Today begins the novena for the feast of Our Lady’s Presentation, designated in 1997 by Bl. John Paul II as Pro Orantibus Day, “For Those Who Pray,” in remembrance of those who lead a cloistered, contemplative life. Especially during this Year of Faith, the cloistered vocation stands out as an exemplary witness to faith. Our life, totally centered around God, is an exact reparation for the exclusion of God from secular society. What would our life be without faith, that supernatural virtue of faith which grounds us in the truths of the Catholic Faith and allows us to reach out to God in hope and charity? Please join in this novena to pray for us and all who have dedicated their lives solely to God in a contemplative vocation. Know that our lives are offered to Him on your behalf.
For more information and resources concerning Pro Orantibus Day, see the Institute on Religious Life’s website on the contemplative vocation, cloisteredlife.com. The novena published by IRL is available here (PDF).