APOSTOLIC  EXHORTATION VITA CONSECRATA (Consecrated Life)
John Paul II
March 25, 1996.
Part II

In a constant search for faithfulness

70. There is a youthfulness of spirit which lasts through time; it arises from the fact that at every stage of life a person seeks and finds a new task to fulfill, a particular way of being, of serving and of loving.[171]

In the consecrated life <the first years of full involvement in the apostolate> are a critical stage marked by the passage from a supervised life to a situation of <full responsibility for one's work>. It is important that young consecrated persons be supported and accompanied by a brother or sister who helps them to live to the full the freshness of their love and enthusiasm for Christ.

The next stage can present <the risk of routine>, and the subsequent temptation to give in to disappointment because of meager results. Middle-aged consecrated persons must therefore be helped, in the light of the Gospel and the charism of their Institute, to renew their original decision and not confuse the completeness of their dedication with the degree of good results. This will enable them to give a fresh impulse and new motivations to their decision. This is the time to search for what is essential.

The <stage of maturity>, while it brings personal growth, can also bring <the danger of a certain individualism>, accompanied either by a fear of not being in line with the times or by forms of inflexibility, self-centeredness or diminished enthusiasm. At this point continuing formation is aimed at helping not only to bring back a higher level of spiritual and apostolic life, but also at discovering the special characteristics of this stage of life. For at this time, after refining certain features of the personality, the gift of self is made to God more genuinely and with greater generosity; it extends to others with greater serenity and wisdom as well as with greater simplicity and richness of grace. This is the gift and experience of spiritual fatherhood and motherhood.

<Advanced age> poses new problems, which can be prepared for by a discerning program of spiritual support. The gradual withdrawal from activity, sometimes caused by sickness or forced immobility, can be a very formative experience. Often a time of suffering, advanced age nonetheless offers to elderly consecrated persons the chance to be transformed by the Paschal experience[172] by being configured to the Crucified Christ, who fulfills the Father's will in all things and abandons himself into the Father's hands even to the surrendering of his spirit to him. This configuration represents a new way of living one's consecration which is not tied to effectiveness in carrying out administrative responsibilities or apostolic work.

When <the moment finally comes for uniting oneself to the supreme hour of the Lord's passion>, the consecrated person knows that the Father is now bringing to completion the mysterious process of formation which began many years before. Death will then be awaited and prepared for as the supreme act of love and self-offering.

It should be added that, independently of the different stages of life, any period can present critical situations due to external factors—such as a change of place or assignment, difficulties in work or lack of success in the apostolate, misunderstandings and feelings of alienation—or resulting from more directly personal factors such as physical or mental illness, spiritual aridity, deaths, difficulties in interpersonal relations, strong temptations, crises of faith or identity, or feelings of uselessness. When fidelity becomes more difficult, the individual must be offered the support of greater trust and deeper love at both the personal and community levels. At such times the sensitive closeness of the Superior is most essential. Great comfort can also come from the valuable help of a brother or sister, whose concerned and caring presence can lead to a rediscovery of the meaning of the covenant which God originally established and which he has no intention of breaking. The person undergoing such a trial will then accept purification and hardship as essential to the following of Christ crucified. The trial itself will appear as a providential means of being formed by the Father's hands and as a struggle which is not only <psychological>, carried out by the "I" in relation to itself and its weaknesses, but also <religious>, touched each day by the presence of God and the power of the Cross!

Dimensions of continuing formation

71. If the subject of formation is the individual at every stage of life, the object of formation is the whole person, called to seek and love God "with all one's heart, and with all one's soul, and with all one's might" (cf. Dt. 6:5), and one's neighbor as oneself (cf. Lv. 19:18; Mt. 22:37-39). Love of God and of the brethren is a powerful force which can ceaselessly inspire the process of growth and fidelity. <Life in the Spirit> is clearly of primary importance. Living in the Spirit, consecrated persons discover their own identity and find profound peace; they grow more attentive to the daily challenges of the word of God, and they allow themselves to be guided by the original inspiration of their Institute. Under the action of the Spirit, they resolutely keep times for prayer, silence and solitude, and they never cease to ask the Almighty for the gift of wisdom in the struggles of everyday life (cf. Wis. 9:10).

<The human and fraternal dimensions> of the consecrated life call for self-knowledge and the awareness of personal limitations so as to offer its members the inspiration and support needed on the path toward perfect freedom. In present-day circumstances, special importance must be given to the interior freedom of consecrated persons, their affective maturity, their ability to communicate with others, especially in their own community, their serenity of spirit, their compassion for those who are suffering, their love for the truth and a correspondence between their actions and their words.

The <apostolic dimension> opens the hearts and minds of consecrated persons and prepares them for constant effort in the apostolate as the sign that it is the love of Christ which urges them on (cf. 2 Cor. 5:14). In practice, this will involve updating the methods and objectives of apostolic works in fidelity to the spirit and aims of the founder or foundress and to subsequently emerging traditions, with continuous attention to changing historical and cultural conditions at the general and local levels where the apostolate is carried out.

The <cultural and professional dimensions>, based upon a solid theological training which provides the means for wise discernment, involve continual updating and special interest in the different areas to which each charism is directed. Consecrated persons must therefore keep themselves as intellectually open and adaptable as possible so that the apostolate will be envisaged and carried out according to the needs of their own time, making use of the means provided by cultural progress.

Finally, all these elements are united <in the dimension of the charism> proper to each Institute, as it were in a synthesis which calls for a constant deepening of one's own special consecration in all its aspects, not only apostolic but also ascetical and mystical. This means that each member should study diligently the spirit, history and mission of the Institute to which he or she belongs in order to advance the personal and communal assimilation of its charism.[173]

CHAPTER 3: "SERVITIUM CARITATIS"

Consecrated Life: Manifestation of God's Love in the World

Consecrated for mission

72. In the image of Jesus, the beloved Son "whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world" (Jn. 10:36), those whom God calls to follow him are also consecrated and sent into the world to imitate his example and to continue his mission. Fundamentally, this is true of every disciple. In a special way, however, it is true of those who, in the manner that characterizes the consecrated life, are called to follow Christ "more closely" and to make him the "all" of their lives. The task of <devoting themselves wholly to "mission"> is therefore included in their call; indeed, by the action of the Holy Spirit who is at the origin of every vocation and charism, consecrated life itself is a mission, as was the whole of Jesus' life. The profession of the evangelical counsels, which makes a person totally free for the service of the Gospel, is important also from this point of view. It can therefore be said that <a sense of mission is essential to every Institute>, not only those dedicated to the active apostolic life, but also those dedicated to the contemplative life.

Indeed, more than in external works, the mission consists in making Christ present to the world through personal witness. This is the challenge, this is the primary task of the consecrated life! The more consecrated persons allow themselves to be conformed to Christ, the more Christ is made present and active in the world for the salvation of all.

Thus it can be said that consecrated persons are "in mission" by virtue of their very consecration, to which they bear witness in accordance with the ideal of their Institute. When the founding charism provides for pastoral activities, it is obvious that the witness of life and the witness of works of the apostolate and human development are equally necessary: Both mirror Christ who is at one and the same time consecrated to the glory of the Father and sent into the world for the salvation of his brothers and sisters.[174]

Religious life, moreover, continues the mission of Christ with another feature specifically its own: <fraternal life in community for the sake of the mission>. Thus, men and women religious will be all the more committed to the apostolate the more personal their dedication to the Lord Jesus is, the more fraternal their community life and the more ardent their involvement in the Institute's specific mission.

At the service of God and humanity

73. The consecrated life has the prophetic task <of recalling and serving the divine plan for humanity> as it is announced in Scripture and as it emerges from an attentive reading of the signs of God's providential action in history. This is the plan for the salvation and reconciliation of humanity (cf. Col. 2:20-22). To carry out this service appropriately, consecrated persons must have a profound experience of God and be aware of the challenges of their time, understanding the profound theological meaning of these challenges through a discernment made with the help of the Spirit. In fact, it is often through historical events that we discern God's hidden call to work according to his plan by active and effective involvement in the events of our time.[175]

Discerning the signs of the times, as the Council affirms, must be done in the light of the Gospel, so as to "respond to the perennial questions which people ask about this present life and the life to come, and about the relationship of the one to the other."[176] It is necessary, therefore, to be open to the interior promptings of the Holy Spirit, who invites us to understand in depth the designs of Providence. He calls consecrated men and women to present new answers to the new problems of today's world. These are divine pleas which only souls accustomed to following God's will in everything can assimilate faithfully and then translate courageously into choices which are consistent with the original charism and which correspond to the demands of the concrete historical situation.

Faced with the many and pressing problems which sometimes seem to compromise or even overwhelm the consecrated life, those called to it cannot fail to feel the commitment to bear in their hearts and in their prayer the entire world's needs, while at the same time they work with zeal in the fields determined by the founding charism. Clearly, their dedication must be guided by <supernatural discernment>, which distinguishes what is of the Spirit from that which is contrary to him (cf. Gal. 5:16-17, 22; 1 Jn. 4:6). By means of fidelity to the Rules and Constitutions, this discernment safeguards full communion with the Church.[177]

In this way the consecrated life will not be limited to reading the signs of the times but will also contribute to elaborating and putting into effect <new initiatives of evangelization> for present-day situations. All this will be done in the certainty of faith that the Spirit can give satisfactory replies even to the most difficult questions. In this regard, we would do well to remember what the great champions of apostolic activity have always taught, namely, that we need to trust in God as if everything depended on him and at the same time to work generously as if everything depended on us.

Ecclesial co-operation and apostolic spirituality

74. Everything must be done <in communion and dialogue> with all other sectors of the Church. The challenges of evangelization are such that they cannot be effectively faced without the cooperation both in discernment and action of all the Church's members. It is difficult for individuals to provide a definitive answer; but such an answer can arise from encounter and dialogue. In particular, effective communion among those graced with different charisms will ensure both mutual enrichment and more fruitful results in the mission in hand. The experience of recent years widely confirms that "dialogue is the new name of charity,"[178] especially charity within the Church. Dialogue helps us to see the true implications of problems and allows them to be addressed with greater hope of success. The consecrated life, by the very fact that it promotes the value of fraternal life, provides a privileged experience of dialogue. It can therefore contribute to creating a climate of mutual acceptance in which the Church's various components, feeling that they are valued for what they are, come together in ecclesial communion in a more convinced manner, ready to undertake the great universal mission.

Institutes involved in one or other form of the apostolate must therefore foster <a solid spirituality of action>, seeing God in all things and all things in God. In fact, "it is necessary to know that just as a well-ordered life tends to pass from the active to the contemplative, so the soul generally returns with profit from the contemplative life to the active life in order more perfectly to sustain the active life with the flame ignited in contemplation. Thus, the active life ought to lead to contemplation and sometimes, from what we see interiorly, contemplation should more effectively call us back to action."[179] Jesus himself gave us the perfect example of how we can link communion with the Father to an intensely active life. Without a constant search for this unity, the danger of an interior breakdown, of confusion and discouragement, lurks always near. Today as yesterday the close union between contemplation and action will allow the most difficult missions to be undertaken.

I. Love to the End

Loving with the heart of Christ

75. "Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. And during supper ... Jesus rose ... and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded" (Jn. 13:1-2, 4-5).

In the washing of feet Jesus reveals the depth of God's love for humanity: In Jesus, God places himself at the service of human beings! At the same time he reveals the meaning of the Christian life and, even more, of the consecrated life, which is <a life of self-giving love>, of practical and generous service. In its commitment to following the Son of man, who "came not to be served but to serve" (Mt. 20:28), the consecrated life, at least in the best periods of its long history, has been characterized by this "washing of feet," that is, by service directed in particular to the poorest and neediest. If, on the one hand, the consecrated life contemplates the sublime mystery of the Word in the bosom of the Father (cf. Jn. 1:1), on the other hand it follows the Word who became flesh (cf. Jn. 1:14), lowering himself, humbling himself in order to serve others. Even today those who follow Christ on the path of the evangelical counsels intend to go where Christ went and to do what he did.

