From the Pope's homily on this World Day of Consecrated Life:Those who have embraced religious life are "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" and "heralds that glimpse and announce the new life that is already present in history."
Today’s World Day, in the words of Benedict XVI, is thus "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", the concrete dedication of consecrated persons to God and to their brothers becomes the eloquent sign of the presence of the Kingdom of God for today’s world. 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. This is the first service that consecrated life renders to the Church and to the world. Among the People of God, they are like heralds that glimpse and announce the new life which is already present in history."
PHOTO: Reuters/Alessia Pierdomenico
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