|
Formula |
Explanation |
|
| I, Sister N.N. desiring to live faithfully | Our Carmelite vocation is a personal response to God's calling to give one's life to him and be steadfast with this decision. | |
| with the Blessed Virgin Mary | Mary is our Mother, patron, protector, sister, teacher and model through whom we go to Jesus. | |
| a life of allegiance to Jesus Christ, | Jesus Christ, who is the center of our life, is our Beloved, Friend, Spouse, Master, Savior and Teacher. | |
| with my sisters as witnesses, | We live in a small community, like a family sustained by sisterly love and support of one another. | |
| into your hands, Sister N.N. | Our Prioress stands in the place of God to support, help and guide us in our vocation. | |
| vow to almighty God for ever, chastity, poverty, and obedience, |
By the taking of these vows, we are consecrated (i.e. set apart) to serve God. The practice of these evangelical counsels (i.e. advices per the gospels) allows us to truly love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love our neighbor as Christ has loved us, laying down his life for us. | |
| according to the Rule and Constitutions of the Discalced Nuns | Our Rule and the Constitutions for the Nuns outline our spirit and the basic code of our life. | |
| of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel. | We are part of the family of the Carmelite Order with our specific charism (i.e. gifts of the Holy Spirit to the Church) | |
| With my whole heart I give myself | Our vocation demands the offering of our whole life and our whole being to the love and service of God and his Church. | |
| to this religious institute restored by Saint Teresa | The Discalced Carmelites is the reformed Carmelite order founded by St. Teresa. | |
| to seek perfect charity | Charity - Divine Love is the desire and goal of our life. Love never ends. It is eternal. It is God himself. | |
| in the service of our Mother the Church | All that we are and we do is to serve Christ and his Mystical Body, the Church. To love is to serve and to forget oneself. | |
| by the grace of the Holy Spirit | We cannot do what we desire without the inspiration and help of God. Without God, we are nothing and can do nothing. | |
| and the help of the Mother of God | Mary has and will continue to help us in our journey towards divine union with her Son. | |
| through constant prayer | Our part to play is to pray unceasingly, so that God will hear our prayer and we become a prayer. | |
| and evangelical self-denial, | Our prayer and fellowship with Christ is nourished by self-denial and the carrying of our daily cross, as Jesus has told his disciples. | |
| and to give eternal glory to the most holy Trinity. | May our Carmelite vocation give glory to the Blessed Trinity, from whom comes all blessings, and to whom we owe all our thanksgiving and praises. |
