Promises and Vows

The wedding ceremonies I write usually include "promises" and "vows." Periodically I've been asked to explain the difference; I've given a sufficient response.

However, I found the following explanation in Caroline Myss' book, "Entering the Castle" and I really like it.

She's talking to her 13-year old niece, Rachel, who asked about the difference between promises and vows.

Caroline says, " ... promises are agreements that [you] as a person make between [yourself] and [your] friends and family. They are agreements of honor. When you break a promise, the part of you that lets you known you've broken your word is called your conscience.

"Unlike a promise ... a vow is an agreement that your soul makes with God. You make a vow when you are ready to make a commitment to live your life a certain way. Even in cases where you make a vow to another person, you are also making an agreement with God, so a vow is sacred and therefore has cosmic consequences that promises do not. Vows are so powerful ... that most people can live up to the demands of only one or two vows at the most over the course of their entire lives. When and if the time came for [Rachel] to make a vow, she would have to make certain that her soul was in complete agreement with all that the vows would require of her."

(Photo by Bakari, Lifetime Photography)

Rev. Jeri