The Heart of John
Paul II - On the Consecrated Life |
MESSAGE OF JOHN PAUL II
SPECIAL MESSAGE FOR WORLD DAY OF CONSECRATED LIFE
February 2, 2005
St. Peter's Basilica
Archbishop Franc Rodé, C.M., Prefect of the Congregation for
Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life,
presided at the traditional Mass for consecrated persons in St
Peter's Basilica. Here is a translation of Archbishop Rodé's
brief introduction in Italian to the Holy Father's Message for
the Day.
"On the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple, the
day on which the Son of God, conceived in eternity, is
proclaimed by the Holy Spirit as "a light for revelation to the
Gentiles' and the "glory for your people Israel', we are
gathered here to renew our consecration to the Lord. Dear
Brothers and Sisters, I convey to you all the personal greeting
of the Holy Father, who thanks you for the affection you have
shown him and for your fervent prayers. He joins us here at this
moment with his prayers and he sends us his Blessing. Let us
listen with grateful hearts to his Message to the consecrated
men and women of the world".
Archbishop Rodé then read the Pope's Message:
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
1. Today, we are celebrating the Day of Consecrated Life, a
favourable occasion for thanking the Lord together with all who
are called by him "to the practise of the evangelical counsels,
and who make faithful profession of them, bind[ing] themselves
to the Lord in a special way. They follow Christ who, virginal
and poor (cf. Mt 8: 20; Lk 9: 58), redeemed and sanctified men
by obedience unto death on the cross (cf. Phil 2: 8)" (Perfectae
Caritatis, n. 1). This year the celebration acquires special
importance because we are celebrating the 40th anniversary of
the promulgation of the Decree Perfectae Caritatis, through
which the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council updated the
guidelines for the renewal of the consecrated life.
During these 40 years, in obedience to the directives of the
Church's Magisterium, Institutes of Consecrated Life and
Societies of Apostolic life have followed a fertile path of
renewal, marked on the one hand by the desire to be faithful to
the gift received from the Holy Spirit through their Founders
and Foundresses and, on the other, by concern to adapt their way
of living, praying and acting to "the present-day physical and
psychological condition of the members. It should also be in
harmony with the needs of the apostolate, in the measure that
the nature of each Institute requires, with the requirements of
culture and with social and economic circumstances" (ibid., n.
3).
How could we not thank the Lord for this timely "updating" of
consecrated life? I am certain that it will also lead to the
multiplication of the fruits of holiness and missionary
activity, on condition that consecrated persons keep their
ascetic zeal unaltered and instil it in their apostolic works.
2. The secret of this spiritual ardour is the Eucharist. In this
year specially dedicated to the Eucharist, I would like to urge
all men and women religious to establish an ever more profound
communion with Christ by sharing daily in the sacrament which
makes him present, in the sacrifice which actualizes the gift of
his love on Golgotha, the banquet which nourishes and sustains
God's pilgrim people. "By its very nature", as the Apostolic
Exhortation Vita Consecrata affirms, "the Eucharist is at the
centre of the consecrated life, both for individuals and for
communities" (n. 95).
Jesus gives himself as Bread "broken" and Blood "poured out" so
that all may "have life, and have it abundantly" (cf. Jn 10:
10). He offers himself for the salvation of all humanity. Taking
part in his sacrificial banquet does not only entail repeating
his gestures but also means drinking the same cup and taking
part in the same immolation. Just as Christ makes himself "bread
broken" and "blood poured out", so each Christian, and
especially every consecrated man and every consecrated woman, is
called to give his or her life for the brethren, in union with
the life of the Redeemer.
3. The Eucharist is the inexhaustible source of fidelity to the
Gospel, for in this sacrament, the heart of ecclesial life, the
deep identification and total conformation with Christ to which
consecrated persons are called, is completely fulfilled. "In the
Eucharist all forms of prayer come together, the Word of God is
proclaimed and received, relationships with God, with brothers
and sisters, with all men and women are challenged. It is the
Sacrament of filiation, of communion and of mission. The
Eucharist, the Sacrament of unity with Christ, is at the same
time the Sacrament of Church unity and community unity for the
consecrated person. Clearly it is "the source of spirituality
both for individuals and for communities'" (Starting Afresh from
Christ, n. 26). Consecrated people learn from the Eucharist "a
greater freedom in the exercise of the apostolates, a
flourishing with greater awareness, a solidarity expressed
through knowing how to stand with the people, assuming their
problems, in order to respond to them, paying close attention to
the signs of the times and to their needs" (ibid., n. 36).
Dear Brothers and Sisters, let us penetrate the mystery of the
Eucharist guided by the Blessed Virgin Mary and following her
example! May Mary, Woman of the Eucharist, help all who are
called to special intimacy with Christ to participate diligently
in Holy Mass and obtain for them the gift of prompt obedience,
faithful poverty and fruitful virginity; may she make them holy
disciples of Christ in the Eucharist.
With these sentiments, as I assure you of my remembrance in
prayer, I willingly bless all consecrated persons and the
Christian communities in which they are called to carry out
their mission.
JOHN PAUL II
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