Some may think that consecrated religious people do not know much about love. I used to think that too. Some priests prepare couples for marriage and I would ask myself, “What do priests know about marriage since they’re not married?” But really, we do know about love. We are all called to love.
Sister Boram Lee, Sister Rachel Lauritsen, and I just professed our perpetual vows. This means that we have bound ourselves to Christ in the Church as Salesian Sisters with the vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience forever. We, too, had to say, “I do.” With 10 years of formation, I also wondered, “Is He [Jesus] the one?” “Can I commit to Him and this life forever? Can I do this?”
Sister Rachel was also filled with anticipation. After entering deeply into our charism and reflecting upon her relationship with Christ through her experiences at the second novitiate in Italy, she felt more strongly than ever the desire to profess her perpetual vows. As we walked down the aisle of St. Joseph Chapel on August 5th, her nerves began to dissipate. The excitement and joy of reaching this moment of irrevocably giving her life to Christ forever took over. Going forward, her hope and prayer is that she may be an instrument to bring the young ever closer to Christ. Sister Boram realized the “one thing” necessary, and expressed it in a prayer she wrote for the occasion:
“There is one thing I desire, Lord. Only this I seek. To dwell with you forever as your FMA bride. Dearest Jesus, my heavenly spouse, most beautiful, Dearest Father, my greatest Good, Truth itself, Holy Spirit, Breath of God, moving within me, Help me to recognize your presence in the young and my Sisters in community. May my prayer and work be a single movement of love, an unending hymn of praise to you. Help me to love and serve you forever, as your FMA bride.”
We too are called to marriage, and we know a thing or two about love. Like everyone else, with trust and a leap of faith, we say “I do.” Now, we are married to Jesus, who “came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10). We have discovered and desired this life. This life lived abundantly is the gift of oneself to God and others in love. For us, it is to be an FMA bride forever in an ongoing mission of love.