He continually calls new disciples to himself, both men and women, to communicate to them by an outpouring of the Spirit (cf. Rom. 5:5) the divine <agape>, his way of loving, and to urge them thus to serve others in the humble gift of themselves, far from all self-interest. Peter, overcome by the light of the Transfiguration, exclaims: "Lord, it is well that we are here" (Mt. 17:4), but he is invited to return to the byways of the world in order to continue serving the Kingdom of God: "Come down, Peter! You wanted to rest up on the mountain: Come down. Preach the word of God, be insistent both when it is timely and when it is not; reprove, exhort, give encouragement using all your forbearance and ability to teach. Work, spend yourself, accept even sufferings and torments, in order that, through the brightness and beauty of good works, you may possess in charity what is symbolized in the Lord's white garments."[180] The fact that consecrated persons fix their gaze on the Lord's countenance does not diminish their commitment on behalf of humanity; on the contrary, it strengthens this commitment, enabling it to have an impact on history, in order to free history from all that disfigures it.

The quest for divine beauty impels consecrated persons to care for the deformed image of God on the faces of their brothers and sisters, faces disfigured by hunger, faces disillusioned by political promises, faces humiliated by seeing their culture despised, faces frightened by constant and indiscriminate violence, the anguished faces of minors, the hurt and humiliated faces of women, the tired faces of migrants who are not given a warm welcome, the faces of the elderly who are without even the minimum conditions for a dignified life.[181] The consecrated life thus shows with the eloquence of works that divine charity is the foundation and stimulus of freely given and active love. St. Vincent de Paul was deeply convinced of this when he explained to the Daughters of Charity this program of life: The spirit of the Society consists in giving yourselves to God in order to love our Lord and to serve him in the person of the materially and spiritually poor, in their houses and elsewhere, in order to teach poor young girls, children, in general anybody whom Divine Providence sends you."[182]

Today, among the possible works of charity, certainly the one which in a special way shows the world this love "to the end" is the fervent proclamation of Jesus Christ to those who do not yet know him, to those who have forgotten him and to the poor in a preferential way.

The specific contribution of the consecrated life to evangelization

76. The specific contribution of consecrated persons, both men and women, to evangelization is first of all the witness of a life given totally to God and to their brothers and sisters in imitation of the Savior, who out of love for humanity made himself a servant. In the work of salvation, in fact, everything comes from sharing in the divine <agape>. Consecrated persons make visible in their consecration and total dedication the loving and saving presence of Christ, the one consecrated by the Father, sent in mission.[183] Allowing themselves to be won over by him (cf. Phil. 3:12), they prepare to become in a certain way a prolongation of his humanity.[184] The consecrated life eloquently shows that the more one lives in Christ, the better one can serve him in others, going even to the furthest missionary outposts and facing the greatest dangers.[185]

The first evangelization: proclaiming Christ to the nations

77. Those who love God, the Father of all, cannot fail to love their fellow human beings, whom they recognize as brothers and sisters. Precisely for this reason, they cannot remain indifferent to the fact that many men and women do not know the full manifestation of God's love in Christ. The result, in obedience to Christ's commandment, is the missionary drive <ad gentes>, which every committed Christian shares with the Church, which is missionary by nature. This drive is felt above all by the members of Institutes, whether of the contemplative or of the active life.[186] Consecrated persons, in fact, have the task of making present even among non Christians[187] Christ who is chaste, poor, obedient, prayerful and missionary.[188] While remaining ever faithful to their charism, they must know that they have a special share in the Church's missionary activity in virtue of their interior consecration made to God.[189] The desire so often expressed by Therese of Lisieux, "to love you and make you loved," the ardent longing of St. Francis Xavier that many, "meditating on what the Lord God will expect from them and from the talents he has given them, would be converted using the right means and the spiritual exercises to know and feel within themselves the divine will, and so, adapting themselves more to that will than to their own inclinations, they would say: 'Lord, here I am, what do you want me to do? Lead me wherever you will,"'[190] and other similar testimonies of countless holy men and women manifest the unsuppressible missionary drive which distinguishes and ennobles the consecrated life.

Present in every part of the world

78. The love of Christ impels us" (2 Cor. 5:14): The members of every Institute should be able to repeat this truth with St. Paul because the task of the consecrated life is to work in every part of the world in order to consolidate and expand the Kingdom of Christ, bringing the proclamation of the Gospel even to the most far-off regions.[191] In fact, the history of the missions testifies to the great contribution made by consecrated men and women to the evangelization of peoples: from ancient monastic Families to recent Foundations committed exclusively to the mission <ad gentes>, from Institutes of active life to those devoted to contemplation.[192] Countless consecrated persons have given their whole lives in this primary activity of the Church, which is "essential and never-ending"[193] because it is addressed to the growing number of those who do not know Christ.

Today too this duty continues to present a pressing call to Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life: They are expected to make the greatest possible contribution to the proclamation of the Gospel of Christ. Also those Institutes which are being established and are at work in the younger Churches are invited to open themselves to the mission among non-Christians, inside and outside their own countries of origin. Despite the understandable difficulties which some of them will meet, it is good to remind everyone that just as "faith is strengthened when it is given to others,"[194] so the mission strengthens the consecrated life, gives it new enthusiasm and new motivation, and elicits faithfulness. For its part, missionary activity offers ample room for all the different forms of the consecrated life.

The Church's mission <ad gentes> offers consecrated women, religious brothers and members of Secular Institutes special and extraordinary opportunities for a particularly fruitful apostolate. The members of Secular Institutes, by their presence in fields more suited to the lay vocation, can engage in the valuable work of evangelizing all sectors of society as well as the structures and the very laws which regulate it. Moreover, they can bear witness to Gospel values, living in contact with those who do not yet know Jesus, thus making a specific contribution to the mission.

It should be emphasized that in countries where non-Christian religions are firmly established, the presence of the consecrated life is of great importance, whether through its educational, charitable and cultural activities or through the witness of the contemplative life. For this reason the establishment of communities devoted to contemplation should be encouraged in the new Churches , since "the contemplative life belongs to the fullness of the Church's presence."[195] It is necessary, then, to use appropriate means to foster an equitable distribution of the various forms of consecrated life in order to give new momentum to evangelization, either by sending missionaries or by Institutes of Consecrated Life giving special help to poorer Dioceses.[196]

The procalmation of Christ and inculturation

79. The proclamation of Christ "is the permanent priority of mission"[197] and is directed toward conversion, that is, to full and sincere allegiance to Christ and his Gospel.[198] In the context of missionary activity the process of inculturation and interreligious dialogue have a role to play. The challenge of inculturation ought to be taken up by consecrated persons as a call to fruitful cooperation with grace in facing cultural diversity. This presupposes serious personal preparation, mature gifts of discernment, faithful adherence to the indispensable criteria of doctrinal orthodoxy, moral integrity and ecclesial communion.[199] Supported by the charism of their founders and foundresses, many consecrated persons have been able to approach cultures other than their own with the attitude of Jesus, who "emptied himself, taking the form of a servant" (Phil. 2:7). With patient and courageous efforts to initiate dialogue, they have been successful in establishing contact with the most diverse peoples, proclaiming to all of them the way of salvation. Today too, many consecrated persons are looking for and are finding in the history of individuals and of entire peoples the traces of God's presence, a presence guiding all humanity toward the discernment of the signs of his saving will. Such a search proves to be advantageous for consecrated persons themselves: The values discovered in the different civilizations can in fact prompt them to deepen their own understanding of the Christian tradition of contemplation, community sharing, hospitality, respect for persons and attention to the environment.

A genuine inculturation requires attitudes similar to those of the Lord when he became man and walked among us in love and meekness. In this sense the consecrated life makes its members particularly well-suited to face the complex work of inculturation, because it accustoms them to being detached from things, even from many features of their own culture. Applying themselves with these attitudes to the study and understanding of other cultures, consecrated persons can better discern the real values in them and the best way to accept them and perfect them with the help of their own charism.[200] However, it should not be forgotten that in many ancient cultures religious expression is so deeply ingrained that religion often represents the transcendent dimension of the culture itself. In this case true inculturation necessarily entails a serious and open interreligious dialogue, which "is not in opposition to the mission <ad gentes>" and "does not dispense from evangelization."[201]

The inculturation of the consecrated life

80. For its part, the consecrated life itself is the bearer of Gospel values, and where it is authentically lived it can make an innovative contribution in meeting the challenges of inculturation. As a sign of the primacy of God and his Kingdom, it can through dialogue elicit a positive reaction in people's consciences. If the consecrated life maintains its prophetic impact, it serves as a Gospel leaven within a culture, purifying and perfecting it. This is demonstrated by the lives of many saints who in different periods of history were able to immerse themselves in their time without being overcome by it, but opening new paths to the people of their generation. The Gospel way of life is an important source for proposing a new cultural model. A great many founders and foundresses, perceiving certain needs of their time with all the limitations which they themselves recognized, have given these needs an answer which has become an innovative cultural proposal.

Communities of Religious Institutes and of Societies of Apostolic Life can in fact offer concrete and effective cultural proposals when they bear witness to the evangelical manner of practicing mutual acceptance in diversity and of exercising authority, and when they give an example of sharing material and spiritual goods, of being truly international, of cooperating with other Institutes and of listening to the men and women of our time. The manner of thinking and acting of those who follow Christ more closely gives rise to <a true and proper point of reference for culture;> it serves to point out all that is inhuman; it bears witness that God alone strengthens and perfects values. In turn, a genuine inculturation will help consecrated persons to live the radical nature of the Gospel according to the charism of their Institute and the character of the people with whom they come into contact. This fruitful relationship can give rise to ways of life and pastoral approaches which can bring enrichment to the whole Institute, provided that they are consistent with the founding charism and with the unifying action of the Holy Spirit. In this process, which entails discernment, courage, dialogue and the challenge of the Gospel, a guarantee of being on the right path is offered by the Holy See, whose task it is to encourage the evangelization of cultures as well as to authenticate developments and to sanction results in the area of inculturation.[202] This is "a difficult and delicate task, since it raises the question of the Church's fidelity to the Gospel and the Apostolic Tradition amid the constant evolution of cultures."[203]

The new evangelization

81. If the great challenges which modern history poses to the new evangelization are to be faced successfully, what is needed above all is a consecrated life which is continually open to challenge by the revealed word and the signs of the times.[204] The memory of the great evangelizers, both men and women, who were themselves profoundly evangelized, shows that in order to face the world of today it is necessary to have people who are lovingly dedicated to the Lord and his Gospel. "Consecrated persons, because of their specific vocation, are called to manifest the unity between self-evangelization and witness, between interior renewal and apostolic fervor, between being and acting, showing that dynamism arises always from the first element of each of these pairs."[205] The new evangelization, like that of all times, will be effective if it proclaims from the rooftops what it has first lived in intimacy with the Lord. It calls for strong personalities inspired by saintly fervor. The new evangelization demands that consecrated persons have <a thorough awareness of the theological significance of the challenges of our time.> These challenges must be weighed with careful joint discernment, with a view to renewing the mission. Courage in proclaiming the Lord Jesus must be accompanied by trust in Providence, which is at work in the world and which "orders everything, even human differences, for the greater good of the Church."[206]

Important elements enabling Institutes to play a successful part in new evangelization are fidelity to the founding charism, communion with all those who in the Church are involved in the same undertaking, especially the Bishops, and cooperation with all people of good will. All this requires a careful discernment of the calls which the Holy Spirit makes to each Institute, whether in areas where no great immediate progress is foreseen or in other areas where a consoling rebirth is anticipated. In every place and circumstance consecrated persons should be zealous heralds of Jesus Christ, ready to respond with the wisdom of the Gospel to the questions posed today by the anxieties and the urgent needs of the human heart.

