Living a Religious Life

Jackie Robson

On the 29th July I made my life vow to the Single Consecrated Life in front of my Bishop and the congregation and friends at Sheffield Cathedral. It was a very special day for me as it was the culmination of a long journey in trying to discern what God wanted of me and having tried various communities and other things I finally felt that I had found what God was asking of me. It is a way of living the Religious Life in your own home and I had felt called to Religious Life for a long time but could not live in community due to health issues so this opened up a way for me to live the life I felt called to.

The Cathedral made the service feel very special for me and I received a beautiful Icon to hang in my home to remind me of the calling on my life which was very precious to me.

Living the Single Consecrated Life gives me a sense of purpose and means that my prayer and my life in my home is my ministry. Due to health problems I am unable to do very much outside and so living a life of prayer and contemplation inside my home means that I feel I have a purpose and a ministry and I want to develop in my prayer life and to live my life for God.

Below is a poem I wrote before I took my final vow and I think it describes better what it means to me than anything I can really say about what it all means to me.

O Lord I am yours
I want to belong completely to you
To live my life for you alone
Hidden in your heart
My heart joined to yours
I am your bride may I be ever faithful
Be by your side and do all for you
I love you my Lord and give myself to you
Let me never be parted from you
Nor ever let you down
Until that day when I will be with you forever
And will gaze on you in your glory.