investiture in the night...

a super cool investiture of this franciscan community - it's icing on the cake!

July 26, 2005

On August 1st, at Vespers in the midst of our Eucharistic Holy Hour, Alexis Sabo of Los Angeles, California, postulant of our community, will be invested in the Holy Habit of Saint Francis. She will receive the gray tunic, the cord with 3 knots symbolizing the vows, a wooden rosary made by one of the friars, and the white veil of the Novice. Her hair will be cut and she will receive a new name.

This will be a private ceremony for the Sisters and Friars reminiscent of Palm Sunday in the year 1212 when Saint Clare of Assisi left her family home in the dark of night to meet her spiritual father, Saint Francis, and his early followers. They gathered in the little chapel of Our Lady of the Angels where Saint Francis cut Saint Clare’s long hair – an offering to symbolize the life that she was giving up, and where he invested her in the Habit – the poor, rough tunic symbolizing the life she was embracing, the Gospel life, the Way of the Cross.

So, too, our sister Alexis is choosing to give up many things and to embrace a serious living of the Gospel in as close an imitation of Jesus as possible. Investiture will begin her two-year novitiate in preparation for first vows.

Please pray for her as she takes this step! God bless you!

Sr. Clare Marie Matthiass, CFR

...found here...