Preference for the poor and the promotion of justice

82. At the beginning of his ministry, in the synagogue at Nazareth, Jesus announces that the Spirit has consecrated him to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to captives, to give sight back to the blind, to set the oppressed free, to declare a year of favor from the Lord (cf. Lk. 4:16-19). Taking up the Lord's mission as her own, the Church proclaims the Gospel to every man and woman, committing herself to their integral salvation. But with special attention, in a true "preferential option," she turns to those who are <in situations of greater weakness> and therefore in greater need. "The poor," in varied states of affliction, are the oppressed, those on the margin of society, the elderly, the sick, the young, any and all who are considered and treated as "the least."

The option for the poor is inherent in the very structure of love lived in Christ. All of Christ's disciples are therefore held to this option; but those who wish to follow the Lord more closely, imitating his attitudes, cannot but feel involved in a very special way. The sincerity of their response to Christ's love will lead them to live a life of poverty and to embrace the cause of the poor. For each Institute, according to its charism, this involves <adopting a simple and austere way of life> both as individuals and as a community. Strengthened by this living witness and in ways consistent with their choice of life, and maintaining their independence vis-a-vis political ideologies, consecrated persons will be able to denounce the injustices committed against so many sons and daughters of God, and commit themselves to the promotion of justice in the society where they work.[207] In this way, even in present circumstances, through the witness of countless consecrated persons there will be a renewal of that dedication which was characteristic of the founders and foundresses who spent their lives serving the Lord in the poor. Christ "is poor on earth in the person of his poor.... As God he is rich, as man he is poor. With his humanity he has gone up to heaven and, prosperous, is seated at the right hand of the Father, and yet, here on earth, still poor, he suffers hunger, thirst and nakedness."[208]

The Gospel is made effective through charity, which is the Church's glory and the sign of her faithfulness to the Lord. This is demonstrated by the whole history of the consecrated life, which can be considered a living exegesis of Jesus' words: "As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me" (Mt. 25:40). Many Institutes, especially in modern times, were established precisely to address one or other of the needs of the poor. But even when such a purpose was not the determining factor, concern and care for the needy—expressed in prayer, assistance and hospitality—was always a normal part of every form of the consecrated life, even of the contemplative life. And how could it be otherwise, since the Christ encountered in contemplation is the same who lives and suffers in the poor? In this sense the history of the consecrated life is rich with marvelous and sometimes ingenious examples. St. Paulinus of Nola, after distributing his belongings to the poor in order to consecrate himself fully to God, built the cells of his monastery above a hospice for the poor. He rejoiced at the thought of this singular "exchange of gifts": The poor whom he helped strengthened with their prayers the very "foundations" of his house, wholly dedicated to the praise of God.[209] St. Vincent de Paul, for his part, loved to say that when one is obliged to leave prayer to attend to a poor person in need, that prayer is not really interrupted because "one leaves God to serve God."[210]

Serving the poor is an act of evangelization and at the same time a seal of Gospel authenticity and a catalyst for permanent conversion in the consecrated life, since, as St. Gregory the Great says, "when charity lovingly stoops to provide even for the smallest needs of our neighbor, then does it suddenly surge upward to the highest peaks. And when in great kindness it bends to the most extreme needs, then with much vigor does it resume its soaring to the heights."[211]

Care of the sick

83. Following a glorious tradition, a great number of consecrated persons, above all women, carry out their apostolate in the field of health care, according to the charism of their respective Institutes. Down the centuries many consecrated persons <have given their lives> in service to victims of contagious diseases, confirming the truth that dedication to the point of heroism belongs to the prophetic nature of the consecrated life.

The Church looks with admiration and gratitude upon the many consecrated persons who by caring for the sick and the suffering contribute in a significant way to her mission. They carry on the ministry of mercy of Christ, who "went about doing good and healing all" (Acts 10:38). In the footsteps of the Divine Samaritan, physician of souls and bodies,[212] and following the example of their respective founders and foundresses, those consecrated persons committed to this ministry by the charism of their Institute should persevere in their witness of love toward the sick, devoting themselves to them with profound understanding and compassion. They should give a special place in their ministry to the poorest and most abandoned of the sick such as the elderly and those who are handicapped, marginalized or terminally ill, and to the victims of drug abuse and the new contagious diseases. Consecrated persons should encourage the sick themselves to offer their sufferings in communion with Christ, crucified and glorified for the salvation of all.[213] Indeed they should strengthen in the sick the awareness of being able <to carry out a pastoral ministry of their own> through the specific charism of the Cross, by means of their prayer and their testimony in word and deed.[214]

Moreover, the Church reminds consecrated men and women that a part of their mission is <to evangelize the health care centers> in which they work, striving to spread the light of Gospel values to the way of living, suffering and dying of the people of our day. They should endeavor to make the practice of medicine more human and increase their knowledge of bioethics at the service of the Gospel of life. Above all, therefore, they should foster respect for the person and for human life from conception to its natural end, in full conformity with the moral teaching of the Church.[215] For this purpose they should set up centers of formation[216] and cooperate closely with those ecclesial bodies entrusted with the pastoral ministry of health care.

II. A Prophetic Witness in the Face of Great Challenges

The prophetic character of the consecrated life

84. The prophetic character of the consecrated life was strongly emphasized by the Synod Fathers. It takes the shape of <a special form of sharing in Christ's prophetic office>, which the Holy Spirit communicates to the whole People of God. There is a prophetic dimension which belongs to the consecrated life as such, resulting from the radical nature of the following of Christ and of the subsequent dedication to the mission characteristic of the consecrated life. The sign value which the Second Vatican Council acknowledges in the consecrated life[217] is expressed in prophetic witness to the primacy which God and the truths of the Gospel have in the Christian life. Because of this pre-eminence, nothing can come before personal love of Christ and of the poor in whom he lives.[218]

The Patristic tradition has seen a model of monastic religious life in Elijah, courageous prophet and friend of God.[219] He lived in God's presence and contemplated his passing by in silence; he interceded for the people and boldly announced God's will; he defended God's sovereignty and came to the defense of the poor against the powerful of the world (cf. 1 Kgs. 18-19). In the history of the Church, alongside other Christians there have been men and women consecrated to God who, through a special gift of the Holy Spirit, have carried out a genuinely prophetic ministry, speaking in the name of God to all, even to the pastors of the Church. <True prophecy is born of God>, from friendship with him, from attentive listening to his word in the different circumstances of history. Prophets feel in their hearts a burning desire for the holiness of God and, having heard his word in the dialogue of prayer, they proclaim that word with their lives, with their lips and with their actions, becoming people who speak for God against evil and sin. Prophetic witness requires the constant and passionate search for God's will, for self-giving, for unfailing communion in the Church, for the practice of spiritual discernment and love of the truth. It is also expressed through the denunciation of all that is contrary to the divine will and through the exploration of new ways to apply the Gospel in history, in expectation of the coming of God's Kingdom.[220]

Significance for the contemporary world

85. In our world, where it often seems that the signs of God's presence have been lost from sight, a convincing prophetic witness on the part of consecrated persons is increasingly necessary. In the first place this should entail <the affirmation of the primacy of God and of eternal life>, as evidenced in the following and imitation of the chaste, poor and obedient Christ, who was completely consecrated to the glory of God and to the love of his brethren. The fraternal life is itself prophetic in a society which, sometimes without realizing it, has a profound yearning for a brotherhood which knows no borders. Consecrated persons are being asked to bear witness everywhere with the boldness of a prophet who is unafraid of risking even his life.

Prophecy derives a particularly persuasive power from <consistency between proclamation and life>. Consecrated persons will be faithful to their mission in the Church and the world if they can renew themselves constantly in the light of the word of God.[221] Thus will they be able to enrich the other faithful with the charismatic gifts they have received and, in turn, let themselves be challenged by the prophetic stimulus which comes from other sectors of the Church. In this exchange of gifts, guaranteed by <full harmony with the Church's Magisterium and discipline>, there will shine forth the action of the Holy Spirit, who "gives [the Church] a unity of fellowship and service; he furnishes and directs her with various gifts, both hierarchical and charismatic."[222]

Faithfulness to the point of martyrdom

86. In this century, as in other periods of history, consecrated men and women have borne witness to Christ the Lord <with the gift of their own lives.> Thousands of them have been forced into the catacombs by the persecution of totalitarian regimes or of violent groups, or have been harassed while engaged in missionary activity, in action on behalf of the poor, in assisting the sick and the marginalized; yet they lived and continue to live their consecration in prolonged and heroic suffering, and often with the shedding of their blood, being perfectly configured to the Crucified Lord. The Church has already officially recognized the holiness of some of these men and women, honoring them as martyrs for Christ. They enlighten us by their example, they intercede that we may be faithful and they await us in glory.

There is a widespread desire that the memory of so many witnesses to the faith will remain in the consciousness of the Church as an invitation to celebrate and imitate them. The Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life can contribute to this endeavor by <gathering the names> of all those consecrated persons who deserve to be inscribed in the Martyrology of the 20th century and by compiling <testimonies about them.>[223]

The major challenges facing the consecrated life

87. The prophetic task of the consecrated life is brought into play by <three major challenges> addressed to the Church herself: They are the same challenges as ever, posed in new ways and perhaps more radically by contemporary society, at least in some parts of the world. These challenges relate directly to the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty and obedience, impelling the Church and consecrated persons in particular to clarify and testify to the <profound anthropological significance> of the counsels. The decision to follow the counsels, far from involving an impoverishment of truly human values, leads instead to their transformation. The evangelical counsels should not be considered as a denial of the values inherent in sexuality, in the legitimate desire to possess material goods or to make decisions for oneself. Insofar as these inclinations are based on nature, they are good in themselves. Human beings, however, weakened as they are by original sin, run the risk of acting on them in a way which transgresses the moral norms. The profession of chastity, poverty and obedience is a warning not to underestimate the wound of original sin and, while affirming the value of created goods, it <relativizes them> by pointing to God as the absolute good. Thus, while those who follow the evangelical counsels seek holiness for themselves, they propose, so to speak, a spiritual "therapy" for humanity, because they reject the idolatry of anything created and in a certain way they make visible the living God. The consecrated life, especially in difficult times, is a blessing for human life and for the life of the Church.

The challenge of consecrated chastity

88. The <first challenge> is that of a <hedonistic culture> which separates sexuality from all objective moral norms, often treating it as a mere diversion and a consumer good and, with the complicity of the means of social communication, justifying a kind of idolatry of the sexual instinct. The consequences of this are before everyone's eyes: transgressions of every kind, with resulting psychic and moral suffering on the part of individuals and families. The <reply> of the consecrated life is above all in the <joyful living of perfect chastity> as a witness to the power of God's love manifested in the weakness of the human condition. The consecrated person attests that what many have believed impossible becomes, with the Lord's grace, possible and truly liberating. Yes, in Christ it is possible to love God with all one's heart, putting him above every other love, and thus to love every creature with the freedom of God! This testimony is more necessary than ever today, precisely because it is so little understood by our world. It is offered to everyone—young people, engaged couples, husbands and wives and Christian families—in order to show that <the power of God's love can accomplish great things> precisely within the context of human love. It is a witness which also meets a growing need for interior honesty in human relationships.

