The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

From the Pastor’s Desk: World Day for Consecrated Life

Christ is the “light to the nations.”

As we begin the month of February, we have celebrated the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, on Thursday, February 2. On this feast day, the Church celebrates the mystery of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple. After receiving the Lord, Simeon declared Christ to be the “light to the nations.” Therefore, it traditionally involves the blessing of candles.

In 1997, Pope Saint John Paul II instituted a day of prayer for women and men in consecrated life. This celebration is attached to the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord on February 2. The celebration of World Day for Consecrated Life is transferred to the following Sunday in order to highlight the gift of consecrated persons for the whole Church. Thus, this weekend we celebrate the World Day of Consecrated Life.

The Church continues to give thanks for all persons in the Consecrated Life on the Feast of the Presentation. This is because, consecrated men and women, by their evangelical witness, become like Christ in that they are lights of God’s love in the darkness of the world. Their zeal and joy for doing God’s will manifests the life and holiness of the Church. Please pray for all discerning a vocation to the Consecrated Life, as well as for all who are vowed to a life consecrated to the Lord. Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, pray for us!

Fr. Wilke

The Society for the Propagation of the Faith has become the Church’s official organization for mission aid. The Society continues to seek prayer and sacrifice for the world’s missions. Help is offered for pastoral and evangelizing programs, for catechists and catechetical work, to build churches and chapels, for the work of religious communities in health care and education, and for communication and transportation needs. The financial contributions in our own Diocese of Harrisburg largely come from the World Mission Sunday collection each October and the Propagation of the Faith Membership Sunday collection in February. In addition to these two major collections, funds are also received from a group of faithful monthly donors, from wills, bequests, and legacies, and outright gifts made by the faithful of the diocese. A Second Collection will be taken this weekend, for the propagation of the faith. Thank you for your generosity!