Daily Renewal

Ave Maria!

Sister Marie, blogger of "O will of God, thou art my love!", has written a lovely entry about her daily vow renewal. This daily prayer of hers, she explains, is both a confirmation of her entire gift of self to the Lord as well as an ardent plea for His grace and help to live the gift of the vocation He has given her.

The same is true for me as a consecrated virgin. Each morning after receiving my Beloved Jesus in Holy Communion, I renew the consecration Archbishop Joseph Fiorenza bestowed upon me on that glorious day of May 8, 2004. With humble gratitude, I kiss my ring and recall the words the Archbishop spoke to me when he slipped my wedding band onto my finger during the Rite of Consecration to a Life of Virginity for Women Living in the World:

Receive the ring that marks you as a bride of Christ. Keep unstained your fidelity to your Bridegroom, that you may one day be admitted to the wedding feast of everlasting joy.

Then I silently sing the words of my final response at the very end of the Rite: I am espoused to Him whom the angels serve. Sun and moon stand in wonder at His beauty.

Finally, I end with my own little prayer that I've been praying for many years, even before my consecration as a virgin: O my Jesus, I am Yours and all that I have is Yours, to do with as You will, in life and death, in time and eternity, through Mary, Your Most Holy Mother and mine. Amen! Alleluia!

How good God is! "Domine non sum dignus..." Yes, I am absolutely unworthy, but He who is Infinite Love has called me to be His bride and how my heart rejoices! Thanks be to God!

P.S. The above image is my wedding band from my Consecration. It's the Crown of Thorns ring by James Avery. Inside is inscribed the date of my consecration along with the words "My Beloved" from the Song of Songs. My dear sister Annie and her husband John kindly gifted me with this beautiful ring for my Consecration. I was a bit sad a few months ago when I had to have it cut off my finger which had become badly swollen with arthritis. My ring cannot be repaired without ruining the design and the inscription, so now I keep it on my prayer altar and wear a simple silver wedding band on my right hand.

(This post is continued here.)