Father Francis Maple

Every now and then we like to invite guest contributors to this Community of Catholic Bloggers website. Today, we are very pleased to welcome Father Francis Maple.

Father Francis is a Capuchin Friar based in England. He is also known as the "Singing Monk" or the "Singing Friar" and has raised a lot of money for charity over the years with his singing, often in shopping centres and in malls. He has released many records (mostly vinyls) and some CDs and has written several books - sermons, cookery books, jokes etc ... He also contributes weekly articles to a local newspaper and now writes for a Catholic Magazine in the UK.

Father Francis spends a lot of his time travelling the country on Missions in various Parishes in the UK. He is on a Mission right now, and has kindly written to me with a couple of items to include on this Blog.

This is what he says:

Yesterday morning we had 42 at the Mission and 43 in the evening.  It was rainy and cold and I am sure it put some of the elderly from coming.  I spent the afternoon (nearly 2 hours) with a man who was suffering from depression.  He really enjoyed my company.  From the first moment he saw me we got on like a house on fire.  He had been away from the church for over a year.  We had a great time talking about many topics.  I even gave him a lesson in Latin which he enjoyed!  When I get back to Chester I shall send him my elementary Latin book.  I know he will enjoy studying it.  I would have loved to have had it with me and go through it with him.  I heard his confession and he assures me he will be at the Mission every evening.  So that was a success and I put it all down to prayer.  The priest didn’t think I would get much response.  I prayed before going that he would come back to the Lord.  We will share emails and I shall keep any eye on him this way.

Today is the longest day in the year.  I remember this year in 1956, I was 18, having to take a medical for the army.  I was a Capuchin novice at the time.  I was exempt from the national service but my exemption papers had come through under the name Mr. Marcel (my Christian name) and not my surname Maple.  This was discovered after my medical.  The recruiting sergeant must have taken a liking to me and kept telling the other young men, “This is the kind of man the army wants.”  I was telling him I could not become a soldier because I was going to be a priest.  However, I was pleased to have gone through the experience of a force’s medical.

God bless,

Fr. Francis

This is something we should all read at least once a week!!!!! Make sure you read to the end!!!!!!

Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio .

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I've ever written.

My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it, just don't stay angry. 

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come...

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."