VATICAN CITY (CNS) — For every Christian, but especially for those called to ministry, God’s gift of life is a call to serve others, Pope Francis said at a memorial Mass for bishops and cardinals who have died in the past year. “The meaning of life is found in our response to God’s offer of love. And that response is made up of true love, self-giving and service,” the pope said Nov. 3 during the Mass at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter’s Basilica. The memorial Mass is an annual fixture on the pope’s calendar for November, the month the Catholic Church dedicates particularly to remembering the dead. The Vatican said that in the past year 154 bishops and nine cardinals, including U.S. Cardinal Bernard F. Law, died. “As we pray for the cardinals and bishops who have passed away in this last year,” the pope said in his homily, “let us beg the intercession of all those who lived unassuming lives, content to prepare daily to meet the Lord.” The Gospel reading for the Mass was the parable of the 10 bridesmaids and their oil lamps from Matthew 25. Pope Francis said the parable is valid for every Christian, who is called to go out to meet Christ, the bridegroom, and always to be prepared for that meeting. “For ministers of the Gospel, too,” he said, “life is in constant movement, as we go forth from our family home to wherever the church sends us, from one variety of service to another. We are always on the move, until we make our final journey.”
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