Life as a Holy Land Franciscan means being rooted in a spirituality consisting of:

• Prayer guided by Holy Scripture
  • The roots of our spirituality are in the Holy Land, the Land of the Bible. As the Holy Land is often referred to as “The Fifth Gospel,” meditating upon Holy Scripture is a necessary component of our way of life.

• The Eucharist
  • As the source and summit of our Catholic faith, it is the nourishment of our souls, and without it, we cannot nourish others.

• Personal prayer and meditation
  • When one really loves someone, he spends much time and attention on that person. Therefore, personal prayer and meditation is needed for an intimate, personal relationship with Christ.

• Living in solidarity with the places of Jesus’ birth, life, death and resurrection and the people who live there
  • St. Francis loved this land and its people. To understand their needs, their fears, and serve them as St. Francis would, we need to be one with them. Being one with them and the holy places enables us to preserve Christianity in the places our Lord walked.

• A demeanor guided by peace and love of neighbor
  • When St. Francis first traveled to the Holy Land and met with the sultan, his love of God and ability to love people unconditionally is what saved his life and granted the Franciscans safe passage through the Holy Land. We live to bring this love and mission of peace wherever we go and to places where peace isn’t always guaranteed.