Bringing Love and light to life

United with Him, and in Him with one another, your small lights become like the path of a luminous trail in the great plan of peace and salvation that God has for humanity. ~ Pope Leo, during last year's Jubilee of Consecrated Life

Here in the northern hemisphere, we celebrate Candlemas, that great feast of Christ, our world's radiant light, at a time when our daylight hours are slowly, yet visibly increasing. Snowdrops and crocuses, those early heralds of spring, proliferate, lifting spirits and adding bright splashes of colour - purple, lilac, gold, clear white - to otherwise dull, leaden grey days. Meanwhile, the solitary daffodil which has been standing as a tightly-furled sentry in my little front garden chose to begin showing its sunshine-y, golden glory yesterday, feast of St Brigid, woman of fire and light, on a day otherwise marked by gloom and rain. 

Today is also kept as the World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life. On Saturday I joined a few hundred other religious, women and men, from a diversity of orders in our Diocese, at the Cathedral for Mass and lunch. Together, we renewed our commitment to our vows and our mission, praying for the grace to witness to the joy of the Gospel as missionary disciples serving the poor, always faithful to the charisms of our congregations, and reflecting the life of Christ to the world. 

When I first saw those words - life of Christ - I nearly read them out loud as 'light of Christ' - not surprising, I suppose, given Candlemas' focus, and our world's darkening. It isn't only the darkness of winter and grey skies, but the darkness of war, division, cruelty and fear, which seem uppermost in our world right now; a world so desperately in need of light... and of lights. A world which so needs its daily reminders of the permanence and prevalence of goodness and kindness; of the fidelity and presence of God, and the strength and tenderness of Love. A world which needs us - each one of us - to be that luminous trail; that light, and yes, that life of Christ: to be what our Superior General recently called a daily incarnation of Love; often quiet and humble, but in its quietness powerfully humanising our world, one moment of goodness at a time, and rejoicing the Heart of God. 

And this, especially, is what our religious consecration, and our charisms call us to; individually, with our communities and as religious sisters and brothers together. United with Jesus, and in Jesus with one another, through our prayer and our presence, our witness and service, may we daily bring Love and light to life, especially where the darkness and the pain seem strongest, and healing and hope are most wanting. 

Happy Candlemas to you all! And regardless of when you see this, please do pray for me and all religious, especially any you might know, that we may always radiate the Love which has called us, and the hope we hold in our hearts, with  joy and passion.