A few years ago I was attending Franciscan's gatherings to decide whether or not I wanted to "join." As a Catholic I thought this would be cool to be apart of a group that honors a saint. I did not realize that it was a way of life. I did not realize that I had to change my ways. I did not realize in order to grow with Christ Jesus I had to grow spiritually. I did not realize that in order to grow I have to trust God and His Beloved Son. I am now a candidate (Holy Eucharist of Independence Missouri) and I feel the love and guidance from God Almighty as I proceed to profess my vows. I have come far since the days when I thought it was "cool" to be apart of a Catholic group. I learned that life is full of love and we MUST spread it by our words, actions, and deeds. I learned that life is about the love of our Lord and Savior for all of His sheep. Everyone from different religions, nationalities, and social status requires our love to be children of God Almighty. Before I decided to become a Franciscan I struggled with love, and now I immerse myself in it. I have learned to love by studying St. Francis of Assisi and St. Clare of Assisi. They followed the footsteps of Christ Jesus. They lived their lives according to Christ Jesus' teachings. They became the definition of love, honor, and respect. As a candidate I am taking baby steps, but the love that I receive from the professed and other candidates I become more loving, respectful, and honor our Lord and Savior as I grow into the Franciscan skin. Everyone has a calling in life. Everyone has a choice to choose God or the evil one. I chose the Lord and Savior and by doing that I am dedicating my life to Him. I am dedicating my heart, spirit, and soul to be a good sister to all my brothers and sisters of the world by saying to them, "I love you." We all are working at being better disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, and we are improving our lives each time we celebrate others lives. So let us celebrate the lives of God's children by celebrating Jesus Christ's life when He was with us in body. Let us feel the love and give the love. So as I end this blog entry I want to tell you one more thing that effected my life since I became a Franciscan. I have learned how to love. Before we can do anything in life we must love first. I will close this entry now by saying, "I love you." May God be with you. Praise the Lord.
Colleen Marguerite.
