INSPIRATIONAL VIDEOS

Be patient! If you have an older computer or laptop, this page may take longer to load because the video files are large but it will be worth the wait. Look out the window for a bit and enjoy nature or get a cup of tea or coffee and then come back and enjoy the video clips. Don’t try to press links on this page until they’re fully loaded and the PLAY ARROW is visible.

One in Love 

This song was written by Andrea Likovich OSF on the occasion of our foundress anniversary.  Our Foundress was Mother Frances Bachmann.  She founded our congregation in 1855.  The words to the song are from taken from our history of letters she had written and stories that were passed down.

Grateful:  A Love Song to the World

This song just plain makes me happy.  Musicians Nimo Patel and Daniel Nahmod brought together dozens of people from around the world to create this beautiful, heart-opening melody.  This soul-stirring music video, created within a week by a team of volunteers, shines the light on all the small things that make up the beautiful fabric of our lives.

One Love by Bob Marley

On June 14th, 2018, in honor of the historic visit to Israel by Indonesia’s religious leader Sheikh Haji Yahya Cholil Staquf, Koolulam invited 1,000 people who had never met before to a special event at the Tower of David in Jerusalem, to sing one song, in three languages and in three-part vocal harmony. The event was produced in conjunction with the Tower of David Museum and Jerusalem.Com. 

It is Well With My Soul

This is a beautiful rendition of this song by the BYU Vocal Choir (a capella).  The man who wrote this beautiful song is Horatio Spafford, a lawyer, who lost his son to scarlet fever and eventually his four daughters to a wreck at sea.  Only his wife survived the shipwreck; immediately after the shipwreck he sails to meet his wife and writes this song. Through all this travesty Horatio Spafford never lost his love for God and his faith that better days were to come. Amazing human being.  The message is strong for each of us during this time of tragedy throughout the world from the coronovirus.

Imagine by John Lennon

This is a beautiful rendition of John Lennon’s song entitle IMAGINE.  It was the pilot for the show GLEE.  It includes sign language and the beautiful melody and words.  We can sit imagine what such a beautiful world would be like.  If we but changed our hearts, we could make a beautiful world.

The Manager Refused to Serve This Man but you’ll be amazed at what the woman says

This is a remarkable story about a street person named Jack who was offered assistance by a wealthy woman.  It has a remarkable twist that you won’t want to miss.  It’s so easy to stereotype both the wealthy woman and homeless man but their goodness shines beyond the stereotypes.

Sister Clare D’Auria OSF Presents Session I, Describing the Moonlit Path

Sponsored by the Catholic Sisters Leadership Council of Western Pennsylvania, Medaille Hall at the Convent of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Baden, PA, April 6, 2019.  The keynote speaker was Franciscan Sister Clare A. D’Auria, a certified spiritual director and staff member at the Franciscan Spiritual Center in Aston, PA. Sister Clare has directed retreats and conferences around the U.S. and overseas for more than 25 years, and served on the staff of Franciscan Pilgrimage Programs for eight years, leading pilgrims through the holy sites in both Assisi and Rome. Her other ministerial experience has included congregational and provincial leader¬ship, secondary and collegiate education, and a variety of additional administrative roles both within and outside of her congregation.

 

Sister Clare D’Auria OSF Presents Session 2. Committment to the Moonlit Path

Sponsored by the Catholic Sisters Leadership Council of Western Pennsylvania, Medaille Hall at the Convent of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Baden, PA, April 6, 2019.  The keynote speaker was Franciscan Sister Clare A. D’Auria, a certified spiritual director and staff member at the Franciscan Spiritual Center in Aston, PA. Sister Clare has directed retreats and conferences around the U.S. and overseas for more than 25 years, and served on the staff of Franciscan Pilgrimage Programs for eight years, leading pilgrims through the holy sites in both Assisi and Rome. Her other ministerial experience has included congregational and provincial leader¬ship, secondary and collegiate education, and a variety of additional administrative roles both within and outside of her congregation.

