Baptized Life, Writ Large

From a sermon given on Wednesday, June 20, 2007 at the Cathedral Church of the Nativity, Diocese of Bethlehem, on the occasion of the first Annual Vows of Sr. Patricia-Michael Hauze.

For most people—most Christians, too, I have no doubt—vowed life is met with a degree of suspicion. We love the people who choose it. We respect them. We are curious about them. And deep down we hope our daughters never become one.

So as much as I hate to admit it, Jesus knew what he was talking about when he said that following him would mean something like carrying a cross. Following Jesus will mean that we will have to confront how the world counts power and importance, and we will challenge that. The world does not take kindly to that.

Choosing to live life as Sister Patricia-Michael does, as a publicly vowed person who is living out her vows in the world for all to see is, as far as the world is concerned, crazy. To give up a good job at a high powered office to work for peanuts in a parish church is crazy enough, but to also give up the trappings of success and comfort in our society to live a vowed life is crazier. To do that in a way that makes one stand out is like, well, hitting yourself on the head with a board.

It may be crazy. Like a fox.

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