Vows in Fallen World – What I Saw This Saturday.

“In a fallen and broken world love takes the form of a vow.”

This past Saturday God so alined it that I would bear witness and serve in two Masses in which lifelong vows took place. I saw eight Dominican sisters lay down their lives for Christ their Spouse at our cathedral in the morning. Then I saw a man and woman lay down their lives for each other at my home parish in the afternoon. All were young people with a young love brimming in their hearts. The convergence of these events this weekend was something great and magnificent in the world, and yet it was hidden among the shadows, shadows caused by both the virus keeping people away and by a world that has forgotten the significance and purpose of making such permanent vows for life. The convergence of these two events was a sign from God shining light in the shadows, the world’s darkness. The light that shined was the continued presence of God and the things of God, especially acted through the ministry of souls that is His Church.

God is still calling men and women to lives that use the goodness of the created world, sanctifies it, and raises its dignity to the heights of holiness that replicates the life of God in His Trinity – total self-gift to the other forever out of pure love while generating love and being inspirited with love and producing the life enjoyed by both self and the other, who is the beloved. This is the love that is the life of the one Triune God. Thus, this, in sacramental ways through our baptism, is the love that is the vow of the religious laying down her life and the life of husband and wife in vowed life-giving matrimony. Both are vowed because, in accordance with the Higher Way which they replicate, The Father “vows” His love to the Son, the Son “vows” His love to the Father, and the Spirit is the “vow” or “pledge” of love between Them for all eternity. And the Son has “vowed” His love for the Church in the Blood of the Cross, and will come again to claim His Spouse. Creation is marked by God’s touch. This is God’s plan, and religious vows and sacramental marriages taking place are signs of God’s active plan working even in a fallen and broken world that has shrouded it in its darkness and forgetfulness.

TL;DR: God was puttin in that work this weekend, and I saw it.

I love my job.