The consecrated life must present to today's world examples of chastity lived by men and women who show balance, self-mastery, an enterprising spirit, and psychological and affective maturity.[224] Thanks to this witness, human love is offered a stable point of reference: the pure love which consecrated persons draw from the contemplation of Trinitarian love, revealed to us in Christ. Precisely because they are immersed in this mystery, consecrated persons feel themselves capable of a radical and universal love, which gives them the strength for the self-mastery and discipline necessary in order not to fall under the domination of the senses and instincts. Consecrated chastity thus appears as a joyful and liberating experience. Enlightened by faith in the Risen Lord and by the prospect of the new heavens and the new earth (cf. Rv. 21:1), it offers a priceless incentive in the task of educating to that chastity which corresponds to other states of life as well.

The challenge of poverty

89. <Another challenge> today is that of a <materialism which craves possessions>, heedless of the needs and sufferings of the weakest, and lacking any concern for the balance of natural resources. The <reply> of the consecrated life is found in the profession of <evangelical poverty>, which can be lived in different ways and is often expressed in an active involvement in the promotion of solidarity and charity. How many Institutes devote themselves to education, training and professional formation, preparing young people and those no longer young to become builders of their own future! How many consecrated persons give themselves without reserve in the service of the most disadvantaged people on earth! How many of them work to train future educators and leaders of society so that they in turn will be committed to eliminating structures of oppression and to promoting projects of solidarity for the benefit of the poor! Consecrated persons fight to overcome hunger and its causes; they inspire the activities of voluntary associations and humanitarian organizations; and they work with public and private bodies to promote a fair distribution of international aid. Nations truly owe a great deal to these enterprising agents of charity, whose tireless generosity has contributed and continues to contribute greatly to making the world more human.

Evangelical poverty at the service of the poor

90. Even before being a service on behalf of the poor, <evangelical poverty is a value in itself>, since it recalls the first of the Beatitudes in the imitation of the poor Christ.[225] Its primary meaning, in fact, is to attest that God is the true wealth of the human heart. Precisely for this reason evangelical poverty forcefully challenges the idolatry of money, making a prophetic appeal as it were to society, which in so many parts of the developed world risks losing the sense of proportion and the very meaning of things. Thus, today more than in other ages, the call of evangelical poverty is being felt also among those who are aware of the scarcity of the planet's resources and who invoke respect for and the conservation of creation by reducing consumption, by living more simply and by placing a necessary brake on their own desires.

Consecrated persons are therefore asked to bear a renewed and vigorous evangelical witness to self-denial and restraint in a form of fraternal life inspired by principles of simplicity and hospitality, also as an example to those who are indifferent to the needs of their neighbor. This witness will of course be accompanied by <a preferential love for the poor> and will be shown especially by sharing the conditions of life of the most neglected. There are many communities which live and work among the poor and the marginalized; they embrace their conditions of life and share in their sufferings, problems and perils.

Outstanding pages in the history of evangelical solidarity and heroic dedication have been written by consecrated persons in these years of profound changes and great injustices, of hopes and disappointments, of striking victories and bitter defeats. And pages no less significant have been written and are still being written by very many other consecrated persons, who live to the full their life "hid with Christ in God" (Col. 3:3) for the salvation of the world, freely giving of themselves and spending their lives for causes which are little appreciated and even less extolled. In these various and complementary ways, the consecrated life shares in the radical poverty embraced by the Lord and fulfills its specific role in the saving mystery of his Incarnation and redeeming Death.[226]

The challenge of freedom in obedience

91. The <third challenge> comes from those <notions of freedom> which separate this fundamental human good from its essential relationship to the truth and to moral norms.[227] In effect, the promotion of freedom is a genuine value closely connected with respect for the human person. But who does not see the aberrant consequences of injustice and even violence in the life of individuals and of peoples to which the distorted use of freedom leads?

An effective <response> to this situation is the <obedience which marks the consecrated life>. In an especially vigorous way this obedience reproposes the obedience of Christ to the Father and, taking this mystery as its point of departure, testifies that there is <no contradiction between obedience and freedom>. Indeed, the Son's attitude discloses the mystery of human freedom as the path of obedience to the Father's will and the mystery of obedience as the path to the gradual conquest of true freedom. It is precisely this mystery which consecrated persons wish to acknowledge by this particular vow. By obedience they intend to show their awareness of being children of the Father, as a result of which they wish to take the Father's will as their daily bread (cf. Jn. 4:34), as their rock, their joy, their shield and their fortress (cf. Ps. 18:2). Thus they show that they are growing in the full truth about themselves, remaining in touch with the source of their existence and therefore offering this most consoling message: "The lovers of your law have great peace; they never stumble" (Ps. 118:165).

Carrying out together the Father's will

92. This testimony of consecration takes on special meaning in religious life because of the <community dimension> which marks it. The fraternal life is the privileged place in which to discern and accept God's will, and to walk together with one mind and heart. Obedience, enlivened by charity, unites the members of an Institute in the same witness and the same mission, while respecting the diversity of gifts and individual personalities. In community life which is inspired by the Holy Spirit, each individual engages in a fruitful dialogue with the others in order to discover the Father's will. At the same time, together they recognize in the one who presides an expression of the fatherhood of God and the exercise of authority received from God, at the service of discernment and communion.[228]

Life in community is thus the particular sign before the Church and society of the bond which comes from the same call and the common desire—notwithstanding differences of race and origin, language and culture—to be obedient to that call. Contrary to the spirit of discord and division, authority and obedience shine like a sign of that unique fatherhood which comes from God, of the brotherhood born of the Spirit, of the interior freedom of those who put their trust in God despite the human limitations of those who represent him. Through this obedience, which some people make their rule of life, the happiness promised by Jesus to "those who hear the word of God and keep it" (Lk. 11:28) is experienced and proclaimed for the good of all. Moreover, those who obey have the guarantee of truly taking part in the mission, of following the Lord and not pursuing their own desires or wishes. In this way we can know that we are guided by the Spirit of the Lord and sustained even in the midst of great hardships by his steadfast hand (cf. Acts 20:22-23).

A dicisive commitment to the spiritual life

93. One of the concerns frequently expressed at the Synod was that the consecrated life should be nourished <from the wellspring of a sound and deep spirituality>. This is a primary requirement inscribed in the very essence of the consecrated life by the fact that, just as every other baptized person, and indeed even more so, those who profess the evangelical counsels must aspire with all their strength to the perfection of charity.[229] This commitment is clearly evidenced in the many examples of holy founders and foundresses, and of so many consecrated persons who have borne faithful witness to Christ to the point of martyrdom. To tend toward holiness: This is in summary the program of every consecrated life, particularly in the perspective of its renewal on the threshold of the Third Millennium. The starting point of such a program lies in leaving everything behind for the sake of Christ (cf. Mt. 4:18-22, 19:21, 27; Lk. 5:11), preferring him above all things in order to share fully in his Paschal Mystery.

St. Paul understood this well when he said: "Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord ... that I may know him and the power of his Resurrection" (Phil. 3:8, 10). This is the path marked out from the beginning by the Apostles, as testified to in the Christian tradition of the East and the West: "Those who now follow Jesus, leaving everything for his sake, remind us of the Apostles who, in answer to his invitation, gave up everything. As a result, it has become traditional to speak of religious life as <apostolica vivendi forma>.[230] The same tradition has also emphasized in the consecrated life the aspect of a particular covenant with God, indeed of a spousal covenant with Christ, of which St. Paul was a master by his example (cf. 1 Cor. 7:7) and by his teaching, proposed under the Spirit's guidance (cf. 1 Cor. 7:40).

We may say that the spiritual life, understood as life in Christ or life according to the Spirit, presents itself as a path of increasing faithfulness on which the consecrated person is guided by the Spirit and configured by him to Christ, in full communion of love and service in the Church.

All these elements, which take shape in the different forms of the consecrated life, give rise to <a specific spirituality>, that is, a concrete program of relations with God and one's surroundings marked by specific spiritual emphases and choices of apostolate, which accentuate and represent one or another aspect of the one mystery of Christ. When the Church approves a form of consecrated life or an Institute, she confirms that in its spiritual and apostolic charism are found all the objective requisites for achieving personal and communal perfection according to the Gospel.

The spiritual life must therefore have first place in the program of Families of consecrated life in such a way that every Institute and community will be a school of true evangelical spirituality. Apostolic fruitfulness, generosity in love of the poor and the ability to attract vocations among the younger generation depend on this priority and its growth in personal and communal commitment. It is precisely <the spiritual quality of the consecrated life> which can inspire the men and women of our day, who themselves are thirsting for absolute values. In this way the consecrated life will become an attractive witness.

Listening to the word of God

94. The word of God is the first source of all Christian spirituality. It gives rise to a personal relationship with the living God and with his saving and sanctifying will. It is for this reason that from the very beginning of Institutes of Consecrated Life, and in a special way in monasticism, what is called <lectio divina> has been held in the highest regard. By its means the word of God is brought to bear on life, on which it projects the light of that wisdom which is a gift of the Spirit. Although the whole of sacred Scripture is "profitable for teaching" (2 Tm. 3:16), and is "the pure and perennial source of spiritual life,"[231] the writings of the New Testament deserve special veneration, especially the Gospels, which are "the heart of all the Scriptures."[232] It is therefore of great benefit for consecrated persons to meditate regularly on the Gospel texts and the New Testament writings which describe the words and example of Christ and Mary and the <apostolica vivendi forma>. Founders and foundresses were inspired by these texts in accepting their vocation and in discerning the charism and mission of their Institutes.

Meditation on the Bible <in common> is of great value. When practiced according to the possibilities and circumstances of life in community, this meditation leads to a joyful sharing of the riches drawn from the word of God, thanks to which brothers or sisters grow together and help one another to make progress in the spiritual life. Indeed it would be helpful if this practice were also encouraged among other members of the People of God, priests and laity alike. This will lead in ways proper to each person's particular gifts to setting up schools of prayer, of spirituality and of prayerful reading of the Scriptures, in which God "speaks to people as friends (cf. Ex. 33:11; Jn. 15:14-15) and lives among them (cf. Bar 3:38), so that he may invite and draw them into fellowship with himself."[233]

As the Church's spiritual tradition teaches, meditation on God's word and on the mysteries of Christ in particular gives rise to fervor in contemplation and the ardor of apostolic activity. Both in contemplative and active religious life it has always been men and women of prayer, those who truly interpret and put into practice the will of God, who do great works. From familiarity with God's word they draw the light needed for that individual and communal discernment which helps them to seek the ways of the Lord in the signs of the times. In this way they acquire <a kind of supernatural intuition> which allows them to avoid being conformed to the mentality of this world, but rather to be renewed in their own mind in order to discern God's will about what is good, perfect and pleasing to him (cf. Rom. 12:2).

In communion with Christ

95. An indispensable means of effectively sustaining communion with Christ is assuredly <the Sacred Liturgy> and especially the celebration of the Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours.

In the first place, the <Eucharist> "contains the Church's entire spiritual wealth, that is, Christ himself, our Passover and living bread who, through his very flesh, made vital and vitalizing by the Holy Spirit, offers life" to the human family.[234] This is the heart of the Church's life and also of the consecrated life. How can those who are called through the profession of the evangelical counsels to choose Christ as the only meaning of their lives not desire to establish an ever more profound communion with him by sharing daily in the Sacrament which makes him present, in the sacrifice which actualizes the gift of his love on Golgotha, the banquet which nourishes and sustains God's pilgrim people? By its very nature the Eucharist is at the center of the consecrated life, both for individuals and for communities. It is the daily viaticum and source of the spiritual life for the individual and for the Institute. By means of the Eucharist all consecrated persons are called to live Christ's Paschal Mystery, uniting themselves to him by offering their own lives to the Father through the Holy Spirit. Frequent and prolonged adoration of Christ present in the Eucharist enables us in some way to relive Peter's experience at the Transfiguration: "It is well that we are here." In the celebration of the mystery of the Lord's Body and Blood, the unity and charity of those who have consecrated their lives to God are strengthened and increased.

