Orizaba, Mexico
February 2, 2018

Chano and Rodel,

You have come to this day of celebration at the end of several years of formation to the Assumptionist way of life.  These years have not been without uncertainties, without struggle. But with God’s grace you have persevered.  You now stand ready to profess your vows.  You are choosing to spend your lives in service to God’s kingdom, using the gifts that God has given you to become apostles for that kingdom.

Besides your Assumption family, both religious and lay, who have accompanied you through these years of formation, it is good to mention your families of origin who not only gave birth to you in the flesh, but who gave you the precious gift of your faith.
A special word of welcome and appreciation for your family members who are with you today.

We should also recognize the immediate context in which you profess your vows, this community of faith here in Orizaba, who have welcomed you during these past six months and taken you into their hearts.  Their faith and their joy for what God is doing in you, and through you for God’s people, is very much part of this day.

On January 6th, 2018, Bro. Ryan Carlsen, A.A. professed his final vows as an Augustinian of the Assumption.

By Bro. Ryan Carlsen, A.A.

In the Augustinians of the Assumption, when a brother makes final vows the superior general of the congregation gives him his first assignment. After making final vows I was assigned to the “Eastern Mission.” We have communities in Moscow, Bucharest, Plovdiv, Constantinople (Istanbul), and elsewhere. One of the main concerns of the Eastern Mission is the work for unity with the Orthodox.  This was close to Fr. d’Alzon’s heart and remains compelling for the Church at large. St. John Paul II spoke of his desire that the Church breathe with both lungs again, East and West. And recently, Pope Francis met with Patriarch Kirill of Russia. The desire for unity is felt on both sides.

One way of working for unity between East and West is by studying each other’s history and theology and then talking together about it. There has already been a long official dialog in North America between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches going back to shortly following the Second Vatican Council. The world-wide dialog is a little newer and has been proceeding well. The more we understand where the other is coming from, the easier and more desirable it becomes to find the common ground.  Being assigned to the “Mission to the East” means that I will start off with doctoral studies in Eastern Christianity in Rome this year. After that I will go to a community in Eastern Europe.

Bro. Ryan with his family

On the 6^th of January 2018 I made lifelong vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience according to the Rule of St. Augustine and the Assumptionist Rule of Life. 

The Profession Mass took place in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit at Assumption College.  My immediate family flew in from Colorado and Hawaii. I was happy that the long-awaited moment had arrived and that my relationship with the Lord would be strengthened and supported by this visible commitment of exclusivity and permanence.

A life’s vocation consists in making a gift of oneself.  Ultimately it is a gift to God, returning to Him what He has already given.   One can do this through making a gift of oneself to a spouse. Or in other ways like the religious life, consecrated virginity, or the single life given over to God. What is wonderful about lifelong vows is that they allow one to move forward unhindered in certain new ways. New concerns replace older ones. There is a sense of rest from difficulties that until then had been defining.