What is Consecrated Life?Presented by the Missionary Childhood Association for the Year of Consecrated Life

Reflection Activity 1.1

➜ Describe what you see...

➜ What do they think is happening?

➜ What do you know about the people in the image?

A Jesuit Named Francis

➜ Our current Pope is a Jesuit…who took the name Francis

➜ What do you know about the Society of Jesus or the Franciscans?

➜ Holy Father has proclaimed this a Year of Consecrated Life for all the Church to become more aware of this way of life in the Church.

The Year of Consecrated Life The Missionary Childhood Association 4

What Does it Mean?

➜ Consecrate means to dedicate something to religious purpose.

➜ Consecrated men & women, also known as religious men & women, are persons who have chosen a way of life dedicated to religious purpose.

➜ It is a vocation in the Church.

➜ Religious hear and respond to a call to follow the way of Jesus in a specific and visible way.

➜ Charism signifies a gift of graces given to individual Christians for the good of others

➜ Consecrated Life is a gift in the Church. It is a gift of the Church. And it is a gift to the Church

➜ The general charism of consecrated life revolves around the vows and the way of life they form:

– Poverty

– Chastity

– Obedience

What is a Charism?

➜ There have always been some men and women called to seek God & follow Christ in a special way

➜ It began in the desert…

➜ Hermits: St. Anthony the Great & Amma Syncletica. 4th Century C.E

➜ Communities: St. Basil the Great 4th Century C.E.

➜ Two thousands years later there are hundreds of different forms of Consecrated Life

How Did It Start?

➜ Two major types:

– Contemplative

• Monks & Nuns separated from the world in monasteries

– Active/Apostolic

• Brothers, Sisters and Priests active in apostolic ministries

➜ These two forms share a common charism, and also express charisms unique to each community.

Forms of Religious Life

➜ For many orders and congregations living in community is an important to their charism

➜ Particular missions or ministries and the spirituality with which religious perform them express their unique gift

➜ Examples:

– Medical Ministries

– Education

– Mission

Individual Charisms of Consecrated Life

➜ The vocation of Consecrated life comes from the Holy Spirit Speaking in the hearts of men and women in response to the world around them.

➜ Let’s explore a few specific stories of that call and response from the Church’s history and present.

Exploration

➜ In small groups, take a look at these brief founding stories of some old and new communities of consecrated life and reflect on:

– What stands out to you?

– What was the situation that moved the founder(s) to action?

– What was the inspiration behind the founder(s) actions and choices?

– What is the mission of the community they founded?

Founder(s) Activity