Holy Father's homily given on October 29, 1994 at the
conclusion of the world Synod of Bishops on the consecrated life in the Church.
1. <Quia fecit mihi magna.> "For he who is mighty has done great
things for me" (Lk. 1:49).
We conclude the work of the ninth ordinary general assembly of the Synod of
Bishops, dedicated to consecrated life and its mission in the church and in the
world, with this celebration. We close them on a Saturday—a day traditionally
dedicated to the mother of God. Therefore, we address ourselves to Mary in a
particular way in today's eucharistic sacrifice, borrowing the words of thanks
from the Magnificat, which the church repeats every day in the Liturgy of the
Hours: "He has done great things for me." <Fecit mihi magna.>
Vatican Council II was a "great thing" for the church, which could
correctly be defined as the most significant ecclesial event of our century. On
the background of this first and fundamental "great thing," given to
us by the Lord, other "great things" can be recognized, achieved by
him during the recent past. The institution of the Synod of Bishops may surely
be placed among these, which by now has its own history, developed during the
post-conciliar period. This last synodal assembly can now be recorded in its
history, which was greatly expected and—we all hope—not less fruitful than the
preceding ones.
To the apostolic exhortations <Familiaris Consortio>,
<Christifideles Laici>, <Pastores Dabo Vobis> thus now we will have
the joy of following with a new post-synodal document, of which we still do not
know the <incipit> but which certainly will reflect what has emerged
during the course of the assembly, which ends today. There have been weeks of
intense work during which consecrated life and its mission have been at the
center of reflection and prayer by the church.
2. My soul thirsts for God, for the living
God" (Ps. 42:3). The readings proclaimed now contain many lights able to
make clear the singular state of ecclesial life which is consecrated life. The
responsorial psalm remembers the liturgy of baptism with the blessing of the
holy water during the great paschal vigil of Holy Saturday.
Baptism is the first and
fundamental consecration of the human person. Beginning new existence in
Christ, the baptized—man or woman—participates in this consecration, in this
total donation to the Father which is proper to his eternal Son. It is he
himself—the Son—who incites in man's soul the desire to give oneself without
reservation to God: My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I
come and behold the face of God?" (Ps. 42:3).
Religious consecration, with
its distinct eschatological dimension, is inserted on baptismal consecration.
No one has ever seen God (cf. Jn. 1:18) during this life. This is however the
beatific vision, that is, the seeing of the visage of God "face to
face" (1 Cor. 13:12), the definite vocation beyond time of each man.
Consecrated persons have the duty of reminding everyone of this. Faith prepares
us for this beatific vision, in which God gives himself to man with the measure
of love with which this last one answered to the eternal love, revealed in the
incarnation and in the cross of Christ.
3. "For to me, to live is
Christ" (Phil. 1:21), writes Paul the apostle. <Amori Christi nihil
praeponatur,> St. Benedict proclaims in his rules. <Amori Christi in
pauperibus nihil praeponatur,> St. Vincent
de Paul will say 1,000 years later.
What marvelous strength these
words contain! Could one think about culture and European civilization without
them? And the great missionary epics of the first and the second millennium,
could they be imagined without them? And what to say about monasticism of the
Eastern Christian, whose beginnings go back to the first centuries of
Christianity? Thus, those who in following the poor, chaste and obedient Christ
had abandoned the world, at the same time transformed it. In them was achieved
the invocation: "Send forth thy Spirit and renew the face of the
earth" (cf. Ps. 103:30). The Holy Spirit knows the "times and the
moments" in which one must call upon persons suited for the duties
required by the historical circumstances.
At that time, he called upon
Benedict and his sister Scholastica. He called Bernard, Francis and Clare of Assisi, Bonaventure, Dominic, Thomas Aquinas and St. Catherine of
Siena. From the public
squares the Gospel reached the university chairs. At the time of the Eastern
schism and the Reformation he called upon Ignatius Loyola, Teresa of Avila,
John of the Cross and then Francis Xavier and Peter Claver. With them, a deep
spiritual reform was achieved, and the missionary epic in the East and in the
West began.
During the centuries closest
to us the Spirit, which renews the face of the earth, called upon others such
as John Baptist de La Salle, Paul of the Cross, Alphonse Maria Liguori and John
Bosco, to only mention but a few of the most noteworthy ones. At the end of the
last century and during the present, the same Spirit of the Father and of the
Son spoke through Teresa of the Infant Jesus, through Maximilian Kolbe and
through Sister Faustina.
What would the world be,
ancient and modern, without these figures—and those of many others? They
learned from Christ that "his yoke is easy and his burden is light"
(cf. Mt. 11:30), and they taught this to others.
4. We conclude this synodal
assembly almost on the eve of the solemnity of All Saints. The Book of the
Apocalypse mentions this immense multitude, coming from every nation, people
and tongue, standing before the heavenly throne and before the Lamb of God (cf.
Rv. 7:9). The significant question follows: "Who are these clothed in
white robes, and whence have they come?"
From where do they come? we
also ask ourselves. Do they not come from the innumerable institutes of consecrated life, male and female, present in the church? The canonizations and
the beatifications proclaimed through the centuries give witness of this. The
beatifications, which during this month have almost accompanied the synodal
way, give particular witness of this.
5. Today, the last Saturday of
October, we offer up to you, Mary, mother and virgin, humble handmaiden of the
Lord and queen of all the saints, the fruits of the work of the synod. We
entrust them to you, queen of the holy rosary, queen of this beautiful prayer
which has sustained us day by day during the entire month.
Make it possible that these
fruits, through a singular exchange of gifts, may be useful also to the cause
of the family, complying with the design of divine providence, which desired
the celebration of this symbol on consecrated life during the Year of the
Family.
They praise you, Lord, the
consecrated persons. They praise you, the Christian families of the entire
world. She praises you, the church, for the gift of the synod.
<Magnificat anima mea
Dominum> (Lk. 1:46).
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