The Vows of Consecrated Life (Part III)

The vows are first of all a response to God’s calling.  You did not choose me, I chose you: and I commissioned you to go out and to bear fruit (Jn 15:16). The initiative is from God: “it is an initiative coming wholly from the father (Cf. Jn 15:16), who asks those whom he has chosen to respond with complete and exclusive devotion” (Vita Consecrata, n. 17). The vows are free and radical responses to God’s call to follow in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus Christ as enunciated in the Gospels. The religious is both responsive and responsible.

The response demanded from the consecrated person is voluntary, spontaneous, unreserved, and generous. He responds with his whole life for all his life. He generously responds to this call in his own historical context according to promptings of the Holy Spirit and the specific needs of the Church. The different content and context of one’s vocation admits of some divergence and convergence. That is why there is a great variety of responses in the Church namely: monastic life, mendicants, societies of apostolic life and the secular institutes. The multiplicity of different forms of consecrated life is considered as both a gift and activity of the Holy Spirit.


An expression of undivided love

Primarily, the vows constitute a response to the unconditional love of God, an acknowledgement of God’s faithful and unrelenting love, surrender to God’s tremendous and everlasting love. The evangelical counsels are ravishingly lovely. They are intended as a concrete expression of passionate love of God (Cf. Apostolic Letter of His Holiness Pope Francis To All Consecrated People on the Occasion of the Year of Consecrated Life). They are an act of personal love for God who first generously loved us.

 Love is the motive and goal of evangelical counsels, “such love should fill each of you … from the very source of that particular consecration which—on the sacramental basis of holy Baptism--- is the beginning of your new life in Christ and in the Church; it is the beginning of the new creation” (Redemptoris Donum, n. 8). The consecrated persons are naturally lovers- lovers of Christ and the whole humanity.  Having derived their love from the contemplation of Trinitarian love, they “show that the power of God’s love can accomplish great things precisely within the context of human love” (Vita Consecrata, n. 88).


The wonder of amazing grace

The intention to take the vows is inspired and elicited by the promptings of divine grace; the vows are an outward response to the inward grace. Stupendous grace disposes the religious to respond joyfully to his/her religious vocation. Therefore, religious profession is an external manifestation of the inner workings of unmerited grace in the life of the consecrated person. The whole project of consecrated life is a testimony of what the grace of God can achieve in the face of human weakness and imperfections. This divine grace necessarily accompanies the consecrated person in all his endeavours to fulfill the obligations of his vows. The Lord who invites a Christian to embrace the vows also furnishes him with all the necessary graces he needs to live the vows joyfully and convincingly.

In the bogs of doubt, quicksand of fear, and winds of anxiety, the consecrated person realizes his/her need for grace.  Without the grace of God, no consecrated person can fulfill the vows. Without me you can do nothing (Jn 15:5).  Every consecrated person needs the grace of God to weave the fabric of his destiny. Consecrated life is an adventure that requires a willingness to surrender to divine grace.  “Religious, therefore, at pains  to be faithful to what they have professed, should believe our Lord’s words and relying on God’s help, should not presume on their own strength” (Perfectae Caritatis, n. 12).

Psalm 23: The Praise of Divine Providence

Psalm 23 is one of the most popular, most beautiful and most meaningful poems in the bible. It is more than a poem; it is also a profound prayer of trust in divine providence and protection. It has been translated into almost all the living languages, sung by millions of musicians and memorized by countless number of people.

This psalm is suitable for all times and places- in times of peace or war; joy or sorrow; plenty or want; well being or sickness. It provides sense of meaning and purpose in times of distress and uncertainties of life.

It is loved by different kinds of people- children sing it every morning in school, soldiers recite it in war fronts, prisoners say it in the darkness of their cells, and the sick pray it on their sickbeds. It has inspired and enlivened both old and young, rich and poor, believers and non believers alike. The dying wish to sing it as the last song on their lips.

This beautiful Psalm has brought smiles to distressed faces, peace to restless hearts, confidence to the fearful, encouragement to the discouraged, hope to the hopeless and guidance to the lost. It has calmed fears, addressed concerns, removed sorrows and dispelled anxieties and hopelessness.

The theme of this beloved Psalm is reassuring, the structure is endearing and the appeal is magnetic. It has a compelling force and enduring attraction. In any situation we find ourselves, the psalm reminds us of the abiding presence of God and his unfailing providence.

If we forget everything in this world, even if we forget our names, we must never forget that the Lord is our shepherd. There is nothing we shall want. Fresh and green are the pastures where He gives us repose.  And near restful waters he leads us, to revive our drooping spirit.

He guides us along the right path; he is true to his name. And even if we should walk in the valley of darkness, we will fear no evil. He is there with his crook and staff to give us comfort. And surely goodness and kindness shall follow us all the days of our lives. In the Lord’s own house, we shall dwell forever and ever.

