VATICAN - “Consecrated men and women are in fact given the chance to express primacy of God and passion for the Gospel, practised in life and announced to the poor and to the weakest of the earth”

Vatican (Agenzia Fides) – “The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple is an eloquent symbol of complete donation of life, for all those men and women who are called to reproduce, in the Church and the world, via the evangelical counsels, the characteristic features of Jesus: chastity, poverty and obedience. It is for this reason that today's feast was chosen by the Venerable John Paul II to celebrate the annual Day of Consecrated Life”. The Holy Father Benedict XVI addressed these words to the members of Institutes for Consecrated Life and from the Societies of Apostolic Life gathered together in St Peter's Basilica on the evening of 2 February to celebrate Vespers.
The Holy Father proposed three themes for reflection on this feast day. “the evangelical image of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple contains the fundamental symbol of light; the light which, irradiating from Christ, shone on Mary and Joseph, on Simeon and Anna and, through them, on everyone. The Church Fathers associated this shining light with the spiritual journey. Consecrated life is an expression of this journey, especially in ... love for divine beauty, reflection of the goodness of God”. “Secondly, the evangelical image is an expression of prophecy, gift of the Holy Spirit. Simeon and Anna, contemplating the Baby Jesus, foresee His destiny of death and resurrection for the salvation of all mankind, and they announce this mystery as universal salvation. Consecrated life, with its dual aspect of contemplation and activity, is called to offer such prophetic witness. Consecrated men and women are in fact given the chance to express primacy of God and passion for the Gospel, practiced in life and announced to the poor and to the weakest of the earth”. “Thirdly, the evangelical image of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple expresses the wisdom of Simeon and Anna, the wisdom of a life totally dedicated to seeking the face of God, His signs and His will; a life dedicated to listening to and announcing His Word. … The consecrated life is a visible sign in the world and in the Church of this search for the face of the Lord and the path which leads to Him.”
The Pope then went on to encourage consecrated men and women “to listen assiduously to the Word, because all of life's wisdom arises from the Word of the Lord” and to be “scrutinizers of the Word, through lectio divina”, which “means that our Christian witness must always be luminous and coherent and our educational efforts attentive and generous.” (SL) (Agenzia Fides 3/02/2011)