day thirty-six

We give You thanks today, O God, for the example of St. Francis of Assisi that animates the work of the Casa.  Francis walked the world fully engaged in preaching, healing, laboring, and reconciling.  But he also spent up to half of each year in quiet and secluded places practicing silence and prayer.  In his example, may we find a balance of action and contemplation in our lives.

day thirty-five

We give You thanks today, O God, for the places at the Casa that encourage prayer and reflection: the St. Clare Blessed Sacrament Chapel, the Meditation Chapel, the Healing Garden, the labyrinth, the Guadalupe Shrine, the desert walk, and the Church of Our Lady of the Angels.

day thirty-four

We give You thanks today, O God, for the Casa's dedication to contemplative prayer.  Silent retreats, days of prayer, and prayer groups have taught people to turn off the distracting thoughts that constantly run through their minds and listen in silence to your voice.

day thirty-three

We give You thanks today, O God, for the peaceful atmosphere that pervades the Casa even when it is at its busiest.  Though it now sits in the midst of a large and noisy city and traffic roars past its front drive, the Casa, through your grace, is able to offer quiet respite to anyone who walks onto its grounds.

day thirty-two

We give You thanks today, O God, for the wise and inspiring retreat leaders who have served the Casa so well for so many years: clergy, religious, and lay people.  They have given voice in so many various ways to Your loving call to conversion.

day thirty-one

We give You thanks today, O God,

for the retreats that have been held at the Casa since it opened in January 1952. In the past 60 years, thousands of people have spent days, weeks, and months at the Casa renewing their relationships with You and finding strength for their journeys.

week 6

 

In celebration of the Casa’s 60th Anniversary, we pray in thanksgiving for all of its healing ministries. In a world troubled by sickness, pain, sadness, depression, addiction, betrayal, and alienation, may the Casa continue to be a refuge of hope for those who suffer.

This week, in celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the Franciscan Renewal Center, we remember all of the ways in which it serves as a place of retreat and solitude in a busy world.

day thirty

We give You thanks today, O God, for all of the people at the Casa who perform small acts of healing just by their presence: those who welcome strangers with a smile, those who listen when someone needs to talk, those who offer kind words, those who introduce friends and acquaintances to the Casa. In their kindness, they are the face of Christ.

day twenty-nine

We give You thanks today, O God, for what the Casa has done to reconcile people with the Church and to introduce a life of faith to people who had none. We are grateful, in particular, for the Casa’s Catholics Can Come Home and RCIA and ministries and for the work of the Casa’s priests and spiritual directors.

day twenty-eight

We give You thanks today, O God, for the many support groups that have gathered at the Casa over the years. In each of them, wounded people have come together to heal one another. They have discovered that even in their own suffering they can be ministers.

day twenty-seven

We give You thanks today, O God, for the healing power of the Sacraments celebrated at the Casa: Eucharist and Reconciliation that offer forgiveness and transformation; Baptism and Confirmation that initiate people into a new family and a new way of being; and Anointing of the Sick that is the ointment of mercy. In each sacrament, we experience the living Christ, the physician of our souls and bodies.

day twenty-six

We give You thanks today, O God, for the Casa’s ministers to the sick and dying who bring the Holy Eucharist to those suffering in homes and hospitals. In their sensitive and prayerful service they carry the spirit of the community’s Sunday liturgy to those isolated by their illnesses.

day twenty-five

We give You thanks today, O God, for the Casa’s hundreds of professional counselors who have tirelessly volunteered their time to give people the means to heal from life’s pains. They actively participate in God’s work by responding to those reaching out with hope for consolation.

week five

In celebration of the Casa’s 60th Anniversary, we pray for another holy and peaceful Advent season for our community. Help us to be open to transformation and adaptable to changes that unsettle us. Make us ready, Lord, for Christ’s constant coming into our lives.