Alongside the Eucharist and intimately connected with it, the <Liturgy of the Hours>, celebrated in union with the prayer of the Church either in community or individually according to the nature of each Institute, expresses the call proper to consecrated persons to raise their hearts in praise and intercession.

The Eucharist is also closely connected with the commitment to continual conversion and necessary purification which consecrated persons bring to maturity in the <Sacrament of Reconciliation>. By their frequent encounter with God's mercy, they purify and renew their hearts, and through the humble recognition of their sins, achieve openness in their relationship with him. The joyful experience of sacramental forgiveness on the journey shared with one's brothers and sisters makes the heart eager to learn and encourages growth in faithfulness.

Confident and humble recourse to <spiritual direction> is of great help on the path of fidelity to the Gospel, especially in the period of formation and at certain other times in life. Through it individuals are helped to respond with generosity to the movements of the Spirit and to direct themselves resolutely toward holiness.

Finally, I exhort all consecrated persons, according to their own traditions, to renew daily their spiritual union with the Blessed Virgin Mary, reliving with her the mysteries of her

Son, especially by saying the Rosary.

III. Some New Fields of Mission

Presence in the world of Education

96. The Church has always recognized that <education is an essential dimension of her mission>. The Master of her inner life is the Holy Spirit, who penetrates the innermost depths of every human heart and knows the secret unfolding of history. The whole Church is enlivened by the Holy Spirit and with him carries out her educational work. Within the Church, however, consecrated persons have a specific duty. They are called to bring to bear on the world of education their radical witness to the values of the Kingdom, proposed to everyone in expectation of the definitive meeting with the Lord of history. Because of their special consecration, their particular experience of the gifts of the Spirit, their constant listening to the word of God, their practice of discernment, their rich heritage of pedagogical traditions built up since the establishment of their Institute and their profound grasp of spiritual truth (cf. Eph. 2:17), consecrated persons are able to be especially effective in educational activities and to offer a specific contribution to the work of other educators.

Equipped with this charism, consecrated persons can give life to educational undertakings permeated by the Gospel spirit of freedom and charity in which young people are helped to mature humanly under the action of the Spirit.[235] In this way a community of learning becomes an experience of grace, where the teaching program contributes to uniting into a harmonious whole the human and the divine, the Gospel and culture, faith and life.

The history of the Church from antiquity down to our own day is full of admirable examples of consecrated persons who have sought and continue to seek holiness through their involvement in education, while at the same time proposing holiness as the goal of education. Indeed, many of them have achieved the perfection of charity through teaching. This is one of the most precious gifts which consecrated persons today can offer to young people, instructing them in a way that is full of love, according to the wise counsel of St. John Bosco: "Young people should not only be loved, but should also know that they are loved."[236]

Need for a renewed commitment in the field of education

97. With respectful sensitivity and missionary boldness, consecrated men and women should show that faith in Jesus Christ enlightens the whole enterprise of education, never disparaging human values but rather confirming and elevating them. Thus do consecrated persons become witnesses and instruments of the power of the incarnation and the vitality of the Spirit. This task of theirs is one of the most significant manifestations of that Motherhood which the Church, in the image of Mary, exercises on behalf of all her children.[237]

It is for this reason that the Synod emphatically urged consecrated persons to take up again, wherever possible, the mission of education in schools of every kind and level and in universities and institutions of higher learning.[238] Making my own the proposal of the Synod, I warmly invite members of Institutes devoted to education to be faithful to their founding charism and to their traditions, knowing that the preferential love for the poor finds a special application in the choice of means capable of freeing people from that grave form of poverty which is the lack of cultural and religious training.

Because of the importance that Catholic and ecclesiastical universities and faculties have in the field of education and evangelization, Institutes which are responsible for their direction should be conscious of their responsibility. They should ensure the preservation of their unique Catholic identity in complete fidelity to the Church's Magisterium, all the while engaging in active dialogue with present-day cultural trends. Moreover, depending on the circumstances, the members of these Institutes and Societies should readily become involved in the educational structures of the state. Members of Secular Institutes in particular, because of their specific calling, are called to this kind of cooperation.

Evangelizing culture

98. Institutes of Consecrated Life have always had great influence in the formation and transmission of culture. This was true in the Middle Ages, when monasteries became places for the study of the cultural riches of the past and for the development of a new humanistic and Christian culture. The same has happened every time the light of the Gospel has spread to new nations and peoples. Many consecrated persons have been promoters of culture and frequently have studied and defended indigenous cultures. The need to contribute to the promotion of culture and to the dialogue between culture and faith is deeply felt in the Church today.[239]

Consecrated persons cannot fail to feel challenged by this pressing need. In their proclamation of the word of God, they too are called to discover the methods most suited to the needs of the different social groups and various professional categories, so that the light of Christ will penetrate all sectors of society and the leaven of salvation will transform society from within, fostering the growth of a culture imbued with Gospel values.[240] At the threshold of the Third Christian Millennium, such a commitment will enable consecrated men and women to renew their response to the will of God, who reaches out to all those who, knowingly or not, are searching for the truth and the life (cf. Acts 17:27).

But in addition to this service of others, within the consecrated life itself there is a need for a <renewed and loving commitment to the intellectual life>, for dedication to study as a means of integral formation and as a path of asceticism which is extraordinarily timely in the face of present-day cultural diversity. A lessened commitment to study can have grave consequences for the apostolate by giving rise to a sense of marginalization and inferiority or encouraging superficiality and rash initiatives.

With all respect for the diversity of charisms and the actual resources of individual Institutes, the commitment to study cannot be limited to initial formation or to the gaining of academic degrees and professional qualifications. Rather, study is an expression of the unquenchable desire for an ever deeper knowledge of God, the source of light and all human truth. Consequently, a commitment to study does not isolate consecrated persons in an abstract intellectualism or confine them within a suffocating narcissism; rather, it is an incentive to dialogue and cooperation, a training in the capacity for judgment, a stimulus to contemplation and prayer in the constant quest for the presence and activity of God in the complex reality of today's world.

When they allow themselves to be transformed by the Holy Spirit, consecrated persons can broaden the horizons of narrow human aspirations and at the same time understand more deeply people and their life stories, going beyond the most obvious but often superficial aspects. Countless challenges are today emerging in the world of ideas, in new areas as well as those in which the consecrated life has traditionally been present. There is an urgent need to maintain fruitful contacts with all cultural realities with a watchful and critical attitude, but also with confident attention to those who face the particular difficulties of intellectual work, especially when, in response to the unprecedented problems of our times, new efforts of analysis and synthesis have to be attempted.[241] A serious and effective evangelization of these new areas where culture is developed and transmitted cannot take place without active cooperation with the laity involved in them.

Presence in the field of social communications

99. Just as in the past consecrated persons successfully used all kinds of means at the service of evangelization and skillfully met difficulties, today too they are challenged anew by the need to bear witness to the Gospel through the communications media. The media, thanks to impressive developments in technology, have reached every comer of the earth. Consecrated persons, especially those who have the institutional charism of working in this field, have a duty to learn the language of the media in order to speak effectively of Christ to our contemporaries, interpreting their "joys and hopes, their griefs and anxieties,"[242] and thus contributing to the building up of a society in which all people sense that they are brothers and sisters making their way to God.

Nevertheless, it is necessary to be vigilant with regard to the distorted use of the media, especially given their extraordinary power of persuasion. The problems which can result for the consecrated life should not be ignored; instead they should be faced with careful discernment.[243] The Church's response is above all educational: It aims at promoting a correct understanding of the dynamics underlying the media and a careful ethical assessment of their programs, as well as the development of healthy habits in their use.[244] In this work of education, aimed at training discerning listeners and expert communicators, consecrated persons are called to offer their specific witness regarding the relative nature of all created realities. In this way they help people to use the media wisely and in accordance with God's plan, but also to free themselves from an obsessive interest in "the form of this world which is passing away" (1 Cor. 7:31).

All efforts in this important new field of the apostolate should be encouraged, so that the Gospel of Christ may be proclaimed also through these modern means. The various Institutes should be ready to cooperate by contributing resources and personnel in order to implement joint projects in all sectors of social communications. Furthermore, consecrated persons, especially members of Secular Institutes, should willingly lend their help, wherever pastorally appropriate, for the religious formation of leaders and workers in the field of public and private social communications. This should be done in order to offset the inappropriate use of the media and to promote higher quality programs, the contents of which will be respectful of the moral law and rich in human and Christian values.

IV. Engaged in Dialogue With Everyone

At the service of Christian unity

100. Christ's prayer to the Father before his Passion, that his disciples may be one (cf. Jn. 17:21-23), lives on in the Church's prayer and activity. How can those called to the consecrated life not feel themselves involved? The wound of disunity still existing between believers in Christ, and the urgent need to pray and work for the promotion of Christian unity were deeply felt at the Synod. The ecumenical sensitivity of consecrated persons is heightened also by the awareness that in other Churches and Ecclesial Communities monasticism has been preserved and is flourishing, as is the case in the Eastern Churches, and that there is a renewal of the profession of the evangelical counsels, as in the Anglican Communion and in the Communities of the Reformation.

The Synod emphasized the close connection between the consecrated life and the cause of ecumenism, and the urgent need for a more intense witness in this area. Since the soul of ecumenism is prayer and conversion,[245] Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life certainly have a special duty to foster this commitment. There is an urgent need for consecrated persons to give more space in their lives to ecumenical prayer and genuine evangelical witness, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit the walls of division and prejudice between Christians can be broken down.

Forms of ecumenical dialogue

101. Sharing of the <lectio divina> in the search for the truth, a participation in common prayer, in which the Lord assures us of his presence (cf. Mt. 18:20), the dialogue of friendship and charity which makes us feel how pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity (cf. Ps. 133), cordial hospitality shown to brothers and sisters of the various Christian confessions, mutual knowledge and the exchange of gifts, cooperation in common undertakings of service and of witness: These are among the many forms of ecumenical dialogue. They are actions pleasing to our common Father which show the will to journey together toward perfect unity along the path of truth and love.[246] Likewise, the knowledge of the history, doctrine, liturgy, and charitable and apostolic activity of other Christians cannot but help to make ecumenical activity ever more fruitful.[247]

I wish to encourage those Institutes which, either because they were founded for this purpose or because of a later calling, are dedicated to promoting Christian unity and therefore foster initiatives of study and concrete action. Indeed, no Institute of consecrated life should feel itself dispensed from working for this cause. My thoughts likewise turn to the Eastern Catholic Churches with the hope that also through the monastic life of both men and women—the flourishing of which is a grace to be constantly prayed for —they may help to bring about unity with the Orthodox Churches through the dialogue of charity and the sharing of a common spirituality, itself the heritage of the undivided Church of the first millennium.

In a special way I entrust to the monasteries of contemplative life the spiritual ecumenism of prayer, conversion of heart and charity. To this end I encourage their presence wherever Christian communities of different confessions live side by side, so that their total devotion to the "one thing needful" (cf. Lk. 10:42)—to the worship of God and to intercession for the salvation of the world, together with their witness of evangelical life according to their special charisms — will inspire everyone to abide, after the image of the Trinity, in that unity which Jesus willed and asked of the Father for all his disciples.

Interreligious dialogue

102. Because "interreligious dialogue is a part of the Church's evangelizing mission,"[248] Institutes of Consecrated Life cannot exempt themselves from involvement also in this field, each in accordance with its own charism and following the directives of ecclesiastical authority. The first form of evangelization in relation to our brothers and sisters of other religions should be the testimony of a life of poverty, humility and chastity, imbued with fraternal love for all. At the same time, the freedom of spirit proper to the consecrated life will favor that "dialogue of life"[249] which embodies a basic model of mission and of the proclamation of Christ's Gospel. In order to foster reciprocal knowledge, respect and charity, Religious Institutes can also promote <appropriate forms of dialogue> marked by cordial friendship and mutual sincerity with the monastic communities of other religions.

