At the threshold of National Vocation Awareness Week, January 9-16, 2012, Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity invite you to pause for a breath of possibility while listening to Paul Finley’s ‘Breathe’ from the cd The Butterfly. Vocation is the call to be freely ourselves, to be alive with the gifts of  Holy Spirit.  Be moved by more of Paul’s guitar instrumentals as you discern God’s will for your life and decide on a lifestyle of self-less service. Consider our Franciscan discernment retreat.

“Breathe” was a good lesson in editing ideas and here’s how: The original version of this piece had another half to it. But I couldn’t find a bridge between the two. A film maker friend of mine needed  music for his project and I knew the first half of the piece would work well. I recorded it just using the first half and called it done. Soon enough in listening back to it I could tell it really was now done. No need for more. It said what it needed to and was fully beautiful in its own right. Cutting free the other part then gave this piece life.
-Paul Finley

 “Prayer itself… is the first means by which we come to know the Lord’s will for our lives. To the extent that we teach young people to pray, and to pray well, we will be cooperating with God’s call…the discernment of a vocation is above all the fruit of an intimate dialogue between the Lord and his disciples. Young people, (all of us!) if they know how to pray, can be trusted to know what to do with God’s call.”  -Pope Benedict XVI

About Paul

Born and raised in Waukesha, Wisconsin and presently living in Austin, Texas, Paul Finley is a true  journeyman who explores the depths of human joy and pain through the universal language – music. His third CD, ‘The Butterfly” was released on New Bell Recordings. The music narrates the story of the subject – war, nature, people and romance. Paul’s  unique melody strumming creates the sound of multiple guitars from one instrument.

A former faculty member and graduate of the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, Paul has studied privately and took master classes with Michael Hedges, Ben Verdery, Fareed Haque, John Stropes and a host of others. Paul has been teaching guitar for over 20 years worldwide. In Austin he teaches at The Austin Guitar School, One Day Academy and does private lessons. 2002 to 2008 Paul was on the road, recording and touring worldwide with Austin, Texas based duo Spoken Groove. Mas Optica was his Indie rock/Progressive Metal band from 1985 to 1996. Read more.

Websites:

http://www.paulfinleymusic.com/blog/

Follow these links to find Paul’s music as well:�
iTunes�
Pandora radio

Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity ring in 2012 with American singer-songwriter Kate Campbell singing a  moving mini-on-line concert. Her meaningful music clearly speaks to the theme of  National Migration Week January 8-14, 2012 inviting reflection on comprehensive immigration reform.  Her lyrics also challenge us each day and all year long to deeper conversion of heart  in our relationships with God and others.

Kate Campbell’s Mini-on-line Concert

About Kate

With her compassionate tone, Kate Campbell has made a musical niche for herself telling stories exploring the complex topics of race, religion, history and human relationships.  It started with her award-winning debut record, 1995’s Songs from the Levee, and continues with her latest offering, Two Nights in Texas, recorded live at Blue Rock Artist Ranch and Studio in Wimberley, Texas on April 8-9, 2010. Each of Kate’s albums is a distinctive and incomparable slice of music from one of the most unique artists recording today. Click here to read more about Kate.

Website: http://www.katecampbell.com/

Some of Kate’s Memorable Lyric Clips:

“Kingdom come Love be done Here on earth Just like in heaven Shining, shining Like the sun We are all shining like the sun…”

“I’ll put my hand to the plow I’ll hold my head up proud I’m going out…”

“You have always been a rock A silent hurricane A light of focus when I could not see Now I want you to know If there comes a need You can count on me…”

Concert Follow-Up: 

Freely download ‘Free World’  and listen to more of Kate’s music on  http://www.katecampbell.com/. Consider purchasing other favorites that inspire your soul to action. 

Read the Catholic Bishops of Wisconsin’s,  Traveling Together in Hope, a December 2011 pastoral letter on Immigration. Visit the United States Catholic Bishops website Justice for Immigrants and Franciscan International, a non-governmental organization that voices concerns at the United Nations. Advocate for policies and prevention programs on human trafficking as well as the establishment of protection measures and assistance to the victims.

The wistful ‘I Wonder as I Wander’ is the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity’s December song of the month featured both as an Advent-Christmas podcast and a free  mp3. Sister Marsaia and Novice Sister Leslie combine their musical gifts to perform  this treasured wayfarer song.

Download audio file (I Wonder as I Wander.mp3)
 

Click here for free music download.

About ‘I Wonder as I Wander’

John Jacobs Niles heard snatches of the melody and lyrics from a poor, homeless Appalachian girl in a North Carolina town. He then fine-tuned the folk composition into a memoriable Christmas song on October 4, 1933 (interesting that this happened on a day associated with St. Francis of Assisi), performing it for the first time in December of that year.

Much as in past centuries, the Franciscan vocation continually draws those desiring to  lead a Gospel life. If you are a single, young woman, we invite you to wonder and ponder if you are called to be a follower of  Jesus like St. Francis and St. Clare, open to wandering with other traveling companions while seeing goodness and holy possibility in our world. Consider our Franciscan Discernment Retreats.  