This week, in celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the Franciscan Renewal Center, we remember all of its healing ministries that have given hope to so many people.

day twenty-four

We give You thanks today, O God, for the peacefulness of Advent at the Casa. Let this peace flow through us and envelop the busyness that the world would impose on us. As the days have grown shorter with darkness, help us to look forward in anticipation for the great feast of light: Christmas.

day twenty-three

We give You thanks today, O God, that the Casa community has always had the ability to express its faith in new words and new songs. As our liturgical language changes this month, help us to adapt and respond to Your word with new ears and new voices.

day twenty-two

We give You thanks today, O God, that the Casa has taught us to remain alert and watchful for the coming of Christ. Teach us, O God, to prepare the way of the Lord in all of our encounters with others and in everything we do.

day twenty-one

We give You thanks today, O God, for the perseverance of the Casa community in the midst of upheaval and change in both the Church and the world. Help our faithfulness to You and to one another be the antidote to anger, frustration and disappointment.

day twenty

We give You thanks today, O God, for the constant call to conversion that we have heard at the Casa. We pray that we remain willing to change our hearts so that we might come closer and closer each day to being fully transformed into holiness by Your divinity.

day nineteen

We give You thanks today, O God, for the opportunities we have at the Casa to grow into the likeness of your Son. We are especially grateful this week for the presence of Jessie Manibusan who is presenting our community mission. Inspire him to speak the truth of your Gospel and make us open to listening.

week four

In celebration of the Casa’s 60th Anniversary, we pray in thanksgiving for its social justice teaching and ministries that have led us to address the needs of our local community and the world. We pray for those whom this community has served. We pray that their lives are better because of us and that we have been transformed by our service.

This week, in celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the Franciscan Renewal Center, we remember all of the Advent seasons of our lives when we have been asked to change in preparation for Christ’s continual coming into our hearts.

day eighteen

We give You thanks today, O God, that at the Casa we have learned the importance of being servants. We stand in humility and gratitude with Jesus who washed the feet of his disciples and with St. Francis who washed the sores of the lepers.

day seventeen

We give You thanks today, O God, for the Casa’s willingness to welcome and embrace those who have been treated as outcasts elsewhere: those struggling with alcohol and drug addiction, the divorced and separated, those who identify as gay and lesbian. In our openness we have learned that the Church is not a home for the righteous, but a hospital for all of us who fail and sin.

day sixteen

We give You thanks today, O God, for the hungry that the Casa Community has fed both through handsom work and donations: the homeless at the Andre House dining room, the members of the Apache tribe at White River and San Carlos, and those who have received our weekly food donations. In their poverty, they have moved us outside of ourselves and helped us to think with the mind of Christ.

day fifteen

We give You thanks today, O God, for the Casa’s commitment to the resolution of conflict through peaceful means. In a world torn apart by violence and war that seems unending, the Casa has stood as a beacon for peace, inspired by Francis of Assisi, the former soldier and prisoner of war who came to understand that only love can conquer hatred.

day fourteen

We give You thanks today, O God, for the Casa's long relationship with the Casa Franciscana Mission in Guaymas, Mexico. We are grateful for the opportunities we have been given to provide housing, medical care, and education in one of the world’s poor communities. We are grateful for each success the friars have achieved in Guaymas, and we are grateful that the people of Guaymas bless us each year with the radiant faces of their young mariachis who serenade us with confidence and joy.

day thirteen

We give You thanks today, O God, for what we have learned at the Casa about the many needs of our community and our world. We pray that our knowledge will continually open our eyes to oppression, injustice, violence, discrimination, poverty, and suffering so that we might play a small part in bringing about change — in bringing about the Kingdom of God on this earth.

week three

In celebration of the Casa’s 60th Anniversary, we pray in thanksgiving for all of the beauty that surrounds us at the Casa: the mountains, the trees, the plants and animals, the architecture, the art, the music and dance, and the people. Like Francis of Assisi may we see God in all of it.

