Letting Go... The Franciscan Challenge

Change is Coming: How Will We Respond?

The month of October should be called Super October. Why do you ask? Because first, there are many powerful saints that we celebrate throughout the month:

St. Therese of Lisieux- October 1
The Holy Guardian Angels– October 2
St. Francis of Assisi- October 4
Respect Life Sunday- October 6
Our Lady of the Rosary– October 7
St. Teresa of Avila– October 15
St. Margaret Mary– October 16
St. Luke- October 18
St. John Paul II– October 22
St. Simon and Jude– October 28

In fact, the entire month is dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary, and it is a month of transformations! It gets darker earlier in the evening and stays dark longer in the morning. It will go from sweater weather to jacket weather quickly. The leaves change color and lose their leaves. What an example Mother Nature is to us! Its environment changes drastically! Just how often, when we must change our way of doing something, do we moan and groan and drag our feet? Do you hear nature complaining? As the leaves change colors and drop off the trees, they swirl and dance and celebrate what is theirs to do. They believe in the Resurrection, for they will come alive again in spring with new life. How do we react to change or to what God may be asking us to do? Yes, it is that old “letting go” thing. We can let go and let God gently guide our life or hang on and often be miserable! Remember that God does not make us miserable, we do it to ourselves. Our God is a loving God who showers us with the blessings and graces that we need to change into who God wants us to be. We, like Mary, our mother must say “Yes, your will be done, in and through me.” Enjoy this formidable and inspiring month!                                                                                 

Change Ahead in the New Year

“The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul…”
—Gilbert K. Chesterton

What an interesting concept for the New Year. We start this New Year with the feast of Mary, Mother of God. Who better than God’s Mother to help us into this New Year for our General Chapter/Elections and for the political elections? These are only a few of the things we know will be happening in this year of grace, 2024! We are standing on a precipice of new adventures for not only our Community but for our country and our world. Going into a New Year we need to let go of the past to begin our future.

Only God knows what the outcomes will be, but we trust in God’s wisdom and grace. Our faith is the key to the New Year. Without it we will stumble and even fall! Placing our hands into God’s hands assures us of safely walking with God into the future with a new soul. 

A Season of Letting Go

The season of “letting go” has arrived! This month begins with a reminder of our future life in heaven with the celebration of All Saints Day. We then are reminded to let go of those we love as we celebrate All Souls Day. Letting go of those we love does not mean we forget them. We hold them in our hearts, prayers, and our treasured memories.

 As the leaves dance off the trees and fall to the ground, they show us how lovely letting go can be. As the leaves fall, they are not sad about letting go. They are making space for new leaves that will rise in spring with new life, but only if the old ones surrender and let go. As we let go, we do not change colors like the leaves, but we do change. Letting go of stuff in our lives allows us to become the person God wants us to be.