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February 2, 2024Dear Sisters and brothers,
Peace and goodness!
February 2nd is the feast of the presentation of the Lord in the temple, This year on the feast of the Presentation of the Lord we celebrate the XXVIII World Day of Consecrated Life.
On this occasion I would like to draw your attention to this particular form of Christian vocation. In our Apostolic Vicariate we have the presence of numerous consecrated people: men and women who have left everything to follow Jesus and to be completely at the disposal of the kingdom of God and at the service of the Church.
Almost all the priests who work in our Vicariate belong to ancient or recent religious orders. Furthermore, you all know the numerous nuns who dedicate their lives to pastoral work in the parish and to the management of our schools. The face of the Church is not complete without the presence of consecrated life. I am thinking in particular of consecrated women who specifically express the Church as the bride of Christ who welcomes and makes the grace of the Lord Jesus fruitful for all. We cannot imagine the concrete life of our communities without consecrated people.
Therefore, I invite you on this occasion of the World Day of Consecrated Life to pray for them. We ask the Lord to inspire in the hearts of young men and women the desire to leave everything to follow Jesus and to make themselves available to the mission of the Church.
Dear young people, there is nothing more beautiful than to be surprised by the Gospel, by the encounter with Christ and to follow him. There is nothing more beautiful than to know Him and to speak to others of our friendship with Jesus.
If you have in your heart even a smallest desire to know more about Jesus Christ or if you have any questions about the meaning of your life, I ask you to please turn to a consecrated person or a priest and let them help you discover the beauty of your personal vocation.
My dear people, underlining the value of consecrated life, all the people of God are invited to rediscover their baptismal vocation, the vocation to the perfection of love and to be witnesses of the joy of the gospel in the world.
Happy feast of the presentation of the Lord, happy celebration of consecrated life.
+Paolo Martinelli OFM Cap.,
Apostolic Vicar od Southern Arabia