This week, in celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the Franciscan Renewal Center, we remember all of the opportunities that the Casa has created and supported to serve those in need.

day twelve

We give You thanks today, O God, for the beauty of the people we encounter each time we come to the Casa: for their sweet smiles, their warm embraces, and their friendly words.

day eleven

We give You thanks today, O God, for the arts that have brought the Casa’s liturgy and worship to life and fostered the growth of our community: the music and singing that fills our church each week and fills all outdoors on Christmas and Holy Week, the movement and dance that embodies our prayer when words and music weren't enough, and the creative environments that visually proclaim the liturgical seasons.

day ten

We give You thanks today, O God, for the Casa’s useful buildings where we have spent time in prayer and contemplation, meeting and learning, eating and sleeping, and sharing our stories with others. We are especially thankful for our Church building where we have gathered each week to be nourished by God’s word and the Body and Blood of Christ.

day nine

We give You thanks today, O God, for the art at the Casa that inspires us: the Guadalupe Shrine and the Stations of the Cross; the statues of Francis of Assisi and other followers of Christ; the paintings, drawings, photographs, and works in other media both inside and out that make the Casa a visual feast.

day eight

We give You thanks today, O God, for the Casa’s gardens and plantings that give us a sense of peace: the cool lawn and fragrant multi-colored roses of the Palm Court; the fruit trees and herbs of the Healing Garden; and all of the flowers and trees that provide beauty and shade.

day seven

We give You thanks today, O God, for the desert land on which the Casa sits: for the mountains that rise to the north and south; for the trees and plants that survive and thrive to create an oasis in the arid climate; for the animals that we share the land with; and for the quiet that reigns in the midst of a major city.

week two

In celebration of the Casa’s 60th Anniversary, we pray for all of those people we remembered this past  week who have been part of the life of the Casa: the founders, the visionaries, the staff members and volunteers, the friends we made and lost, and the people who challenged us. Send abundant blessings on the living. Embrace those who have died in Your eternal light. O God, and may You and we remember them always.

This week, in celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the Franciscan Renewal Center, we remember all of the beauty both natural and man-made that we have experienced at the Casa.

day six

We give You thanks today, O God, for the people who challenged us at the Casa: for those who pointed out our flaws when we needed to see them; for those we disagreed with; for those who tested our patience.

day five

We give You thanks today, O God, for the friends we’ve made at the Casa: for those who shared the journey with us whether for years or only a short time; for all of those who mourned with us when we

experienced losses, who encouraged us when we were down, and who laughed with us in moments of joy and fun.

day four

We give You thanks today, O God, for the benefactors and volunteers who have served the Casa in so many ways. They gave of their financial resources and free time to make things possible that otherwise would have been impossible.

day three

We give You thanks today, O God, for everyone who worked on staff at the Casa.  They often worked long hours for little pay because they believed in the vision the Franciscans had for this place.

day two

We give You thanks today, O God, for those people who had the vision to renew the Casa to meet the needs of changing times: for those who transformed the Casa from a quiet retreat house into a Renewal Center and made it a leader in the renewal of the Church; for those who opened the Casa to public worship and founded a community; and for those who moved the community outside of itself to serve the needs of the neediest of God’s people.

day one

We give You thanks today, O God, for the people who founded the Casa de Paz y Bien Retreat House in 1951: for Fr. Owen DaSilva, OFM, who devoted much of his life to the retreat ministry, who saw the need for retreat house in Phoenix, and who found the perfect place nestled between Camelback and Mummy Mountains; for all the friars and laypeople who worked to turn the Kachina Lodge into a place suitable for retreats; and for Bishop Daniel Gercke who welcomed and encouraged the Franciscans to open a retreat house in his diocese.

week one

Today we begin the celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the Franciscan Renewal Center. Over the next 60 days, we will reflect and pray in gratitude for the abundant blessings God has bestowed upon the Church, the Phoenix community, and each one of us personally through the ministry of this place we know simply as “the Casa.”

We pray that we might open our hearts this week to remember all of the people who made the Casa the significant place that it is.