Our First Vows' Day "Oh
what a wonderful, wonderful day, day I shall never forget…"
The words of this hymn express my feelings so aptly, because
our First Vows’ Day left a lasting impact on my life. It was a
feeling of a different sort, a joy that only God could give.
Before that day there was all excitement and enthusiasm in
each one of us. At the same time there were some fears and
anxieties, which would intervene from time to time. But on the
Vows’ Day itself we felt very peaceful and calm, because God
was taking care of us. The whole liturgy of the Vows’ ceremony
was a devotional experience. From the beginning itself there
were tears of deep consolation in my eyes. There was a feeling
of being loved by God and my heart was filled with a deep
desire of offering myself totally to the Lord.
After reciting the formula of the vows, I felt a deep
conviction within me that God had accepted my offering. At the
end of the Eucharist, when all the Jesuits who attended
welcomed me with a sweeping embrace, I experienced the joy of
belonging to a large family. Looking at my parents, I just
couldn’t restrain my tears and sobbing. They too were filled
with so much joy that they couldn’t express it in words. Truly
there was so much joy that even my heart could not contain it.
All the parents of my other companions were also deeply
touched and shed tears of joy.
I
was lost in a strange joy, which I have never before
experienced. It was the same with my companions who were
overjoyed that day. Our parents were looking at us with a
sense of gratitude in their hearts that God had truly blessed
each of them with a special gift. I longed for the day not to
get over quickly. Such experiences come very rarely in life,
so I wanted to treasure it in my heart. And like Mary I can
now sing my own Magnificat!.
Events
The words of this hymn express my feelings so aptly, because
our First Vows’ Day left a lasting impact on my life. It was a
feeling of a different sort, a joy that only God could give.
Before that day there was all excitement and enthusiasm in
each one of us. At the same time there were some fears and
anxieties, which would intervene from time to time. But on the
Vows’ Day itself we felt very peaceful and calm, because God
was taking care of us. The whole liturgy of the Vows’ ceremony
was a devotional experience. From the beginning itself there
were tears of deep consolation in my eyes. There was a feeling
of being loved by God and my heart was filled with a deep
desire of offering myself totally to the Lord.
I
was lost in a strange joy, which I have never before
experienced. It was the same with my companions who were
overjoyed that day. Our parents were looking at us with a
sense of gratitude in their hearts that God had truly blessed
each of them with a special gift. I longed for the day not to
get over quickly. Such experiences come very rarely in life,
so I wanted to treasure it in my heart. And like Mary I can
now sing my own Magnificat!.