I Made a Vow to Preserve My Virginity

Nothing but God was pleasing to me. I always hoped in my heart to live until the time of His birth and perhaps merit becoming the unworthy handmaid of the Mother of God. I also made a vow in my heart to preserve my virginity, if that was acceptable to Him, and to possess nothing whatsoever in the world. But if God willed otherwise, my wish was that His will, not mine, be done, for I believed He was able to do all things and wanted nothing but the best for me. And so I entrusted all my will to Him. When the prescribed time arrived for the presentation of virgins in the temple of the Lord, I was also present with them thanks to the religious compliance of my parents. I thought to myself that nothing was impossible for God, and that, since He knew I desired nothing and wanted nothing but Him, He would be able to preserve my virginity, if it so pleased Him: otherwise, let His will be done!