“They set out and there it was, the star that they had seen at its rising, going before them.” (Matthew 2:9)

Every year on Epiphany, we hear this familiar Gospel about the Magi following a star. We hear about their long journey, their searching, and the gifts they bring—gold, frankincense, and myrrh. It’s a beautiful story, and one we know well.
But if we listen closely to the scripture, we notice something quieter happening beneath the surface. Long before the Magi ever opened their chests, they had already given God something far more personal: their time, their trust, their willingness to keep going even when the way forward wasn’t clear. This morning, I’d like us to linger there, and ask what Epiphany might be inviting us to offer God as well

In this Christmas episode of A Franciscan Heart in the World, weenter the quiet mystery of a God who comes close — not in power, but intenderness. Through the story of Jack and his grandfather, we explore how loveis handed down through patient presence, steady encouragement, and the courage to show up. Christmas becomes more than a memory of Jesus’ birth; it becomes aninvitation to build something lasting with our lives, the way a carpenter shapes wood with care. With reflection questions and blessings to guide the heart, this episode invites us to receive the love that formed us — and to pass that love on.

Luke 1:67-79 When God opens a new chapter, it rarely comes with fanfare.
Sometimes it comes as a quiet call to step into who we were anointed to be — priest, prophet, and king — in our time, in our place, in our way.
In today’s Gospel, Zechariah finally speaks, and what rises from his heart is the Benedictus — a map for every disciple who wants to prepare a world for Christ.
Join me for “A Franciscan Heart in the World” as we enter the last steps toward Christmas.

Luke 1:57–66. Sometimes God begins something new in us long after we thought our season had passed. In today’s Gospel, Zechariah and Elizabeth learn that grace doesn’t follow the timelines we set. Their yes — quiet, humble, offered late in life — becomes part of a story stretching across generations. And the same is true of our yes today.

Luke 1:39-56
In this episode, we sit with Mary and Elizabeth, and with every moment in our own lives when a simple act of welcome becomes the doorway to grace. Join me as we explore how peace rises when love makes room for gratitude, and how the smallest human encounters can become our own Magnificat.

Matthew 1:18–24. n this episode of A Franciscan Heart in the World, we sit with Mary’s annunciation — that moment when God interrupts an ordinary life with an invitation that feels far bigger than our strength. Luke’s Gospel shows us a young woman who is troubled, unsure, and yet profoundly open. Her yes is not the result of perfect clarity; it is the courage to trust that God can work with who she is, as she is. In a world full of uncertainty, competing demands, and unexpected turns, Mary reminds us that grace begins wherever we stop running and start listening. Join me as we explore what her yes might mean for our own lives today.

Luke 1:26-38. In today’s episode of A Franciscan Heart in the World, we enter the moment when everything in salvation history shifted — the Annunciation. Luke tells us that an ordinary young woman in an ordinary town was met by an unexpected call that would change her life forever. But Mary’s yes wasn’t loud or dramatic. It was quiet, steady, and deeply human. In this reflection, we’ll explore what it means for God to step into the middle of our real lives, our fears, and our unanswered questions—inviting us, like Mary, to trust that grace is already working beneath the surface. Join me as we look at the courage it takes to say yes to God’s unfolding future, even when we cannot yet see the whole path.

Luke 1:5-25Before we ever reach Bethlehem, the Christmas story begins with two people who thought their season of hope had passed. In today’s episode of A Franciscan Heart in the World, we look at Zechariah and Elizabeth — how Godmeets them in silence, disappointment, and longing — and how their storyreminds us that grace often starts in the places we overlook. Join me as Advent invites us to trust the quiet beginnings of God.

Reading: Jeremiah 23:5–8

In this Advent reflection on A Franciscan Heart in the World, we listen to Jeremiah’s promise of a “righteous branch” — new life rising in the coldest seasons — and we meet Caroline, a high-school teacher whose small, steady act of kindness becomes a green shoot of hope in a student’s difficult winter. Through her story, we’re reminded that God’s justice often grows quietly, through ordinary people who choose compassion when it would be easier to give up. If you’ve ever wondered whether your quiet efforts still matter, this episode invites us to see the hidden life God is nurturing beneath the frost.

Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus is long, messy, and surprisingly honest. Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, Mary—every one of them a reminder that God works right through the complicated stories we inherit. In this Advent episode of A Franciscan Heart in the World, we look at the family Jesus chose to enter, and what that means for our own lives. If you’ve ever worried that your past is too tangled for grace, this reflection might be the reminder you need. Matthew 1:1–17