Presentation of Jesus in the temple

Like every February 2, on the feast of the presentation of Jesus in the temple, cries of joy resounded from all corners of the world! It was also the great feast of all the Consecrated. Since January 28, the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life has made public the correspondence entitled: "Prophecy of the Presence: Consecrated Life, where dignity is injured and faith put to the test". Through this, in fact, the Dicastery will have reached all the Consecrated People, each in their world, their place of apostolate. After expressing his gratitude to all for their fidelity to the gospel and for the gift of their lives which becomes a seed sown throughout history, he realistically paints a grim picture of our world. From its pastoral tour, the Dicastery says it has met the faces of so many people consecrated on mission in contexts marked by conflicts, social and political instability, poverty, marginalization, forced migrations, religious minorities, violence, tensions, etc. All this, adds the Dicastery, does not fail to test the dignity of people, their freedom and sometimes even their faith. In these words, it seems that the Dicastery had truly taken up residence here, in the eastern part of the DRC. This is, no one doubts it, our world, our place of daily apostolate! And we are there, in a “presence that remains” alongside wounded peoples and individuals, in places where the gospel is often lived in fragility and trial. This is the prophetic dimension of Consecrated Life and origin of the Church. As the Dicastery has so clearly noted, Consecrated people from everywhere, and particularly from Butembo-Beni, in the east of the DRC, we live:
1) where daily life is marked by fragility;
2) where prosperity coexists with loneliness, polarization, new forms of poverty and indifference;
3) where migration, inequalities and generalized violence challenge life in society, etc.
All in all, in our peace-loving world, our faithful, humble, creative and discreet presence, declares the Dicastery, is a sign that God never abandons his people. In these words, the Dicastery encourages each and every consecrated person to "remain evangelical" which is never immobility or resignation, but an active hope which engenders attitudes and gestures of peace. The COSUMA/BUTEMBO-BENI Cell will have celebrated at several sites the joy of being associated with the mission of Jesus Christ. His message was everywhere that of encouragement to never stop expressing "remaining evangelical" in the image of a seed which accepts to die so that life flourishes!