 

Sister Clare D’Auria OSF Presents Session 3, Communion Along the Moonlit Path

Sponsored by the Catholic Sisters Leadership Council of Western Pennsylvania, Medaille Hall at the Convent of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Baden, PA, April 6, 2019. The keynote speaker was Franciscan Sister Clare A. D’Auria, a certified spiritual director and staff member at the Franciscan Spiritual Center in Aston, PA. Sister Clare has directed retreats and conferences around the U.S. and overseas for more than 25 years, and served on the staff of Franciscan Pilgrimage Programs for eight years, leading pilgrims through the holy sites in both Assisi and Rome. Her other ministerial experience has included congregational and provincial leader¬ship, secondary and collegiate education, and a variety of additional administrative roles both within and outside of her congregation.

Brene Brown on Empathy

What is the best way to ease someone’s pain and suffering? In this beautifully animated RSA Short, Dr Brené Brown reminds us that we can only create a genuine empathic connection if we are brave enough to really get in touch with our own fragilities.   — Animation: Katy Davis (AKA Gobblynne) www.gobblynne.com  Production and Editing: Al Francis-Sears and Abi Stephenson

Saint Marianne Cope

Salt + Light TV’s Deacon Pedro visits the Motherhouse of the Franciscan Sisters in Syracuse where Sr. Grace Anne Dillenschneider tells him about Saint Marianne Cope.  St. Marianne worked with Fr. Damien in caring for the lepers on Molakai in Hawaii.  The sisters continue to maintain a presence in Hawaii and their ministry remains vibrant.

Eckhart Tolle on the Spirituality of St. Francis

In this YouTube Clip Eckhart discusses the life and teachings of St. Francis of Assisi.  He reveals the manner in which Francis was able to let go of his ego in a manner that enabled him to have that compassionate heart.  Francis may not have used the term “ego” but clearly he has much to teach us about the beauty of letting go of our ego driven lives.

Let Go Into God – Andrea Likovich OSF

This song was written by Andrea Likovich. It is on her CD, Greater Than Our Hearts. Assistance in this slide presentation was given by Brianna S. Noce while she worked as an intern in the Franciscan Spiritual Center.

Sunrise Mantra – Andrea Likovich OSF

This video is based on the song, Sunrisie Mantra, which is on Sr. Andrea’s first album, Songrise.  This compilation was put together with the assistance of Brianna Noce, during her internship at the Franciscan Spiritual Center, in Aston, PA with Julia Keegan OSF

Be Praised – Andrea Likovich OSF

This video is based on the song Be Praised which is on the album Songrise, music by Sr. Andrea Likovich, OSF.  It is a beautiful rendition of St. Francis Canticle of the Sun.    I think you’ll enjoy it, but then I’m bias of course!!

The Power of Love — A Father and Son Team

This is a story about Patrick Henry Hughes who was born without eyes (eventually fitted with artificial eyes) and with limbs that are malformed or stunted in growth but he has an incredible musical talent and with the legs and strength of his Dad even became a part of the Louisville Marching Band.  You will be touched and your problems will seem so small when you see this video.

CREATION SONG

This is just a beautiful prayerful reflection on creation.  The song is by Fernando Ortega and it’s from his album The Breaking of the Dawn.  I found it very soothing and it brought me in touch with my love of creation.  I hope it will do the same for you.

Thanksgiving Song by Mary Chapin Carpenter

This Thanksgiving song by Mary Chapin Carpenter can be found on her “Come Darkness, Come Light: Twelve Songs of Christmas” album. May we always be grateful.

Meditation for First Week of Advent 2017

This reflection for the first week in Advent was developed by the Catholic Health Association.

Reflection for the Feast of Saint Francis developed by the Catholic Health Association

Korean War Chaplain remembered

Korean War Chaplain, Fr. Kapaun, remembered with great respect and love. This YouTube shows us the power of one person to give strength to many others. When the story of human history comes to a close, death and violence don’t get the final word. The love of God does. That love, burning bright in the heart of Fr. Emil Kapaun in the darkness of a POW camp in the Korean war, made him a hero.

