A prayer notebook inspired by the Canticle of the Creatures
Inspired by the Canticle of the Creatures, “JOY for God: Journey of Yearning” has been published. This prayer notebook, with short texts, questions, and contemplative art, guides us to recognize God’s presence in our brother Sun and sister Moon, in the stars, in the wind, in water, in fire, and in our sister Mother Earth, until we learn to embrace – without fear – our sister Death, who reveals the essential and opens us to Life. The work is designed for prayer in retreat or on a journey, with family or parish, and arises from the desire to help us write our own “story with God,” starting from our received identity: being loved, called to peace, dialogue, and the care of our common home. For this reason, page after page, the “Praise be to you, my Lord” flows forth again as a humble and hopeful song for our time.
This book collects the writings and artwork of Br. Robin Toha, OFM, of the Custody of Saint Anthony (Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei), whose writings and meditations are inspired by the prayer and charism of the Friars Minor. From his fraternal and pastoral experience, Br. Robin offers a journey that helps us contemplate, give thanks, and reconcile, turning joy into a concrete service and beauty into a path to God.
Thank You for Supporting the Franciscan Calendar 2026
With grateful hearts, we are pleased to present this special edition marking the 800th anniversary of the Transitus of St. Francis of Assisi. This year’s calendar features the artwork of Ashley Jane Leow, a young parishioner of the Church of St. Mary of the Angels, whose talent adds beauty and freshness to every page.
Monthly reflections to inspire your journey will be available from December 25, 2025. We warmly invite you to return and journey with us again by scanning the QR code.
With prayers and gratitude, we wish you and your loved ones a blessed 2026, filled with peace, joy, and hope in the spirit of St. Francis.
For the Christian, what is the singular event that changed history or rather, reality itself? The event that made us who we are – believers in the Lord? One can argue that it is the Resurrection of Jesus. In fact, had the resurrection not taken place, Jesus would have just been one of the many Jewish reformers of his time, destined to be forgotten. The resurrection proved that Jesus was no ordinary man.
The New Testament was written in light of the Resurrection. The Resurrection was the key in re-interpreting everything written in the Old Testament and in deciphering the identity of Jesus. Who was this special person? And how special was he?
Only Jesus rose from the dead, never to die again. Reflection on his life, words and actions, sparked by the Resurrection, led the apostles and early church to declare that Jesus was both human and divine, i.e. God emptied himself to assume our human nature in the person of Jesus Christ through the Incarnation. It was precisely Jesus’ divine nature that enabled him to preach the way he did, heal the way he did, and rise the way he did. Seen from this angle, the Resurrection becomes the evidence and fruit of the Incarnation.
Understanding the Incarnation this way also helps us come to terms with the troubling question: did Jesus have to suffer such a cruel death in order to save us? In a fallen, sinful world, yes. As Jesus himself said, he was destined to be rejected, killed and then rise on the third day (Luke 9:22, Mark 8:31, Matthew 17:22-23), thereby proving his divinity and prompting belief in him.
This uniqueness – Jesus’ ability to hold in perfect union both human and divine natures –allows our communion with God (i.e. salvation) to take place. It is not so much being united with him or to him, as being united in him.
In a sense, we can confidently say that through the Incarnation, God has opened the way for man to be saved – and there is but one way, through Jesus! Being the only means by which the divine and human can co-exist in perfect harmony, Jesus proclaims emphatically, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
So, coming back to the original question: What is the singular event that changed history or rather, reality itself? Could it be the Incarnation instead? I invite you to ponder on its significance and pray that we will increasingly treasure and accept the longing of God to truly unite us in him.
Growing up, I had a beautifully illustrated pocket-sized book about St Francis and his ability to talk to animals. The stories of St Francis have continued being familiar to me – from witnessing the Franciscan Friars in action in my church, to watching my mother paint her portrait series of St Francis.
The story of St Francis asking for the Stigmata has always haunted me. How could anyone ever wish something so brutal upon themselves? This manifested itself when I was approached to design an image for the Franciscan Young Adults jamboree event with the theme of “Wounds to New Life”. I awoke one night with the final image that sought to incorporate joy from such sorrow.
When Friar Derrick Yap asked me to design the artwork for the Franciscan Calendar, I reacquainted myself with St Francis’ stories. I realised that my mother’s images were the ones that had inspired me to want to know more about St Francis. I began to look at other artists’ interpretations, not solely of Francis’ stories, but echoes of it: other saints in prayer, a girl with a wolf, figures in embrace. It is not alone that I was able to come up with these images. I was not developing something from scratch but entering into a kind of meditative dialogue with those who had painted before me, seeking to imbue my own work with that same spirit of life we all share, just as St Francis lived his.
Reflecting on these other images, the ideas flowed very naturally. Each version of my illustrations took less than five minutes but developing them into the artwork for the calendar was a slow refinement of my personal style, guided by the very stories that have stayed with me through my formative years.
