Approaching the Day!!

As Transitus (the eve of the passing of St Francis to eternal life) and the Feast of St Francis get closer, I am feeling more and more a sense of belonging to the OFS (Order of Franciscans Secular), a desire to simplify my life, a hunger for the Gospels, and a certain feeling of  being "set apart",  if that makes sense. Last Friday, Sep. 19, I had my interviews with the Fraternity Council and Father John, a First Order priest, who traveled up from Denver to meet with us, share a meal, and talk with me about the Order. It helped me to tell him and the Council of my journey of faith up to this point. Even though I know my own journey, it helped me to hear it, as I explained my desire to join the Order, my feeling of belonging, and  a feeling of possessing that Franciscan "spirit" in some small way all of my life.

Even though I would have liked to have been able to pick the readings for the Mass where I will make my profession, it really doesn't matter that much that I will not be able to, it being a Sunday Vigil,  because I am glad to make this profession  where my fellow parishioners will be able to see that there are opportunities for  vocation for everyone in the church. I want my profession itself to be a witness of the Gospel life right out of the box,  my first act of evangelization as a Franciscan. I am inviting only a handful of people who know me and have shared in my journey since I moved to Rapid City. I want these dear friends as witnesses as I enter the Order.

I covet your prayers and I make my final preparations.

Preparation for Profession

On October 4, 2014 I will make my lifelong profession in the Order of Franciscans Secular. I will publicly profess my purpose to live the life of the Gospel of Christ, following in the footsteps of St Francis of Assisi. I will profess to live my life in continual conversion so that I may be conformed to that perfect image of Christ relying on the promise of God relayed by St Peter to us

2 Peter 1:2-11

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,  by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.  But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.  For if these things are yours and abound,  you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

This profession is the culmination of a lifelong journey starting when I was nine years old. At 33 years old I came into the Catholic Faith after reading the life of St Francis. My previous preparation in the Baptist and Assembly of God protestant traditions was valuable in leading me to a faith in Christ and a love of scripture which in turn led me to a love of truth and a constant hunger to go deeper into the things of God.

With the help of my Franciscan fraternity, I will be strengthened to live my life going from the gospel to life and from life to the gospel. I covet your prayers and thoughts as I make this final step.