... "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." Luke 10:25-37
These are old photos of Susan the summer before she left for France!
"You shall love the Lord"
With our whole heart,
our whole soul,
our whole mind,
with our whole strength and fortitude,
with our whole understanding,
with all our powers,
with every effort,
every affection,
every feeling,
every desire and wish
let us love the Lord God
Who has given and gives to each one of us
our whole body, our whole soul
and our whole life,
Who has created, redeemed and will save us by
his mercy alone,
Who did and does everything good for us,
miserable and wretched,
rotten and foul,
ungrateful and evil ones.
Therefore,
let us desire nothing else,
let us want nothing else,
let nothing else please us and cause us delight
except our Creator, Redeemer, and Savior,
the only true God,
Who is the fullness of good,
all good, every good, the true and supreme good,
Who alone is good,
merciful, gentle, delightful, and sweet,
Who alone is holy,
just, true, holy, and upright,
Who alone is kind, innocent, clean,
from Whom, through Whom and in Whom
is all pardon, all grace, all glory
of all penitents and just ones,
of all the blessed rejoicing together in heaven. St Francis of Assisi (1226)
Here is his amazing Canticle of the Sun! May it bring God's rays of love and forgiveness over you!
The Canticle of the Sun
by Francis of Assisi
Most high, all powerful, all good Lord! All praise is yours, all glory, all honor, and all blessing. To you, alone, Most High, do they belong. No mortal lips are worthy to pronounce your name.
Be praised, my Lord, through all your creatures, especially through my lord Brother Sun, who brings the day; and you give light through him. And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendor! Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.
Be praised, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars; in the heavens you have made them, precious and beautiful.
Be praised, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air, and clouds and storms, and all the weather, through which you give your creatures sustenance.
Be praised, My Lord, through Sister Water; she is very useful, and humble, and precious, and pure.
Be praised, my Lord, through Brother Fire, through whom you brighten the night. He is beautiful and cheerful, and powerful and strong.
Be praised, my Lord, through our sister Mother Earth, who feeds us and rules us, and produces various fruits with colored flowers and herbs.
Be praised, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death, from whose embrace no living person can escape. Woe to those who die in mortal sin! Happy those she finds doing your most holy will. The second death can do no harm to them.
Praise and bless my Lord, and give thanks, and serve him with great humility.
(translated by Bill Barrett from the Umbrian text of the Assisi codex.)
Jesus we trust in you! Amen and Halleluia!Bless-bless, Barb
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