Korean singer’s rags to riches success

This young man from Korea was placed in an orphanage at the age of three and ran away at age 5 because he was abused.  He lived on the street but always found that music lifts him up.  Still homeless, he came to the “Korea has talent” competition and shocked them all with the strength of his voice.  I think you will be touched by his story and his music.

 

Centering Prayer with Father Thomas Keating

This brief “How To” introduction to Centering Prayer is by Fr. Thomas Keating. For more info and resources on this prayer practice, check out Contemplative Outreach at http://www.contemplativeoutreach.org. (If you wish to comment, please try to be tender-hearted, forgiving one another as God, for Christ’s sake, has forgiven you. – LW)

Reluctant Saint:  Francis of Assisi

For those who know nothing about the life and ministry of Francis of Assisi, this is an excellent place to start. The documentary spans his initial encounter with Christ all the way to his death, in just under an hour. Indeed, it is a sketch with some nice insights provided by various commentators. 

Van Morrison:  A Sense of Wonder (Lyrics on screen)

This is the title track from “A Sense of Wonder”, the fifteenth studio album by Northern Irish singer/songwriter Van Morrison & released in 1985. The author of the video (Sandy Buyak) envisioned herself walking along a forest path and remembering various events in her life, both big and small.  She tried her best to convey the images in Van’s fantastic lyrics. II think it is a very inspiring video.

A Healing Garden in New York

Terry Hershey talks about the green house at the Rusk Institute for Rehabilitative Medicine and how it is used as a place to further the healing process for patients after surgery. He joins patients as they create their own small flower gardens.

Pope Francis’ Prayer for our Earth from Laudato Si.

Here is YouTube Clip which is a a prayer adapted from Pope Francis encyclical Laudato Si.
Adaptation and music by Hazzan Steve Klaper & Br. Al Mascia, OFM
Song and Spirit Institute for Peace, Berkley, MI • SongandSpirit.org

 

Gratitude

This is the same clip I posted last Thanksgiving but it’s still the best one I’ve seen — Enjoy it!  This inspirational video is from a TED conferences and was developed by filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg. Spoken word and music montage created and composed by Gary Malkin. Narration written and spoken by Brother David Steindl-Rast. Give it some time to load up on your computer

Grateful:  A Love Song To The World

Musicians Nimo Patel and Daniel Nahmod brought together dozens of people from around the world to create this beautiful, heart-opening melody. Inspired by the 21-Day Gratitude Challenge, the song is a celebration of our spirit and all that is a blessing in life. For the 21 Days, over 11,000 participants from 118 countries learned that “gratefulness” is a habit cultivated consciously and a muscle built over time. 

Louie Schwartzberg: Hidden miracles of the natural world

We live in a world of unseeable beauty, so subtle and delicate that it is imperceptible to the human eye. To bring this invisible world to light, filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg bends the boundaries of time and space with high-speed cameras, time lapses and microscopes. At TED2014, he shares highlights from his latest project, a 3D film titled “Mysteries of the Unseen World,” which slows down, speeds up, and magnifies the astonishing wonders of nature. 

Landfill Harmonics

Don’t miss this You tube clip it will open your heart space like nothing you can imagine..  The human spirit is utterly amazing.   I’ve heard the phrase when life gives you lemons make lemonade but “when life gives you garbage make a cello that is pretty amazing.   The cello in this clip is not made of  spruce and maple, but it is crafted from an old oil can, a beef tenderizing tool, and a discarded pasta making device—all of it scavenged from the landfill that surrounds his home in Paraguay.  Juan Manuel Chavez is the cellist in the clip.  

Reflective mantra of the Prayer of St. Francis

This is a You Tube Meditation with Make Me An Instrument of Your Peace by Kurt Van Sickle, Angel Paintings and Nature Photography by Harmony.  It is entitled Celestial Vision.  I think you might find it quite calming and inspirational.  It lasts about eight minutes and has a slow start but it is beautiful and very gentle.  It is like a mantra.

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