A reflection by Sr Clare fcJ from the Yogyakarta community, first appeared in the FCJ Sisters Blog
The weekend 27th to 29th June was a truly beautiful one for all of us in Indonesia who celebrated with Tia as she made her first vows. On the evening of 27th June we had a lovely prayer welcoming Tia as a member of the Society, this was followed by a delicious meal. We were joined in this prayer by Tia’s parents and several young friends who had come to stay with us for the weekend.
The day of the vows, 28th June, was a beautiful one all round. In terms of weather it was a perfect day, dry and not too hot, and there was even a slight breeze to keep us cool. The Eucharist was celebrated at 10am, the celebrant was Fr Peter Stoll OMI. Tia had chosen the theme You did not chose me, I have chosen you and the hymns and readings reflected this. Tia looked beautiful in her traditional dress and she made her vows in a clear and confident voice. Afra FCJ received the vows and Irene FCJ and Narni FCJ witnessed them.
You did not chose me, I have chosen you.
John 15:16
We all greeted Tia at the end of the ceremony before making our way into the garden where we enjoyed a delicious lunch. That evening we gathered again for a missioning prayer and to look back on the day with joy and thanksgiving. For some of us the celebrations spilled over into the following day as we continued to enjoy being together in a spirit of celebration. It was a wonderful weekend.
