(CLYDE, Mo.) - Catholics around the world are invited to honor those called to cloistered and monastic life on Pro Orantibus Day (also called World Day of Cloistered Life), scheduled for Friday, Nov. 21, 2014.
The event, which falls on the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, dates back to 1953 when Pope Pius XII asked laity to recognize the men and women who generously gave of themselves to such a unique vocation and who offer prayers unceasingly throughout their lives.
“The primary purpose of Pro Orantibus Day is to support - both spiritually and materially - the gift of cloistered and monastic life,” said Rev. Thomas Nelson, O. Praem., national director of the Institute on Religious Life. “As Pope Francis reminded us, ‘it is a good opportunity to thank the Lord for the gift of so many people who, in monasteries and hermitages, dedicate themselves to God in prayer and silent work.’”
Ways in which people can honor monastics and cloistered are through personal prayer, participating in novenas or writing notes of appreciation.
For more information on ways to take part in World Day of Cloistered Life, please visit http://www.cloisteredlife.com/pro-orantibus-day/.
Sample prayer in support of the Cloistered Life
Eternal Father,
We praise and thank you for the sisters and brothers who have embraced the gift of the cloistered and monastic life.
Their prayerful presence is indispensable to the Church’s life and mission and is the foundation of the New Evangelization.
As we celebrate Pro Orantibus Day, let us honor the holiness and glory of the Blessed Virgin.
May she, who was presented in the Temple, intercede so that many young people might dedicate themselves entirely to Your divine service by hidden lives of contemplative prayer and selfless sacrifice.
May all of us be mindful of the spiritual and material needs of those who commit their lives to seeking God by fixing their gaze on those things which are eternal.
We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. |
