Sunday, January 15, 2006

My Patron Saint for the Year, and a Virtue--and More!

I received from our Secular Franciscan Fraternity my patron saint for the year, a virtue to practice, a line from the Franciscan Rule to practice, and a person from our local Franciscan community to keep in prayer.

This year my patron saint will be Saint Mary Frances of the Five Wounds. She was a Secular Franciscan, a stigmatist, very charitable toward the needy, and her mother's name was Barbara. October 6 is her feast.

The virtue I am to practice is Gentleness. ZING! I could use some help in that department, especially in the mornings.

From the Rule of 1221, Chapter XXII comes the line I am to take to heart this year: Let us adore God with pure hearts because we need to pray continually and never lose heart.

Finally this year I am to keep in special prayer a special Franciscan Sister named Sister Irmaline. Due to poor health she had to move from the parish convent to the Infirmary for the Bernardine Franciscans. I know that she misses the community here, and rumor has it that she loves to receive mail--so along with my prayers I will be sure to send her plenty of mail this year.

2 comments:

Matthew said...

This is great, Barb. Congratulations on your saint. And, it's so good to hear that you get a special person to pray and write to this year. That can really make so one feel special.

Your saint's drawing sounds kind of like the Patron Saints project at my blog. It's it a great tradition?

Barb Szyszkiewicz said...

We always get a "prayer partner" but normally they are a member of the Fraternity or one of the priests or Sisters at the parish. Those people, we would see on a regular basis--so prayers would happen but not ordinarily letters. But when Sister Irmaline moved to the infirmary, we couldn't bear to take her off the list! She lives a couple of hours away, so I'll have to contact her through letters and cards.
I always enjoy getting my saint and virtue for the year. It gives me something to focus on--not necessarily what *I* would have picked!