Religious Life

All Christians are called to be religious – to live their faith in the way that God calls them.

Religious Choose to live in communities; vow solely to

serve God Publicly profess the evangelical counsels:

poverty, chastity and obedience Sisters, brothers, priest who belong to Religious

Orders Religious Orders: groups officially recognized by

the Catholic Church as offering a way of life for those called to profess the evangelical counsels. Also known as religious congregations or religious

communities

Christian religious communities Began a few centuries after the

Resurrection of Jesus – desert to pray, fast and meditate on the word of God.

Members are nuclear physicists, spiritual direction, administrators, missionaries, lawyers, doctors.

Each group is unique and has a unique charism – ministry and a unique rule of life on how to live out that charism

Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity

Three Essentials: Community, Prayer, Service Community Life:

Support and challenge each member. From convents, brothers’ residence, rectories

to the same plus apartments. Saint John Baptist de La Salle, aka

Christian Brothers worked with poor boys who roamed the streets of seventeenth - century France. (St. Gabriel’s Hall)

Prayer: Focus on God Prayer can be the Eucharist, Para liturgical

services, meditation, shared reflection. Prayer is a central experience in religious life.

Service: in various ways, depending on the charism and gifts and talents of each member. Mother Teresa of Calcutta (

Missionaries of Charity) Sr. Mary Elizabeth Gintling – Joseph House

Village in Salisbury, Maryland Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul

(& Louise de Marillac) opened Marillac House in Chicago in 1940’s to serve in a high crime area.

Ruined for Life (We are all called to be religious) JVC: Four “pillars” or values

Simple living Spirituality/prayer Social justice community

Catholic Network of Volunteer Service Survey of former JVC volunteers

18% work in nonprofit field (compared to 7.4% of general public)

Half work in service 96-98% donate regardless of income 92% vote in presidential elections 71% women

Three Religious Vows: poverty, chastity and obedience “evangelical” because they are Gospel-

oriented, striving for the charity of the Gospel.

Public vows living according to the way of Jesus as best they can.

This is consecration – a divine action and gift from God. God calls a person whom he sets apart for a particular dedication to himself.

Poverty Doesn’t mean destitute; comes from the

word poverty (from a Latin word meaning “little”.)

Few material possessions to avoid distractions that accompany ownership.

Live simply, share their resources with others. The goods of this earth are meant to serve everyone’s needs.

Chastity

It includes the pledge to be celibate. Vowed chastity is rooted in our intimacy

with God and in a deepening love and compassion for others, esp. those most in need

Chastity gives them the freedom to love and respond to needs, a pledge to build community and shows reliance on God.

Obedience Latin word meaning “to hear.” Pledge to listen (discern) to the call of God

– God’s will. (Remember when we listen we are trying to understand what is in the mind of the other person.)

Learn the will of God in human ways – through the church, the Bible, in their constitutions and community decisions, signs of the times and esp. in the needs of the human family.