The Fallacy of Generational Curses

The generational curses have become a perennial issue in our own time.  A lot of hype and hysteria surround the ‘breaking’ of generational curses. The generational curses can be traced to the utterances of Yahweh in some books of the Old Testament. For example, in Exodus 20:5 the Lord says “I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me.”

 There are also passages in the OT that appear to suggest that God actually punished the children because of the sins of the parent(s). For example, the death of the child of Bathsheba after the adultery and murder committed by King David ( 2 Sam 12: 15-19).

However, in the prophesy of Ezekiel, the Lord announced a new order. No longer will the children be punished for the offences of their forbears. “The person who sins shall die. A child shall not suffer for the iniquity of a parent, nor a parent suffer for the iniquity of a child; the righteousness of the righteous shall be his own, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be his own” (Ezek 18:20).

Jesus authoritatively confirmed this new order when the disciples asked him whether a man was born blind because of the sins of his parents. Jesus replied: neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him (Jn 9: 1-3). St Paul says that Jesus became a curse for all of us sinners and nailed the curses to the wood of the cross (Gal 3: 10-14).

The notion of generational curses does not exist in the New Testament. It is futile to have recourse to some passages in the OT even in the NT to justify it. Revelation of God and divine truths are taught in stages beginning from the OT to NT. For example, God commanded the sacrifice of animals for the forgiveness of sins and the circumcision of the flesh in the OT. But these practices (that were once recommended) are abolished in the NT. The idea of generational curses is not an inviolable or immovable code in the bible. It will be futile to quote some passages of the OT to justify animal sacrifice or circumcision of the flesh in our own time.

It is true that the children may suffer the negative consequences of the bad choices of their parents. For example the children may suffer for a long time the consequences of the bad choices made by an alcoholic and abusive father. But consequences are not coterminous with curses. It is almost a truism to say that life is full of twists and turns. It is callously lame to blame one’s parents for all the challenges of life.

Life can be very tough even for the children of ‘virtuous’ parents. "In the world you will have trouble. But be of good cheers I have overcome the world" (Jn 16:33).
 In the face of challenges of life let us turn to Jesus. He will furnish us with the strength we need to carry our cross everyday and follow Him. Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matt 11:28).

The Vows of Consecrated Life (Part II)

St Thomas Aquinas identifies three stages of the vows of consecrated life (Summa theologica IIa-IIae Q 88 art 1). The first stage is deliberation. The vows presuppose a critical and honest soul-searching. At this phase, the consecrated person carefully examines himself/herself, life, history, motives, strengthens and weaknesses. He critically assesses the denotations and connotations of the vows. He seeks the will of God. He asks the fundamental question in Christian life: Lord what do you want me to do? The goals of this stage are self knowledge and discovery of the will of God. Hopefully, this will lead to the second stage which is purpose of the will.

This second stage is very critical. It is a time of incisive and decisive undertaking. It is the moment of decision and consent. The Christian gives his fiat. He responds willingly and enthusiastically to the invitation to follow Christ as a consecrated person. This is a turning point in the life of every aspiring Christian to consecrated life.

The third stage is profession of the vows. With poise and sense of purpose, the candidate makes his vows in the church and for the church. The consecrated person experiences these stages in his own unique way under the unfailing guidance of the Holy Spirit.


The Vows are Public

The profession of vows is often public not private. The vows are not pronounced in a clandestine manner since they are neither arcane nor esoteric. The profession of the vows often takes place in a public liturgical celebration with a form approved by the Church. The public pronouncement of the vows before God and the people of God instils in the consecrated person the gravity, implications and demands of the vows. Words and external signs can move the heart to devotion; fixed the mind more firmly on the thing promised and on the person the thing is promised.

Also, expressing the vows publicly strengthens the resolve of the consecrated person to avoid violating the vows not only through the fear of God but also through respect for people (Cf. Ibid). In Nigeria, the profession of vows whether temporary or perpetual often takes place in a colourful and elaborate ceremony. It is a tremendous sight, full of power and beauty. It provides a stellar opportunity for the family members of the professed to express their joy and support; the family members also gain some insight into the nature of consecrated life.


A Stupendous and Gratuitous Gift

The sacred vows are first all a gift of God. The evangelical counsels constitute a stupendous, unmerited, undeserved and gratuitous gift. “The evangelical counsels are above all a gift of the Holy Trinity. The consecrated life proclaims what the Father, through the Son and in the the Spirit, brings about by his love, his goodness and his beauty” (Vita Consecrata, n. 20). Nobody can take the honour on himself. The consecrated person is fully aware that he is undeserving of this gift, that there is nothing he/she could have done to merit his/her vocation and the gift of evangelical counsels.

The consecrated person is awed and humbled by the awareness of God’s generous and irrevocable gift; and is forever grateful to God for such supernatural gift of his/her vocation. Inasmuch as one’s vocation is gratuitous and unmerited, the pronunciation of the vows is an expression of gratitude to God – a song of praise. It is an outburst of awe, wonder and mystery. The consecrated person observes his/her vows with an attitude of gratitude.