Stained Glass Windows

Our podcast shines with splendid stained glass windows from St. Clement Church, Sheboygan, WI. Be mesmerized by the colorful display of  sensitively-lit images  perfectly-pieced to tell this wonderous tale.  

Latest Videos

If you are new to Franciscanized World, you may want to check out two other recent podcasts on our calledtobeFranciscan youtube channel:

• Sister Pamela Catherine’s Vocation Journey
• Catholic Podcast on the Book of Revelation  

Special thanks to Mark Kolter, Kolter Creative Counsel, Milwaukee, WI and Audio Visual of Milwaukee for professional excellence in directing and producing our stories. We invite you to replay your favorites and watch for more podcasts in 2012.

Lyrics:

I wonder as I wander out under the sky

How Jesus the Saviour did come for to die

For poor on’ry people like you and like I;

I wonder as I wander out under the sky

                                ***

When Mary birthed Jesus ’twas in a cow’s stall

With wise men and farmers and shepherds and all

But high from God’s heaven, a star’s light did fall

And the promise of ages it then did recall.

                              ***

If Jesus had wanted for any wee thing

A star in the sky or a bird on the wing

Or all of God’s Angels in heaven to sing

He surely could have it, ’cause he was the King

In November is the ‘Feast of Christ the King’, the end of the Liturgical year before Advent starts – it’s a meaningful reflection on the passage of time and the importance of living well within the time we have to live. To help seize the moment, Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity invite you to freely download Danny Schmidt’s ‘Make Right the Time’.

As you listen to this  meaningful and relevant song, hear St. Clare words to Blessed Agnes of Praque, “What a great laudable exchange: to leave the things of time for those of eternity, to choose the things of heaven for the goods of earth, to receive the hundred-fold in place of one, and to possess a blessed and eternal life.” (Clare portrait: Stephen B. Whatley)

If you are a young woman feeling at home with Clare’s words to her friend,  we invite you to also consider one of our Franciscan Discernment Retreats during this year that marks the 800th anniversary of this humble lady’s  deliberate decision to follow Jesus and become a feminine follower of St. Francis. 

If you feel drawn to listen to more of  Danny Schmidt’s music, click here.

Comment from Danny

 There’s a hebrew phrase “Tikun Olam” which means “to repair the world,” which is said to be part of our purpose here on Earth, to try and fix the things that have gotten broken over time. That has always struck me as a succinct and beautiful way of expressing the idea of living with intention and purpose, and in service. And that was, in part, what inspired this song.

About Danny

During this month of the feast of St. Francis of Assisi (Oct. 4), Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity collaborate with James Lee Stanley to offer you ‘What Would You Do’ as a free music download.

St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226), an important Renaissance figure because of  his openness to the world of nature, humbly encouraged his followers near his death with these words: ‘I have done my part. May Christ teach you yours.’

Sensitive to the breath of the Spirit among us, what is ours to do today?

The song was inspired by the idea that protests songs only reach those who are already in agreement and only sung by those already in agreement.  I thought that I needed to write a song that the opposition could hear and perhaps effect what I consider to be positive change.

-James Lee Stanley

About James Lee Stanley

During St. Francis of Assisi's feastday month of October, Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity and James Lee Stanley collaborate to offer the free music download 'What Would You Do'.

Revered in the world of music as a true renaissance man in his own right,  James Lee Stanley, was born in Philadelphia, PA, and has been recording and performing since he was fourteen.  He has toured consistently since he returned from the USAF (as a Chinese linguist) and has performed up to  three hundred dates a year since then with such diverse acts as Bonnie Raitt, Robin Williams, Nicolette Larson and even Bill Cosby. Steven Wright chose James Lee as his opening act for three year in a row; a testaments to his professionalism and talent.

It is only a long lived singer-songwriter career that lets James Lee Stanley unite the unpredictable creative turns and the eclectic elements that make up his world. His remarkable ability as a vocalist and composer allow him to create truly great songs, each accompanied by his amazing guitar orchestrations. When you couple with his outrageously hilarious repartee, you get one of the most entertaining concerts on the circuit. He has been hailed as one of the few all time greats and undisputed geniuses among singer-songwriters. Fi Magazine listed his Freelance Human being as one of the finest recordings of 1998 and one of the Top 200 Recordings of all time. 

Lyrics:

What would you do, were it’s all up to you,

Say the whole world’s in your hands?

Would there be change or would things be the same

Have we already done all we can?

Would your world be about power and greed?

Would the choices you make lose our souls?

Or would you stand for the freedom of man

And see every heart broken made whole?

All of our lives we’ve been told paradise

Resides in the heavens above.

What would you do if you suddenly knew  

It was here with the people you love?

Would you wage war? 

Would you breed hate more?

Would you use terror to rule?

Or would the water run sweet and the land at our feet 

Be peaceful and green, clean and pure?

Website:

 http://www.jamesleestanley.com/

Desiring to know God’s plan for your life? St. Bonaventure teaches us to “ask grace, not instruction, desire, not understanding, the groaning of prayer, not diligent reading…” (St. Bonaventure, The Life of St. Francis) Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity invite you to enjoy a free music download of Dave Gerhartz’ ‘Hear You Call’, a prayer sung with heart-felt sincerity. Be moved to offer your life for others. Consider other musical favorites of this West Bend, WI musician.  See website.

