Religious life bears witness to God's kingdom, Pope says

Vatican, Feb. 02 (CWNews.com) - Religious men and women are "an eloquent sign of God's presence in the world," Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) said on February 2 as he celebrated the 10th annual World Day for Consecrated Life.

At an evening Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, attended by thousands of religious from around Rome, the Pope said that Christians living in consecrated life serve as "heralds to provide a glimpse and an announcement of the new life that is already present."

The Day of Consecrated Life coincides with the feast of the Presentation, and the Pope remarked that the Virgin Mary is the model for religious, as "the first person to associate herself to Christ, through obedience, proven faith, and shared sorrow." The Eucharistic celebration in the Vatican basilica included the lighting of candles, traditional for the Presentation (formerly known as Candlemas), and the Pope encouraged religious to imitate the flames, "to radiate the love of Christ, the light of the world, always and everywhere."

The annual Day for Consecrated Life was established by Pope John Paul II (bio - news), on a suggestion made when the Synod of Bishops discussed consecrated life at a meeting in October 1994. The late Pope presided at the first annual celebration in 1997.

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