MELAKA (Herald Malaysia): “Thank you for coming to my wedding,” were the opening remarks of Bro. Joseph Zhang’s thanksgiving address following his rite of profession to the religious life with the Congregation of the Disciples of the Lord (CDD).

The Eucharistic Celebration and Rite for Perpetual Religious Profession was presided principally by Fr Phillip Tan, the CDD Malaysia provincial at the Pulau Gadong Formation House in Malacca on January 2.

The mid-morning service was witnessed by around 1,500 local parishioners including four hundred from Singapore and a host of religious members, brothers and clergy from the Malacca-Johore Diocese as well as CDD community religious from Indonesia, Australia, Taiwan and China.

Likening his profession of final vows to a customary wedding, China-born Bro Zhang who will be ordained a deacon at Singapore’s St Bernadette Church on February 11 eloquently said, “Thank you all good people for coming to attend my ‘wedding’, my ‘wedding’ with the Lord. I call my profession of perpetual vows a wedding because it is very similar to a wedding or marriage.

“In a normal wedding, the two parties profess marriage vows. And with these vows the partners commit themselves to each other for the rest of their lives. On my ‘wedding’ today, I profess my vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. With these vows, I am now declaring my commitment to the Lord for the rest of my life as well.

“In the process leading up to married life between a couple, there are three stages, namely, courtship, the wedding itself and followed by the married life. Similarly, in my pursuit of religious life, I too went through similar stages of ‘courtship’, ‘wedding’ and ‘married life’.

“However, there is a difference in the first stage of ‘courting’. In ordinary life, we choose someone whom we love very much and we get married and enjoy a fruitful, loving and meaningful married life thereafter. In the case of religious life, it is not I who chose God but it is He who chose me first. Therefore, I must thank the Almighty for choosing a village youth from China, unworthy as I am to be His ‘beloved’.

“Then, for a relationship to blossom in a ‘normal courtship’, the two parties involved grow in true love, understanding and knowledge of each other. Often this is done with the help of immediate families, close friends and others around in giving guidance and encouragement.

“In my case after some seven years of ‘courtship’ with the Lord, I was also helped by the people around me to grow in the knowledge, understanding a further love for the Lord and His faithful. In this respct, I would like to express gratitude and thanks to my formators both from the CDD community and the St Francis Xavier’s Major Seminary, priests from pastoral parishes, clergy and religious whom I have journeyed with and who have helped and encouraged me in many ways.

“Finally, I must also thank my family and good friends for their prayers, understanding and encouragement. You have all assisted me in plenty in my encounter with God’s love for me. In your own ways, mainly through prayers and support, you have helped me to prepare for this ‘wedding’. Likewise more prayers are needed to keep me faithful in my service in the Lord’s Vineyard or in layman terms ‘married life hereafter’.” --By Percy D’Cruz