“With a firm resolve to consecrate myself to God, and to follow Christ unconditionally…”This sentence of the vow formula is meaningful to me because it reflects the deliberate, whole-hearted choice I am making to give all of myself as a consecrated woman to Christ and to this Community. It is a response of “yes” to God’s will and to His call, and is connected with all His invitations made to me throughout my life to grow and love more deeply. Making first profession is a natural deepening of this relationship that enables it to flourish and grow in accord with His will. I have to say that my only possible reaction to this reality is a real, deep, and amazing joy! To be united with Him will mean a deeper sharing in the pain of His cross and in His resurrection, but I know that I can trust in the support of His grace to never leave me.
I seek to make these promises to God with “a firm resolve” because I know I can place all my trust in His faithful and unfailing mercy. There is so much hope in this because when we place our trust in His mercy, there is no limit to the new life and healing He will pour out on us and on His people (except for the limits we create ourselves). I believe that if I truly strive to be faithful to this call to the consecrated life, and seek to follow Him without conditions and holding nothing back, He will continue to provide the grace to follow Him more closely.
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