Another area for cooperation with men and women of different religious traditions is that of a shared <concern for human life>, extending from compassion for those who are suffering physically and spiritually to commitment to justice, peace and the protection of God's creation. In these areas, Institutes of active life especially will seek an understanding with members of other religions, through that "dialogue of action"[250] which prepares the way for more profound exchanges.

A particular field for successful common action with people of other religious traditions is that of <efforts to promote the dignity of women>. In view of the equality and authentic complementarily of men and women, a valuable service can be rendered above all by consecrated women.[251]

These and other ways in which consecrated persons are engaged in the service of interreligious dialogue require an appropriate training, both in initial formation and in continuing formation. They require study and research,[252] since in this very delicate area a profound knowledge of Christianity and of other religions is needed, accompanied by solid faith and by spiritual and personal maturity.

Spirituality as a response to the search for the sacred and the desire for God

103. Because of the very nature of their choice, all who embrace the consecrated life, men and women alike, become privileged partners in the search for God which has always stirred the human heart and has led to the different forms of asceticism and spirituality. Today in many places this search is insistently emerging as a response to cultural forces which tend to marginalize the religious dimension of life, if not actually to deny it.

When consecrated persons live consistently and fully their freely assumed commitments, they are able to offer a response to the longings of their contemporaries and can help to free them from solutions which are for the most part illusory and often involve a denial of the saving Incarnation of Christ (cf. 1 Jn. 4:2-3) such as those proposed, for example, by the sects. By practicing a personal and communal asceticism which purifies and transfigures their entire existence, they bear witness against the temptation to self-centeredness and sensuality, to the true nature of the search for God. They constitute a warning against confusing that search with a subtle search for self or a flight into gnosticism. Every consecrated person is committed to strengthening the interior life, which in no way involves withdrawal from reality or a turning in upon oneself. Listening in obedience to the word, of which the Church is the guardian and interpreter, the consecrated person points to Christ loved above all things and to the mystery of the Trinity as the response to the profound longings of the human heart and the ultimate goal of every religious journey sincerely open to transcendence.

For this reason, consecrated persons are in duty bound to offer a generous welcome and spiritual support to all those who, moved by a thirst for God and a desire to live the demands of faith, turn to them.[253]

CONCLUSION

Unbounded generosity

104. Many people today are puzzled and ask: What is the point of the consecrated life? Why embrace this kind of life when there are so many urgent needs in the areas of charity and of evangelization itself to which one can respond even without assuming the particular commitments of the consecrated life? Is the consecrated life not a kind of "waste" of human energies which might be used more efficiently for a greater good, for the benefit of humanity and the Church?

These questions are asked more frequently in our day as a consequence of a utilitarian and technocratic culture which is inclined to assess the importance of things and even of people in relation to their immediate "usefulness." But such questions have always existed, as is eloquently demonstrated by the Gospel episode of the anointing at Bethany: "Mary took a pound of costly ointment of pure nerd and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment" (Jn. 12:3). When Judas, using the needs of the poor as an excuse, complained about such waste, Jesus replied: "Let her alone!" (Jn. 12:7).

This is the perennially valid response to the question which many people, even in good faith, are asking about the relevance of the consecrated life: Could one not invest one's life in a more efficient and reasonable way for the betterment of society? This is how Jesus replies: "Let her alone!" Those who have been given the priceless gift of following the Lord Jesus more closely consider it obvious that he can and must be loved with an undivided heart, that one can devote to him one's whole life and not merely certain actions or occasional moments or activities. The precious ointment poured out as a pure act of love and thus transcending all "utilitarian" considerations is a sign of <unbounded generosity> as expressed in a life spent in loving and serving the Lord in order to devote oneself to his person and his Mystical Body. From such a life "poured out" without reserve there spreads a fragrance which fills the whole house. The house of God, the Church, today no less than in the past is adorned and enriched by the presence of the consecrated life.

What in people's eyes can seem a waste is, for the individuals captivated in the depths of their heart by the beauty and goodness of the Lord, an obvious response of love, a joyful expression of gratitude for having been admitted in a unique way to the knowledge of the Son and to a sharing in his divine mission in the world.

"If any of God's children were to know and taste divine love, the uncreated God, the incarnate God, the God who endured suffering, the God who is the supreme good, they would give themselves completely to him, they would withdraw not only from other creatures but even from their very selves and with all their being would love this God of love to the point of being completely transformed into the God-man, who is the supreme Beloved."[254]

The consecrated life in the service of the Kingdom of God

105. "What would become of the world if there were no Religious?"[255] Beyond all superficial assessments of its usefulness, the consecrated life is important precisely in its being <unbounded generosity and love>, and this all the more so in a world which risks being suffocated in the whirlpool of the ephemeral. "Without this concrete sign there would be a danger that the charity which animates the entire Church would grow cold, that the salvific paradox of the Gospel would be blunted and that the 'salt' of faith would lose its savor in a world undergoing secularization."[256] The Church and society itself need people capable of devoting themselves totally to God and to others for the love of God.

The Church can in no way renounce the consecrated life, for it <eloquently expresses her inmost nature as "Bride.>" In the consecrated life the proclamation of the Gospel to the whole world finds fresh enthusiasm and power. There is a need for people able to show the fatherly face of God and the motherly face of the Church, people who spend their lives so that others can have life and hope. The Church needs consecrated persons who, even before committing themselves to the service of this or that noble cause, allow themselves to be transformed by God's grace and conform themselves fully to the Gospel.

The whole Church finds in her hands this great gift and gratefully devotes herself to promoting it with respect, with prayer and with the explicit invitation to accept it. It is important that Bishops, priests and deacons, convinced of the evangelical superiority of this kind of life, should strive to discover and encourage the seeds of vocation through preaching, discernment and wise spiritual guidance. All the faithful are asked to pray constantly for consecrated persons, that their fervor and their capacity to love may grow continually and thus contribute to spreading in today's society the fragrance of Christ (cf. 2 Cor. 2:15). The whole Christian community—pastors, laity and consecrated persons—is responsible for the consecrated life and for welcoming and supporting new vocations.[257]

To young people

106. To you young people, I say: If you hear the Lord's call, do not reject it! Dare to become part of the great movements of holiness which renowned saints have launched in their following of Christ. Cultivate the ideals proper to your age, but readily accept God's plan for you if he invites you to seek holiness in the consecrated life. Admire all God's works in the world, but be ready to fix your eyes on the things destined never to pass away.

The Third Millennium awaits the contribution of the faith and creativity of great numbers of young consecrated persons that the world may be made more peaceful and able to welcome God and, in him, all his sons and daughters.

To families

107. I address you, Christian families. Parents, give thanks to the Lord if he has called one of your children to the consecrated life. It is to be considered a great honor—as it always has been— that the Lord should look upon a family and choose to invite one of its members to set out on the path of the evangelical counsels! Cherish the desire to give the Lord one of your children so that God's love can spread in the world. What fruit of conjugal love could be more beautiful than this?

We must remember that if parents do not live the values of the Gospel, the young man or woman will find it very difficult to discern the calling, to understand the need for the sacrifices which must be faced and to appreciate the beauty of the goal to be achieved. For it is in the family that young people have their first experience of Gospel values and of the love which gives itself to God and to others. They also need to be trained in the responsible use of their own freedom so that they will be prepared to live, as their vocation demands, in accordance with the loftiest spiritual realities.

I pray that you Christian families, united with the Lord through prayer and the sacramental life, will create homes where vocations are welcomed.

To men and women of good will

108. To all the men and women who are willing to listen to my voice, I wish to address an invitation to seek the paths which lead to the living and true God, including the path marked out by the consecrated life. Consecrated persons bear witness to the fact that "whoever follows after Christ, the perfect man, becomes himself more of a man."[258] How many consecrated men and women have bent down and continue to bend down as good Samaritans over the countless wounds of the brothers and sisters whom they meet on their way!

Look at these people seized by Christ, who show that in self-mastery, sustained by grace and God's love, lies the remedy for the craving to possess, to seek pleasure, to dominate. Do not forget the charisms which have shaped remarkable "seekers of God" and benefactors of humanity, who have provided sure paths for those who seek God with a sincere heart. Consider the great number of saints who have flourished in this way of life; consider the good done to the world in the past and in the present by those who have devoted themselves to God! Does not this world of ours need joyful witnesses and prophets of the beneficent power of God's love? Does it not also need men and women who, by their lives and their work, are able to sow seeds of peace and fraternity?[259]

To consecrated persons

109. But it is above all to you consecrated women and men that at the end of this exhortation I appeal with trust: Live to the full your dedication to God, so that this world may never be without a ray of divine beauty to lighten the path of human existence. Christians, immersed in the cares and concerns of this world but also called to holiness, need to discover in you purified hearts which in faith "see" God, people docile to the working of the Holy Spirit who resolutely press on in fidelity to the charism of their call and mission.

You know well that you have set out on a journey of continual conversion, of exclusive dedication to the love of God and of your brothers and sisters, in order to bear ever more splendid witness to the grace which transfigures Christian life. The world and the Church seek authentic witnesses to Christ. And the consecrated life is a gift which God offers in order that everyone can recognize the "one thing necessary" (cf. Lk. 10:42). To bear witness to Christ by one's life, works and words is the particular mission of the consecrated life in the Church and in the world.

You know the one in whom you have put your trust (cf. 2 Tm. 1:12): Give him everything! Young people will not be deceived; When they come to you, they want to see what they do not see elsewhere. An immense task awaits you in the future: In a special way young consecrated persons, by witnessing to their consecration, can, can lead their contemporaries to a renewal of their lives.[260] An impassioned love of Jesus Christ is a powerful attraction for those other young people whom Christ in his goodness is calling to follow him closely and forever. Our contemporaries want to see in consecrated persons the joy which comes from being with the Lord.

Consecrated women and men, old and young alike, live faithfully your commitment to God in mutual edification and mutual support! Despite the difficulties you may occasionally encounter, and despite the lessening of esteem for the consecrated life in certain quarters, you have the task of once more inviting the men and women of our time to lift their eyes, not to let themselves be overwhelmed by everyday things, to let themselves be captivated by the fascination of God and of his Son's Gospel. Do not forget that you, in a very special way, can and must say that you not only belong to Christ but that "you have become Christ!"[261]

Looking to the future

110. You have not only a glorious history to remember and to recount, but also <a great history still to be accomplished>! Look to the future, where the Spirit is sending you in order to do even greater things.

Make your lives a fervent expectation of Christ; go forth to meet him like the wise virgins setting out to meet the Bridegroom. Be always ready, faithful to Christ, the Church, to your Institute and to the men and women of our time.[262] In this way you will day by day be renewed in Christ, in order with his Spirit to build fraternal communities, to join him in washing the feet of the poor and to contribute in your own unique way to the transfiguration of the world.

As it enters the new Millennium, may our world, entrusted to human hands, become ever more human and just, a sign and anticipation of the world to come in which the Lord, humble and glorified, poor and exalted, will be the full and lasting joy for us and for our brothers and sisters, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Prayer to the Holy Trinity

111. Most Holy Trinity, blessed and the source of all blessedness, bless your sons and daughters whom you have called to praise the greatness of your love, your merciful goodness and your beauty.
<Father most Holy>, sanctify the sons and daughters who have consecrated themselves to you for the glory of your name. Enfold them with your power, enabling them to bear witness that you are the Origin of all things, the one Source of love and freedom. We thank you for the gift of the consecrated life, which in faith seeks you and in its universal mission invites all people to draw near to you.
<Jesus our Savior>, Incarnate Word, as you have entrusted your own way of life to those whom you have called, continue to draw to yourself men and women who will be, for the people of our time, dispensers of mercy, heralds of your return, living signs of the Resurrection and of its treasures of virginity, poverty and obedience. May no tribulation separate them from you and from your love!
<Holy Spirit>, Love poured into our hearts, who grant grace and inspiration to our minds, the perennial source of life, who bring to fulfillment the mission of Christ by means of many charisms, we pray to you for all consecrated persons. Fill their hearts with the deep certainty of having been chosen to love, to praise and to serve. Enable them to savor your friendship, fill them with your joy and consolation, help them to overcome moments of difficulty and to rise up again with trust after they have fallen; make them mirrors of the divine beauty. Give them the courage to face the challenges of our time and the grace to bring to all mankind the goodness and loving kindness of our Savior Jesus Christ (cf. Ti. 3:4).

