I AM HERE LORD TO DO YOUR WILL
BY CHINEME ROSELINE IFEOMA, SJGS
First and final religious profession and the silver jubilee of the 1999 set of the congregation of Sisters of Jesus the Good Shepherd for the year 2024 was held recently at St. John the Evangelist Parish, Okpaugwu Abakaliki with 15 sisters for first religious profession, 5 sisters for final profession and 3 sisters for silver jubilee. The celebration began with the Holy Mass with Most. Rev. Dr. Peter Nworie Chukwu, the Cathlic Bishop of Abakaliki Diocese as the chief celebrant.
The candidates for first religious profession includes: Srs Sarah Okwuru, Geraldine Enechukwu, Martha Nworie, Blessing Ukwusike, Eucharia Nwankwo, Evangeline Onuh, Rebecca Elum, Rosemary Chukwu, Mary Animba, Sussana Uhuo, Abigail Emmanuel, Judith Ajayi, Josephine Chima, Anastasia Ogidi and Juliet Nwaohiri. While the candidates for final religious profession includes: Srs. Clementina Aniamalu, JaneFrancis Enwerem, Sandra Yachiga, Rosemary Korie and Ifedibarachukwu Ugwoke. The candidates for silver Jubilee are: Mother Helen Eze, Srs. Veronica Iloh and Eunice Igweagwu.
In His homily, Rev. Fr. Chukwuebuka Ahana said that today is a day of joy for the life we are living. In the second reading according to him, Christ first chose us, and as He has chosen us, we are to reciprocate His love. Kindness, humility, meekness are the ways of giving back to God what He has given us. It is in humility and forgiveness that we live out our vocation. He further stated that we are all consecrated to God through baptism but the religious have a special call. The religious according to him, live together, pray together, eat together and have things in common. Living the religious life means loving God in your fellow religious.
The homilist further reminded the candidates of the religious vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Vow according to him is a deliberate and free promise made to God. Vow of poverty entails leaving or giving up everything you have for the sake of Christ, renouncing temporal goods in order to follow God. That means that you no longer claim ownership of anything, and whatever you need legitimately will be provided to you by the superior. Vow of chastity is the act of living out our sexual life in a proper way, not entering into any intimate or sexual relationship that will endanger your vocation. In obedience, he encouraged the superiors not to carry themselves as little gods that will make it difficult for the sisters to obey. He encouraged the candidates for profession not to disappoint those looking up to them such as the postulants and novices and to make it a point of duty to keep the vows they have made to God so as to live a fulfilled religious life. To the jubilarians, he thanked them for their perseverance these 25 years and prayed God to continue to direct them as they serve Him through the religious life. He thanked the parents of the candidates for giving their children for the service of God and finally, he admonished the priests and religious to constantly live out their vocations so as to see God face to face on the last day.
After the homily, the Mother General of the congregation, Rev. Mother Martha Nkiruka Offor was invited to the Alter to receive the vows of the candidates for profession. Each of the candidates for first religious profession were called by their names, they individually responded “Here I am Lord, you have called me”. The Bishop questioned them to ascertain their willingness to follow the religious life and they all declared their willingness to be more closely united to God in poverty, chastity and obedience, the bishop then prayed God to give them the grace to fulfill their vows. After the prayer of the bishop, they read their vow before the superior general of the congregation for the period of 1 year according to the constitution of Sisters of Jesus the Good Shepherd, the Mother General received their vows in the name of the church, and they were given the religious veil and the constitution of the religious institute as a guide to live the religious vows according to the charism of the congregation.
On the other hand, the candidates for perpetual vows were called and they individually answered and proceeded to the Alter for the profession of their religious vows, they were also questioned by the bishop and they declared their willingness to continue saying yes to God in perpetuity according to the constitution of the congregation. The saints were invoked through the litany of the saints after which the candidates read their vows individually before the superior general of the congregation who received received their vows and admonished them to be faithful to their vows.
Finally, the candidates for silver jubilee were called upon to proceed to the alter for their rededication after serving the Lord for 25 years through the religious life. They read their act of rededication after which the Bishop prayed for them and all the candidates both first and final profession joined the jubilarians at the Alter for magnificat which they sang to the glory of God for their lives as religious and for making them who they are.
The Mass continued afterwards by the Bishop of Abakaliki Diocese, and other celebrations continued after the Mass at the various venues of reception of the sisters.