Vatican Radio report on Vespers from the Basilica of St. Anne
The reporter reports that Benedict left the episcopal ring he wore as Archbishop of Munich at the base of the Black Madonna statue, which had been brought into the Basilica for the service.
Following the initial prayers of the service, and the Psalms beautifully intoned by a choir, the Pope reflected on the Vocation to the priesthood and religious life.
“We have gathered here to consider our vocation to serve Jesus Christ…under the watchful gaze of Saint Anne, in whose home the greatest vocation in the history of salvation developed.” The Pope noted that although none are granted the grace of receiving their vocation from an angel, as Mary did, “the Lord has a plan for each of us.”
The text of the homily, at the Vatican Radio website. In which he mentioned St. Conrad, blogged below:
Here in Altötting, we naturally think in a special way of good Brother Conrad. He renounced a great inheritance because he wanted to follow Jesus Christ unreservedly and to be completely with him. As the Lord recommended in the parable, he chose to take the lowest place, that of a humble lay-brother and porter. In his porter’s lodge he was able to achieve exactly what Saint Mark tells us about the Apostles: to stay with him, to be sent to others. From his cell he could always look at the tabernacle and thus always stay with Christ. From this contemplation he learned the boundless goodness with which he treated the people who would knock at his door at all hours – sometimes mischievously, in order to provoke him, at other times loudly and impatiently. To all of them, by his sheer goodness and humanity, and without grand words, he gave a message more valuable than words alone. Let us pray to Brother Saint Conrad; let us ask him to help us to keep our gaze fixed on the Lord, in order to bring God’s love to the men and women of our time. Amen!
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