Celebrating Our Vows: Sister Meg

As we prepare to renew our vows this year, three Sisters share their perspective about our annual vow renewal. Read yesterday's post by Sister Joanne and check in March 25 for the last post in the series.

Part II by Sister Meg Kymes, D.C.

Sister Meg Kymes,
4 years vocation

When I was beginning formation with the Daughters I was invited by the local community I lived with to come to their Renovation (Vow Day) Mass. I remember sitting in the back of the chapel surrounded by the Sisters I lived with and other Daughters from the area. After the homily the priest invited the Sisters to renew their vows. All at once everyone in the chapel, except for me and the priest, stood for a few moments, not saying a word, then sat down again and Mass continued. I thought to myself, "What just happened?"

Today, I am a Daughter of Charity, but am considered "under vows," which simply means I have not yet made my vows for the first time.* Most days my life doesn't look any different from the other Sisters I live with. I wear blue and white just like they do, I go to chapel and pray the same prayers they do, I go to my ministry every day. Nothing seems different at first, but I can't vow my life to my Lord like my Sisters do. I have signed over everything I owned before I came to the community and feel like the vows are part of my life, but I can't pray the same words they do every March 25. Instead I try to live out the vows to the best of my ability by practicing chastity, poverty, obedience and serving my masters, the poor, as my Sisters do.

On March 25, I pray for my Sisters around the world renewing their vows and pray to our Lord that when my time comes, I can say my own vows to the Lord and mean them with my whole heart.

*Daughters of Charity are 5-7 years vocation before they make vows for the first time.