First Profession, Daughters Of St. Paul

[DameAgnes]

http://pursuedbytruth.blogspot.com/2014/09/profession-of-vows-wildflower-in-pages.html

[MargaretTeresa]

:NUN2: :NUN2: :NUN2: Someday, someday, that will be me, God willing.

[petitpèlerin]

I love this:

 

It is hard to describe in a concrete way how my interior life is different after making vows to God to live chastity, poverty and obedience in imitation of the way Jesus lived on earth. The only way I have been able to describe it to myself is that I now feel that I have stepped more deeply into the mystery of God. I feel like a small piece of metal that voluntarily dove into the magnetic field of the strongest magnet on earth. It is as if my vows pressed my soul upon God like a small wildflower between the thick pages of an ancient book.

 

A magnetic field is an amesome way to describe it. This is how I've experienced it in the time I've spent with my community, and how I have imagined myself experiencing the mystery of God in vows, but it sounds better than I even imagined. I just don't relate to all the talk in and around religious life about the spousal relationship. Maybe I just have no use of imagination to help me along with the spousal imagery and talking about Jesus as if he were my sweetheart standing next to me holding my head, but it all makes me see convents sort of like harems, a bunch of women fussing over the same man. But magnetic fields? Now we're talking. I mean, what else better describes a relationship with a God who is spirit? So grateful to have read this just before entering myself.

[emma8201986]

I agree with you as respects the spousal imagery - I have always been uncomfortable with it.  Certainly male vowed religious don't think in the same terms - that would be kinda creepy.  I suppose for some women, it truly symbolizes the total commitment in a meaningful way.  It doesn't work for me.

[DameAgnes]

Actually I once heard a priest preach on the spousal relationship of priest to God and I thought it was pretty interesting.

[Thijs]

sisters in formation;

 

http://www.daughtersofstpaul.com/Photos/ID/60/July-28-2014-Renewal-of-Vows-of-Sr-Laura-Fidelis-Nolin-FSP-and-Sr-Kelly-Andrew-Marie-Tyler-FSP#prettyPhoto[DNNGallery6799]/17/

[krissylou]

To understand that picture a little more: the sisters in medium blue (with veils) are in temporary vows (which for this community go on for 5-6 years).  There is one more sister in temporary vows who is not in the photo because she's in Rome preparing for perpetual vows next summer.

 

The women in navy blue (no veils) are postulants or novices.  (In many communities, sisters receive the habit when they enter novitiate, generally with a white veil.  This community used to do that too, but for whatever reason they decided to give the habit at first profession.)  This photo was taken before first professions last month, so two of the women pictured as novices have since made their first vows.

[4LoveofJMJ]

This order has slowly been creeping into my heart like I never thought it would. Love reading stories like this!!!!