St. Anthony of Padua Fraternity Bulletin
Vol. 13 No. 7   July 2008

Franciscan column
by Mona

Dear SFO Brothers and Sisters,

Since "Profession" is the theme this month I thought I would write about what this word of action means to me.

When I think of the word, I immediately associate it with the official rite of profession I took into the Secular Franciscan Order 25 years ago. Then I began to think about the other meanings that the word might hold and how I relate them to occurrences in my life.

In Wikipedia: A profession is an occupation, vocation or career where specialized knowledge of a subject, field, or science is applied. A religious profession: members make a public vow to observe the three evangelical counsels which are poverty, chastity and obedience. Through the ministry of the Church they are consecrated to God, and are incorporated into the institute, with the rights and duties defined by law.

I put my mind to thinking about the other "professions" I made in my lifetime: In Baptism as a Godparent, I professed to support the parents and guide my godchild in the teachings of the Catholic church. At First Communion I learned to confess my sins and professed to join at the table of the Lord with the rest of the church in memory of the Last Supper. In Matrimony I professed to Love and honor my spouse as Christ loved the Church. As a juror and court witness I professed to tell the truth and to understand that a person is innocent until proven guilty. In my Federal job I was sworn in and professed to be honorable and uphold the duties of my position to the best of my ability. There are many more examples in my life but they all follow a similar pattern. When we profess something we put our beliefs and goals on the line and inscribe them in our hearts. Then we put them into words of our own or through official ceremonies we are prompted to repeat special ceremonial words. These very profound words come off our tongues and are heard in the company of at least 1 or more persons; so the words of profession take on a very special meaning that we hold ourselves to until what we profess has been satisfied.

In summation, the professions we make in a lifetime are extremely serious moments that define us, shape us, connect us, and often bring us closer to our God. These professions should always be taken with the utmost care and seriousness because they tell God and others what we promise to complete.

Mona sfo