There Is Hope For Religious Life

A group of 200 hundred relgious surpassed our anticipated number of participants at the conference for the World Day for Consecrated Life and left much more joy-filled and satisfied than the Patriots fans who left Lucas Oil Stadium last night. We were more like Giants Fans, happy with our performance to date and encouraged to plunge into the future with HOPE. Br. Sean convincingly argued that because of the promise of the guiding presence of the Holy Spirit, there will always be religious life, for there will always be a Holy Spirit who uses the consecrated life as the "conscience of the Church" and the examplar to the people of God of what the kingdom of God should look like. Because of the human element, as in the Church, the consecrated life as lived is not always perfect but the ideal remains valid and a challenge to religious to continue to renew themselves, and in so doing, challenge the Church to renew itself. The time is here for action, not talk, as to how these challenges will be implemented. Where are the needs that no one else wants to address? Incarcerated youth? Immigrants settling into the "melting pot"? Witness to families of the need for faith and Christian values?
Encouragement for the ill, education and care of the poor? There are many venues in this country alone what could benefit from the most educated and zealous group of people in the country: religious. Age need not be a deterent. Everyone can contribute. As an editor wrote years ago about Santa Claus, we can paraphrase him in saying, "Yes, Virginia, there is a future for Relgious Life." May there be many Virginias and Jims to help us continue our mission!
Bro. Rene