"I have confirmed and renewed my vows..."
When the Visitation Order began, our Founders chose November 21 (formerly the memorial of Our Lady’s “presentation” in the temple) as a day that the Sisters would renew their vows together in a devotional way. In this 400th anniversary year of our Order, I felt specially united with my Sisters across the globe on our vow renewal day, knowing that we were all pondering the call of God in our lives and voicing our response to Christ’s love through this renewal.
At the conclusion of the retreat days, each Sister writes her vow renewal in a special “Vow Book”. The short entry states,
“I have confirmed and renewed my vows on this day of the Presentation of Our Lady, Nov. 21, ____. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, Amen.”
Each year as I open the book to “my page”, I marvel at God’s fidelity to me all these years! I also think about some “marker” renewal times in my life, such as the thrill of writing my vows in the very book that St. Jane de Chantal used to write her vows in Annecy!
“To open this book is to see my life commitment inscribed, and to write those words once more …is to let my heart be reminded that it is Jesus who invites each of us into a life of deep union with him…” – Sr. Karen Mohan
In a recent visit to our Georgetown Visitation Community, I looked at the first American Visitation Vow Book honored in their chapel, a testimony to the providence of God inspiring these late 18th century Visitation Sisters to live the Salesian charism in the “new world”. And as I wrote my vow renewal in our Minneapolis Vow Book, a gift from our Georgetown community when we were established here 21 years ago, I studied the cover design that our dear friend, Brother Mickey McGrath, created for us . To open this book is to see my life commitment inscribed, and to write those words once more –this year coinciding with the feast of Christ the King, is to let my heart be reminded that it is Jesus who invites each of us into a life of deep union with him; it is Jesus whose love renews and provides me with what I will need to become his presence in our world, and it is Jesus whose forgiving love lifts me up and brings joy to my days. It’s no wonder that St. Francis de Sales wisely talked about all three vows being rolled up into one:
Baby Marguerite Marie embraces the Sister's cross on Vow Renewal Day
“We have no bond but the bond of love which is the bond of perfection”.
We strive to live and hand on this message of love to the next generation with trust and hope. The presence of baby Marguerite Marie Kiemde and her parents, who joined us for Eucharist with Fr. Kevin Cullen, SJ, on our special day brought home to me that the vow of love expressed in many walks and ways of life is what directs all of us through our baptismal calling. This is a blessing to carry us all though this week of Thanksgiving!
Amen.
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