A Very Useful Friend On Life's Journey

Having lived in solitude and austerity for several years Colette received a vision explaining that her mission was to reform the order of St. Clare which had fallen away from its splendid origins. This simple girl found the courage and strength to travel through France on foot to ask the Pope for his blessing. She was granted permission to join the order of St. Clare and spent her life establishing 17 convents throughout France based on the ideals of poverty and simplicity.

It is true to say that Colette was to Clare what Bonaventure was to Francis. She accomplished her work at the cost of much hardship and opposition. Some thought her a fanatic. She always went barefoot and wore patched clothes. Her principal concern was to pray constantly for the salvation of sinners.

For herself, Colette sought only poverty and the Cross. "What I fear most is to spend a day without suffering."

Born in Corbie, in France, in 1380, her parents were ordinary working people. Colette was a pious child who became more and more detached from the world. On the death of her parents she took the habit of the Third Order of St. Francis and retired to a hermit's cell to devote herself to prayer.

Like Colette, we are all chosen by God to do some special work. Are we ready to do God's will even when it involves hardship? Or do we try as far as possible to avoid the Cross? We don't have to look for the Cross because it is always there in one form or another. But when we find life hard let us remember Colette's fear of a day without the Cross and she will help us.

Her life's work was to pray for sinners as Our Blessed Lady has asked us to do whenever we say her Rosary. There is nothing that makes God, the angels and saints rejoice more than to know of one sinner who repents.

We constantly need to reform our own lives because it is so easy to veer from the right path. There are few saints better qualified than Colette to guide and help us, for she knew all about reformation of self. We thank God for the life of Saint Colette who can be a very useful friend to us in our journey to Heaven.