LMC Vow Renewal

Now is the 22nd time I have renewed my vows of chastity, poverty, obedience, and whole-hearted and free service to the poorest of the poor within the MC charism, first as a Carrier of God's Love and later as a Lay Missionary of Charity (LMC). I renewed by vows at St. Joseph's Church in Yakima, WA and they were witnessed by the celebrant and by my Spiritual Director Sr. Alice St. Hilaire who is one of the best spiritual directors in Washington state. They were also witnessed by my link who is me.

This is also the first time for my use of the new vow formula:

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. For the honour and glory of God and moved by an ardent desire to quench the infinite thirst of Jesus on the Cross and in the Eucharist for love and for souls, I, (NN.) vow for one year (conjugal) chastity, poverty, obedience and whole-hearted and free service to the poorest of the poor according to the Statutes of the Lay Missionaries of Charity. I give myself with my whole heart to God's service so that by the grace of the Holy Spirit and with the help of Mary, Mother of God, cause of our joy and Queen of the world, I may be led to the perfect love of God, of my neighbour and in a special way to the members of my own family; thus to make the Church more fully present in the world of today."

The new portion of the vows is found in the phrase "quench the infinite thirst of Jesus on the Cross and in the Eucharist for love and for souls". Over the years the MCs have more and more emphasized the Eucharist in their prayer life. A few years before her death Blessed Teresa of Kolkata asked the contemplative sisters to include more adoration time. Also one of the expressions she has used was something like this: You can see how much Jesus loved us by his death on the Cross and you can see how much he still loves us by giving us the Eucharist.

These new words give us a new challenge to be more active in our adoration of Jesus in the Eucharist and also in spreading Eucharistic Adoration.