Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia
Praised be Jesus and Mary
Today we celebrate a Franciscan saint, St. Margaret of Cortona
And she is referred to as the Magdalene of the Franciscan order
She was born in Tuscany in 1247
And when she was seven years old, her pious mother died
She was neglected by her father, who married again and within a short time
Margaret's stepmother was unsympathetic and dealt harshly with her
So that it was no surprise that when Margaret turned 18, she left home
And unfortunately, her rare beauty got her into trouble
And eventually she shacked up with someone for nine years
Until one day, after waiting a long time
In vain for her accomplice in sin
I think today they call them her significant other
Anyway, she was waiting for him to return
And all of a sudden, his dog came in, whimpering
Tugging at her dress, and she followed the dog deep into the woods
And before she knew it, she was standing
Before the murdered court
The corpse of her lover
She was stunned at this appalling sight
And filled with horror, she asked herself
Where is his soul now?
And then and there, she firmly resolved
In the future, to be even greater in her penance
Than she had been in sin
So
Like the prodigal son, she returned to her native town
And in a penitential garb, her hair cut short
A cord around her neck
She knelt at the door of the church
And publicly asked the whole congregation
To forgive the scandal that she had given
Many people were edified at this public humiliation
But her stepmother was all the more embittered at it
So much so that she, as well as Margaret's father
Forbade her entrance into her paternal home again
This reaction severely tempted Margaret to return to the road of vice
But God's grace sustained her
And led by divine grace
She moved to the nearby town of Cortona
And made a very contrite, general confession
To a Franciscan there
And in a poor little shack, she now lived
A secluded life of penance, tears, and prayer
And in a poor little shack, she now lived A secluded life of penance, tears, and prayer
Earning her scanty mills
With hard manual labor
After being tested for three years
She was eventually allowed to receive the habit of the third order
After being granted this grace
Her fervor increased
And it almost
It's almost impossible to believe
What rigorous laws and laws of the church
And what rigorous laws and laws of the church
Rigorous penances she performed
She wept over her sins day and night
And was often choked up
That she was so choked up that she couldn't even speak
God did assure that her sins were fully pardoned
And granted her special proofs of his favor
She was granted the gift of contemplation
The gift of the knowledge of the innermost secrets of heart
There were many times
Even when people came from great distances
That she would remind them
Of mortal sins that they had neglected to confess
She was instrumental in many conversions
And through her prayers and sacrifices
Souls were released from purgatory
Health was restored to the sick
There was a dead boy who was raised to life
And at her approach
Demons would shudder
And leave those who were possessed
Finally after 23 years of rigorous penance
At the age of 50 years
God called Margaret Tome
On February 22nd, 1297
And her body is preserved
In a precious shrine in the Franciscan church
At Cortona
The church which bears her name
And it is incorrupt to this present day
And it frequently emits a pleasant perfume
So it's incredible to see her
And see how God works in people's lives
Take, for example, Margaret
From all appearances
She seemed like so many young people
In our own day
Just a hopeless case
Without God in one's life
There is no hope
But
She was a woman
And she was a woman
And she was a woman
And she was a woman
And she was a woman
And she was a woman
And she was a woman
And she was a woman
And she was a woman
And she was a woman
And she was a woman
And she was a woman
And she was a woman
And she was a woman
That doesn't mean that God's not concerned for them
It's like the
You know, many people today
Are like the Pharisees
They
They criticized
Jesus
For
Eating
And drinking with sinners
And
And having that concern for them
But
We know where there is
Life
Where there is breath
There is hope
And
What made the difference
In Margaret's life
It was
Her sincere contrition
So we must never despair
Of the conversion of any sinner
We must never despair
Of the
Of our own conversion
No matter
How difficult it may be
To lay aside certain sinful habits
With God's grace
We can succeed
Just as
As Margaret was able to turn her life around
And
And live it for God
Instead of herself
Alleluia
Alleluia
Alleluia
Alleluia
Alleluia
Alleluia
Alleluia