stfranman Bible/Sacred Literature, Holy Days and Holidays

Ben’s Christmas Wish for Everyone

This has been a challenging year for me in a lot of ways, yet I find myself feeling even more than the usual holiday spirit right now as I sit at the keyboard, waiting for Santa to come down my chimney. Wait! I don’t have a chimney! Oh well, I still believe! Well, the part about Santa, who can say? The rest of it, I’m still pretty big on all the good stuff that we think about when the holidays roll around each year. No doubt a lot of you feel the same.

The Christmas story does hold a lot of meaning for me. I’m not quite sure if I still believe all of it, all the nuances and consequences and so on; not quite like one “believes it” when the assembled faithful say the Apostles Creed together at Midnight Mass. Some will be doing exactly that in just a few hours, perhaps some of you.

Yet it doesn’t seem at all “funny” to me that God comes to us whenever it suits his/her purpose. Not entirely sure if “he” did in that particular, historical way. Being raised in a Christian family and having gone part-way through seminary a few years ago, I do lean in that direction. But I’ve come to see some things in a different light now that I’ve spent a little better than a half-century on this planet. This planet where almost a billion people believe that God became incarnate, was born of a young woman who had never “known” her betrothed. And that his coming among us in that way was the beginning of a Divine plan to make it possible for all of his creatures to enjoy unending fellowship with him and with one another! In this life and in the next! Now that’s a story! One we humans have been telling one another for a very long time, and I’m quite sure we’ll be telling it for a long time to come.

I’ve been struggling for so many years now about exactly how much of the story still “works” for me and all of that. But what I’ve never doubted is that God, or the Divine, does come to us and among us all the time. And I’m finally in that phase of life where I’ve learned to look for it, to expect it and to embrace it. And I know that the other really big thing about Christmastime is to get a bit closer to my brothers and sisters who also bear the image of the Divine One in their souls and on their beaming faces. Some of them were raised on the same stories I was; this one about God being born of a virgin, and many others.

Some, of course, have heard and embraced and celebrated different stories. I’m not very inclined to quibble about the particulars at this point in my life. I’m quite sure that God would love to see us move a little closer together at this time of year, and to go on telling those stories; especially that one about God robed in human flesh, living and dying as one of us. And I’m quite sure that the heart of the Divine is pleased when we carry forward “his” mission to strip away that illusion that our sins, imperfections, and much less, our differences, should separate us from one another or from his Divine Heart.

Well, Christmas Eve has progressed, as it will, into Christmas morning as I’m wrapping up this little holiday message. And I’m sitting here, luminous and expectant, like a six year old waiting for Santa to appear. Like Simeon in the temple, waiting to bless the infant Jesus, knowing then that he has seen and embraced, quite literally, the Divine plan to end our sinful and deadly illusions of separateness. I’m expectant, waiting in earnest to see and to embrace the next manifestation of the Divine. In you, in her, in us. Perhaps–and wouldn’t this be a great story–perhaps in and across many countries and cultures, in four billion human hearts at once!

A wish, a dream, a fervent hope… Perhaps that’s all it is. But a hope to hold close to one’s heart on Christmas morning. God bless each of you today and throughout the year to come. May you be blessed to see the image of the Divine, of the Christ-child in yourself–and in one another.

Ben Lawrence Basile
Christmas morning, 2007

© 2007 Benjamin Lawrence Basile

Ben is not the owner of this photo and believes it to be covered under Fair Use

stfranman Holy Days and Holidays

Today, I’m Grateful For…

Now that Thanksgiving Day is here, I am indeed grateful for so much in my life. I trust that’s the case for you, as well. I’ve been blessed in a thousand ways and I don’t take that for granted.

I hope the day is wonderful for you in many ways. It’s good to reflect on our Blessings and the things that have gone well at any time throughout the year.

May God Bless you today and always.


Ben Lawrence Basile

stfranman Ecology/Environment, Holy Days and Holidays, Humane Treatment of Animals

On The Feast of St Francis, 2024

Some considerations to keep in mind today as we think about the great love we have for our pets and our animal friends more broadly:

It’s a matter of great importance to treat the Earth, our common home, with reverence and compassion. And to extend this compassion to all of Earth’s inhabitants, not just to humans, those of us walking around on two legs with opposable thumbs and somewhat more-capable brains.

I truly love this celebration each year. I have always had a deep love for critters and wildlife of all kinds and have also celebrated and venerated St Francis for many years who has been called the Patron Saint of Animals.

