Monastic Profession of S. Elizabeth Carrillo
January 7, 2006
S. Anne Shepard

It is fitting in this season of Christmastide to celebrate a monastic profession, a community event couched within the liturgical themes of the mystery of God’s extravagant love and our response to that love. The feast of the Epiphany is the feast of the manifestation of Christ to world. The gospel story that was just proclaimed is a familiar one. God appears to three magi, three regal personages. They are given a star to follow and they bring gifts to a special one who is the messiah. The child they find is a person of simple origin, not one among the nobility. In the presentation of the gifts they were transformed. They had enough insight after the visit to the Holy family to ignore the civic command to return to the king who sent them.

The first reading of this Sunday’s liturgy is from the Advent and Christmas prophet, Isaiah.
Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem and come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you....The Lord shines over you and over you appears his glory.
Nations will walk by your light and kings by your shining radiance.
You shall be radiant with what you see, your heart shall throb and overflow...
Isaiah 60:1-3

The imagery in this passage and indeed the entire reading, is powerful in its description of the radiance of God’s love for us. Monastic profession is a response to that extravagant love of God, responding in profound faith to the mystery of the Incarnation. The one who makes profession does so after she has been immersed in the study of the gospel, the Rule of St. Benedict and living in community, and after realizing that she loves all three. By asking to make profession, she is willing to live the gospel demands under the structures and guidelines of this particular monastery and among this specific group of women.

Elizabeth, you have studied the meaning of monastic profession of stability, fidelity to the monastic way of life and obedience. Tonight you are expressing your desire to continue unraveling the meaning of the baptismal covenant between you and God with those gathered here. Your perseverance has been tested and will be in the days and years to come. You are going to make this commitment because you have grown in knowledge, reflection and freedom. The novitiate years were ones which provided opportunities and time for solitude, silence, service to your sisters. You have had the assistance of sisters in the formation process who have helped you discern if you are here for the right reasons.

Tonight the community is glowing in the light of Christ. We are convinced that the glory of the Lord is shining over you, Elizabeth, and over us. We know that our church and our society depend on us being faithful to the gospel and Rule. The radiance of Christ is seen from our cenobitic lifestyle of being rooted where we are, in obeying one another, in the openness to change for the better every day.

Many of us have read and studied the words spoken by Christine Vladimiroff in her keynote address to the Leadership Conference of Women Religious this past August. Christine suggests that “When we can clearly articulate who we are in our world and how we are gift to our church then we can move with confidence in to a future that is hope filled.” This, she, says, will demand transformation. Guided by professing fidelity to the monastic way of life, we stay rooted in our history and by our faithfulness we give shape to the history of our future. It was so obvious that Christine’s well received address was seeped in Benedictine monastic values. It is also quite apparent that we monastics have a unique place among religious.

Another talk at the LCWR that has not received as much publicity was one given by Ursuline Maria Cimperman, who, unlike most of us, was born at the close of Vatican II. Speaking on behalf of her generation, she stated “the biggest task in our lifetime is to be properly prepared to change in dialogue. We are in an increasingly polarized nation, world, and church and there is no sign of abatement...the challenge is to dialogue beyond ideologies.” She quoted John Allen from the Catholic Common Ground Annual gathering who insisted that there are five elements at the core of a spirituality of dialogue: humility, solid formation in the Catholic tradition, patience, a perspective of seeing issues through the eyes of others, and adherence to a healthy Catholic identity. Maria emphasized that the dialogue she asks us to consider is necessarily global, visionary and that which leads to collaborative action on behalf of justice.

Elizabeth, you are answering the call to seek God in this community. We are so very grateful for the light you are among us. We are aware that you also rely on the lights, the wisdom and insights, the brightness of community members. We will be counting on you to help us articulate who we are as we give voice and witness to the future. We welcome dialogue, knowing that it may be difficult at times, to help eradicate the polarization that is outside of the monastery, but which can creep into community. Like the magi, you are placing a precious gift in the presence of the living Christ tonight, your profession formula. Like the magi, you have been transformed. Be assured that we will be praying that your light among us will be lasting.

Photos of S. Elizabeth's Triennial Profession