THE SECRET OF SPIRITUAL ARDOR IS THE EUCHARIST

VATICAN CITY, FEB 3, 2005 (VIS) - In the Vatican Basilica yesterday, Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, Archbishop Franc Rode C.M., prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, presided at a Eucharistic celebration in the Pope's name.

  Before the start of Mass, the liturgy of light took place, with the blessing of candles and the procession. Following a recitation from the Gospel, Archbishop Rode read a message from the Holy Father.

  "Today we celebrate the Ninth Day of Consecrated Life," writes John Paul II in his Message, "a propitious occasion for giving thanks to the Lord together with those who have been called by Him to practice the evangelical counsels."

  After recalling that this year marks the 40th anniversary of the promulgation of the decree "Perfectae caritatis," by which "Vatican Council II laid down the guiding principles for the renewal of consecrated life," the Pope affirms: "Over these 40 years, in keeping with the guidelines of the Church's Magisterium, the institutes of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life have followed a fruitful road of renewal. ... I am certain that, thanks also to this aggiornamento, the fruits of sanctity and of missionary dedication will grow, so long as consecrated people maintain an unchanged ascetic fervor and turn it into apostolic works."

  "The secret of this spiritual ardor," the Holy Father writes, "is the Eucharist, the inexhaustible source of faithfulness to the Gospel, because in this Sacrament, the heart of ecclesial life, we achieve intimate identification and total conformity with Christ, to whom consecrated men and women are called."

  John Paul II concludes by calling on the Virgin Mary, "Eucharistic woman" to "help those called to a special intimacy with Christ to be assiduous frequenters of the Mass and to obtain for them the gift of ready obedience, faithful poverty and fruitful virginity. May she make them saintly disciples of the Eucharistic Christ."
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