In fact, Saint Francis of Assisi has been the go-to guy when a celebration such as ours this morning comes around. And I think it’s appropriate to mention him on an occasion like today. His feast day is actually observed in the Catholic Church on October 4th and other liturgical churches as well.

Francis was a much-beloved figure in his time. His love for his fellows, animals and for the Earth which supports all of us, was noted by his contemporaries and by the leadership of the Church in the 13th Century. These are some of the reasons that he has been considered for centuries to be a special patron for animals and the environment. Francis is also—along with St Catherine of Sienna—the Patron Saint of Italy.

Many may not know that as a young man, Francis—whose birth name was actually Giovanni—was a combat veteran, a lancer in the army of Assisi in their war against the competing city of Perugia.

He was captured at the outset of that war and held for ransom by Perugian partisans. It was during this time in captivity–which lasted almost a full year–that young Francis fell grievously ill and began receiving visions which would, in a very few years,  lead him to embrace a life of poverty, simplicity and–most of all–a life of service to the Divine One, to all humanity and all of God’s creatures.

There’s a well-known, well-loved story about a sermon Francis was said to have preached to some very attentive birds one day as he and some fellow travelers—Monks Francis knew well and worked and worshipped with–as they were making their way through the Spoleto Valley in Italy. Francis, it is said, noticed that a huge flock of birds had gathered in nearby trees surrounding them. Francis felt that the birds were watching him as if they were anticipating something. Feeling Divine inspiration, he decided to preach a sermon about God’s love for them.

It was an encouraging message about the Divine One’s love and all-sufficient care. And then, the story goes, the birds began to chirp and sing before they winged away, to each of Earth’s four directions, to rejoice in and share this loving and pious man’s message.

So, now we are preparing to bestow our finest and heart-felt blessing on Mittens and Rover. And so many other friends who may walk—or hop–or crawl–on four legs! I am not at all slighting our friends who flit about on two wings. We—as did Francis in his day—adore and care for them and give them our highest and most-heartfelt blessing today!

A quick aside: I’ll never forget when Goofball the First, my beloved parakeet, escaped when we had the kitchen door open just a moment too long! I cried for days…

St Francis loved well and cared for lepers and outcasts in his corner of the World and for all god’s creatures, great and small. And that great love for the Earth and all of Her critters and creatures is something we all share and are gathered to celebrate here today!

A Reading here from author Andriy from the site Psychology.tips

The Importance of Love with Animals

I’ve journeyed through the fascinating world of animal-human relationships, and I’m at the end now. It’s vital for us to understand how deep our bonds with animals can go. Our connections with them are not just about companionship; they’re about mutual respect, coexistence, and shared emotions.

Love towards animals has shown multiple benefits for us humans. Studies indicate that being around animals can lower stress levels and boost our mood. They don’t judge or hold grudges; their love is unconditional.

But it’s not a one-way street. Animals too, benefit from our affection. A home filled with love can provide shelter dogs or cats a second chance at life while providing an enriching environment for pets.

…let me emphasize this – loving animals teaches us empathy and compassion, shaping us into better individuals overall. As we take care of them, we learn responsibility and kindness – traits that extend beyond our interactions with animals.

So let’s cherish these wonderful creatures who give so much yet ask for so little in return. Let’s continue to appreciate them every day because the importance of love with animals cannot be overstated.

In a world where there’s often too much hate going around, let’s choose to spread more love – especially towards those who wag their tails or purr in response!

In his love;

Ben Lawrence Basile

© 2024 Benjamin Lawrence Basile

stfranman Bible/Sacred Literature, Holy Days and Holidays, Spirituality/Religion

A Christmas Wish for Everyone

The Christmas story does hold a lot of meaning for me. I’m not quite sure if I still believe all of it, all the nuances and consequences and so on; not quite like one “believes it” when the assembled faithful say the Apostles Creed together at Midnight Mass. Some will be doing exactly that in just a few hours, perhaps some of you.

Yet it doesn’t seem at all “funny” to me that God comes to us whenever it suits his/her purpose. Not entirely sure if “he” did in that particular, historical way. Being raised in a Christian family and having gone part-way through seminary a few years ago, I do lean in that direction. But I’ve come to see some things in a different light now that I’ve spent better than six decades on this planet. This planet where almost a billion people believe that God became incarnate, was born of a young woman who had never “known” her betrothed. And that his coming among us in that way was the beginning of a Divine plan to make it possible for all of his creatures to enjoy unending fellowship with him and with one another! In this life and in the next! Now that’s a story! One we humans have been telling one another for a very long time, and I’m quite sure we’ll be telling it for a long time to come.

