Every year, we Sisters of Charity of Saint Jeanne Antide Thouret have a spiritual gathering that reminds us of our Vincentian origins, but above all of the One to whom we wish to dedicate every day of our lives: the Feast of the Annunciation, or as I prefer to call it, the Feast of the Incarnation…

“Mary said, ‘I am the Lord’s servant; may it be done to me according to your word.’” (Lk 1:38)

As always, Mary leads us to Jesus, and helps us to deepen not only our trust in God and our humble spirit—which is capable of giving itself entirely to this mission to which God calls us—but above all places us within the context of the Incarnation: of God who comes to meet us and becomes fully entwined in our small human reality, which he wishes to redeem and raise up. This Incarnation finds its fullest expression at Easter, where Jesus “loved us to the very end”.

As Sisters, on this day, we devoutly renew our vows to live in chastity, poverty and obedience, and to dedicate ourselves to the temporal and spiritual service of the poor, as Jeanne Antide taught us. It is a feast of communion and a remembrance of our calling, of the experience of a God incarnate and present in the lives of the poor whom we wish to serve.

In Latin America, we celebrate the Annunciation and the confirmation of vows in a very simple way. This year we began with a spiritual retreat using material prepared by the Ongoing Formation team, which enlightened us through the encounter between Jesus and Nicodemus (an inspiring horizon for CLAR), moving on to the life of Juana Antida and touching on the reality that each of us experiences in community and with our peoples as we strive to become women of hope.

We concluded with a Eucharistic celebration with the Christian community; the communities that were able to come together did so to share the joy of the gift of each of our lives.

The Christian community also joins in this commitment, which is made day by day through simplicity and closeness.