Homily by Bishop Joseph Galea-Curmi
My dear sisters and brothers in Christ, today we gather with great joy to witness and celebrate a profound moment of grace — the profession of perpetual vows of Sr Margaret Barnabas. Today, she stands before us, before the Superior General of the Daughters of the Sacred Heart and her fellow religious, and, more importantly, before God, to make a total, commitment to a life of poverty, chastity, and obedience. It is a day when we reflect not only on the immense gift of the religious vocation but also on the powerful love of God that calls each of us to follow him more deeply.
The Call of God
In the Gospel, Jesus says to his disciples: “You did not choose me, but I chose you” (Jn 15:16). Sr Margaret, you are responding to his call, it is his choice. God has called you to a life that mirrors Christ’s total gift of self. It is a call that demands self-giving, but it also promises an intimate relationship with God, who never ceases to pour his love into our hearts – a love that “deep waters cannot quench, nor do rivers sweep away” (Song of Songs 8:7).
Total Surrender
In our Gospel today, Jesus says: “Abide in my love” (Jn 15:9). He has just explained that he is the true vine, and we are the branches. The call to religious life is a call to abide ever more deeply in that love — to remain connected to the source of all grace and goodness. This abiding is not passive; it requires the complete surrender of one’s will, desires, and plans – to God. In taking final vows, Sr Margaret, you are not simply committing to a set of rules or a lifestyle. No, you are offering your very self, body and soul, to God. You are expressing the words of St Paul in his letter to the Romans that nothing will separate you “from the love of God in Christ Jesus Our Lord” (Rm 8:39). This act of surrender is countercultural in our world, where individualism and self-seeking are often prioritised. But the paradox of the Christian life is that true fulfilment comes, not through grasping for ourselves, through being self-absorbed and self-serving, but through giving ourselves away. In your final vows, you are following Christ, who gave himself for all of us.
A Life of Joy
Jesus also says in today’s Gospel: “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11). The life of a religious should be a life of joy — not the fleeting pleasure the world offers, but the deep, abiding joy that comes from union with God. Yes, it is a life marked by sacrifice, but it is a sacrifice freely embraced in love, which leads to the fullness of joy. Sr Margaret, today you are making a gift of yourself, but in doing so, you will receive even more in return: the gift of great joy because of the deeper intimacy with Christ, the Bridegroom of your soul.
Witness to the World
In taking these final vows, Sr Margaret, you become a witness to the world. Your life becomes a living sign of the Kingdom of God. In your poverty, you remind us that our true treasure is not in material wealth but in God. In your chastity, you witness to the world that love is not selfish, but self-giving. And in your obedience, you show us that freedom is not found in doing whatever we please but in aligning our will with the will of God. The world needs witnesses like you, Sr Margaret, especially today. In a culture often marked by noise, distraction, and selfishness, your quiet, faithful “yes” to God speaks volumes. You are a reminder to all of us that holiness is possible, and that God’s grace is sufficient for every challenge and every joy that life brings.
Conclusion
Today, let us give thanks to God for the gift of Sr Margaret and for her “yes” to the Lord, in the footsteps of Mother Foundress Maria Teresa Nuzzo. Let us pray that she may always remain close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the source of all love, and that nothing will ever separate her from his love. Let us pray that her life of service may bear abundant fruit for the Kingdom of God.
May Mary, the model of total surrender and perfect discipleship, intercede for you, Sr Margaret, and may you always remain rooted in the love of her Son and remember: Love is for you the leading energy and the ultimate goal!
✠ Joseph Galea-Curmi
Auxiliary Bishop of Malta