TO SANTA MARGHERITA DI CORTONA / by Joe Castorino

You had a bewitching beauty,

And an intoxicating charm,

Their seductive magical spell

Gave you great power,

Power over the hearts of men,

Who fell head over heels in

Lust with you.

You loved it,

You loved the attention,

You loved the sense of control,

But, one day, as you walked

In the woods, your life was

Changed forever through

God’s mystical divine mercy.

You stumbled across the corpse

Of your dear beloved Arsenio,

And what fears then whirled

Through your agitated mind!

You reflected on the horrors of hell,

The suffering of unspeakable torments,

The wailing, lamentation, and despair!

Pricked by the pitchforks of

Painful recollection and also

Fear of the Living Death,

You fell to your knees and,

Like the penitent Magdalene,

You allowed the good God

To make you a new creation.

You became a Franciscan tertiary,

Serving the needs of the poor

In holy purity and simplicity,

Loving your holy Lord oh so

Deeply and passionately,

Wanting others to know the

Sweetness of intimacy with Him.