This year seems to have flown by.  Can you believe we only have 4 more talks before we break for the summer?  Specifically, the rest of our TASTE schedule includes: 2 talks before Easter, a 2-week break for Easter, 2 talks after Easter, and then a wrap-up session which will hopefully also include a pot-luck lunch. LINK 

To augment one of our earlier talks, Karen shared with us the meaning of the Benedictine Medal and its purpose, history, and blessing.  If you have a Benedictine Medal, she encouraged bringing a copy of that blessing to any priest to have it blessed. LINK.  During announcements this past week, Karen also shared an inspiring story about Ukraine, Russia, Poland and Fatima as presented by one of our speakers (Fr. Chris Alar).  As part of this video, Fr. Alar shared the ‘Miracle of Vistula’: When Our Lady Saved the World From Communism.  He concluded with the urgent need for prayer, sacrifice, and penance.  So much of this is relevant today.  For those who missed it or for those who want to learn more about it, see Fr. Alar's VIDEO or the National Catholic Register's ARTICLE.

Last week, Mike Tenney gave his fourth talk in our Lenten Series on Catholic Spirituality entitled "Franciscan Spirituality: Francis, Clare, Bonaventure, Kolbe." Mike introduced us to the Franciscans with some of their symbols, including the "tau" shaped cross, and the Hands of Christ and Francis cross. They are a discalced order meaning they wear scandals, or no shoes, and like the Dominicans, they are a mendicant order.  They are known as the Order of Friars Minor (OFM) and as the "lesser brothers."  Mike talked some about St. Francis himself, both the man and the legend. St. Francis took on a mission from Christ to "rebuild My church," which he originally took literally to mean the local dilapidated St. Damiano church itself, and then understood it to mean our universal Catholic Church. People were attracted to his way of life. Of note, St. Francis was a deacon and never became a priest. Basic principles of the Franciscans include: 1) Learn about Christ by imitation and experience, not book learning, 2) Humility, 3) Poverty, 4) Love of Nature, 5) Community, 6) Optimism, 7) Devotion to the Immaculate Mother. Other famous Franciscans include St. Clare of Assisi, Blessed John Duns Scotus, St. Anthony, St. Junipero Serra, St. Maximilian Kolbe and St. Padre Pio. So, how do we pray as Franciscans? 1) Pray with people, in community, 2) Make charity your prayer — prayer and actions are intimately tied together, 3) St. Clare's Prayer, a "poor person's Lectio Divina" where an image of the cross or some other image becomes the focus of attention rather than the written word, 4) the Franciscan Crown, a variation on the rosary with seven decades, and 5) Pope Francis' Five Finger Prayer, using our fingers to remind us categories for which to pray.  To finish our time together, Mike led us in using St. Clare's Prayer with a piece of art depicting St. Francis embracing Jesus on the cross. The steps included:  1) gazing, 2) considering what the image means to you, 3) contemplating (being available and open to receiving a gift from God), and finally 4) imitating what you see in the image.  For more details on all of these prayers plus the "Peace Prayer" and the "Blessing of Animals", see this LINK.