A Reflection for the Profession of First Vows

The beauty and the challenge of a day like today is not just finding the right thing to say at this moment, but of discovering what to say amid all that could be said about a day like today.

Just look around — here we are in this beautiful church, with some viewing via closed circuit and livestream, which is truly another kind of beauty — sisters, associates, friends, and companions, and who knows who else has wandered into our church this morning, thinking they were just coming to Sunday Mass.

This isn’t just another Sunday Mass — it is also a sacred container for the first profession of vows. For Sisters of Providence and Providence Associates, this Eucharist is also a gateway to the opening of our 41st General Chapter. What better way to begin our time as a Providence Community than by witnessing Stephanie Rivas profess her first vows?

So amid all the powerful readings, songs, and prayers selected for today, not to mention all that Stephanie used in preparation for today, what should be said that would speak to Stephanie’s heart, that would speak to each of our hearts as we celebrate the gift of this moment with her and with each other.

And there it was — what I will call the essence of a day like today — in their chapter on “Vows as Covenant,” Sisters Sophia Park and Tere Maya write: “Jesus called his disciples whom he loved.” I repeat, Jesus called his disciples whom he loved.

Stephanie Rivas, it is Jesus who has summoned you here today because he loves you. Because he loves you, he is counting on you to go forth, as our Chapter theme suggests, to sow seeds of hope for the life of the world. Or as you stated in your letter to me, “living the vows today means ‘Breaking boundaries, Creating hope.’”

I believe your profession of vows as a Sister of Providence is your acceptance of Jesus’ mandate to go forth, to be in mission, to bring about the reign of God in your own inimitable way.

It is also your acknowledgment that you are loved with an everlasting love. And no matter what the heartbreaks of your life have been or will be, you are called to stay grounded in that love.

Sister Stephanie Rivas (left) with Sister Barbara Ann Bluntzer.

If I recall correctly, Stephanie, in one of the opening lines of your autobiography as part of your application to the Sisters of Providence, you called yourself a “Miracle Baby,” explaining that you were born two months premature. It seems even at birth, you were summoned forth and then lovingly cared for until you were strong enough to make your own way.

I do believe that God has summoned each of us here to go forth and bear fruit because each of us is a beloved disciple. The vows any of us profess, whether baptismal, marriage, or religious, help harness the power of love indwelling in each of us.

In thinking about the vows that Stephanie will profess today, I found surprising inspiration from that first reading from Exodus — the story of Elisha (E-lie-sha) and the Shuna/mmite woman.

Scriptural sources highlight the principle of hospitality in this reading—both divine and human. It seems to me that this is radical hospitality on the part of the Shuna/mmite woman. It is quite one thing to welcome a stranger into your home, even if he is a prophet, and quite another to create a whole bedroom for him.

Sister Stephanie Rivas (right) sharing a moment with Sister Carolyn Bouchard.

In so many ways, this action lifts up the vow of chastity. Many of you have heard me say over the years that the vow of chastity or consecrated celibacy, as we profess, is about loving whoever shows up in your life. Our friends Sophia Park and Tere Maya call this vow the vow of friendship:

“As Jesus calls his disciples friends, disciples can make friends with people of all genders, races, and classes. …women religious can go anywhere …. and work with anyone who wants to collaborate within the spirit of connection.”

Because of this vow, I am called, you are called, to do exactly what Jesus asks in today’s Gospel: to put the love of God and the mission of Jesus before father, mother, son, or daughter. How do I/we make room for the holy as the Shuna/mmite woman did?

I think Elisha illustrates well the call that comes to us through the vow of poverty — utter dependence on Providence. Elisha trusts that what he needs — food and shelter — will be provided. His focus is on relying on others and receiving their hospitality as a guest, rather than being self-sufficient.

General Superior Sister Dawn Tomaszewski (left) with Sister Stephanie Rivas.

It is this stance toward life that is captured in our own Constitutions:

Only those are truly free who confess a fundamental dependence on God, who attest to eternal values by detachment from material possessions and unreasonable adherence to personal opinions, and who are self-giving in their use of time and energy.

Being simple enables us to do this. I found this beautiful line from your autobiography, Stephanie. You said, “The simplicity of our childhood was rich.” May the same be true of the simplicity of your life as a vowed member of the Sisters of Providence.

I find that the actions of both Elisha and the Shuna/mmite woman reflect the strength of the vow of obedience. The word obedience is derived from the Latin word, meaning “to listen.” Of course, this vow calls us to listen to the Spirit of God, moving in one another, discerning together toward life and mission.

But this vow also asks me: to whom am I paying attention, to whom am I listening? Elisha and the Shuna/mmite woman seem to listen with their hearts to discern each other’s needs. Both Pope Frances and now our Pope Leo are almost begging the world to listen to the voices of the poor and the invisible.

We know this is moving in your own heart, Stephanie, and your particular call to be attentive to the voice of cultural identity. Sisters Sophia Park and Tere Maya offer helpful advice for all of us:

We cannot assume that we fully understand any culture at any given moment. Women religious … should become mobile and adaptable, by listening to others with sincere and humble hearts. … We can grow and experience transformation by engaging with and listening to others.

What happened when Elisha (E-lie-sha) listened to the heart of the Shunammite woman? The promise of new life in the gift of a son.

General Councilor Sister Carole Kimes (from left) with Sister Stephanie Rivas, Sister Norene Wu and General Superior Sister Dawn Tomaszewski.

Today, as we listen to you profess first vows, Stephanie, may we do our part in listening to your heart and creating a community where you can become the woman religious you are meant to be.

Because that is the beautiful thing about these vows — they are not lived in isolation.

As you walk the Path of Providence, remember that this particular religious Congregation is called into being by God to participate as a community in extending the providential designs of God to all creation.

Stephanie, your community has already expanded to include the beautiful children of Central Catholic School in Indianapolis. May you continue to bless them and be blessed by their presence in your life.

So go forth, Stephanie Rivas, summoned by the love of Jesus and surrounded by the community of Providence, to break boundaries and create hope.

It is my privilege now, on behalf of this Providence Community, to call Sister Stephanie Rivas to her first profession of vows by using Saint Mother Theodore’s own words in calling forth the sisters of her day:

Stephanie: “If … you are quite determined to belong entirely to God, to work with all your strength … I say to you with assurance, Come.”