I’ve been struggling for so many years now about exactly how much of the story still “works” for me and all of that. But what I’ve never doubted is that God, or the Divine, does come to us and among us all the time. And I’m finally in that phase of life where I’ve learned to look for it, to expect it and to embrace it. And I know that the other really big thing about Christmastime is to get a bit closer to my brothers and sisters who also bear the image of the Divine One in their souls and on their beaming faces. Some of them were raised on the same stories I was; this one about God being born of a virgin, and many others.

Some, of course, have heard and embraced and celebrated different stories. I’m not very inclined to quibble about the particulars at this point in my life. I’m quite sure that God would love to see us move a little closer together at this time of year, and to go on telling those stories; especially that one about God robed in human flesh, living and dying as one of us. And I’m quite sure that the heart of the Divine is pleased when we carry forward “his” mission to strip away that illusion that our sins, imperfections, and much less, our differences, should separate us from one another or from his Divine Heart.

Well, Christmas Eve has progressed, as it will, into Christmas morning as I’m wrapping up this little holiday message. And I’m sitting here, luminous and expectant, like a six year old waiting for Santa to appear. Like Simeon in the temple, waiting to bless the infant Jesus, knowing then that he has seen and embraced, quite literally, the Divine plan to end our sinful and deadly illusions of separateness. I’m expectant, waiting in earnest to see and to embrace the next manifestation of the Divine. In you, in her, in us. Perhaps–and wouldn’t this be a great story–perhaps in and across many countries and cultures, in four billion human hearts at once!

A wish, a dream, a fervent hope… Perhaps that’s all it is. But a hope to hold close to one’s heart on Christmas morning. God bless each of you today and throughout the year to come. May you be blessed to see the image of the Divine, of the Christ-child in yourself–and in one another.

Ben Lawrence Basile
Christmas morning, 2022

© 2007 Benjamin Lawrence Basile

stfranman Holy Days and Holidays

All Saints’ Day

The Feast of All Saints or All Saints’ Day falls on the 1st of November each year and is often an Autumn afterthought, truth be told.

Halloween sucks all the oxygen out of the room, so to speak, even though it’s true that its relevance, its meaning can be elusive unless seen in context as the prelude to All Saints’ Day.

The same is true of All Souls’ Day, which is the cherry on the Sundae, so to speak. In many places–in Mexico, in particular–it often goes by Day of the Dead or Dia De Los Meurtos and is quite a celebration.

I hope this day becomes a day for you to reflect on those who’ve gone before.

Those who have been called Saints in a formal or official way. And folks in your blood family or simply folks whose Faith and acts of love, fidelity and compassion have inspired you and informed your own Faith journey.

Blessings to you all on the Feast of All Saints, 2022.



Ben Lawrence Basile

© 2021 The Fellowship of St Francis, Inc.

stfranman Holy Days and Holidays

As We Face a New Year Together

We are, indeed, standing together on the threshold of a New Year. The year we’re seeing out the door tonight was quite an improvement over 2020 in a lot of ways. But all-in-all, it’s been a tough year, truth be told.

None of us can say with any certainly what 2022 will be like. I’m expecting that it will bring humanity a lot of challenges and setbacks. And that some of them will be very daunting.

While I quite frankly don’t see a lot of reason for optimism, I’m quite certain of this: 2022 will be a better year if we can recover a sense of community, of being in this together.

Most of the signs are not pointing in that hoped-for direction as I write these words tonight. If we find a way to begin to heal our differences and work together to solve our corporate problems, we will all be the better for it.

I pray that we will. If we fail in that task, this nascent year may be a dark one, indeed.



Ben Lawrence Basile

© 2021 Benjamin Lawrence Basile

stfranman Bible/Sacred Literature, Holy Days and Holidays, Spirituality/Religion

A Christmas Wish for All of Us

I wish all of you a wonderful Christmas. This piece of mine was originally posted on Christmas Day, 2007 on another site. 

This has been a challenging year for me in a lot of ways, yet I find myself feeling even more than the usual holiday spirit right now as I sit at the keyboard, waiting for Santa to come down my chimney. Wait! I don’t have a chimney! Oh well, I still believe! Well, the part about Santa, who can say? The rest of it, I’m still pretty big on all the good stuff that we think about when the holidays roll around each year. No doubt a lot of you feel the same.

The Christmas story does hold a lot of meaning for me. I’m not quite sure if I still believe all of it, all the nuances and consequences and so on; not quite like one “believes it” when the assembled faithful say the Apostles Creed together at Midnight Mass. Some will be doing exactly that in just a few hours, perhaps some of you.

