Like a wedding, but different.
September 22, 2006
Like a wedding, but different. Joyful, yet solemn. So simple, and at the same time, extravagant. A first profession of vows.
Last Sunday, three of our sisters knelt at the foot of the altar in St. Adalbert Church in the South Bronx, and placing their hands into the hands of Sister Lucille, our Community Servant, pronounced their vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience with clear, steady, and determined voices.
The familiar story of the woman anointing Jesus comes to mind. Saint Mark describes the scene: “A woman came with an alabaster jar of perfumed oil, costly genuine spikenard. She broke the alabaster jar and poured it on his head.” Breaking the jar was reckless and perhaps impetuous. Her oil had one purpose and she was holding none of it back for herself. It was courageous and it was criticized. The next line in Mark’s Gospel is “There were some who were indignant. ‘Why has there been this waste of perfumed oil?’”
A consecrated life? No husband, no children, no material things? Young, gifted, beautiful women throwing their lives away. It is not only a few who think this way. And Jesus responds, “Let her alone. Why do you make trouble for her? She has done a good thing for me.”
Would that more were ready to break the jar and pour their lives out! How can it ever be wrong to strive to imitate our Lord Jesus who allowed Himself to be broken, to be pierced and poured out?
Please pray for our Sisters as they strive to live what they have professed!
Sr. Clare Matthiass, CFR
Click here to see the article with pictures. (I would have posted them myself but without the help of a right click button and a few other slightly missed abilities, I was unable to do so on this computer. Sorry!)
Like a wedding, but different. Joyful, yet solemn. So simple, and at the same time, extravagant. A first profession of vows.
Last Sunday, three of our sisters knelt at the foot of the altar in St. Adalbert Church in the South Bronx, and placing their hands into the hands of Sister Lucille, our Community Servant, pronounced their vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience with clear, steady, and determined voices.
The familiar story of the woman anointing Jesus comes to mind. Saint Mark describes the scene: “A woman came with an alabaster jar of perfumed oil, costly genuine spikenard. She broke the alabaster jar and poured it on his head.” Breaking the jar was reckless and perhaps impetuous. Her oil had one purpose and she was holding none of it back for herself. It was courageous and it was criticized. The next line in Mark’s Gospel is “There were some who were indignant. ‘Why has there been this waste of perfumed oil?’”
A consecrated life? No husband, no children, no material things? Young, gifted, beautiful women throwing their lives away. It is not only a few who think this way. And Jesus responds, “Let her alone. Why do you make trouble for her? She has done a good thing for me.”
Would that more were ready to break the jar and pour their lives out! How can it ever be wrong to strive to imitate our Lord Jesus who allowed Himself to be broken, to be pierced and poured out?
Please pray for our Sisters as they strive to live what they have professed!
Sr. Clare Matthiass, CFR
Click here to see the article with pictures. (I would have posted them myself but without the help of a right click button and a few other slightly missed abilities, I was unable to do so on this computer. Sorry!)
Labels: Vocation Talk
posted by Laura H. at 9/22/2006 12:17:00 PM
1 Comments:
It is so uplifting to read that more women are doing such a great thing for Christ!
God Bless
Post a Comment
<< Home