World Day For Consecrated Life

The annual celebration of the World Day for Consecrated Life was observed in the United States on Sunday, February 6. This is a world-wide celebration that was instituted by our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II in 1997. This is a day for us to celebrate the gift of our consecrated lives within our own religious communities, with others and with the entire people of God.

The Augustinian Recollects of St. Augustine Priory joined with religious men and women of the region for an afternoon of prayer and reflection at the convent of the Sisters, Servants of Mary in Oxnard, CA. It was an opportunity for us to offer our personal and communal prayers of thanks to God for the gift of our religious vocations. It was a time to affirm ourselves and one another as to what the Lord has accomplished in us.

It was most appropriate that our celebration was in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament as we celebrate this year dedicated by our Holy Father as the "Year of the Eucharist". In the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, each of us present were provided the opportunity to reflect upon what has sustained us in living our religious life and in fidelity to our vows.

The praying of the Rosary was incorporated into our afternoon and this was an appropriate response as we each are called to imitate Mary in her generous "Yes" to the will of God. The praying of the Rosary and recitation of the familiar psalms of Evening Prayer was a powerful reminder of how important our daily moments of private and community prayer are what sustain us in our vocations.

We invite you to pray for us that we may be faithful witness of God's gracious love and that by our witness, others may consider sharing in the gift of religious life!

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