Sr Mary-Ellen's Diamond Jubilee

When a postulant receives the habit, or a novice makes First Vows, or a junior professed makes her Promise of Obedience before Solemn Vows, she kneels before the abbess and community to make a petition.  In our community, she does this in her own words.  We, the community, get to hear a little of what is in her heart, and of how this sense of her vocation develops over the course of her journey toward final commitment.  Then comes a talk given by the abbess, to instruct the neophyte in the commitment she is about to make.  Today, Sr Mary-Ellen, in celebration of your Diamond Jubilee of profession, we recognize your 60 years of discipleship in the school of Christ by reversing that order.  I will give just a few words of introduction, and you will take it from there.

Many moons ago, you knelt in this chapter room side by side with Sr Margaret, your companion on Solemn Profession Day.  By that time, you had spent twenty years with the Sisters of Loreto, before leaving your beloved Australia and its people for the unknown shores of monastic life in America, answering a call from the Heart of Jesus which you could not deny.  Now you have given a further forty-three years of your life at Wrentham, and your devotion burns as brightly as ever.

I can scarcely hope to match the inspired words Mother Agnes gave you on that day, her reading of the story of the young men in the fiery furnace from the book of Daniel, applied as a parable to your act of definitive self-gift – a talk which was included in our Jubilee book.  Those words were certainly “tongued with fire,” for you, and for others who heard them.

“You know he is the living One, supremely free; and you prefer to cast yourselves into His will—His scary, bottomless, flaming love, than to stop short anywhere.  No limited, reasonable service for you.”

As someone who does nothing by halves, I can only imagine how ready you felt to leap into those flames.  And when you did, not just once but daily, minute by minute, without reserve, only your bonds would be destroyed by the fire, but the rest of you, your true self, free and loving, would remain unsinged.  You have been dancing in the flames now for 60 years, cooled by a breeze and accompanied by one like a Son of God.  As Mother Agnes put it: “Jesus can make a fiery furnace into Eden regained.”

From what I see and hear, Mary-Ellen, you have indeed found paradise amid the flames of daily trials and temptations.  Your life has been given in energetic service, and there is still more to come!  You have been faithful, and your heart knows why:

“It was not an envoy or a messenger,
    but his presence that saved them.
Because of his love and pity
    the Lord redeemed them,
Lifting them up and carrying them
    all the days of old.” (Is 63:9)

“I have indeed been taken possession of by Christ Jesus.” (Phil 3:12)

“Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” (Jn 21:17)