Yet it doesn’t seem at all “funny” to me that God comes to us whenever it suits his/her purpose. Not entirely sure if “he” did in that particular, historical way. Being raised in a Christian family and having gone part-way through seminary a few years ago, I do lean in that direction. But I’ve come to see some things in a different light now that I’ve spent a little better than a half-century on this planet. This planet where almost a billion people believe that God became incarnate, was born of a young woman who had never “known” her betrothed. And that his coming among us in that way was the beginning of a Divine plan to make it possible for all of his creatures to enjoy unending fellowship with him and with one another! In this life and in the next! Now that’s a story! One we humans have been telling one another for a very long time, and I’m quite sure we’ll be telling it for a long time to come.

I’ve been struggling for so many years now about exactly how much of the story still “works” for me and all of that. But what I’ve never doubted is that God, or the Divine, does come to us and among us all the time. And I’m finally in that phase of life where I’ve learned to look for it, to expect it and to embrace it. And I know that the other really big thing about Christmastime is to get a bit closer to my brothers and sisters who also bear the image of the Divine One in their souls and on their beaming faces. Some of them were raised on the same stories I was; this one about God being born of a virgin, and many others.

Some, of course, have heard and embraced and celebrated different stories. I’m not very inclined to quibble about the particulars at this point in my life. I’m quite sure that God would love to see us move a little closer together at this time of year, and to go on telling those stories; especially that one about God robed in human flesh, living and dying as one of us. And I’m quite sure that the heart of the Divine is pleased when we carry forward “his” mission to strip away that illusion that our sins, imperfections, and much less, our differences, should separate us from one another or from his Divine Heart.

Well, Christmas Eve has progressed, as it will, into Christmas morning as I’m wrapping up this little holiday message. And I’m sitting here, luminous and expectant, like a six year old waiting for Santa to appear. Like Simeon in the temple, waiting to bless the infant Jesus, knowing then that he has seen and embraced, quite literally, the Divine plan to end our sinful and deadly illusions of separateness. I’m expectant, waiting in earnest to see and to embrace the next manifestation of the Divine. In you, in her, in us. Perhaps–and wouldn’t this be a great story–perhaps in and across many countries and cultures, in four billion human hearts at once!

A wish, a dream, a fervent hope… Perhaps that’s all it is. But a hope to hold close to one’s heart on Christmas morning. God bless each of you today and throughout the year to come. May you be blessed to see the image of the Divine, of the Christ-child in yourself–and in one another.

Ben Lawrence Basile
Christmas morning, 2021

© 2007 Benjamin Lawrence Basile

The banner photo is covered by the Fair Use Doctrine.

stfranman Church Life, Holy Days and Holidays, Spirituality/Religion

For All the Saints

The Feast of All Saints or All Saints’ Day falls on the 1st of November each year and is often an Autumn afterthought, truth be told.

Halloween sucks all the oxygen out of the room, so to speak, even though it’s true that its relevance, its meaning can be elusive unless seen in context as the prelude to All Saints’ Day.

The same is true of All Souls’ Day, which is the cherry on the Sundae, so to speak. In many places–in Mexico, in particular–it often goes by Day of the Dead or Dia De Los Meurtos and is quite a celebration.

I hope this day becomes a day for you to reflect on those who’ve gone before.

Those who have been called Saints in a formal or official way. And folks in your blood family or simply folks whose Faith and acts of love, fidelity and compassion have inspired you and informed your own Faith journey.

Blessings to you all on the Feast of All Saints, 2021.



Ben Lawrence Basile

© 2021 The Fellowship of St Francis, Inc.

stfranman Holy Days and Holidays, Spirituality/Religion

Our Blessed Hope

I most certainly do want to wish all of you a most happy and blessed Easter today.

I don’t have to tell you that our joyous celebration is the second consecutive Easter taking place while COVID-19 is drastically effecting how we gather together.

And even though much progress is being made on returning our lives and our spiritual practices back to some semblance of normal, it’s true that for most Christians, the virus is still blunting the Joy of Eastertime and the ways we have always come together to celebrate it.

But even in these troubling times, this we know: the hope and transcendent glory of Christ’s resurrection was a stunning, singular event on that first Easter morning and we can feel and appropriate that glory, that blessed hope today just as surely as Jesus’s followers and grief-wracked mother did nearly two millennia ago.

May that blessed hope be yours today.

Ben Basile

© 2021 The Fellowship of St Francis, Inc.