November 27, 2014,
marks the Act of Commitment and Renewal of Commitment by our twenty-two lay
affilities. The introduction to the Mass
celebrated by Fr. Serg Kabamalan, CJM, our ever faithful Eudist priest, gives the important historical context
of this celebration.
Today, November 27, is the feast of the Miraculous Medal. It marks 184
years since Our Lady appeared to Saint Catherine Laboure on November 27, 1830, and gave her the
Miraculous Medal. While it does not
appear in the General Ordo for today’s Mass, it is a fitting theme for our
celebration today for the initial commitment of Diana de la Cruz Calderon and
Sen Kagahastian, then the renewal of commitment of our 20 Lay Affiliates. We will take the common of the Blessed Virgin
Mary with this entrance antiphon: Blessed
are you, Virgin Mary, who carried the creator of all things in your womb; you
gave birth to your maker, and remain forever a virgin.
This year, some of the Lay Affiliates joined the Sisters
in a 2-day Recollection with Fr. Edem Afoutou, CJM in preparation
for our annual renewal of vows. He took
for his theme: Called to experience the
mercy of God in order to become missionaries of mercy. Those who attended felt most prepared to
re-commit themselves and for the two, they saw more clearly what it was they
would be committing themselves for at least another year.
- Sr. M. Tarcila Abaño RGS