Vatican City, Feb 1, 2006 / 22:00 pm
The Pope refered to consecrated persons as "an announcement of God’s presence, made loud and clear in a language that is comprehensible even to our contemporaries," "the eloquent sign of the presence of the Kingdom of God in today’s world" "they are like sentinels that glimpse and announce the new life that is already present in history," the pope said in todays homily.
During the mass celebrated this evening in Saint Peter’s basilica on the day the Church celebrates the day of Consecrated Life, thousands of candles were illuminating Saint Peter’s Basilica today for the tenth World Day of Consecrated Life, celebrated, as each year, on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord.
Pope Benedict talked at length about the message of the Gospel of the Presentation at the Temple and on the figure of Mary, "the first person to associate herself to Christ on the path of obedience, proven faith and shared sorrow."
The celebration of the day of consecrated life is "an appropriate occasion to praise the Lord and to thank Him for the priceless gift that consecrated life represents in its different forms; it is at the same time an incentive to promote in all God’s people the knowledge and the esteem for those who are totally consecrated to God. In fact, just as Jesus’ life in His obedience and dedication to the Father, is the living parable of the "God-with-us"
“Their way of living and working allows them to display in full force that they fully belong to the one Lord; their complete consignment into the hands of Christ and the Church is an announcement of God’s presence, made loud and clear in a language which is comprehensible even to our contemporaries."
“That the Lord renew each day in you and in all consecrated persons the joyous response to His free and faith love. Dear brothers and sisters, like lighted candles, irradiate always and everywhere the love of Christ, light of the world,” the Pope conlcluded.
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