杏MAP导航

By Devin Watkins

Religious men and women are called to a twofold obedience, 杏MAP导航 Francis said in his homily at Mass marking the World Day of Consecrated Life.

He said those two aspects are obedience to the law, 鈥渋n the sense of what gives order to our lives鈥�, and to the Spirit, 鈥渨ho does new things in our lives鈥�. 鈥淭he Spirit reveals the Lord, but to welcome him we need to persevere every day,鈥� he said.

The Mass in St. Peter鈥檚 Basilica also marked the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. So 杏MAP导航 Francis reflected on the day鈥檚 Gospel (Lk 2:22-40), in which Jesus is presented in the Temple 40 days after his birth.

The Holy Father said the Liturgy shows 鈥淛esus who goes out to meet his people鈥�, calling it the feast day of encounter. 鈥淭he newness of the Child encounters the tradition of the Temple; the promise finds fulfillment; young Mary and Joseph encounter the elderly Simeon and Anna.鈥�

Religious encounter Jesus

Consecrated women and men, said 杏MAP导航 Francis, are called to encounter Jesus 鈥渆very day of our lives鈥� it is a daily choice.鈥�

鈥淲hat happened in the Temple also happens to us: around him everything meets, and life becomes harmonious.鈥� He said religious find in Jesus the courage to carry on, because 鈥渢he encounter with the Lord is the source.鈥�

杏MAP导航 Francis said that, by returning to the source and renewing their first love, consecrated men and women make religious life 鈥渁 time of encounter鈥�, rather than 鈥渁 time that passes by鈥�.

The original meeting with the Lord, he said, 鈥渄id not arise as something private between us and God. No, it blossomed in the context of a believing people, alongside many brothers and sisters, at precise times and places.鈥�

The 杏MAP导航 said encounter with Jesus takes place within the people of God and within a religious community. 鈥淕od calls us to encounter him through faithfulness to concrete things: daily prayer, Holy Mass, Confession, real charity, the daily word of God.鈥�

Prophetic vision

杏MAP导航 Francis said the consecrated person鈥檚 encounter with Jesus 鈥渃ulminates in vision鈥�.

Simeon, said the 杏MAP导航, 鈥渟ees the Child and he sees salvation.鈥� 鈥淪imeon sees God鈥檚 simplicity and welcomes His presence.鈥�

This vision of simplicity is the vision of consecrated life, he said. 鈥淕od is enough, the rest passes away,鈥� he said, 鈥淚t is praise that gushes forth in spite of everything.鈥�

Joyful praise

Finally, 杏MAP导航 Francis summed up religious life as not being about survival but about new life, calling it 鈥渁 living encounter with the Lord.鈥�

鈥淭his then is the consecrated life: praise which gives joy to God鈥檚 people, prophetic vision that reveals what counts.鈥