Godność i tożsamość życia konsekrowanego w Kościele i świecie

Abstract

Upon coming to earth, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, revealed the loving countenance of the Heavenly Father. God’s love towards human beings is particularly visible in Christ’s Voice calling people to follow Him. Like the Apostles, who were the first to hear the voice of vocation and follow it, throughout the centuries of the Church history numerous men and women have dedicated their lives solely to the service of God and people. By taking the path of the evangelical counsels, thus vowing chastity, poverty and obedience, the enormous numbers of Christ’s disciples form part of those who, as Jesus of Nazareth expressly stated, have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake (Mt 19:12). Careful examination of the history of the Church reveals that, as John Paul II taught, the Consecrated Life, deeply rooted in the example and teaching of Christ the Lord, is a gift of God the Father to his Church through the Holy Spirit (Vita Consecrata, 1). A person who accepts the immense gift of God’s love with help from the Holy Spirit is able to comprehend its value and to accept the responsibilities resulting from the gift. In this manner, by following God’s vocation, such a person becomes involved in the mission of the Church. The article aims at demonstrating the dignity and identity of the consecrated life in the contemporary Church and the world. The concept and essence of consecration will be explained here, as will the idea of special consecration which takes place in the life of a person that professes the evangelical counsels. In this way, monastic people lead a particular life and fulfill their apostolic mission defined by the order’s charisma.