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Archives World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life

February 1, 2023

By Sister Mary Eamon Lyng, SSJ
Diocesan Vocations Coordinator

“Consecrated life is a living encounter with the Lord in his people. It is a call to the faithful obedience of daily life and to the unexpected surprises from the Spirit. It is a vision of what we need to embrace in order to experience joy: Jesus.” – Pope Francis

On the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, February 2, the Gospel reading (Luke 2:22-38) tells us that Mary and Joseph were being faithful to the Mosaic Law (Exodus 13:2, 12) of consecrating Jesus, that is, offering Him to the Lord. In the spirit of their own poverty, Mary and Joseph offered a pair of turtledoves according to the dictates of the Law. Upon entering the Temple, they met Simeon and Anna who had long awaited the coming of the Messiah. The Holy Spirit had revealed to Simeon that “he would not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord” (Luke 2:26).

With open arms, Simeon reached out to hold the Child Jesus and praised and blessed God that his eyes had seen the salvation promised long ago. How did Simeon recognize this babe in arms as the One who is to come? Luke tells us that “the Holy Spirit was upon him” (Luke 2:25).

On this special day, the Church celebrates the World Day of Consecrated Life, specifically religious women and men who radically offer and consecrate their lives of poverty, chastity and obedience to God to carry forward the charism of their religious communities of proclaiming the Gospel to the world. The Church also celebrates consecrated virgins who dedicate their lives for the world.

What moved these women and men to answer the call to consecrated life? What moves a young woman and man to consider consecrated life today? It is the movement of the Holy Spirit within the heart of each person.

Simeon was “moved by the Holy Spirit” to know that when he saw Mary and Joseph bring the Child to the Temple this was the Christ, the Savior of the world. It is in the silence of deep prayer, leaning and listening to the heartbeat of God’s immense love that Simeon knew Who was before him. He was in the Temple every day, listening, praying and waiting. Luke tells us that it had been revealed to him that he would not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. The Holy Spirit cleared the way for Simeon to pray the “Nunc Dimittis,” a prayer recited at Night Prayer of the Divine Office.

Are our young people moved by the power of the Holy Spirit to radically offer their lives to God?

There are young women and men discerning the next step in their lives and looking for a deeper way of living their lives, to make a difference, to help the poor, the immigrants, migrants, homeless, uneducated, etc. As a consecrated religious, I need to examine my own interior movements and motivations so that the Holy Spirit will bring about a renewal of consecrated life.

What do our eyes see? Do our eyes see a longing for the sacred? A longing for God? A longing to bring hope to a world that is losing hope? A longing for a brighter future? The Lord continues to give signs that invite men and women to consider a vocation to the consecrated life.

As Simeon opened his arms and took the Child Jesus into his arms, he spoke words of blessing, praise and wonder of the joy of holding the Savior of the world. God yearns and thirsts for love. Are our arms open to the movement of the Holy Spirit? Are our hearts open to the movement of the Holy Spirit to hear the voice that calls, “Follow Me”? The question may be asked, “Where do you live, Lord?” (John 1:38) And Jesus says, “Come and See!” (John 1:39).

Can we take Jesus in our arms, hold Him, encounter Him with love and joy, and allow the Holy Spirit to move us, guide us, lead us into the greatest adventure of our lives?

The Diocese of Ogdensburg is blessed with the dedication and service of women and men religious who serve the people of the North Country. It is with deep gratitude that their spirit of their love for God and His people that their special charism continues to bear fruit. Let us pray for more vocations to the consecrated life.

 

 

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