Dear Friars, we’ve learned so much from you. Here are a few morsels. Thank you for every one of them.

– Read the Gospels and learn from them. How can you follow a guy if you don’t know what he did?

– If you’re ever faced with a choice between following a rule and love, choose love. Jesus did.

– A little religion goes a long way.

– Stand in the Gospel.  You can’t go wrong when you’re standing there.

– Living life at a distance is not living;  draw people close, love them and let them love you.

– Love and help your neighbor, all of them. Form relationships wherever you can.

– God bless America is only part of the story.

– If you’re not making someone angry, you’re not preaching the Gospel.

– Never surrender the tough issues to a false sense of peace.  Sit in the struggles.  Embrace suffering.

– Speak up and out and for.  (Even if it gets you in trouble.)

– Ask what is needed, then get busy.

– Weakness is strength. There is dignity in needing each other; community is a blessing; going it alone is empty.

– We save each other.

– What we do on this earth matters.

– If what we do within the church walls is not reflected in what we do outside of them, and vice versa, then we run the risk of betraying both.

– The parable of the good shepherd is not a warm and cozy message.  Know that shepherd.

– Listen