PROFESSED NUN

It is only natural that the humble opinion Theresa Margaret had of herself should be crowned with happy results. Convinced as she always was of her utter unworthiness, when she was told to hold herself in readiness for the great day of her Profession, she asked to be allowed to take the vows as a lay Sister. This was not conceded to her, but she always kept her humble desire and always sought the most menial tasks to perform.

One can easily imagine with what fervor she prepared for this complete consecration of herself to our Lord and how attentively she searched her soul to see if there were a grain of dust left that might offend the eye of the Divine Spouse, Who was choosing her out of such great love.

The Assistant Mistress, who in the days of Sister Theresa Margaret's retreat entertained her with spiritual talks and long conferences, made the following declaration: "Two days before her Profession I found her so carried away by the love of God that she seemed quite beside herself. I hardly have words to express what I felt and how I myself seemed to catch something from the fire of her love, and I almost found myself unable to continue my discourse".

The following resolutions were made by our Saint to prepare herself for her coming Profession, resolutions that she always observed most faithfully, and in which we can perceive but one desire, that of gaining in a brief space of time a high degree of sanctity:

"Reflecting on the end for which Thou, O my God, hast conjured me out of nothing and called me to the religious life, I propose and resolve to give myself up to a complete reform of myself, to divest myself entirely of my own inclinations, to adhere solely to Thee, considering the means Thou hast given me for sanctification. I resolve in the future to esteem those means more highly and even should it be in little things, to avail myself of them for no other end than Thy glory, and to love and serve Thee, O my Jesus, in that way and manner which in Thy mercy Thou dost please to lead me and in this I will not cease, because without perseverance there can be no salvation. Having pondered with care over the thought that no one can call herself a true spouse of Christ who cannot restrain her predominant passions, I resolve to fight them with all my heart and at all costs in the continual abnegation of my will with a complete obedience in everything without exception, not only to my superiors, but also to my equals and inferiors, so as to learn from Thee, O my God, Who made Thyself obedient in far harder circumstances than I find myself.

"Knowing that a bride cannot be pleasing to her spouse if she does not endeavor to become what He wishes her to be, I intend to study with all my faculties how to imitate Thee in every way, to crucify myself with Thee, with a most meticulous mortification of all my powers, passions and senses.

"I will always think of my neighbors as beings made to Thy likeness, produced by Thy Divine Love, at the price of Thy Blood. I will try to always look upon them with true Christian charity, which is Thy command. I intend henceforth always to pity them and excuse their faults, always to speak well of them and finally never to fail, of my will, in charity towards them either in thought, word or deed.

"Seeing that with regard to Thee, O my Jesus, I am nothing but a heap of misery and ingratitude towards Thee, and that I am full of defects, I mean to flee from and abhor any praise of myself and never to say directly or indirectly anything to call it forth.

"Thou dost clearly show me, O my God, that a soul cannot be all Thine unless she rids her mind and heart of every mundane affection to think only of Thee. I resolve never to talk of worldly matters nor to be curious about them, even the trivial ones, but to only occupy my thoughts with things that can lead me to Thee.

"With this aim in view, I propose to attend in the convent only to the things that are my own duties and not seek to know what my Sisters are doing, to be blind to their concerns and deaf to their conversations, wishing to employ all my capacities to serve, praise and bless Thee, my God, my supreme Good.

"Knowing, O my Jesus, that he who is ever with Thee cannot perish and that Thy divine and sweet conversation makes one despise the things of this world and produce in the soul a real peace and contentment, I wish with my whole heart never to be separated from Thee and to enjoy at all times Thy divine blessings, never to lose sight of the Divine Presence, to cultivate more than of yore the practice of prayer, never neglecting it except under obedience of for grave necessity, and to suffer with humility and resignation that aridity, anguish, fear and desolation that it may please Thee to afflict me with in the exercise of the above.

"Knowing well that he who hears Thy ministers hears Thee, O my Jesus, who refers to them refers to Thee, being convinced of this, I resolve to lay aside and conquer all the aversion I have to opening my heart and showing my inner thoughts to those who are in Thy place for my safe spiritual guidance. I make a firm resolution, moreover, to follow the teaching of our holy Mother who says: 'To your confessor and your superiors you will discover all your temptations, imperfections and repugnances, so that they may counsel you and give you the remedies to overcome them' and to render to my spiritual directors a simple, ready, blind and constant obedience."

On March 12, 1766, Sister Theresa Margaret pronounced her vows.

On the day of her Profession (we read in her Memoirs) she seemed to be transformed into a Seraph and the impression she made on her Sisters in religion was so deep and so sweet that many could hardly restrain their tears.

To give herself up more completely to her joy and gratitude to God, she obtained permission to pass the whole of that day in retreat.

The taking of the veil, which took place on April 7, that same year, was like the sheltering wing of the Lord, under which she nestled, content to be always His. The union was now complete.[1]

1. In Redi's time the Simple Profession did not exist, and after one year of Novitiate they immediately took their solemn vows. The taking of the veil is the solemn act by which the Church officially sanctions the Profession. It was Holy Mother Theresa's wish that the Profession and the imposition of the veil should be divided, and while the first, according to the Constitutions, takes place in private in the presence of the community only, the latter is performed with open grilles, and the public is admitted.

The ceremony is deeply impressive. The newly Professed Sister kneels near the grille with a lighted candle in hand, symbol of her vigilance and readiness to go and meet the Bridegroom, while the priest blesses the veil and the choir sings the responses "Amo Christurn", --- "I love Christ, His ring is my pledge of love, He adorns me with precious jewels". The responses being ended, the Celebrant advances towards the grille and intones the antiphon "Veni Sponsa Christi", which is sung by the whole community. "Come, Bride of Christ, take the crown that the Lord has prepared for you from all Eternity". Psalm 19 follows: "Exaudiat to Dominus". And immediately after, the priest extends his hands beyond the grille and places the veil on the new bride, covering her face with it.

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