CHAPTER THREE

CONSECRATED LIFE - A SPECIAL CALL

3.1 THE CENTRE OF CONSECRATED LIFE– VOWS

The Vatican council clearly affirms about the nature of vows in the consecrated life. In the
constitution Lumen Gentium, the holy Synod already has already stated that the pursuit of the
perfect charity by means of the evangelical counsels traces its origins to the teaching and the
example of the divine master, and it is very clear symbol of the heavenly kingdom. From the
very beginning of the church, we see that to follow Jesus in the concreted life there were men
and women who set aside themselves to follow Jesus in a perfect manner and imitate him
closely by the practice of the evangelical counsels.
Consecrated life has its roots from the very beginning of Christianity and it is deeply embedded
in the pattern and philosophy of Christ. It is a radical form of Christian living originated from
divine inspiration and is approved and sustained by the Church. It is a call, gift, and a mission
which necessitate a committed and a wholehearted free response from the recipient to live
intensely their Baptismal Consecration. Faithful adherence to the evangelical counsels
facilitates one to a total commitment to God and to be the tangible embodiment of Christ in the
world.1

3.1.1 CHASTITY
The more visible and the key factor of our life in consecration is the vow of chastity. We have
received a special call to be followed and heeded to through the vow of chastity. The document
states that :
“For the sake of the kingdom of heaven” (Mt.19:22), which religious profess, must be esteemed
an exceptional gift grace. It uniquely frees the heart of the man (cf 1 Cor. 7:32-35), so that he
becomes more fervent in the love of God and for all men. For this sublime cause, it is a specific
sign of heavenly benefits, and for religious it is a more effective means of dedicating
themselves wholeheartedly to the divine service and the works of the apostolate. Thus for
Christ’s faithful religious theconsecrated people recall that marvelous marriage made by God,

1
Varghese Kunnath, Consecrated Life and the Poor, The New Leader 128, September 1-15, 2015, Chennai, 15.
that will be fully realized in the future age, and in which the church has Christ for her only
spouse.”2
By the vow of celibacy / chastity, Religious give themselves in love to God in a way so total
that the pursuit of union with God makes it impossible for anything or anyone to be more
central. Their heart is free to love God above all and to love all men for the sake of God.
Celibacy is embraced not because marriage is not desired but because the union with God and
the work of God is more greatly desired.
The vow of chastity which is essential to consecrated life is not a denial of human sexuality and
"rejection" of married life, rather it is an affirmation of it. It is a vocation to so integrate one's
sexuality within one's Religious calling that one sacrifices the natural human urge to build up a
family for the sake of living already here and now the life of the Kingdom of heaven which is
the deepest longing of every human heart. It is a sacrifice of love which makes sense only in
the context of a living relationship with the Risen Lord who has said: "He who loves father or
mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is
not worthy of me; and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. He
who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it" 3 (Mt. 10: 37-
39). The secret of this total surrender to Christ is such that the more one sacrifices one's life for
him the more one becomes free in Christ to embrace the whole Church and world as one's
family This is the joy of consecrated life which only the one who has surrendered one's life to
Christ will know.4

3.1.2 POVERTY

The whole life of Jesus is a concretization of the virtue of poverty. Starting from the
Annunciation when the Word was made flesh. It was the intention and will of the Father that
His only begotten Son will be born of a woman, a human being like us. “Though He was in the
form of God, He did not regard equality with God” , but He allowed Himself to be carried in
the womb of the Virgin Mary for nine months, “emptied Himself and took the form of a slave
coming in human likeness”. Even in the womb of His mother, He already experienced
rejection, because when Joseph found Mary conceiving a child, he decided to divorce her
quietly. During His birth, He was “wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger because
there was no room for them in the inn”. His first visitors were the shepherds. He was the Son

2
Austin Flannery, O.P., Vatican Council II – The Conciliar and Post Conciliar Documents , Bombay, Cf. pg. 552-
553
3
Anil Cuto, Consecrated Life: a call, gift and service, 11.
4
Anil Cuto, Consecrated Life: a call, gift and service, 12.
of God yet “He united Himself in some fashion with every human being. He worked with
human hands, He thought with human mind, acted by human choice and loved with a human
heart. Born of the Virgin Mary, He was truly been made one of us, like us in all things except
sin.” 5
The new theology of evangelical poverty does not focus on the renunciation and detachment
from material goods, but it’s very object is “rooted in the Gospel values of joyous dependence
on God and open hearted sharing of God’s gifts within the human community.” The
renunciation or detachment of goods, as part of the ascetical aspect is important but it is just the
consequence of one’s choice in life. “In modern times, it has been understood as obliging the
religious to renounce the independent use and ownership of all material goods. In practice, this
renunciation was expressed by obtaining the permission of the superiors for the use of whatever
material goods were necessary for life or work.”6

