Franciscan Mission Associates

Franciscan Mission Associates Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Franciscan Mission Associates, Nonprofit Organization, 274-280 West Lincoln Avenue P. O. Box 598, Mount Vernon, NY.

We bring the ministry of St Francis to peoples’ lives through a two-fold undertaking of providing spiritual & financial support: devotional service to benefactors and fundraising for the missions, ministries, & friars of the Immaculate Conception Province

How many times we have heard the story of the calling of the first Apostles. And yet there is always something else to ...
09/03/2026

How many times we have heard the story of the calling of the first Apostles. And yet there is always something else to reflect on.

Jesus would ultimately call Peter, Andrew, James and John to be Apostles. But it all started when Peter allowed Jesus to use his boat. It allowed Jesus to put some distance between Him and the crowd, and to use the acoustic of the sea so that He could be heard.

It probably seemed like a very small thing to Peter, to allow this popular teacher to sit in his boat for a while. And yet is was the catalyst for everything that happened subsequently. Peter heard Jesus' teaching and so responded when Jesus asked him to "put out into the deep water." Then came the amazing catch of fish, the conversion of Peter's heart, his confession to Jesus that he was sinful (which Jesus already knew), and his call. From this little kindness, the Church would ultimately be born.

What is the boat that Jesus is asking of you today? It may seem like something so small. A kind word, a listening ear, an email or text. Whatever it is, try and listen to what Jesus is asking and respond. The effect of our little "boats" can be enormous.

deep

For more free educational resources from the Franciscans, visit: https://buff.ly/KB19gao

When Monica's parents made the difficult decision to send her to Valley of the Angels orphanage in Guatemala, they hoped...
09/03/2026

When Monica's parents made the difficult decision to send her to Valley of the Angels orphanage in Guatemala, they hoped she would receive a good education and opportunities they could not provide at home.

What she found was much more than a school. She found a second family, caring teachers, a stronger faith, and the confidence to pursue her dreams.

Read Monica's inspiring story and discover how your generosity is helping children build brighter futures.

Read her story: https://buff.ly/go8mZuF

Who taught you about Jesus? Parents? Teachers? Friends? Priests? All of the above? For those of us who learned from the...
09/02/2026

Who taught you about Jesus? Parents? Teachers? Friends? Priests? All of the above?

For those of us who learned from these sources, we are blessed. There are other ways to learn about Jesus as well, but the example of those around us is usually the best way to learn. However, one of the pitfalls of this learning is that we associate our faith with that person.

This is what Paul is talking about in the first reading today. The Corinthians were dividing into camps based on who they were following. Paul corrects them and tells them that no matter who presented the Gospel to them, whoever planted the seed or watered it, the growth is God's. All those who preach, if they are not hypocrites, work to the same end, saving souls. They are coworkers with Christ in spreading the message. As Jesus healed Simon's mother in law in the Gospel reading and so made Himself known so that people called Him the Son of God, so must we "heal" the broken world and help others to come to know Jesus.



For more free educational resources from the Franciscans, visit: https://buff.ly/255r3BB

What is Jesus' authority? It seems that it stuns everyone. The word "authority" comes from the Greek word "exousia," w...
09/01/2026

What is Jesus' authority? It seems that it stuns everyone. The word "authority" comes from the Greek word "exousia," which means "from His being." Other rabbis would quote those who had come before them or wise contemporaries, but Jesus doesn't do that. He IS the Word of God, and therefore needs nobody else's wisdom to preach. Teachers and sages for all generations will need to quote Jesus, not the other way around.

It is interesting to note that even the demons recognize who Jesus is. We often forget that. Though they have rejected what Jesus says, and the love that He commands us to have, they MUST obey Him when He commands them to release a soul that they have bound, because, as the Son of God, He has the authority to order them to do so.

Do we recognize the authority of Jesus in our lives? The demons, though they despise His commands, obey them immediately. Do we? Today, ask yourself, who responds more quickly to the words of Jesus, the demons or me?



For more free educational resources from the Franciscans, visit: https://buff.ly/255r3BB

Did you ever meet someone whom you hadn't seen in many years and discover that they were not the same person you remembe...
08/31/2026

Did you ever meet someone whom you hadn't seen in many years and discover that they were not the same person you remembered? Or perhaps you are the one who has matured, hopefully spiritually, and people don't recognize you.

