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Fr. Mark Mary
Author -- 34 posts
Father Mark-Mary was ordained as a Franciscan Friar of the Renewal (CFR) in 2018 and lives at a friary in the Bronx. The mission of the CFRs is to wholeheartedly embrace Jesus through fidelity to the Church and her Sacraments. Paired with their commitment to prayer, contemplation, and study of Sacred Scripture, the CFRs serve those around them, especially the poor, in the footsteps of Christ.
This Is What It Means to Encounter Jesus
An encounter with Jesus is important, but it’s difficult to wrap our head around such an abstract concept. Fr. Mark-Mary...
How to Celebrate Easter Well
He is Risen! Indeed He is truly Risen! Today Fr. Mark-Mary challenges us to lean into the immense gift of this Easter season...
A Daily Prayer to Guide You Through Lent
Are you looking to embark on a deeper spiritual journey this Lent in your daily prayer life? Inspired by desert spirituality,...
A Better Way to Choose Something for Lent
Do your Lenten practices feel arbitrary? Do your penances seem ineffective? If you're feeling this way, you might be wondering,...
3 Ways to Be Intentional This Lent
Fr. Mark-Mary shares 3 ways to be more intentional this Lent. These tips are also included in his new book, Habits for...
How to Build Your Prayer Life This Year
Father Mark-Mary shares a goal-setting technique that helped make Google...well, Google. But instead of using this goal-setting...
How to Do Lent Differently This Year
Fr. Mark-Mary gives some practical advice on how to do Lent differently this year. It begins with having the right mindset....
“What’s So Different About These Christians?” — 3 Evangelization Hacks You Can Use Today
To seriously engage in evangelization we have to be provocative. We have to get people to ask why we’re not like everyone else,...
The Word of the Year You Need in 2024
If you don't already have a "word of the year" for 2024 (or if you're open to a second one), Fr. Mark-Mary has one for you:...
You Are Made for Love (feat. The Sisters of Life)
We Are Made For Love Fr. Mark-Mary and Sister Mariae Agnus Dei explain how to let love rule your life. Every single person was...
Let Jesus Do the Heavy Lifting in Your Life (feat. The Sisters of Life)
How To Deal With Your Stuff Fr. Mark-Mary and Sr. Mariae Agnus Dei talk about how to let love deal with your “stuff”. We all...
God Made You For Community
What does my community have to do with my relationship with God? Communion and community come from God; isolation and division...
The Busy Catholic’s Guide to Finding Time to Pray
Prayer: Start Here St. Paul's call in Thessalonians 5:17 is to "pray without ceasing", but how do we do that in our busy lives...
A Way to Practice Gratitude (That Actually Sticks)
It can be easy in our modern world to fall into the trap of envy and jealousy. When we dedicate our energy and focus on what...
3 Amazing Quotes from St. Therese of Lisieux
October 1st is the feast of St. Therese of Lisieux, patroness of foreign missions and a Doctor of the Church. But what can this...
A Catholic Guide to Summer Break
Finding Rhythms for Summer Summer break is a time for rest, recreation, and renewal. But what do we do with that space?...
The First Step to Uncovering God's Plan for Your Life
Today Fr. Mark-Mary is joined by Sr. Maria Regina, S.V. the Vocations Director for the Sisters of Life, to talk about the...
A Guided Examination of Conscience
Let’s take a breath and slow down. Sometimes we need to take the time to really think about our heart, mind, and actions....
Race, Riots, and Renewal: An Open Conversation with the CFRs
Fr. Mark-Mary of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal (CFR) introduces Fr. Pierre Toussaint, CFR and Fr. Agustino Torres, CFR...
"What Can Catholics Do to Overcome Racism?"
Fr. Mark-Mary asks Fr. Pierre Toussaint about his experience of racism and division in the Church. And Fr. Mark-Mary listens....
How to Live With Uncertainty
Mother Clare and Fr. Mark-Mary discuss how to live with uncertainty. Being uncertain about something isn’t entirely...
Fitting Prayer Into Your Life
From Gambling to Religious Life
Giving Everything to God
Brother Malachy and Father Mark-Mary reflect upon the challenge of giving everything to God. Many of us have gone all in for...
Listening to God's will
Brother Malachy isn’t messing around when it comes to listening to God’s will. He puts his entire conversion story on the table...
Easy Way to Do a Daily Examen
Father Mark-Mary suggests a simple spiritual exercise that could have a great impact on your life. He recommends taking a few...
How to Build Your Prayer Life This Year
Father Mark-Mary shares a goal-setting technique that helped make Google...well, Google. But instead of using this goal-setting...
A Spiritual Routine for Catholics Living in Quarantine
Fr. Mark-Mary shares some insights that teach us how to live as Catholics while in quarantine. He reflects on the monastic...
Do You Really Trust God?
The question “Do you really trust God?” was right in Father Mark-Mary’s face when a full-grown rhinoceros was running toward...
Common Difficulties With Prayer
Sometimes when we have difficulties in prayer, we forget that everyone experiences these difficulties, even religious. Mother...
Giving God Your Hopes and Dreams
Mother Clare and Fr. Mark-Mary encourage you not to fear giving God your hopes and dreams. If it’s seeming more and more like...
Struggling to Hear God's voice
If you’re struggling to hear God’s voice, take heart in Fr. Mark-Mary’s words of hope here. Complementing the advice given by...
How to Really Pray the Rosary
Fr. Mark-Mary discusses how to really pray the Rosary and go deeper than the external mechanics. Primarily it’s about...
Why Do We Feel Restless?
Jesus wants to free us from restlessness, but we so often go elsewhere for rest. We try to find rest in our social status,...