3.1.3 OBEDIENCE

By its very nature, religious obedience is primarily and essentially the obedience of
Jesus Christ to the Father whose goal is to be intimately united with Him. It is a deepening of
Christian obedience with Christ as the point of reference and identification. Through religious
profession of the vow, it becomes more binding and more intense in terms of its praxis.
Besides, it is being lived within the ambiance of a particular institute that has a specific
charism, lifestyle, vision, mission, Rule and Constitutions, which must be considered in every
decision-making, project and activity.
Contemporary religious men and women are already aware of their stance in the
community. By professing the vow of obedience, they have basically an equal right to share in
the authority and the obedience of Christ. Obedience as a virtue and as a vow is practiced by
both superior and subjects.7 All are subject to obey God’s salvific will. The new vision of
religious obedience is viewed as a personal covenant with God; a way to personal growth; an
opportunity to participate in the decision–making through dialogue; and obedience for mission.
The new ecological dimension of religious obedience finds its importance in the formation of
the religious in this new era.8 It directs the religious on how to obey the mandate of the Lord to
become the caretakers, good administrators, and faithful servants of His creation. The way to
obedience is the way to servanthood. Religious obedience in the new perspective can be
5
https://memberfiles.freewebs.com/71/28/72422871/podcast/Vow%20of%20poverty.pdf
6
Sandra M. Schneiders, New Wineskins: Re-imagining Religious Life Today, p. 91.
7
Thomas Dubay, What is Religious Life ( Denville, New Jersey: Dimension Books, 1979 ), p. 80.
8
E. F. O’ Doherty, Consecration and Vows ( Dublin: Gill and Macmillan LTD, 1971 ), p. 159.
described as growth-enhancing, life- promoting, and self-fulfilling. This renewal is indeed the
work of the Holy Spirit.9

3.2 CONSECRATED LIFE – A SPECIAL CALL

As radical followers of Jesus religious, religious all through the centuries had inevitable role to
play in the Catholic Church as well as in the society they lived. Once we are aware of the
history we can make out that they always did identify themselves with the poor and oppressed,
a perfect life as that of a prophet in the Old Testament. Doubts may arise to see what is the
difference between a social worker and a religious. A Social worker do it may be for the
humanity, but a religious do it not only for the sake of humanity but firstly for the Creator and
then for humanity because s/he sees the image and likeness of the Creator in them. Religious do
it with care and conviction.
Consecrated men and women are not just a group of social workers but are persons who
le led and powered by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Consecrated life is an ever evolving love
story between man and God in Christ. nourished and preserved by faith and faith experiences.
This love story finds its expression in fulfilling the supreme commandment to love God and
one's neighbor especially the poor, marginalized and those in dire need. Thus, it is a form of life
aimed at launching the kingdom of God by establishing the law of love, compassion,
righteousness and peace.

3.2.1 CALL AS GRATUITOUS GIFT FROM GOD

As radical followers of Jesus religious, religious all through the centuries had inevitable role to
play in the Catholic Church as well as in the society they lived. Once we are aware of the
history we can make out that they always did identify themselves with the poor and oppressed,
a perfect life as that of a prophet in the Old Testament. Doubts may arise to see what is the
difference between a social worker and a religious. A Social worker do it may be for the
humanity, but a religious do it not only for the sake of humanity but firstly for the Creator and
then for humanity because s/he sees the image and likeness of the Creator in them. Religious do
it with care and conviction.
One of the problems that put people in depression is the meaninglessness that they feel in their
life. Even among religious, this problem of meaninglessness is common. Where values have
declined, liturgical practices have become meaningless for many need of a religious who bear
witness to a mystical dimension is the need of time. Here an authentic religious with mystical
9
Thomas Dubay, What is Religious Life (Denville, New Jersey: Dimension Books, 1979 ), p. 80.
experience can master the world. In Asian countries especially in a country like ours, people
expect religious with this dimension.
Religious life as understood in ancient times is not to be spent in isolation, but in an immersion
in the world. Religious are called to lead a life in the world not touched by the luxuries of the
world. From isolation to communion must be the shift of life. After resurrection, Jesus’
command is to go to the world to live in communion with others and to build communities of
freedom, fellowship and justice. “The following of Jesus introduces the disciple to a certain
kind of open communal life. No one is a follower in isolation; but is supported and challenged
by others with a similar commitment.” 10 Religious life is a life of special and sacred relations.
A consecrated
Person is a web of relation with God and relation with men. They are in the world as not of the
world. His source of relationship begins from his encounter with God. The radiance of
encounter is seen from his relation with other. Thus, they are to witness Jesus in their dealings
with others. “Their consecration distinguishes them from people but does not separate them
from people.”11

