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A Day to Remember and Celebrate
Frs. John Gruben (left) and Francisco Legarra join religious Joy, Fervor, Welcome, Faith, Prayer, Witness: these were some of the words used by Bishop Edgar Da Cunha, auxiliary bishop of Newark, New Jersey, in his address to the religious priests, brothers, and sisters gathered in the beautiful gothic Cathedral-Basilica of the Sacred Heart for the annual commemoration of World Day for Consecrated Life on February 2, 2006. This gathering of religious men and women to celebrate their vocation on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord was begun by Pope John Paul II in 1997 and continues to be commemorated in many different forms throughout the world. Religious of the Archdiocese of Newark, together with many of their lay associates, have become accustomed to join in an evening (Vespers) prayer service in which the rich liturgical tradition of the Catholic Church is expressed through the singing of hymns, the chanting of the Psalms, and proclamation of the Scripture accompanied by the inspiring sounds of organ, harp, and flute, and the fragrant smell of incense. Each religious carries a lit candle to honor Jesus, the Light of the World, and also to acknowledge the light of personal faith that is at the heart of a religious vocation. The highlight of the celebration is the renewal of religious vows when all present join together in one voice, recommitting themselves in the following prayer: Eternal Triune God, trusting in your faithful love, I (each states his/her name), renew my vows to live life following Christ in chastity, poverty, and obedience. I commit myself anew to serve the Church in the apostolate entrusted to my institute. Grant me the grace, Lord, through the intercession of Our Lady and the prayers and support of my institute, to live these vows faithfully. AMEN! Representing my community, I stood in the sanctuary of the cathedral with the other religious superiors to recite this prayer of recommitment. Many of my fellow Augustinian Recollect priests, brothers, seminarians, and lay associates as well as our own retired Bishop David Arias, OAR, were also present for the celebration, which is an opportunity not only for common prayer but also to meet or become reacquainted with many of our brothers and sisters from other congregations serving the Church in Newark. It is an event we especially wanted to share with our young religious and students in formation so that they might be able to experience the encouragement and joy of so many religious coming together to celebrate and witness their vocation to follow Christ. We discover in this experience that, whether we are Augustinian Recollects, Franciscans, Dominicans, Benedictines, or Sisters of Charity, we share a common faith and a common commitment to live the consecrated life. At the end of the service Bishop Da Cunha in the name of Archbishop John Myers, who was unable to attend because of illness, expressed the appreciation of the Church in Newark for the witness and ministry of so many religious serving in the parishes, schools, hospitals, social centers, and other institutions sponsored by the Archdiocese to serve the many needs of the people of the Newark area. Our present Pope, Benedict XVI, said of religious in a recent sermon that: "Their way of living and of working is capable of demonstrating in a continuous way their full belonging to the one Lord. Their giving of themselves into the hands of Christ and the Church is a strong and clear announcement of the presence of God, in a language that is understood by our contemporaries." The annual celebration of World Day for Consecrated Life reminds all of us of the grace of our calling and the great privilege and challenge of striving to imitate Christ in his love for the Father and for the family of the Church. Fr. John Gruben, OAR
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