Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
In a statement published Tuesday, January 25, Cardinal João Braz de Aviz and Archbishop José Rodríguez Carballo the Prefect and Secretary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life respectively noted that Religious life, is “primarily a journeythat challengeseveryvocationalcommunityin its visibleexpressionofacommunionoflove,areflectionoftheTrinitarianrelationship,ofitsgoodnessandbeauty,itscapacityofawakeningnewenergiestoconcretelyfacethepresentmoment.”
The two officials reminded the Consecrated persons of the initial joy at the discovery of their vocation which needs to be renewed saying, “Ifwe reconsiderour vocationalcall, we rediscoverthe joyofbeing partof a project of Love for which brothers and sisters before us and with us, have offered theirlives.Therewassuch great enthusiasmat the beginningofourvocationalstories,suchamazementat discoveringthatthe Lord is also callingrite to realize this dream ofdoinggood forhumanity!”
They added, “Let us reviveandtake careofour commitmentbecause,as we know,itriskslosing its strengthovertime, especiallywhenthe attractiveness of the “We” is replaced by thestrengthof the “I”
They further disclosed that the 2022 theme for the 26th DayofConsecratedLife has been extracted from the theme of the upcoming Synod focusing on “Participation” as key area of concern and highlighting to the Religious that “no one should excludethemselvesor feel excluded from thisjourney,(and) letnoonethink“itdoesn’tconcernme.”
“The first characteristic of participation is that of belonging. I cannot participate if Iconsidermyselfas the wholeif Idon’t recognizemyselfus partof a shared project, and ifI’m not firmly rooted in the conviction that the “body and its members must be united”, the Church leaders said in the co-signed statement reflecting on a message by Pope Francis to audience some time back.
Reminding the Consecrated persons that participation is a responsibility, the officials said, “We cannot fail to be among others andwith others, and even more so in this call to become a synodal church! We are well aware thatsynodalitybeginsfromwithin:fromachangeofmentality,fromapersonalconversion, in our community, in the home, in the workplace, in our structures, extendingintoministriesandmission.”
“Itis in that dynamic ofthe call and commitmentthatliestherootofthisattitudeofbeingpartoftheprocessesthataffectthelifeofthecommunityand ofeach person,” reads part of the Monday message to the Religious.”
The Church leaders concluded by narrating that participation takes the style of “co-responsibility” that is relatednot only tothe organizationand workingsofthe Church,but alsoto its verynature, communion,andultimatemeaning:themissionarydreamofreachingouttoall,ofcaringforall,offeeling that we are all brothers and sisters, united in life and in the history that is salvationhistory.