Sister Sofia Natama
Reflects on her Renewal of Vows.
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Three years ago, I pronounced publicly my vows and it seems, that was just three days ago. I felt I was the happiest person in the world. The journey has been favored with deeper knowledge and understanding and wider experience of the charism and spirit of the Congregation. Today is another very significant day for me as I renew my vows before God, with all of you present in this community, for it does not only re-echo the day I said my “yes” to God, three years ago, but it renews and deepens my commitment to God to Her/His people. What we commemorate today (The Lord’s Institution of the Holy Eucharist) is the very essence of God’s call to me and to all of us – the act of love; the giving of oneself. Jesus’ commandment to love one another is rooted in this self-giving. It is this same love that impels me and all of us to seek justice, joy, freedom and peace for all forms of life. In the breaking and sharing of bread at the last supper, Jesus showed us an example. Breaking of the bread for me does not happen only at the altar in the Church, but it happens anywhere, at any time and with anybody. It sharing of myself with the Other and with others. It is sharing my time, my attention, my energy, my talents and skills, and my space – be it on the street, in a house, in the field, in the marketplace, in a hospital - anywhere. It is spending time with students, children, with a dying patient, with the beggars, with parents (seeking justice for the abuses done to their daughter), with the elderly, with people with disabilities, with people in pain and in deep sorrow after losing their loved ones. Every time I reach out to others, I do not only share a certain part of who I am but I also bring and channel to others, God’s love. The breaking and sharing of bread happen also in silence. As we spend time praying for one another, across distances, we somehow feel very much present and connected with one another. Our Lord’s breaking of the bread symbolizes God’s very presence among us. It transforms our minds, hearts and attitude, which enable us to act justly and to walk humbly with our neighbors. Sometimes our inability to waste time with others hinders us from experiencing God’s presence in our midst. The breaking and sharing of bread (which is the sharing who we are, what we have, our gifts of persons) nourishes and enriches us, as givers and receivers. May our daily participation in the Eucharist awake and strengthen our commitment to God’s call: to love one another. May this call to love be my day- to-day offering of myself/life as I continue to live out my vows. To each and every one of you, thank you very much for your presence, prayers and support. |