When Jesus returned to Nazareth, the people thought that they knew Him. He was a carpenter, the son of a carpenter, and He was a bright young man. But when He reads from the Book of Isaiah and tells the crowd that the prophecy is fulfilled in their hearing, it must have come as a shock. They have heard about His miracles, and they want to see some for themselves. They don't really believe in Him, they just want to see if He has the power. Strangers believed in Him. His old friends and neighbors didn't.

People can grow in what they believe and practice. Sometimes they are unrecognizable when we see them after a long time. And sometimes it is difficult to believe that they are really different.

Sometimes people don't believe we have changed either. Maybe we have given up a bad habit we had, or maybe we have established a relationship with the Lord that we didn't have before. It may take time, and some real behavior, either to believe another or to have them believe you.

Jesus reminds us that people are not always what they seem. He had not changed, but it was His time to be revealed as the Son of God. For us, the change in ourselves or in others may be more or less dramatic. We simply need to remember that everyone can grow in holiness.



For more free educational resources from the Franciscans, visit: https://buff.ly/255r3BB

The latest issue of FMA Focus is now available.Our September edition explores the Christian virtue of longsuffering; pat...
08/31/2026

The latest issue of FMA Focus is now available.

Our September edition explores the Christian virtue of longsuffering; patient endurance rooted in faith and united with Christ.

Through the lives of St. Francis, St. Teresa of Calcutta, and our newly ordained friars, discover how God can bring grace and hope even through life's greatest trials.

Read the issue online:

https://buff.ly/bbZVHXA

WEEKLY REFLECTION: Trust in God's direction Obedience, from the Latin ob audire, is really about listening, not just fol...
08/30/2026

WEEKLY REFLECTION: Trust in God's direction

Obedience, from the Latin ob audire, is really about listening, not just following commands. St. Francis led the brothers not through domination but through example, teaching them simple prayers and instructing them to obey the Church's legitimate authorities. 🙏Obedience doesn't require agreement, it requires humility, and Francis' own humility inspired that same humility in the brothers. This week, may we ask for the grace to accept direction with humble hearts.

Read the full Weekly Reflection on our website:
https://buff.ly/Q9lC0nU

Signup for text messages to receive faith reflections, mission stories, and opportunities to support our work.Join here:...
08/28/2026

Signup for text messages to receive faith reflections, mission stories, and opportunities to support our work.

Join here: https://buff.ly/ud23MaO

Do your lips match your heart? That is what Jesus is asking in today's Gospel reading. If we go back to the prophet Is...
08/26/2026

Do your lips match your heart? That is what Jesus is asking in today's Gospel reading. If we go back to the prophet Isaiah, he tells us that the Lord says, "this people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me."

The harsh words that Jesus speaks to the Pharisees and the scribes accuse them of exactly that. Jesus does not condemn any of the prayers or practices they do, but He tells them that they are doing it all for show. They look great on the outside, but inside, they are not looking at the evil things that are keeping them from intimacy with God.

It would be easy for us to cheer Jesus on. "Go, Jesus, tell off those Pharisees." But then we have to look in the mirror. As humans, we all have things in our hearts that are not "of the Lord." Jesus challenges us today to look deeply, with the Holy Spirit as our guide, to see what things are keeping us from being the people God wants us to be.

God doesn't ask us to look at ourselves so that we can experience guilt or shame. He asks us to look and see where we can better experience His love for us, and how we can use that love to make ourselves better people and the world a better place.

Take a look today. Where is God calling you to work so that your lips match your heart.



For more free educational resources from the Franciscans, visit: https://buff.ly/255r3BB

Although St. Bartholomew, whose feast is today, was listed in the Gospel as one of the Apostles, he does not appear anyw...
08/24/2026

Although St. Bartholomew, whose feast is today, was listed in the Gospel as one of the Apostles, he does not appear anywhere else in the Bible. Since the ninth century he has commonly been associated with Nathanael, who Jesus called in John's Gospel and said of him, "Behold a true Israelite in whom there is no guile." There is disagreement about whether Nathanael and Bartholomew are the same person. Some say that Nathanael was not one of the Twelve. Due to a lack of information, we will never know. What we do know is that Bartholomew followed Jesus as one of the Apostles and is a foundation stone of the Church.



Learn more about Catholic and Franciscan Saints on our website: https://buff.ly/8QmPspR

Address

274-280 West Lincoln Avenue P. O. Box 598
Mount Vernon, NY
10551

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4pm
Tuesday 8am - 4pm
Wednesday 8am - 4pm
Thursday 8am - 4pm
Friday 8am - 4pm

Telephone

(914) 664-5604

Website

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