Good morning, dear Sisters. And a warm welcome to Paige’s parents, John and Cecile, and her family and friends, and to our wonderful priests, Monsignor Cronin and Father Rothshild who is the chaplain here at Carmel, and to Deacon Ben Wolf, newly ordained and part of the great “Truman Newman” group … It is so good that we are all here. And what a wonderful, grace-filled morning this is!
And to you, dear Sister – I won’t say your name quite yet (although, I do know what it is!) – I am so happy for you and so proud of you. We both know that this grace, of being so called and chosen and loved, is totally unmerited and so freely given. In fact, you and I officially met in the living room there at the Epiphany Parish rectory, and our mutual friend, Grace Malinee, said she knew you and that we should become friends. I cherish that memory and where it has led us. I am so honored to be celebrating this Clothing Mass. And I am also certain that our dear friend’s “offering” is one of the reasons you and I are where we are in our vocations today. …
Paul, in his Letter to the Ephesians, draws the analogy of growing in virtue with that of putting on clothing and armor: righteousness, faithfulness, girded in truth. In other Letters, he talks about putting on Christ; obedience, kindness, patience, love …
The ancient Roman saying was vestrum virum facit. The clothes make the man. That is, if a man of lower status dresses well, people will think him of a higher stature; and if a man of higher status dresses poorly, people will think him of a lower stature. It isn’t so much a “dress to impress,” but simply that what you wear has meaning. While it is true that holiness does not originate in clothes, the clothes can certainly point to and inspire holiness – for, what do these clothes mean?
In the blessing of the clothing, the ritual notes that they signify your inner purity and your consecration. They signify the future resurrection. And, as the ritual of initiation notes, it signifies communion with Our Lady of Mount Carmel. We can rightly say, then, that you are dressed not only in Christ, but in Mary. You reveal Mary Our Mother to us! And by your fidelity to what your habit speaks, you become not only our Sister, but also our Mother.
And who does our Mother bring? Let us look at the title of your beautiful name: “the Infant King.” I love this. Jesus as the infant, the babe: your name is an eternal Christmas! The three Magi come to Jesus and open their treasures and their hearts to Him. Jesus has said nothing and yet He has said everything: the almighty, all-powerful God has come to us as an infant king. And why has he come to us this way? So that we would not be afraid to hold Him, to draw Him near to our hearts. It will be Mary who lifts Him out of the manger to hand Him to us.
Saint Anthony is often depicted reading the Scriptures and the child Jesus standing on top, almost whispering in the Saint’s ear. What does our Infant King say to us today? He whispers: “Love one another as I have loved you.”
Jesus was a grown man when He said this, but He says it to us now as the Infant King, hoping that we will trust Him. When He was grown, Jesus said this shortly after He passed Caiaphas’ house; Jesus was being betrayed by Judas. Judas didn’t have to do this, nor did he have to hang himself afterwards – simply: Judas was not fated to condemnation. And so, as Jesus walks by and as He walks with His apostles downward into Gethsemane, He is telling them, in effect: I am going to be betrayed by Judas. But, if he returns and ask for mercy, I want you to be ready. I want you to forgive him. I have enough mercy for him, just as I have had enough mercy for you. So, love one another as I have loved you.
The love of the sacred priesthood is a love close to the heart of a Carmelite Sister. Judas was a priest; so were the other Eleven. Sister, you will need to pray for the Judases out there. And you must pray, too, for the other priests who are not Judases, but who are called to be ministers of Jesus’ mercy. It is known among many that priests are not always very good to other priests. They are brothers, but not always merciful ones. You must pray for them! This is one of the reasons why you are here. Mary has clothed you in such a way that you too may be a Mother of Priests!
So, we have reflected upon the habit, the name, and the mission. Let us ponder briefly, then, upon the end. At the end of all things, even after we have come before our Lord, there will come the resurrection of the body. For those in heaven, the body will be clothed in glory. We will receive the victor’s crown. You receive that in prefigurement here today. You remind us that the Crosses we carry are imbued with glory, if only we should carry them well: for Jesus and with Jesus. And it is not just the crown and the clothes, it is the life: we can sacrifice everything in this earthly life and the reward will be so much greater in the next. Being hidden with the Lord is a radical witness that heaven is really worth giving away all.
Thank you for this reminder of our vocation and the inspiration that it renews in us. This is all grace, of course, and together we praise Him. He has been so good to us! He is faithful forever.
+ In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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