Today, I went to my Carmelite Community's November Profession Mass. This is the one year anniversary of my temporary promise and the three year anniversary of reception of my brown scapular. I watched a friend make her Definitive Promise--a lifetime commitment to follow the Carmelite charism. It was so beautiful. It was like attending a wedding.
I have at least two years more of discernment before making that lifetime vow. For today, I feel so hopeful. The Mass was so elegant. It really reminded me of the great grace Our Lady's gives to our vocation. Our priest kept stressing the "evangelical" part of our promise during his homily. We're called to live a life of "evangelical chastity, evangelical poverty and evangelical obedience." Falling in love with Christ makes you a witness to the world. It catches others up into your love affair with God.
Please pray for Jon (my husband) and I to have great courage during this tough discernment period. Right now, I'm trying to figure out if God wants me to leave the Secular Community which has nurtured my vocation for four years, to another community that is much closer to our new house.
