On February 2, 2026, on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, we celebrate the World Day for Consecrated Life, a privileged occasion to deepen our understanding of Consecrated Life and the charism of St. Candida. Under the motto “Who are you for?”, the Church invites us to look at our vocation with sincerity and Christian joy, allowing ourselves to be challenged by the fundamental question of every call: to whom do we give our life?
St. Candida: living only for God and for others
For us Daughters of Jesus, this question finds a special echo in the life and spirit of St. Candida Maria de Jesus, foundress of our Congregation. Her answer was an absolute trust in God’s will and a great, universal and untiring love for Jesus and for those most in need. She did not simply ask what she could do, but for whom she lived, what was the will of God to give herself to her and thus be a true Daughter of Jesus.
Saint Candida left us expressions that continue to illuminate our journey:
- "My very beloved daughters... for God's sake, take good care of yourselves and don't have a hard time for nothing, lots of charity for each other..." – a call to simple fraternity and the spirit of charity among sisters.
– "Alone I can do nothing, but with God I can do all things." – a confession of her total trust and obedience to the Lord and living from the strength that flows from Him when we allow ourselves to be carried by His grace.
– "Where there is no place for the poor, there is no place for me". – a challenge that calls us to be a vocation and presence of Christ in the most needy of the world.
– "The world is too small for my desires". – expression of a missionary heart, which dreams of the glory of God and the salvation of souls.
Our spirituality drives us
From our filiation to Jesus, which marks our being Daughters of Jesus, with our educational and pastoral mission, which springs from a passionate love for Christ and for people, we continue to respond to the question of the motto with a radical yes to God and a fraternal service to others. Our spirituality – Ignatian, Marian, universal and profoundly centered on Jesus Christ – impels us to make each day a faithful, available and joyful response to the Lord and to those He entrusts to us.
We fondly remember this Hakuna song from 2021, which is precisely entitled “Who am I for?” . This song was requested by the OMP (Pontifical Missionary Works) together with the Spanish Episcopal Conference, and two other institutions (CONFER and CEDIS) for the day of prayer for vocations and the Day of Native Vocations that they celebrate in Spain. You can find the lyrics here.
Consecrated Life: being for God, being for others
Thus, on this day of thanksgiving for Consecrated Life, we join the whole Church in looking to Christ and asking ourselves: “For whom am I?”, remembering that we are for God, and through Him, for others. May the example of St. Candida help us to live our lives with the traits of filiation: love, trust and self-giving.
It may help us to pray personally and/or as a community with the attached proposal.
