The decision to dedicate oneself to consecrated life is not like the choice to enter a particular profession, but rather a mystical response to a deeply felt invitation that is often surprising and little understood, a persistent call that impels one to a life that is no better or worse, only different from the baptismal call to marriage or single life. Profession of the three vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, a traditional trademark of consecrated life, does make a difference in the common journey we are all called to as followers of Christ. Consecrated life has always called us to stand on the periphery of our society, but the living out is in the context of a continuing call to be transformed by the changing needs of our times.
The vow of poverty does not mean living a destitute life, but rather a detachment from the lure of material goods which is so rampant in our consumerist society. We also learn to share in common our goods like food and vehicles and living quarters.
The vow of chastity is the complete giving of oneself to God, and in that is a great freedom to love and serve others without the obligations of family. In return we receive love through an ever deepening relationship with Jesus, the love and support of others in community and the joy experienced in serving others.
The vow of obedience is seeking God’s will through actively listening to the Holy spirit, dialoguing openly with leaders and community on how your gifts and talents may best be used for your own fulfillment and the common good of the community. Gifted with a great freedom to go where others cannot go in terms of risk or distance, to do what is most needed in our neighbourhoods and beyond, to offer to people in distress services that are the fruit of compassion and contemplative prayer, those who have embraced the challenges of consecrated life have borne fruit over the ages. The stories of our own Sisters here who continue to step out in faith are wonderful examples of the power of the Spirit to inspire and animate our common mission in spite of our own human weaknesses and failings.
The North American experience of diminishment and few vocations among religious congregations has led to the question of whether our form of consecrated life is coming to an end. In the southern hemisphere among the new churches vocations to consecrated life abound. For us the road ahead is not clear but we walk in a spirit of trust and hope, open to the same Spirit that has led us through these times of great change. What have we to offer to our world at this point? Although there are many ways to respond, I wish to highlight three gifts that we have to offer out of the abundance we have been given.
One is a faithfulness to prayer, to that relationship with our God that is deepened by the contemplative dimension of our lives, the source of energy and direction for the mission and ministries we realize. Time for prayer has always been woven into the fabric of our lives. This communication with God is as integral to our lives as time spent with each other in a marriage relationship. We continue to be there for those who seek direction in prayer formally or casually, and support and encourage opportunities that call people together for prayer. Our personal prayer time often increases as the more active demands of life lessen, and the focus widens to include the whole of creation.
Another gift we share comes through our call to live in community. The gift of community challenges us to be faithful in our daily lives to the vows we profess, and helps us to smooth out the rough edges of our personalities for the common good. It supports and comforts us in our darker hours, and rejoices with us in our moments of celebration. It encourages us to develop our personal gifts and talents, to be all that we can be, and to risk without fear of failure, for the sake of the mission. In a society where the basic family community is often separated by distance or division, where individual aims and pursuits are the cultural norm, we witness to the value of community for those who seek meaning and identity in social relationship. In our present move toward partnering with other groups that share our spirit, we share what our experience has taught us about community building.
All of us are called through baptism to be prophets, but those of us who have chosen the consecrated life are seen as the prophetic voice of the Church. Down through the ages religious congregations have strongly identified with the Church, are aware of their place within the Church, yet have not hesitated to call into question situations or judgments that seem out of harmony with the Gospel message. From our stance on the edge of society, we have a perception that is different from the main stream, and are able to see from another perspective needs that are developing, or decisions that will take us in certain directions. Powerful examples of a prophetic stance in our time are the Jesuits in El Salvador who spoke for justice for the poor, Sister Dorothy Stang who fought for land reform in northern Brazil, and the French Trappist monks, massacred in Algeria for their presence and practice of inclusive love. In another vein, the recent struggle between the Vatican and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious in the U.S. is a different kind of example of the prophetic dimension of consecrated life. Many prophetic voices do not make headlines but are just as powerful in their context. The cost of being a prophet is clearly demonstrated in the Old Testament and in the story of Jesus who gave his life when his message of God’s unconditional love for all threatened those who had something to lose if it was received and accepted.
Pope Francis has a threefold reason for declaring that 2015 be a year for the celebration of Consecrated Life. The first is to awaken religious to the great challenge of their call in the present, to renew their passion for the mission of Jesus, and serve with the joy that comes from following Christ so intimately. His second reason is to draw attention to the gift that consecrated life offers to the whole Church, and call the faithful to grateful awareness of what has been and is being given particularly by religious congregations. And his third reason is to encourage vocations to religious life, and asks that the faithful pray for vocations and support those who are discerning such a call.
As one who has responded to the invitation to be part of concentrated life in the church, I can only say that it has been for me a good life that offers abundant graces and opportunities for service that I would never have imagined possible. Someone once said that God can never be outdone in generosity, and as one who in my youth gave myself to God as a vowed religious, I learn a little more each day how true that is. It is not an easy life, but a most rewarding one and I am most grateful to have said yes to the invitation when I had little idea of what it was all about.
Joan Driscoll, CSJ
