Acceptance

This is for Sister Catherine Marie, who's Final profession I was not able to attend because I live on mission in Rome, Italy, but I was very much present in mind and spirit. Sharing these days of joy are what community is all about and this past week I had the opportunity to attend the final profession of Sister Scholastica who lives in the Benedictine community in Assisi. The world of Benedictine women is very much a global community and the only difference in the ceremony was the people and the language. At Final Profession the sister asks to be part of our community and we members publicly accept her into our community. Then the sister makes/reads her vows to the community and sings her "Suscipe"....accept me O Lord. Those of us who have professed our final vows join in singing, with heart and mind. We are renewing our own profession and asking God to accept again our vows. Isn't that what life is all about, asking God to accept us as who we are? But in a Benedictine community we also ask our sisters to accept us as who we are! And we in turn accept who they are and will become!