Invocation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

112. Mary, image of the Church, the Bride without spot or wrinkle which by imitating you "preserves with virginal purity an integral faith, a firm hope and a sincere charity,"[263] sustain consecrated persons on their journey toward the sole and eternal Blessedness.
To you, Virgin of the Visitation, do we entrust them, that they may go forth to meet human needs, to bring help, but above all to bring Jesus. Teach them to proclaim the mighty things which the Lord accomplishes in the world, that all peoples may extol the greatness of his name. Support them in their work for the poor, the hungry, those without hope, the little ones and all who seek your Son with a sincere heart.
To you, our Mother, who desire the spiritual and apostolic renewal of your sons and daughters in a response of love and complete dedication to Christ, we address our confident prayer. You who did the will of the Father, ever ready in obedience, courageous in poverty and receptive in fruitful virginity, obtain from your Divine Son that all who have received the gift of following him in the consecrated life may be enabled to bear witness to that gift by their transfigured lives as they joyfully make their way with all their brothers and sisters toward our heavenly homeland and the light which will never grow dim.
We ask you this that in everyone and in everything glory, adoration and love may be given to the Most High Lord of all things, who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Given in Rome, at St. Peter's, on March 25, the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, in the year 1996, the 18th of my Pontificate.

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ENDNOTES

1 Cf. Proposition 2.

2 Vatican Council II, Decree on the Church's Missionary Activity <Ad Gentes>, 18.

3 Cf. Vatican Council II, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church <Lumen Gentium>, 44; Paul VI, Apostolic Exhortation <Evangelica Testificatio> (June 29, 1971), No. 7: <Acta Apostolicae Sedis> 63 (1971), 501-502; Apostolic Exhortation <Evangelii Nuntiandi> (Dec. 8, 1975), 69: AAS 68 (1976), 59.

4 Cf. <Lumen Gentium>, 44.

5 Cf. John Paul II, General Audience Address Sept. 28, 1994, No. 5: L'Osservatore Romano Sept. 29, 1994, 4.

6 Cf. Proposition 1.

7 Cf. St. Francis de Sales, <Introduction to the Devout Life>, Part 1, Ch. 3.

8 <Lumen Gentium>, 43.

9 Cf. John Paul II, Homily at the Closing Session of the '94 Synod of Bishops (Oct. 29, 1994), No. 3: L'Osservatore Romano, Oct. 30 1994, 5.

10 Cf. 1994 Synod of Bishops, Final Message (Oct. 27, 1994), VII: L'Osservatore Romano, Oct. 29, 1994, 7.

11 Cf. Proposition 5.B.

12 Cf. Rule, 4, 21 and 72, 11.

13 Proposition 12.

14 Cf. Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, Canon 570.

15 Cf. Vatican Council II, Decree on the Appropriate Renewal of the Religious Life <Perfectae Caritatis>, 7; <Ad Gentes>, 40.

16 Cf. Proposition 6.

17 Cf. Proposition 4.

18 Cf. Proposition 7.

19 Cf. Proposition 11.

20 Cf. Proposition 14.

21 Cf. Code of Canon Law, Canon 605; Eastern Canon 571; Proposition 13.

22 Cf. Propositions 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 13, 28 29, 30, 35 and 48.

23 Cf. Proposition 3.A and B.

24 Cf. Proposition 3.C.

25 Cf. Cassian: "<Secessit tamen solus in monte orare, per hoc scilicet nos instruens suae secessionis exemplo ... ut similiter secedamus>" (<Collationes> 10, 6: <Patrologia Latina> 49, 827), St. Jerome: "<Et Christum quaeras in solitudine et ores solus in monte cum Iesu>" (<Epistula ad Paulinum> 58, 4, 2: PL 22, 582); William of Saint-Thierry: "[<Vita solitaria] ab ipso Domino familiarissime celebrata, ab eius discipulis ipso praesente concupita: cuius transfigurationis gloriam cum vidissent qui cum eo in monte sancto erant, continuo Petrus ... optimum sibi iudicavit in hoc sempter esse"> (<Ad Fratres de Monte Dei>, I, 1: PL 184, 310).

26 <Lumen Gentium>, 1.

27 Ibid., 44.

28 Cf. Congregation for Religious and Secular Institutes, Instruction on Essential Elements in the Church's Teaching on Religious Life as Applied to Institutes Dedicated to Works of the Apostolate (May 31, 1985), 5.

29 Cf. <Summa Theologiae>, II-II, q. 186, a. 1.

30 Cf. Proposition 16.

31 Cf. John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation <Redemptionis Donum> (March 25, 1984), No. 3: AAS 76 (1984), 515-517.

32 St. Francis of Assisi, <Regula Bullata>, I, 1.

33 "<Tota Trinitas apparuit: Pater in voce, Filius in homine, Spiritus in nube clara>": <Summa Theologiae>, III, q. 45, a. 4, ad 2.

34 <Perfectae Caritatis>, 1.

35 <Lumen Gentium>, 44.

36 Symeon the New Theologian, <Hymns>, II, verses 19-27: <Sources Chretienne> 156, 178-179.

37 Cf. John Paul II, General Audience Address Nov. 9, 1994, No. 4: L'Osservatore Romano, Nov. 10, 1994, 4.

38 <Lumen Gentium>, 44.

39 St. Ignatius of Antioch, <Letter to the Magnesians> 8, 2: <Patres Apostolici>, ed. F.S. Funk, II, 237.

40 Cf. Proposition 3.

41 <Expositions on the Book of Psalms>, 44, 3: PL 36, 495-496.

42 Cf. Proposition 25; <Perfectae Caritatis>, 17.

43 Cf. Proposition 25.

44 Cf. <Lumen Gentium>, 42.

45 Ibid., 44.

46 Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity, <Le ciel dans la foi. Traite Spirituel,> I, 14: <Oeuvres Completes> (Paris 1991), 106.

47 Cf. St. Augustine, <Confession>, 1, 1: <Corpus Christianorum, Series Latina>, 27.1.

48 John Paul II, General Audience Address, March 29 1995, No. 1: L'Osservatore Romano, March 30 1995, 4.

49 <Lumen Gentium>, 53.

50 Ibid., 46.

51 Cf. Proposition 55.

52 <Lumen Gentium>, 44.

53 Cf. John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation <Redemptionis Donum>, 7.

54 Cf. <Lumen Gentium>, 44; John Paul II, General Audience Address, Oct. 26, 1994, No. 5: L'Osservatore Romano, Oct. 27, 1994, 4.

55 Cf. <Lumen Gentium>, 42.

56 Roman Ritual, Rite of Religious Profession: Solemn Blessing or Consecration of Professed Men, 67, and Solemn Blessing or Consecration of Professed Women, 72, Roman Pontifical, Rite of Consecration to a Life of Virginity: Solemn Blessing, 38; <Eucologion Sive Rituale Graecorum, Officium Parvi Habitum id est Mandiae>, 384-385; <Pontificale Iuxta Ritum Ecclesiae Syrorum Occidentalium id est Antiochiae, Ordo Rituum Monasticorum> (Vatican City: Polyglot Press, 1942), 307-309.

57 Cf. St. Peter Damian, <Liber qui appellatur "Dominus vobiscum" ad Leonem eremitam>: PL 145, 231-252.

58 Cf. <Lumen Gentium>, 32; Canon 208; Eastern Canon 11.

59 Cf. Vatican Council II, <Ad Gentes>, 4; <Lumen Gentium>, 4, 12, 13; Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World <Gaudium et Spes>, 32, Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity, <Apostolicam Actuositatem>, 3; John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation <Christifideles Laici> (Dec. 30, 1988), Nos. 20-21: AAS 81 (1989), 425-428; Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on Some Aspects of the Church Understood as Communion, <Communionis Notio>, (May 28, 1992), No. 15: AAS 85 (1993), 847.

60 <Lumen Gentium>, 31.

61 Cf. ibid., 12; <Christifideles Laici>, 20-21.

62 Cf. <Lumen Gentium>, 5.

63 Cf. Ecumenical Council of Trent, Session XXIV, Canon 10: Denz. Schon. 1810; Pius XII, Encyclical <Sacra Virginitas> (March 25, 1954): AAS 46 (1954), 176.

64 Cf. Proposition 17.

65 <Lumen Gentium>, 41.

66 Cf. ibid., 46.

67 Ibid.

68 Cf. Pius XII, Motu Proprio <Primo Feliciter> (March 12, 1948), No. 6: AAS 40 (1948), 285.

69 Canon 713.1 cf. Eastern Canon 563.2.

70 Cf. Canon 713.2. "Clerical members" are specifically addressed in Canon 713.3.

71 <Lumen Gentium>, 31.

72 St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, <Manuscrits Autobiographiques> B, 2: "To be your bride, O Jesus ... to be, in union with you, a mother of souls."

73 Cf. <Perfectae Caritatis>, 8, 10, 12.

74 1985 Synod of Bishops, Final Report, <Ecclesia sub verbo Dei mysteria Christi celebrans pro salute mundi> (Dec. 7, 1985), II, A, 4: <Enchiridion Vaticanum>, 9, 1753.

75 1994 Synod of Bishops, Final Message, IX.

76 Cf. <Summa Theologiae>, II-II, q. 184, a. 5, ad 2; II-II, q. 186, a. 2, ad 1.

77 Cf. <Libellus de Principiis Ordinis Praedicatorum. Acta Canonizationis Sancti Dominici: Monumenta Ordinis Praedicatorum Historica> 16 (1935), 30.

78 John Paul II, Apostolic Letter <Orientale Lumen> (May 2, 1995), No. 12: AAS 87 (1995), 758.

79 Congregation for Religious and Secular Institutes and Congregation for Bishops, Directives for Mutual Relations Between Bishops and Religious in the Church, <Mutuae Relationes> (May 14, 1978), No. 51: AAS 70 (1978), 500.

80 Cf. Proposition 26.

81 Cf. Proposition 27.

82 <Perfectae Caritatis>, 2

83 <Orientale Lumen>, 16.

84 John Paul II, Apostolic Letter <Tertio Millennio Adveniente> (Nov. 10, 1994), No. 42: AAS 87 (1995), 32.

85 <Evangelii Nuntiandi>, 69.

86 Cf. <Perfectae Caritatis>, 15; St. Augustine, <Regula ad Servos Dei>, 1, 1: PL 32, 1372.

87 St. Cyprian, "On the Lord's Prayer," 23: PL 4, 553; cf. <Lumen Gentium>, 4.

88 Cf. Proposition 20.

89 St. Basil, <Long Rule>, Question 7: <Patrologia Graeca> 31, 931.

90 Ibid., Short Rule, Question 225: PG 31, 1231.

91 Cf. "Essential Elements," 51; Canon 631.1, Eastern Canon 512.1.

92 Cf. Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, Instruction on Fraternal Life in Community, <Congregavit Nos in Unum Christi Amor> (Feb. 2, 1994), Nos. 47-53: Rome, 1994; Canon 618; Proposition 19.

93 Cf. "Fraternal Life in Community," 68; Proposition 21.

94 Cf. Proposition 28.

95 Congregation for Religious and Secular Institutes, "Religious and Human Promotion" (Aug. 12, 1980), No. 11, 24: L'Osservatore Romano, English ed., (Jan. 26, 1981), 11.

