The Face of Mercy / Daniel Conway

Religious women, men are witnesses to hope

In his homily for the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord last month, Pope Francis said:

“When the parents of Jesus brought the Child in fulfillment of the prescriptions of the law, Simeon, ‘guided by the Spirit,’ took the Child in his arms and broke out in a hymn of blessing and praise. ‘My eyes,’ he said, ‘have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.’ Simeon not only saw, but was privileged to hold in his arms the long-awaited hope, which filled him with exultation. His heart rejoiced because God had come to dwell among his people; he felt his presence in the flesh.

“Today’s liturgy tells us that in that rite, the Lord, 40 days after his birth, outwardly was fulfilling the Law, but in reality he was coming to meet his believing people. This encounter of God with his people brings joy and renews hope.

“Simeon’s canticle is the hymn of the believer, who at the end of his days can exclaim: ‘It is true, hope in God never disappoints.’ God never deceives us. Simeon and Anna, in their old age, were capable of a new fruitfulness, and they testify to this in song. Life is worth living in hope, because the Lord keeps his promise. Jesus himself will later explain this promise in the synagogue of Nazareth: the sick, prisoners, those who are alone, the poor, the elderly and sinners, all are invited to take up this same hymn of hope. Jesus is with them, Jesus is with us.”

Simeon’s great hymn of hope is available to everyone, the pope says, because Jesus calls each of us to be “his believing people” and to encounter him personally in joy.

In this homily, Pope Francis also called attention to the 21st World Day of Consecrated Life, an annual celebration of the contributions made by members of religious communities. As a Jesuit, Jorge Mario Bergoglio knows about the ups and downs of religious life from the inside out. In the 1970s, he served as a Jesuit provincial. Afterward, he also served as a teacher, administrator and spiritual director before being ordained a bishop in his native Buenos Aires.

In this homily, the pope likened the hope-filled prayer of the old man, Simeon, to the witness given by the founders of religious orders—the “elders in faith” who shared their hopes and dreams with their followers.

“We have inherited this hymn of hope from our elders. They made us part of this process. In their faces, in their lives, in their daily sacrifice we were able to see how this praise was embodied. We are heirs to the dreams of our elders, heirs to the hope that did not disappoint our founding mothers and fathers, our older brothers and sisters. We are heirs to those who have gone before us and had the courage to dream.

“Like them, we too want to sing, ‘God does not deceive; hope in him does not disappoint.’ God comes to meet his people. And we want to sing by taking up the prophecy of Joel and making it our own: ‘I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions’ ” (Jl 3:1).

Pope Francis warns against all forms of apathy and discouragement in the consecrated religious of our day. He strongly encourages all priests, sisters and brothers to “take up the dreams of our elders,” and “once more encounter what originally set our hearts on fire!”

Authentic Christian life requires the willingness to let go of what is comfortable. That’s why Pope Francis concludes with a courageous call to action:

“Let us accompany Jesus as he goes forth to meet his people, to be in the midst of his people. Let us go forth, not with complaining or anxiety, but with serenity and songs of praise. Not with apprehension but with the patience of those who trust in the Spirit. In this way, let us share what is truly our own: the hymn that is born of hope.”

The courage to dream has been handed on to us by our elders. Let’s not hesitate to take up their dreams or to let our hearts burn with hope!
 

(Daniel Conway is a member of The Criterion’s editorial committee.) †