On the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, a good number of us Daughters of Jesus were invited to the renewal of vows of Silvia Rozas. It took place in the parish of Ventilla neighborhood where the juniorate is located.
Seve Lázaro SJ, the parish priest, welcomed us with affection, underscoring the opening words of Mª Carmen Jimenez in expressing the gratitude of the sisters for being able to join the parish, facilitated by the excellent reception.
We met several people who go to daily Mass at 8 pm and the atmosphere was that of an extended ecclesial family, but also with the simplicity given by the meaningful intimacy of what we were going to celebrate.
At the time of the homily Seve reminded us of the two figures of the feast, Peter and Paul, pillars both of the church, and that the two were also called and invited to follow the Lord in contexts and ways that seemed contradictory; but for the call there are no times or places. We have narrowed down its framework thinking that it can take place only in the chapel, but it turns out that all space and time can be sacred place.
Silvia, too, wants to renew her Yes as a Daughter of Jesus and answer the question of the Lord, “Who am I to you?”. It will be a yes to every day, learning gradually the cost of the word given. Let us pray for depth of the heart to respond like Peter and Paul, for generous dedication, strength and courage to announce and discern that the gospel is proclaimed with one’s life.
Then he invited Teresa, our provincial superior, to explain what the vows mean, which does not refer to the votes that we gave last Sunday, date of elections in the country [Translator’s note: in Spanish, the word is the same – “voto” – for vow as well as vote] … She shared with us the beginning of this path when Silvia pronounced her first vows two years ago in the Dominican Republic and renewed them last year in another community, already with the intention to remain forever in the Congregation of the Daughters of Jesus.
It is usually a simple act that is done in the chapel of the house and acquires its meaning in everyday life; it is learning to seek and find the Lord in all things, in the routine of every day, because that is where we fulfill the surrender that we promised.
Our name as Congregation, Daughters of Jesus, means that He is our hallmark, the DNA that shapes us; and the desire and intention of the vows is for us to increasingly resemble Jesus with our dedication to our brothers and sisters.
Then we were invited to a moment of silence to present to the Lord our sister Silvia, praying that she may experience His unconditional love.
After Communion, Silvia gave thanks for the Yes of the lay and that of religious life, for her community, for life interwoven with other Daughters of Jesus, with people of the CLC, with Jesuits and many others. Thanks because the parish is in reality a community of communities and we help each other advance with the desire to dedicate ourselves, each from his/her vocation.
At the end, after appropriate greetings, we went home to share an ice cream and a few more moments to celebrate the joy of this encounter that makes us all the more sisters because it renews us, together with Silvia’s yes, in the desires that Jesus be ever more our center. And that she is able to live thus each day is a gift for all.
By Maria Luisa Berzosa fi
