RVM, a celebration of Silver Jubilee

The Holy Mother Church has been gifted with so many consecrated persons and religious throughout the world. Locally, the Church of Davao offered in joyful thanksgiving together with the Religious of the Virgin Mary as the Silver Jubilee of Sister Maria Mae Macrohon, RVM and Sister Maria Leah Zozobrado, RVM, was celebrated in San Pablo Parish, Juna Subdivision, Matina, Davao City last February 2, 2022. The Holy Eucharist and renewal of their vows was presided by the Most Rev. George B. Rimando, D.D., auxiliary Bishop of Davao.

On this occasion of the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, Fr. Angelito “Lito” Ancla, CMF, shared in his homily the meaning of celebrating a silver jubilee. He who became friends with Sister Mae and Sister Leah since 1997, said that a silver jubilee celebration is a celebration of God’s Revelation, renewal of Vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, and, an invitation to a renewed sense of Mission. He developed his homily as we read this excerpt:

Revelation: “Silver jubilee means opening more and more our hearts to the Lord, who reveals himself as the one who beacons or calls us in love, for love and to love. Our vocation is not just by chance. We were called to religious live because he is in love with us even before we knew him. He even already prepared a great plan for us. When our hearts were already to listen to his voice, he called us and we were seduced by that gentle but assuring voice. We listened and discerned who that voice was. It was a voice that was new but at the same time so familiar and intimate. We cannot help but follow the voice and desire to say ‘yes’ even when we did not know him that deeply yet and lacked knowledge where he will bring us and how he will lead us.

Vows: “Silver jubilee is our renewal of our consecration to religious life through our profession of the evangelical vows we made 25 years ago. It seems that long time had past but I believe that the memories of that first profession is still fresh in our minds. It was a mixture of fear and excitement but we still recommit ourselves to t alive of poverty, chastity and obedience. Our understanding then of these vows were very intellectual. We must have grasped what they really mean at least conceptually. But after uttering those vows to our superiors a new life has begun. The new journey of truly living those vows started. I believe that we have many stories to tell on how we lived the essence of chastity which is supposed to make us live charitably. Or the vow of poverty which invites us to live generously. And obedience which challenges us to live humbly. But I think with this 25 years of religious life, we can also tell as much stories that tell tales of stained chastity when our hearts followed desires and relationships that competed with the one whom our hearts should solely belong. We can also enumerate stories violating poverty especially when vices, greed and selfishness obscure the values of religious life. We can also share many stories of unwillingness to obey due to personal interests, priorities and plans. All of these are like a mosaic of who we are as religious at this moment. A mosaic is a whole piece of a beautiful work of art portraying a single image but made of many broken pieces. But the artist who made it created one piece of art by bringing together many pieces of materials with different shapes, shades and colors.”

Mission: “Silver jubilee is a renewal of our commitment to the mission. Do you still recall your first assignment as newly professed religious? Like a warrior, we were ready for the battle. We were armed with the knowledge and skills acquired and developed during the formation years. We were inspired and ready to be sent wherever and whenever our superiors sent us. We were on fire to change the world. Fast forward, after 25 years of missionary experience, did change really happen. The world has changed. We also have changed. But did the world change for the better or for the worse. Did the world change because of what we have done? Have we also change for the better? Looking back, we come to realize that we are just but a part of a short history in a little corner of the world. We see our seemingly insignificance in the changes that are happening in the world.”

With this challenge, Fr. Lito ended his homily by inspiring those who joined the celebration to become like Christ. (DCH)