MSI Press Blog

  Today begins October, Franciscan Month. All are invited to walk in the footsteps of Francis and Clare:  Franciscan Month | Celebrating Saint Francis of Assisi . Franciscan Month celebrates the Franciscan way of life, educates others about this way, and offers a prayerful perspective on living Franciscan in today’s world. Morning Prayer posts inspired by Being Catholic in Troubled Times (Dennis Ortman) Book Description: These are times that try our souls. This book is addressed to all, not just Catholics, who search for deeper meaning in tough times. Our age is marked by division and alienation. We long for some message that will bring peace to our world and our hearts. This book suggests that the Catholic faith can provide strength in these troubled times. The word "catholic" means "all-embracing, universal." Nothing is excluded in the catholic mind. The truth that sets us free can be found everywhere, especially in unexpected places. It is often hidden in plain...

Franco Zeffirelli came to Assisi as an artist, not a believer. He wanted to capture the beauty of St. Francis — the poet of poverty, the troubadour of peace. But as he filmed Brother Sun, Sister Moon , something deeper unfolded. The story he was telling began to tell him . Amid the quiet of Assisi’s hills, Zeffirelli found what Francis had found centuries earlier: simplicity, humility, and joy. The film’s light and music became more than art — they became prayer. Those who were there, including Sr. Maria del Rey, saw the change firsthand: the director who came to portray conversion experienced his own. Zeffirelli later said that Brother Sun, Sister Moon was his most personal work — not just a film, but a confession. His transformation reminds us that beauty can be a doorway to belief. When art seeks truth, it often finds grace. post inspired by A Believer-in-Waiting's First Encounters with God  by Elizabeth Mahlou. Book description: It begins with a single, transforming encounter ...

  Tonight, as the sun sets on October 3rd, Franciscans around the world gather in quiet reverence to mark the Transitus of St. Francis of Assisi—the moment of his passing into eternal life in 1226. It is not a time of mourning, but of deep remembrance and recommitment to the values he embodied: humility, peace, kinship with creation, and radical love. For MSI Press, this threshold holds particular significance. Located in the historic town of San Juan Bautista , MSI Press is nestled within a landscape shaped by Franciscan legacy. The town itself was founded by Franciscan missionaries, and to this day, it remains home to an active Franciscan Mission and the beloved St. Francis Retreat Center , where seekers of all backgrounds come to rest, reflect, and renew. The rhythms of Franciscan spirituality—simplicity, hospitality, and contemplative presence—are woven into the very soil of this place. This evening is also deeply personal for MSI Press. Our editor is a Third Order Franci...