Feast of the Presentation – Candlemas

Hannah and Simeon, first consecrated folks…

Religious are in many ways LIGHTS…

Consecrated people…not about DOING but about BEING….consecrated people are a SIGN pointing, a LIGHT shining

Religious people stand in the “gap” between the here and now…

Vows: Poverty, chastity, obedience … modeling Jesus, pointing to Jesus, deeply abiding in Jesus who was POOR, UNMARRIED, OBEDIENT

Check out this list of pontifical rank

They come and go, they’re at service of Church

Three major types of orders: monastic (desert mvmt, monasteries), mendicant (witness, teach, care for), apostolic (go out as missionaries, convert the world)