Celebrating 25 years of Religious Life

On June 30, I celebrated 25 years of religious life as a professed Sister of the Daughters of St Paul. Below are some clips and pics, and the text of my thanksgiving speech. Thank you to everyone who celebrated with me, to pray for and with me - both in person and in spirit! 🙏🙏🙏

                          

My dearest friends, Happy feast of Saint Paul! 

Today June 30 is the original feast of St Paul which we retain in the Pauline Family.  So many professions and anniversaries are being celebrated around the world today.

The theme of this celebration, 

“I live now not I but Christ lives in me.”  from Gal 2:20

is the goal not only for us Paulines, but for all Christians. 

It was only after I selected this verse for my life project, that I realized that there are 2 parts to this verse. The first part which is often left out, is “I have been crucified with Christ!” Had I known this, perhaps I might have opted a different verse!  

But after 25 years of consecrated life, you realize that indeed to be like Christ, you have to die to yourself over and over again!

Of course we know that death is not the end. 

Our faith is in the hope of the resurrection!

And as I prepare to leave for my new mission, I am reassured that Goodbyes are not the end, there is hope for a better Hello! 

And with a heart filled with much gratitude and joy, this Eucharistic celebration gives thanks to God for the past quarter of a century, for a life lived in faith and hope in our Risen Master. 

Although I said my initial Yes to God's call 25 years ago, I am invited to renew this Yes every day, as I also try to be like St Paul in being all to all.    Only the grace of God enables me to do that, and to reach this significant milestone. I have persevered this far because of God's fidelity and graces. 

And along my vocational journey, I have been blessed and supported with wonderful, inspiring companions, and lived with amazing sisters.

Being an only daughter in the family with one older brother I’ve always yearned when I was little, to have a sister. Well, whddayaknow, when I entered the DSP, I gained hundreds of sisters.

Just one example of the hundredfold Jesus promises to those who follow him. 

On this grace filled occasion I would like to give thanks to God for my formators, all my past and current superiors, spiritual directors, professors, confessors, all the sisters I have lived with in different communities, including my present community here in Singapore. Thank you Sisters! 

For my batch mates or co-novices (who also celebrate their silver jubilee today) and who first gave me a taste of community life that celebrates unity amidst our diversity. 

I am also grateful to everyone who I collaborated with in the apostolate, our mission partners and collaborators, including our Pauline cooperators. 

Every single person I have encountered on my journey has been a blessing and has helped me to grow to be who I am today.

Thank you especially to my beloved Mum, who just turned 90 years old last April 1st, thank you for your unconditional love; my dearest brother and his family, all my friends near and far, old and new, for all your love and faith in me and for your encouragement in times when the going got tough.  

My heartfelt thanks to Fr Colin for presiding over this celebration, flanked by 2 treasures of our diocese, Fr Johnson and Fr Vaz, all the priests and religious present here, and all of you, friends and family, including those who travelled across the shore, for taking the time to be here, to pray with me and for me, and to rejoice in God's faithfulness and love.  

Thank you to Fr Frederick Quek, the parish priest of this Church of the Holy Trinity for graciously hosting us, and the parish team of volunteers led by Victor: Audrey, Sylvia, Prakash, the altar servers, ushers, Molly and Devy for the beautiful flowers, and Nicholas our efficient Master of Ceremony for ensuring this smooth celebration. 

A huge thank you to our awesome Pauline choir and soloists led by maestros John and Dominic, for helping us worship with such beautiful, and inspiring music.

On behalf of the Sisters in my community I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all of you (lay faithful as well as religious and clergy) who have been so supportive in our fundraising efforts in the past years. Today, through your kindness and generosity, we have settled down in our new convent at Lorong Chuan.

It is quite a feat to encapsulate the past 25 years within a few minutes but if you could kindly indulge me for the next 6 min, the montage which follows will highlight some of the graces and blessings from the Lord. 

Accompanying the photos is the Magnificat of Mary which I echo today, followed by a song I recently wrote as I renew my Yes to God in response to my new mission posting to Rome.  

Thank you again and rest assured of my prayers for each and everyone of you. Please remember me in yours too. Until we meet in person again, may we meet at the table of the Lord, and may our lives always be a thanksgiving to God, filled with much love, joy, faith and hope. God bless.