Like Francis and Clare of Assisi, and Franciscan communities for the past 800+ years, each sister and associate in our province community is dedicated to the daily practice of personal prayer.

Prayer from our hearts, communication with Spirit, can take diverse forms.

Many people are familiar with the following forms of prayer:

ADORATION: Prayers that recognize the immense grandeur and power of the Divine Mystery.

CONTRITION: Prayers that acknowledge the fragile, disconnected, or broken. areas of one’s own relationships and/or situation.

THANKSGIVING: Prayers of gratitude and appreciation, recognizing and responding to the many gifts with which we are blessed.

PETITION: Prayers for our world and those who are ill, fearful, lonely, lost, poor, alienated, suffering, and isolated….

In addition to the familiar forms of prayer mentioned above. There are also a multitude of additional practices that expand our notions of prayer.

While there are too many to list here, some of these are: meditation, chanting/singing, sacred dance/movement, mindful listening, drawing, painting, collaging, walking, running, …the list can go on and on.

Lighting candles has long been a sacred ritual in many traditions, marking precious moments in our own and other’s lives to give support, mark an anniversary... a death... a birth... a birthday... healing...friendship...or just to affirm this moment! With gratitude to our friends at Gratefuless.org, for their beautiful, interactive site we invite you to light a virtual candle for friends, loved ones, our global community, our sister, mother earth, or any other intention.