96 <Christifideles Laici>, 31-32.

97 <Regula Bullata>, 1, 1.

98 Letters, 109 171, 196.

99 Cf. Rule 13 at the end of the <Spiritual Exercises>.

100 <Sayings>, 217.

101 <Manuscrits Autobiographiques>, B, 3 v.

102 Cf. Proposition 30.A.

103 Cf. <Redemptionis Donum>, 15.

104 <Lumen Gentium>, 1.

105 "Aspects of the Church Understood as Communion," 16.

106 Cf. <Lumen Gentium>, 13.

107 Vatican Council II, Decree on the Bishops' Pastoral Office in the Church <Christus Dominus>, 11.

108 <Mutuae Relationes>, 11.

109 Cf. ibid.

110 Cf. Canon 576.

111 Cf. Canon 586; <Mutuae Relationes>, 13.

112 Cf. <Ad Gentes>, 18.

113 Cf. Canons 586.2 and 591; Eastern Canon 412.2.

114 Cf. Proposition 29.4.

115 Cf. Proposition 49.B.

116 Proposition 54.

117 Cf. "Fraternal Life in Community," 56.

118 <Apologia to William of St. Thierry>, IV, 8: PL 182, 903-904.

119 Cf. <Perfectae Caritatis>, 23.

120 Cf. <Mutuae Relationes>, 21, 61; Canons 708-709.

121 <Perfectae Caritatis>, 1; <Lumen Gentium>, 46.

122 <Gaudium et Spes>, 4.

123 John Paul II, "Message to the Conference of Religious of Brazil" (July 11, 1986), 4: <Insegnamenti> IX/2 (1986), 237; cf. Proposition 31.

124 Cf. <Mutuae Relationes>, 63, 65.

125 <Lumen Gentium>, 31.

126 St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria, <Writings>, Sermon II (Rome 1975), 129.

127 Cf. Proposition 33.A and C.

128 Cf. Proposition 33.B.

129 Cf. "Fraternal Life in Community," 62; ibid., Directives on Formation in Religious Institutes <Potissimum Institutioni> (Feb. 2, 1990), 92-93: AAS 82 (1990), 123-124.

130 Cf. Proposition 9.A.

131 Cf. Proposition 9.

132 John Paul II, Encyclical <Evangelium Vitae> (March 25, 1995), No. 99: AAS 87 (1995), 514.

133 Congregation for Religious and Secular Institutes, Instruction on the Contemplative Life and on the Enclosure of Nuns, <Venite Seorsum>, (Aug. 15, 1969), V: AAS 61 (1969), 685.

134 Cf. ibid., I.

135 Vatican Council II, Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy <Sacrosanctum Concilium>, 2.

136 <Lumen Gentium>, 6.

137 Cf. St. John of the Cross, <Spiritual Canticle>, 29, 1.

138 Cf. Canon 667.4; Proposition 22.4.

139 Cf. Paul VI, Motu Proprio <Ecclesiae Sanctae> (June 8, 1966), II, Nos. 30-31: AAS 58 (1966), 780; <Perfectae Caritatis>, 7 and 16; <Venite Seorsum>, VI.

140 Cf. Pius XII, Apostolic Constitution <Sponsa Christi> (Nov. 21, 1950) VII: AAS 43 (1951), 18-19; <Perfectae Caritatis>, 22.

141 Cf. Canon 588.1.

142 Cf. <Perfectae Caritatis>, 10.

143 Cf. ibid., 8, 10.

144 Cf. ibid., 10; Canon 588.3.

145 Cf. <Lumen Gentium>, 31.

146 Cf. Proposition 8.

147 John Paul II, General Audience Address, Feb. 22, 1995, No. 6: L'Osservatore Romano (English ed.),March 1, 1995, 11.

148 Cf. <Perfectae Caritatis>, 10.

149 Cf. Canon 588.2.

150 Cf. Proposition 10; <Perfectae Caritatis>, 15.

151 Cf. Canon 573; Eastern Canon 410.

152 Cf. Proposition 13.B.

153 Cf. Proposition 13.C.

154 Cf. Proposition 13.A.

155 Cf. <Gaudium et Spes>, 48.

156 Cf. Proposition 13.B.

157 <Lumen Gentium>, 1.

158 Cf. Proposition 24.

159 Cf. "Fraternal Life in Community," 67.

160 Cf. Proposition 48 A

161 Cf. Proposition 48.B.

162 Cf. Proposition 48.C.

163 Cf. Proposition 49.A.

164 Cf. <Potissimum Institutioni>, 29.

165 Cf. Proposition 49 B.

166 Cf. "Essential Elements," 45.

167 Cf. Canon 607.1.

168 Cf. Proposition 50.

169 Cf. "Fraternal Life in Community," 32-33.

170 Cf. Proposition 51.

171 Cf. "Fraternal Life in Community," 43-45.

172 Cf. <Potissimum Institutioni>, 70.

173 Cf. ibid, 68.

174 <Lumen Gentium>, 46.

175 Cf. Proposition 35.A.

176 <Gaudium et Spes>, 4.

177 Cf. <Lumen Gentium>, 12.

178 Paul VI, Encyclical <Ecclesiam Suam> (Aug. 6, 1964), III: AAS 56 (1964), 639.

179 St. Gregory the Great, <Homilies on Ezekiel>, Book II, II, 11: PL 76, 954-955.

180 St. Augustine, Sermon 78, 6: PL 38, 492.

181 Cf. Fourth General Conference of the Latin American Episcopate, "New Evangelization, Human Promotion and Christian Culture," (CELAM, 1992), 178.

182 Conference "On the Spirit of the Society" (Feb. 9, 1653): <Correspondence, Entretiens, Documents>, ed. Coste, Vol. IX (Paris, 1923), 592.

183 Cf. "Essential Elements," 23-24.

184 Cf. Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity, <O Mon Dieu, Trinite Que J'Adore, Oeuvres Completes> (Paris 1991), 199-200.

185 Cf. <Evangelii Nuntiandi>, 69.

186 Cf. Proposition 37.A.

187 Cf. <Lumen Gentium>, 46; <Evangelii Nuntiandi>, 69.

188 Cf. <Lumen Gentium>, 44 and 46.

189 Cf. <Ad Gentes>, 18 and 40.

190 Letter from Cochin to members of the society in Rome (Jan. 15, 1544): <Monumenta Historica Societatis Iesu> 67 (1944), 166-167.

191 Cf. <Lumen Gentium>, 44.

192 Cf. John Paul II, Encyclical <Redemptoris Missio> (Dec. 7, 1990), No. 69: AAS 83 (1991), 317-318; Catechism of the Catholic Church, 927.

193 <Redemptoris Missio>, 31.

194 Ibid., 2.

195 <Ad Gentes>, 18; <Redemptoris Missio>, 69.

196 Cf. Proposition 38.

197 <Redemptoris Missio>, 44.

198 Cf. ibid., 46.

199 Cf. ibid., 52-54.

200 Cf. Proposition 40.A

201 <Redemptoris Missio>, 55; cf. Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, instruction "Dialogue and Proclamation: Reflections and Perspectives" (May 19, 1991), 4546: AAS 84 (1992), 429-430.

202 Cf. Proposition 40.B

203 John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation <Ecclesia in Africa> (Sept. 14, 1995), No. 62: L'Osservatore Romano, Sept. 16, 1995, 5.

204 Cf. <Evangelii Nuntiandi>, 15.

205 1994 Synod of Bishops, <Relatio Ante Disceptationem>, No. 22: L'Osservatore Romano, Oct. 3-4, 1994, 12.

206 John XXIII, Opening Speech to Vatican Council II (Oct. 11, 1962): AAS 54 (1962), 789.

207 Cf. Proposition 18.

208 St. Augustine, Sermon 123, 3-4: PL 38, 685-686.

209 Cf. Poem XXI, 386-394; PL 61, 587.

210 Conference "On the Rules" (May 30, 1647): <Correspondance, Etretiens, Documents>, 319.

211 St. Gregory the Great, <The Pastoral Rule> 2,5: PL 77, 33.

212 Cf. John Paul II, Apostolic Letter <Salvifici Doloris> (Feb. 11, 1984), 28-30: AAS 76 (1984), 242-248.

213 Cf. ibid., 18; <Christifideles Laici>, 52-53.

214 Cf. John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation <Pastores Dabo Vobis> (March 25, 1992), No. 77: AAS 84 (1992), 794-795.

215 Cf. <Evangelium Vitae>, 78-101.

216 Cf. Proposition 43.

217 Cf. <Lumen Gentium>, 44.

218 Homily closing the 1994 Synod of Bishops, 3.

219 Cf. St. Athanasius, <Life of St. Anthony>, 7: PG 26, 854.

220 Cf. Proposition 39.A.

221 Cf. Propositions 15.A and 39.C

222 <Lumen Gentium>, 4; cf. Vatican II Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests <Presbyterorum Ordinis>, 2.

223 Cf. Proposition 53; <Tertio Millennio Adveniente>, 37.

224 Cf. <Perfectae Caritatis>, 12.

225 Cf. Proposition 18.A.

226 Cf. <Perfectae Caritatis>, 13.

227 Cf. John Paul II, Encyclical <Veritatis Splendor> (Aug. 6, 1993), 31-35: AAS 85 (1993), 1158-1162.

228 Cf. Proposition 19.A; <Perfectae Caritatis>, 14.

229 Cf. Proposition 15.

230 John Paul II, General Audience Address, Feb. 8, 1995, No. 2 L'Osservatore Romano (English ed.),Feb. 15, 1995, 11.

231 Vatican II, Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation <Dei Verbum>, 21; cf. <Perfectae Caritatis>, 6.

232 Catechism of the Catholic Church, 125; cf. <Dei Verbum>, 18.

233 <Dei Verbum>, 2.

234 <Presbyterorum Ordinis>, 5.

235 Cf. Vatican II, Declaration on Christian Education <Gravissimum Educationis>, 8.

236 <Scritti Pedagogici e Spirituali> (Rome, 1987), 294.

237 Cf. John Paul II, Apostolic Constitution <Sapientia Christiana> (April 15, 1979), II: AAS 71 (1979), 471.

238 Cf. Proposition 41.

239 Cf. <Sapientia Christiana>, II.

240 Cf. Proposition 36.

241 Cf. <Gaudium et Spes>, 5.

242 Ibid., 1.

243 Cf. "Fraternal Life in Community," 34.

244 Cf. John Paul II, Message for 1994 World Communications Day (Jan. 24, 1994): L'Osservatore Romano (English ed.), Feb. 2, 1994, 3.

245 Cf. John Paul II, Encyclical <Ut Unum Sint> (May 25, 1995) No. 21 AAS 87 (1995), 934.

246 Cf. ibid., 28.

247 Cf. Proposition 45.

248 <Redemptoris Missio>, 55.

249 "Dialogue and Proclamation," 42a.

250 Ibid., 42b.

251 Cf. Proposition 46.

252 "Dialogue and Proclamation," 42c.

253 Cf. Proposition 47.

254 Blessed Angela of Foligno, <Il Libro della Beata Angela da Foligno> (Grottaferrata, 1985), 683.

255 St. Teresa of Avila, <Autobiography>, Ch. 32, 11.

256 <Evangelica Testificatio>, 3.

257 Cf. Proposition 48.

258 <Gaudium et Spes>, 41.

259 Cf. <Evangelica Testificatio>, 53; <Evangelii Nuntiandi>, 69.

260 Cf. Proposition 16.

261 St. Augustine, <Treatise on St. John's Gospel>, XXI, 8: PL 35, 1568.

262 "Religious and Human Promotion," 13-21.

263 <Lumen Gentium>, 64.

 

 

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