What does it mean for me to renew my vows each year?
What does it mean for me to renew my vows each year?
This question is quite important in that it makes me think and helps me to clarify my thoughts and experiences for myself and for others. Thanks for asking the question!
The yearly renewal of vows by the members of the whole Institute on a particular date brings us all together. It means celebrating COMMUNION as a Family in the Family – a communion that is made up of the fidelity of each member. It signifies not only personal fidelity but also the fidelity of the Institute to a charism, to a history...fidelity that is translated into responses that are diverse, as diverse as the many individuals that make up our Family, living and working in the many situations and countries where we exist as a Family. In these different situations and countries, we show forth by our lives who we are and to what we are called to be and to live, as sisters of the Holy Family.
For me the renewal of vows means to celebrate the newness of consecrated life. Each year it is new and fresh ...new times, new lights, new calls, new documents, new community project, new situations experienced by our brothers and sisters, by society, the Church, the world...and a new call to remain open to the “new vision” which will lead us to live our “vows for mission and to choose life”.
And this year, once again in the newness of today, I feel ready to renew, celebrate, to welcome, to give thanks for, to share...my desire and that of all my sisters to “give myself totally and unreservedly to God. Only God deserves this gift of ourselves and only God can make us happy. And thus we “will receive lights that will illuminate our whole life” (Selected Texts 162).
Sabina Riaño Martínez Holy Family of Community of Pinto –
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“There is nothing now that can check your course”
The celebration of the 18th of December has a great significant for me; as I renew my Vows on this day, according to the constitution of the Institute. The reason is; I am convinced of “The reason of my being is for mission” from the time I made my vows. Therefore renewal of vows for me, is renewal of life for mission; In faith I accept the demands of the constitution and Recommit myself to live my vocation and mission with the new awareness’ of our new cosmic vision, in deep communion (interconnectedness) with God, with humanity and with the whole of the cosmic Family. In remembering, my FIAT the first “Yes” to the living God who loved me first. This is how I love, seek and desire God Alone in every thing and in always and live the charism; (in short), the rule of life is for me a specific way of living the Gospel, which I freely accept in faith as mediation of God’s will for me.
Our Venerable Founder Pierre Bienvenu Noailles speaks the importance of the Rule of life which I like very much; He is my spiritual director, that is how I see him and read His writings “My dear daughter if then your desire that all your actions even the smallest should be pleasing to Jesus and meritorious for heaven be sure that they are done according to rule, which will sanctify and direct them in the way that God wants. And another motive for committing yourself to following your rule is the peace that is to be found in obedience”.(S.T.no,31)
Therefore the constitution is a Golden rule of life for me, which I love and try to live. In my daily life, it shows the path to Holiness, and leads me to go forward with persevering fidelity towards the common Goal of our common mission; in the religious family. Therefore this day is a day of Joy and thanksgiving to God for His innumerable Blessing and his faithfulness towards me and our Family of P.B.N.
Sr. Elizabeth Sebastian
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Vows for me, is the sacred covenant that I have made freely to follow Jesus and be available to His mission by living faithfully the Evangelical Counsels. It is appropriate or rather it is a must that I set aside quality time to reflect on my sacred commitment and renew myself of my motivations, attitudes and my inner disposition to live my commitment through the Vows more convincingly and with more fervor.
Renewal of Vows in the Holy Family has very special and significant meaning to me. Through the Vows, I am bound to the PBN Family and commit myself to live my Vowed Life in the Holy Family way of life. It flows through the rich heritage that had been handed down to us from our Founder’s time to express publicly my membership in the Association of the Holy Family and in particular as an Apostolic Religious in the Institute. Renewal of Vows in the Holy Family is a grace and a golden opportunity to re-live my inter-connectedness and inter-relatedness to the Whole and thus renew my sense of belongingness to the Holy Family. It enables me to focus on what is specific and indispensable to live my Vowed Life according to the Constitutions, Charism and Spirituality of the Holy Family with renewed fervor and zeal. It enables me to focus on the most important aspect of the Holy Family Mission which is Communion.
Vowed life for mission beckons me to renew myself in the light of the Signs of the Times to recognize the movements of the Spirit to understand the new and deeper meaning of Vowed Life as “In the Service of All Life.” In this sense, renewal of Vows is no more a routine act but a conscious effort on my part to enter into the depth of the reality of living my Vowed Life to the full in embracing All Life, and to become aware of my responsibility to respect, nurture and preserve life and be accountable for All Life.
Hence, Renewal of Vows becomes a means of energizing myself in the Spirit and in the spirit of the Holy Family, evaluating my own life and its directions and re-route and align myself to all that contributes towards the fullness of life that Christ came to give.
Sr. Ida Joseph
Philippines
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The renewal of my vows means that I desire to continue to follow Jesus, poor, chaste and obedient and participate fully in his mission.
It expresses my commitment to the Family of Pierre Bienvenu Noailles and to his spirit : the spirit of God alone following in the footsteps of Jesus Mary and Joseph who loved, sought and desired God alone in all things.
The renewal of vows is also a sign of communion with all the sisters of the Institute throughout the world. I like to keep in mind the sisters of the different countries who are renewing their vows at the same time as us or perhaps a little earlier or later depending on where they live in the world. Here in our own country we have a celebration uniting the sisters from nearby communities. This is an opportunity for joyous celebration and renewal of their commitment and their belonging to the same Family.
The festive aspect of the renewal of vows is important. We recognise that it is the Lord who has accompanied us faithfully with his grace and this what we celebrate – our belonging to God.
The date 18 December is significant. It was on that date that our first and last constitutions were approved and we renew our vows according to the Constitutions.
In some countries, on this day the feast of our Lady of Hope is celebrated – she who carried in her womb he whom the whole world could not contain ; he who created this immense and beautiful world, the entire cosmos.
This is what comes to my mind when i think of this event.
Madeleine Blais
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T It is a time of grace to enter into my own inner self, evaluate my life and ministry through which I come to know my own strength and limitations.
T It is a time of deepening my relationship with the Lord and journey towards my personal vocation. Convinced of the love and compassion of Jesus in the past and look to the future with hope by modelling my life like that of Jesus, Mary and Joseph in my day today life.
T It is a time to renew my personal commitment to the Lord. I gratefully remember and renew my covenant with the Lord. It leads me to conversion. Faith in the resurrection of Christ Jesus helps me to accept my own weaknesses and follow Jesus in spite of it.
T Each renewal of vows confirms me in my vocation in the Holy Family. Through each renewal I am given a chance to choose the Vowed Life and freely recommit myself to the Lord and for His mission with more enthusiasm and fervour.
T It is a time to live the Pascal mystery of Christ. In each renewal I die to myself (year by year write and rewrite my discernment with the help of my accompanier) that enables me to sharpen my vision and reset my goal.
T Though I am weak and fragile, by believing in his word and guidance, I am able to say yes to his will at all moments. It leads me to renounce everything for the sack of Christ that gives me the inner peace and joy in my commitment.
Finally I can say it leads everyday to
T R – Renounce
T E – Evaluate
T N – Never say “No”
T E – Equip
T W – Walk with the Lord
T A – Accept
T L – learn to live
Reservations:
T Even though there are many Spiritual connotations for the ‘Renewal of Vows’
At times it is carried out as a routine practice.
India