A tapestry of habits stretches across St Peter’s: the crowns of the Bridgetines, the saris of the missionaries of charity, the sackcloth of Franciscans, the habits in black, white, red, grey and blue – every color save green. Some belong to ancient communities founded well before Canada and the USA, others belong to communities founding during my own lifetime. On the World Day for Consecrated Life (the Visitation, February 2), Benedict XVI holds vesper’s in St Peter’s Basilica for all those consecrated souls in Rome.
At the end, all five thousand of us kneel on the solid marble floor. The Pope even kneels front and center.
To someone who doesn’t believe it looks like pure silliness. All these people gave up marriage (one of the greatest human goods), they fill this architectural masterpiece, they build a throne in the center regal even for Elizabeth II, and then they kneel on the floor before a 4 inch of bread.
If Christ isn’t real, we surely are the sorriest of men. But we all have faith. Christ is present: first in the Eucharist and then in our consecrated lives. With this scene, I see that it is either all true in belief or all false in disbelief.
