
Celebrating the World Day of Prayer for Religious or Consecrated Life, Bishop Andrew McKenzie was joined by priests and religious from across the diocese at Mass in St Andrew’s Cathedral at 1pm, on Monday 3rd February, 2025
In his homily, Bishop Andrew said,
“It would be understandable if the request to gather here to celebrate this liturgy surprise to you today. After all, we celebrated the feast of the presentation of the Child Jesus in the temple yesterday, our traditional day for praying for and with the religious of the diocese.
“Today we also gather to mark the jubilee year. The theme for the jubilee year is Pilgrims of Hope. This jubilee year officially began with the opening of the holy door of St. Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Eve.
“The Jubilee will conclude with the closing of the holy door on the 6th of January, 2026, the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord. Pope Francis hopes that the light of Christian hope might illume every man and woman as a message of God’s love addressed to all, and that the church will bear faithful witness to this message in every part of the world.
“So today we celebrate Mass as pilgrims of hope. What we also mark the World Day of Prayer for Religious or Consecrated Life.
“Perhaps some of us might ask, what do we mean by consecrated life?
“The truth is, I think, we mean different things at different times.
“There is the consecrated life that we each share by virtue of our baptism, and there is the consecrated life that belongs in a particular way to those who are professed religious living according to the rule of a particular rule of life. And according to the vision of their founders. The two need to be kept in focus I think when we speak about consecrated life. For us, the first reading reminded us, we share the one testimony given by the Son, by water and blood with the spirit as another witness.
“That testimony belongs firstly to the baptized, to all of us, to each of us. We are called as witnesses to the eternal life that is ours through our faith in Jesus Christ, we are called to holiness of life, but we are sometimes tempted to think of holiness of life and consecrated life as being something for those who have time to pray to, to devote their entire day to prayer.
“Some people think of holiness as closing your eyes and bowing your head, but holiness is much more profound than what may be observed from the outside.
“The Pope himself makes the point that consecrated life is not the preserve of the privileged few. Consecration is not simply about religious men and women, bishops, priests, sisters, brothers, deacons to celebrate your life, to consecrate your life to Christ. It is to embark on a process of growing in holiness, of becoming like Christ, of striving to live out the values of the gospel.
“‘”For some, however, that holiness is expressed in a radical decision to embrace the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience to follow where Jesus leads through the acceptance of a particular way of life. It is expressed through individuals living in community, in their work and in their prayer, striving towards the perfection of charity, through devoting themselves to the glory of God and the service of their brothers and sisters, giving their testimony through their lives or dedicated service to him who came by water and by blood they followed the poor Christ, the humbled Christ, the cross bearing Christ as they seek to be worthy sharers in His glory.
“For all of us then, baptized Christians and professed religious, the call to universal holiness is a call. Not so much to a state as to an action for holiness is not something we can possess for ourselves. Holiness like faith is simply a gift, and we receive it and discern its purpose when we live our lives in communion with God and in communion with one another.
“So where will this year of hope take us? Perhaps it will take us to that holiness that’s at the centre of the church. Perhaps it’s about embracing those whose lives and inspire us and direct us through their ministry of care and communion, faithfully baptized and profess religious alike.
“Maybe it’s about giving thanks to God for one another as we commit ourselves again as pilgrims of Hope, pilgrims whose hope is in Christ.”