“Hear You Call” is a song about sacrificial giving in my own life. I finally got to a place where I was ready to accept how I could present my life as a living sacrifice to God. I was in a place where I was ready to be obedient and hear and accept what God was desiring of me. I didn’t know what that would look like at the time, but I knew that my life was designed to ultimately give Him glory.

-Dave Gerhartz

Purchase music.

About Dave

Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity collaborate with Dave Gerhartz to offer you 'Hear You Call' as a free music download.

At the end of County Line Drive, the smell of garden dirt lingered in the house. The crack of a wood-splitting maul could be heard beyond the pickup truck in the back yard. The truck had its bed stashed with random garden tools. The broken handles and worn blades signified the work that had been finished, yet their presence in the vehicle meant they were still at the ready and there was work to be done.

It was a simple Wisconsin life; the landscape of my childhood. Read more.

View youtube video on Dave Gerhartz.

Lyrics

Website: www.davegerhartz.com

This August 2011 Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity offer for reflection Roger McGuinn's '500 Miles' as a free music download.

About Roger McGuinn

From Roger McGuinn’s Blog Entry about ‘500 Miles’.

This has a sweet melody and a sad story of poverty and desolation.

Lyrics

In this month of July that celebrates all that is good in our country, Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity feature Kristen Graves’ song ‘Lay it Down’. We highlight those individuals who like St. Francis of Assisi are committed and “called to heal the wounded, to bind up the broken, and to recall the erring”… witnessing  the best of humanity.

Comments from Kristen Graves

Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity feature Kristen Graves 'Lay it Down' the month of July.

“‘Lay it Down’, is a song about finding humanity in each other and taking on and sharing someone else’s burden.  My husband runs a non-profit and we have been traveling to Mexico for the past ten years working with needy children and families.  This spring I met a woman named Socorro, and her three children while working in the jungle of Southern Mexico.  She came to one of our monthly food distributions even though she had lost her registration card – as a homeless family – they shuffle from place to place, and somewhere along the way she had lost it.  Because we recognized her it didn’t pose a problem, but she had to wait until the end of the afternoon with the new registrations so that we could get all of her information again.  When we got to the end of the afternoon, there were about 20 families left, and all of them knowing her story, moved to the side so that she and her children could pass through the line first.  In that moment, I witnessed the best of humanity, and Socorro, being the best mother she can be to her children inspired me to write the song.”

About Kristen

Kristen Graves is a folk/pop singer & songwriter with a voice that commands attention, lyrics that catch your heart, and melodies that stay with the listener long after the evening ends. Her songs have a coziness to them like a well-worn winter blanket, but don’t underestimate her; she can pack a serious emotional punch at a moment’s notice. Picture an energetic Sarah McLachlan, or Tracy Chapman with a pop edge, and you’ve found Kristen Graves. Kristen has been writing and performing her own songs since 2000. As an acoustic singer & songwriter she has toured nationally since 2002. She has written and recorded four albums, and has independently sold thousands of copies of her CDs, most recently releasing her new 3-song EP entitled, ‘Lay it Down.’

Originally from the Midwest, Kristen began Classical piano lessons at age 6, studying and developing her talent until she began to write her own music at 18. Picking up the guitar during college, Kristen wrote, recorded and produced two albums, launching a solo career by the time she graduated in 2004. At the same time, beginning to volunteer and travel to an orphanage in Oaxaca, Mexico, she met fellow volunteer, Bryan Nurnberger. Soon after, Bryan founded Simply Smiles, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing bright futures for impoverished children. The couple has been working together combining arts and philanthropy ever since. 

*featured songwriter, Connecticut Songwriters Association, 2011!!

*playing ‘live’ at Kavarna, Green Bay, WI, on July 23, 2011!

*playing ‘live’ at the Cup o’ Joy, Green Bay, WI on July 29, 2011!

Lyrics

Website

 www.kristengraves.com

Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity join with Danny Schmidt to “Make Right The Time”. This may be a particularly timely or timeless message for you as a recent graduate,  as one growing in awareness of your life’s vocation (i.e. getting married, in the process of application for the postulancy, becoming a novice, making your first profession of vows) or anyone who may be in a concentrated rush and now may be inspired to ‘make right this time’ of your life.

As you listen to this  meaningful and relevant song, you may also find complimentary wisdom in this quote attributed to St. Francis of Assisi –”Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”

Note: the first three verses introduce the album. To listen to the last three verses that conclude it click here.

Comment from Danny

Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity feature 'Make Right the Time' by Danny Schmidt the month of June.

There’s a hebrew phrase “Tikun Olam” which means “to repair the world,” which is said to be part of our purpose here on Earth, to try and fix the things that have gotten broken over time. That has always struck me as a succinct and beautiful way of expressing the idea of living with intention and purpose, and in service. And that was, in part, what inspired this song.

About Danny

Lyrics

Website:

http://www.dannyschmidt.com