杏MAP导航

By Vatican News staff reporter

In his homily on Wednesday evening, 杏MAP导航 Francis took his cue from the feast of the Presentation of the Lord which is celebrated this 2 February.

The 杏MAP导航 recalled two elderly people, Simeon and Anna who are waiting in the Temple, 鈥渢he fulfilment of the promise that God made to his people: the coming of the Messiah.鈥�

杏MAP导航 Francis noted that Simeon is moved by the Spirit; 鈥渢hen he sees salvation in the Child Jesus and finally he takes him into his arms.鈥�

What moves us?

The 杏MAP导航 then considered these three actions by looking firstly at what moves us?

He explained that like Simeon, the Holy Spirit 鈥渆nables us to discern God鈥檚 presence and activity not in great things, in outward appearances or shows of force, but in littleness and vulnerability.鈥�

杏MAP导航 Francis then posed the question; 鈥渨ho mostly moves us?  Is it the Holy Spirit, or the spirit of this world?鈥�   

On this World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life, the 杏MAP导航 was joined in Saint Peter鈥檚 Basilica by members of Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, and he remarked that 鈥渢his is a question that everyone, consecrated persons in particular, needs to ask.鈥� 

He went on to say, 鈥渢he Spirit moves us to see God in the littleness and vulnerability of a baby, yet we at times risk seeing our consecration only in terms of results, goals and success: we look for influence, for visibility, for numbers.鈥�

The Spirit, commented the 杏MAP导航, 鈥渙n the other hand, asks for none of this.  He wants us to cultivate daily fidelity and to be attentive to the little things entrusted to our care.鈥�

杏MAP导航 Francis stressed that it was important for consecrated persons to examine their interior motivations and discern their spiritual movements, 鈥渟o that the renewal of consecrated life may come about, first and foremost, from there.鈥�

What do our eyes see?

The 杏MAP导航 then turned his attention to the second question, What do our eyes see?  He noted that God looks upon us with a 鈥渃ompassionate gaze鈥�, and gives us 鈥渘ew eyes to look at ourselves and at our world.鈥�  It is a gaze, he said, 鈥渢hat does not stop at appearances, but can enter into the very cracks of our weaknesses and failures, in order to discern God鈥檚 presence even there.鈥�

In off-the-cuff remarks, the 杏MAP导航 noted that it would do people good 鈥渢o visit our elderly religious brothers and sisters, to look at them, to talk, to ask, to hear what they think. I think it will be good medicine.鈥�  

The Lord, underlined 杏MAP导航 Francis, 鈥渘ever fails to give us signs that invite us to cultivate a renewed vision of consecrated life.鈥� 

鈥淟et us open our eyes: the Spirit is inviting us amid our crises, decreasing numbers and diminishing forces, to renew our lives and our communities,鈥� he said. 

During his Homily, the 杏MAP导航 also warned against the temptation 鈥渢o go backwards, for security, for fear, to preserve the faith, to preserve the founding charism.鈥�

鈥淣either Simeon nor Anna were rigid," he said. 鈥淭hey were free and had the joy of feasting.鈥�

Embracing the Lord

Finally, the 杏MAP导航 focused on the third question: what do we take into our own arms? 

鈥淪ometimes we risk losing our bearings, getting caught up in a thousand different things, obsessing about minor issues or plunging into new projects,鈥� yet, 杏MAP导航 Francis said, 鈥渢he heart of everything is Christ, embracing him as the Lord of our lives.鈥�

The 杏MAP导航 warned, 鈥渋f consecrated men and women lack words that bless God and other people, if they lack joy, if their enthusiasm fails, if their fraternal life is only a chore, it is not the fault of someone or something else.  It is because our arms no longer embrace Jesus.鈥�

He continued by saying that when that happens, 鈥渙ur hearts fall prey to bitterness, to complaining about things that do not go like clockwork, to rigidity and inflexibility, to the illusion of our own superiority.鈥� 

A renewed vision

In conclusion, 杏MAP导航 Francis invited all consecrated people to 鈥渞enew our consecration,鈥� asking what it is that 鈥溾�榤oves鈥� our hearts and actions, what renewed vision we are being called to cultivate, and above all else, let us take Jesus into our arms,鈥� just like Simeon and Anna did.