3.2.2 CALL TO BE WITH JESUS

By living out the gospel beatitudes they become the catalysts of change and hope in the world.
In short, consecration involves putting on unswervingly the nature of Christ and resisting the
standard and pattern of this world. So, mere public profession of the vows alone does not
guarantee anyone holiness but it has to be lived in humility.12
A consecrated person is constantly in search of deepening his/her intimacy with God and
discerning His will through prayer and diligent practice of the vows which in turn fortify them
against the perishable attractions and influence of the the world such as money, power, sex,
consumerism, materialism. A consecrated person chooses to become poor, obedient, and
chaste so that His kingdom could be established on earth, by breaking down the divisions based
on colour, creed, and socio-economic status through inclusive love.13

3.2.3 CALL AS “LIFE OF ALLEGIANCE TO JESUS

10
Fr. George Kaitholil SSP, Consecrated Life – Challenges and Opportunities, Mumbai, 2014,172
11
Fr. George Kaitholil SSP, Consecrated Life – Challenges and Opportunities, Mumbai, 2014,181
12
Varghese Kunnath, Consecrated Life and the Poor, 15.
13
Varghese Kunnath, Consecrated Life and the Poor, 15.
When Albert, the Bishop of Jerusalem and the Patriarch of the Holy Land, wrote a formula of
living for the first hermits on Mount Carmel, approximately 800 years ago, he had in mind the
most important event in all of history - the birth of Jesus, God becoming incarnate among His
people. Albert made this truth the central value of the Rule of Carmel: “Everyone ... should live
a life in allegiance to Jesus Christ ... each one, pure in heart and stout in conscience, must be
unswerving in the service of the Master ... each one of you is to stay in his own cell or nearby,
pondering the Lord’s law day and night and keeping watch at his prayers, unless attending to
some other duty.”
Jesus continues to be the center of the Carmelite way of life. In our tradition and for our saints,
this allegiance to Christ became the essential element in putting Albert’s formula of living into
practice. They took to heart as their inspiration the words of St. Paul to the Galatians: “I have
been crucified with Christ and the life I live now is not my own; Christ is living in me. I still
live my human life, but it is a life of faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself
for me”14
St. Teresa’s writings are filled with this allegiance and with the following of Jesus, and she
emphatically tells her sisters that the person who would find God must go to Christ Jesus. She
writes: “Imagine that the Lord Himself is at your side, and believe me, you should stay with so
good a Friend for as long as you can before you leave Him. If you become accustomed to
having Him at your side, as if He sees that you love Him to be there and are always trying to
please Him, you will never be able, as we put it, to send Him away.” In contrast to many of the
theologians of her day, both Dominicans and Jesuits, Teresa put great emphasis on the
humanity of Jesus. She recounted His own words to her over and over again: “Be not disturbed,
for I will give you a living book.” She emphasized: “The Lord Himself says that He is the Way;
the Lord Himself also says that He is the Light and that no one can come to the Father save by
Him, and he that sees me sees my Father also.”
St. John of the Cross strongly stressed the same value. To him, Jesus is the revelation of God,
His presence among us. In the Ascent of Mount Carmel, he tells us that “in giving His Son,
which is His Word - and He has no other - God spoke to us all together, once and for all, in this
single Word.” For John, Jesus is the way, He is the door, the only door through which we reach
the Father: “O would that I could get spiritual persons to understand that the road to God ... lies
in denying ourselves in earnest within and without, and undergoing suffering with Christ”.15

14
Galatians 2:20.
15
https://ocarm.org/en/content/ocarm/carmelite-spirituality-allegiance-jesus-christ
3.2.6 CALL TO “ENCOUNTER CHRIST IN THE POOR”

The mission statement of Christ could be understood as the following; “ The spirit of the Lord
is upon me, because He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor He has sent me to
proclaim releake to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go tree,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's tavour" (Luke 4:18-19). A quick glance through the pages of
the Bible reveals that God's t is overwhelmingly beats for heart is the poor and God's proximity
to the poor is fulfilled in Christ. God has not forgotten the poor but he still is responding to
their cries and tears through the church that we build up together. The religious are called to
respond to the cries and tears of the poor in a realistic way by opening our hearts and homes to
welcome the despised and discarded.16
We need to be closer to the because the poor have a great role to play in our formation into
Christ-likeness. Do the poorest of the poor have access to our school and institution started in
the name of Jesus, the poor man? Or do we run after the worldly standards and decorum that
seek egotistical sel-Falfilment and sell promotion Are we progressing in the path of a
disintegrated market place. The language of power, success and moner is not the language of
Christ. Blessed be God in the Ponr We need to find ways and means of the Poor: God identifies
with the to get out of our well protected monasteries convents and offices to spend time in
fraternal bond with the poor like Jesus our master.17

