“Suscipe me, Domine”: “Uphold me, Lord, according to your word, and I shall live.” In Benedictine monasteries, on the day of profession, the monk or nun sings this psalm verse and the whole community answers by repeating it three times. The Rule of Saint Benedict has called for it since the sixth century. It is a deeply moving moment, and there is no perpetual vows emoji to announce it: the keyboard has neither monk nor nun.
Perpetual vows come at the end of a long road: postulancy, novitiate, then several years of temporary vows, at least three under Church law. Most religious promise poverty, chastity and obedience; Benedictines promise stability, conversion of life and obedience. Depending on the community, there may be a ring, a cross or a cowl, and a prostration during the Litany of the Saints. Then a free adult says “forever”, which is no small thing at a time when many hesitate to sign a two-year phone contract.
Joined hands placed within a superior’s hands, a plain ring, a figure lying prostrate, a “yes” carved in stone: propose the emoji that will finally let us congratulate a sister or brother with something more than 🙏 and a shower of confetti.
Amen !by AI Generator
Amen !by AI Generator
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