This year, on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord and, at the same time, the 27th World Day for Consecrated Life, we had the opportunity to experience the celebration of Mass in the Lower Church of the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth. The rite of blessing the candles, the joint procession and the Eucharist celebrated at the Grotto of the Annunciation by numerous priests, was presided over by Mons. Rafic Nahra, auxiliary bishop of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and Vicar of the Patriarch for Israel. In his opening words, the bishop expressed his gratitude to the gathered consecrated persons for their presence and service in the Holy Land. He also stressed the importance of praying together and giving thanks for those who have given their lives completely to God through various forms of consecration. Referring to the place where we gathered, he said: it is beautiful to be right here – at the Grotto of Our Lady; it is beautiful to remember Mary, who said YES, HERE in this place. And this word captures the whole truth of the Consecration. HERE, the First Consecrated Woman teaches what it means to say YES.
In his homily, addressed to both consecrated persons and parishioners, the preacher referred in three points to figures from the Gospels who teach us what it means: to give one’s life to God. First, he noted Anna, who came constantly to the temple, who served God with prayer and fasting. – This attitude is meant to teach us to live in God’s presence during ordinary daily activities; fasting is meant to detach us from ourselves in order to gain full inner freedom, Bishop Nahra said. The second model, the bishop pointed out in Simeon, on whom the Holy Spirit rested: – Because there is no consecration without the Holy Spirit, it is He who sanctifies and consecrates. The Holy Spirit is Love, so He empowers us to love and serve others. If we do not stop at ourselves, we can go out to others, to love others. The third hero on whom the preacher focused attention was St. Joseph, – whose example of life, is to teach us obedience in doing God’s will wherever God sends us. Even if this sending is not easy for us, he stressed. Finally, Bishop Nahra invited consecrated persons to rededicate themselves to God, following the example of Mary, who entrusted everything to Him.
The homily was followed by the renewal of vows. Each consecrated person wishing to renew his or her devotion to God did so with a lit lantern specially prepared for him or her, reading the text of the vow formula in a language familiar to him or her. Before this took place, however, the chief celebrant asked all those present to witness consecrated persons’ rededication to God at this moment, to give thanks for the gift of vocation, and to pray for fidelity for them. In doing so, he emphasized the special dimension of witness to life, apostolic toil, the need for openness, acceptance and availability to cooperate in the not easy field of evangelization with such a rich diversity of religions, cultures, nationalities and languages.
People of consecrated life gathered at the Eucharist, not only from Nazareth, but from almost the entire Galilee. Religious sisters and brothers, as well as members of Secular Institutes and new charismatic communities came from Haifa, Capernaum, Tabgha, Magdala. The Mass was followed by a special agape. An extension of the celebration, was joint evening adoration at the Grotto of the Annunciation with liturgical animation by the Shalom community.
There are currently nine Polish people ministering in Nazareth: four religious sisters (three from the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth; one from the Congregation of the Sisters of the Divine Savior – Salvatorian), three religious brothers from the Hospital Order of St. John of God, one father from the Order of Minor Friars, a Franciscan, and one priest from the Society of St. Francis de Sales, a Salesian. According to 2021 statistics, there are more than 500 religious, more than 900 nuns and about 300 members of various Institutes of Consecrated Life and new ecclesial communities serving in the Holy Land. A relatively new form of life dedicated to God in the diocese are those living according to the Ordo Virginum. There are currently six consecrated virgins and two in the preparatory stage.
