VATICAN CITY, FEB 3, 2006 (VIS) - Yesterday, Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, and the tenth Day of Consecrated Life, the Pope presided at a Eucharistic celebration in the Vatican Basilica for members of institutes of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life.
In keeping with tradition, the Mass was preceded by the liturgy of light, during which candles were lit and blessed before being carried in procession to the altar of the Confession.
In his homily the Holy Father commented on the texts of today's liturgy, recalling that "in taking her Son to Jerusalem, the Virgin Mother offered Him to God as a true Lamb that takes sin from the world, she tendered Him to Simeon and to Anna as an announcement of redemption; she presented Him to everyone as light for a safe journey along the path of truth and love."
Benedict XVI affirmed then that this Feast, which coincides with the celebration of the Day of Consecrated Life, provides "a fitting occasion to praise the Lord and thank Him for the priceless gift of consecrated life, in its various forms; it is also an incentive to promote understanding and respect, among all the people of God, for those who are totally consecrated to the Lord."
He went on: "Indeed, just as the life of Jesus, in His obedience and dedication to the Father, is a living parable of 'God with us,' so the real dedication of people consecrated to God and to their brothers and sisters becomes an eloquent sign of the presence of the Kingdom of God in today's world.
"Their way of life and work unequivocally expresses their adherence to the one Lord. Their complete abandonment in the hands of Christ and of the Church is a clear and powerful message, announcing the presence of the Lord in a language that can also be understood by our contemporaries."
This, the Pope concluded, "is the primary service that consecrated life performs for the Church and the world. Among the people of God they act as sentinels who discover and announce the new life that is already present in history."
HML/CONSECRATED LIFE/... VIS 20060203 (370)
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