A Joyful Gift to the Lord
On July 26th, the Feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, our Sister Ana Maria professed her First Vows within the celebration of the Holy Mass. As the Celebrant reminded us, through these three vows of poverty, chastity and obedience ~ and her life as a contemplative, cloistered nun ~ Sister Ana Maria will be everywhere without ever leaving the Monastery. Staying in Brooklyn, she will be helping the entire world through her prayers and sacrifices; reaching out to the suffering, the poor, the lonely, and the sick. In living her holy vows, she gives everything to God, Who has given everything to her, and she commits herself to walking the royal road of the Evangelical Counsels ~ and to living the Visitandine charism of profound humility before God and great gentleness toward our neighbor. During the Profession Ceremony, Sr. Ana Maria received the black veil of a Professed Sister, showing that she is totally given to Christ Our Lord and dedicated to the service of the Church; she received the Cross of our Order as a seal on her heart so that she may be crucified to the world with Jesus, her Spouse; she received our Holy Constitutions, which will nourish her spirit and heart; and she received her new name, Sister Ana Maria. Infinite Love has given Himself to Sister Ana Maria; and in professing her Vows, she has responded to Him, humbly and with gratitude, and has allowed Him to make a unique, total, and exclusive claim on her heart. Rejoice with us as we rejoice with our Triune God, our Blessed Mother, our holy founders, Saint Francis de Sales and Saint Jane de Chantal, and all the Heavenly Hosts in this gift of her life to Our Lord!
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