My name is Guido le Noble and here’s my testimony:

Last December 9, I made the step of formation with a view to celibacy for the Kingdom within the Emmanuel Community.

This step was preceded by a long time of wandering and hesitating. In fact, since I left the ESM in Paray le Monial (France) in 1990, I was attracted to Consecrated life. I attended several weekends with the consecrated brothers but these serious attempts to go further on this path alternated with phases of having a girlfriend.  It seemed like each time I draw nearer to consecrated life, I thought that I was going to miss something by renouncing marriage.

Then, two things helped me to finally go forward towards the step I took.

The first: I was fed up with meandering, going this way, going that way, without arriving at any destination. It felt like staying on a crossroad. So I decided to retreat for a few days in a convent. I really urged God to give me a clear answer. During that time in the convent, I immersed myself in prayer. These hours of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament were mentored by a priest. Upon leaving the retreat, I had a very clear answer and great joy.

Yet, it would take years to move further forward in a decisive way.

For that, it took a second important means of help: friendship. God gave me a friend who himself was seeking his path, his vocation. This friend made me aware that, if God shows us where our full happiness lies, we will have to take a step to reach that destiny. To take a concrete step, I needed this friendship. By sharing to him all my battles and weaknesses, I realised that they were not obstacles, but so to say, even necessary for living and to realize my calling!