3.2.7 CALL TO WITNESS JESUS

As radical followers of Jesus religious, religious all through the centuries had inevitable role to
play in the Catholic Church as well as in the society they lived. Once we are aware of the
history we can make out that they always did identify themselves with the poor and oppressed,
a perfect life as that of a prophet in the Old Testament. Doubts may arise to see what is the
difference between a social worker and a religious. A Social worker do it may be for the
humanity, but a religious do it not only for the sake of humanity but firstly for the Creator and
then for humanity because s/he sees the image and likeness of the Creator in them. Religious do
it with care and conviction.
One of the problems that put people in depression is the meaninglessness that they feel in their
life. Even among religious, this problem of meaninglessness is common. Where values have
16
Varghese Kunnath, Consecrated Life and the Poor, 16.
17
Varghese Kunnath, Consecrated Life and the Poor, 16.
declined, liturgical practices have become meaningless for many need of a religious who bear
witness to a mystical dimension is the need of time. Here an authentic religious with mystical
experience can master the world. In Asian countries especially in a country like ours, people
expect religious with this dimension.
Religious life as understood in ancient times is not to be spent in isolation, but in an immersion
in the world. Religious are called to lead a life in the world not touched by the luxuries of the
world. From isolation to communion must be the shift of life. After resurrection,Jesus’
command is to go to the world to live in communion with others and to build communities of
freedom, fellowship and justice. “The following of Jesus introduces the disciple to a certain
kind of open communal life. No one is a follower in isolation; but is supported and challenged
by others with a similar commitment.” 18 Religious life is a life of special and sacred relations.
A consecrated
Person is a web of relation with God and relation with men. They are in the world as not of the
world. His source of relationship begins from his encounter with God. The radiance of
encounter is seen from his relation with other. Thus, they are to witness Jesus in their dealings
with others. “Their consecration distinguishes them from people but does not separate them
from people.”19

3.2.8 CALL TO PROPHETIC MISSION

The mission is the detrimental aspectn of religious life. We are not for us. Every religious is
living for the other. This other centeredness is revealed in the missionary zeal and dimension of
one’s life. “In many of the great world religions, the ministry of prophecy belonged to
individuals, e.g., Isaiah, Jeremiah, Buddha, Mohammad, Guru Nanak, etc.” 20 prophets are
persons who challenged the consciousness of the people. They always had a special and
inevitable role in the society of their time. “To be a prophet means to challenge and announce
the good news, to be the conscience keepers of the society.” 21 In Christianity,in fact there are
many who rose to the occasion to fulfill their prophetic duty. Today it is required of us religious
not just a survival but to be a prophet of our own time. To identify a true prophet it is vital to
know main features of them. Prophets criticize people at the same time they fuel them to look
to the right path. They read the signs of the time and contribute to necessary changes people

18
Fr. George Kaitholil SSP, Consecrated Life – Challenges and Opportunities, Mumbai, 2014,172
19
Fr. George Kaitholil SSP, Consecrated Life – Challenges and Opportunities, Mumbai, 2014,181
20
Fr. George Kaitholil SSP, Consecrated Life – Challenges and Opportunities, Mumbai, 2014,173
21
Fr. George Kaitholil SSP, Consecrated Life – Challenges and Opportunities, Mumbai, 2014,173
need to take in their life. They identify themselves with poor and oppressed by raising the voice
for justice, compassion, and love. Thus, they real face of God in this earth. By putting to text
these features, each religious is to own them in their life. Prophets are persons who speak to
God face to face and then coveys God’s message to people. “The prophetic mission of
consecrated persons demands that their concern should be not merely to avoid evil but to
oppose evil at its roots.”22 Today’s world look to consecrated persons with a question as what
is the meaning and mission of such life? In addition, task of a religious is to answer the
question by their exemplary prophetical life. Catholic Church has a stand of this religious life
that is “the religious as the prophetic wing of the Churchmust challenge the status quo while the
Church leadership has a role in preserving it.”23

22
Fr. George Kaitholil SSP, Consecrated Life – Challenges and Opportunities, Mumbai, 2014,174
23
Fr. George Kaitholil SSP, Consecrated Life – Challenges and Opportunities, Mumbai, 2014,175