I Made My Vows to the Lord!
Our Franciscan Prayer Fraternity on September 19th celebrated with our Br. Josef Anderlohr his 25th anniversary of being a Franciscan. Br. Josef is one of the original four Franciscan friars who began our Prayer Fraternity here.
In the context of an Open House from 2 pm to 5 pm, Br. Josef welcomed a number of area friends he has met over the past 5 years, as well as other Franciscans and priests. In the picture above, Br. Josef is seen with a number of friends from the Ava area.
What were we celebrating? 25 years of being a Franciscan! A member of Br. Josef's province, Joseph Rayes, OFM, wrote a book, LIVING RELIGIOUS VOWS: a personal pilgrimage. We get a glimpse of what we were celebrating in this quote from the book published by St. Anthony Messenger Press:
"From the earliest times in the history and tradition of the Church, men and women have come together to profess and concentrate on the Gospel counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience as a pattern of life. These vows, promises made to God, shape their lifestyle. How? They affect choices, decisions and attitudes in the same way that marriage vows do. By promising to make God their primary love through the vows of chastity, religious also direct their love and affection. In the vow of poverty, they promise to live simply, to depend completely on God. In the vow of obedience they promise to discern God's will with their community rather than alone and to carry out the communal decisions. In a word, the vows direct seeing, doing, and living so as to lead to that personal and intimate relationship with God that is central to his reign."
CONGRATULATIONS BR. JOSEF!!!
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