A Response to God’s Unique Call

The vows are first of all a response to God’s calling. You did not choose me, I chose you: and I commissioned you to go out and to bear fruit (Jn 15:16). The initiative is from God: “it is an initiative coming wholly from the father (Cf. Jn 15:16), who asks those whom he has chosen to respond with complete and exclusive devotion” (Vita Consecrata, n. 17). The vows are free and radical responses to God’s call to follow in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus Christ as enunciated in the Gospels. The religious is both responsive and responsible.

The response demanded from the consecrated person is voluntary, spontaneous, unreserved, and generous. He responds with his whole life for all his life. He generously responds to this call in his own historical context according to promptings of the Holy Spirit and the specific needs of the Church. The different content and context of one’s vocation admits of some divergence and convergence. That is why there is a great variety of responses in the Church namely: monastic life, mendicants, societies of apostolic life and the secular institutes. The multiplicity of different forms of consecrated life is considered as both a gift and activity of the Holy Spirit.

The Vows of Consecrated Life (Part1)

A vow is simply a promise to God.  The religious vows are sacred promises made to God, in the Church by which one is incorporated into a canonically approved institute. According to Canon law, “by religious profession members assume by public vow the observance of the three evangelical counsels,  are consecrated to God, and are incorporated into the institute with rights and duties defined by law” (CIC 654). The vows set consecrated persons apart from the people; they become ‘consecrated’ persons by the virtue of this total dedication.


Varieties of Vows

There are three major vows (also known as evangelical counsels) often professed by most consecrated men and women namely; poverty, chastity and obedience. The vows can be differentiated according to their duration. Thus, we have temporary and perpetual vows (sometimes called first and final vows respectively). Temporary vows are taken for certain period of time and they can be renewed a number of times before the perpetual vows. Perpetual vows are professed for one’s life time.

A vow can also be simple or solemn. A simple vow is a promise made to God concerning certain actions or inaction but not recognized as solemn as such by the church.  A vow can be public and still be simple. A solemn vow is any vow designated as such by the Church. Though most religious orders and congregations profess three vows, there are exceptions. Some congregations profess the fourth vow. For example, the Jesuits profess the fourth vow of obedience to the Pope, while Daughters of Charity profess the forth vow of service to persons who are poor.



The Purpose of Vows

The vows of consecrated life are essentially an expression of a unique, personal and intimate relationship with God. Vatican II suggests two fundamental reasons for professing the vows:  “first, in order to be set free from hindrances that could hold him back from loving God ardently and worshiping Him perfectly, and secondly in order to consecrate himself in a more thoroughgoing way to the service of God” (Lumen Gentium, n. 44).

By pronouncing the vows, the consecrated persons enter into a profound and exclusive relationship with the Trinity. This unique relationship between the Trinity and the consecrated persons is spousal in nature. The consecrated persons are totally and irrevocably united with God. God becomes their ALL. Ultimately, the goal of the vows is union with God. The profession of the vows is a pledge of total, unequivocal and unreserved dedication to God. The profession of vows is an act of self donation; the pledge of ultimate self giving.

An Irresistible Invitation

“Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt 11:28). In order to appreciate the full import and impart of this invitation, we have to consider very closely who is inviting us. Far more important than the invitation is the person who is inviting. In this context, the person who is inviting us is Jesus- the second Person of the Trinity. The Word in Whom and through Whom we are created. The Word who displayed his everlasting love by assuming our flesh, who ultimately died for us on the cross. Because the person who is inviting us is supremely divine, this invitation assumes a unique dimension and meaning.

“Come to me” is a beautiful invitation, so timely, so loving, so consoling, and so reassuring.  Just knowing who is inviting us even without knowing why we are invited- we are already full of hope; anticipating wonderful, stupendous things. This invitation is an expression of love, a manifestation of tenderness, an initiation of God’s boundless mercy, a clear sign that the Lord sees and feels what we are going through.  This tender appeal is a “divine penetration into man’s true condition…Jesus looks with clear-sighted compassion into the inmost history of all hearts, and sees the toil and the sorrow which weigh on every soul.” It is a pledge that the Lord will put an end not just to our sorrow but the cause of our sorrow.

Considering the fact that this gracious invitation is coming from our loving Savior and expressed with infinite compassion, it becomes almost irresistible. Who will be blind not to see who is extending the invitation? Who will be deaf not to hear such affectionate invitation full of tenderness? Who will be so slow in responding to this urgent invitation? Who does not desperately desire the rest that only the Lord can offer? It is a huge disservice to labour in vain and carry our burdens alone when the good Lord is graciously, almost impatiently waiting to assist and comfort us.

We will spend our whole lives responding to this loving invitation. Our response is absolutely consequential. We come to Jesus not with fear or trepidation. We come to Jesus with reverence and trust.  And He will give us rest, relief, and refreshment. The Lord’s promise can never fail. The Lord will always fulfill his promise. Only God can give us the rest we desperately desire.

St Patrick's Breastplate

I bind unto myself today the power of God to hold and lead, His eye to watch, His might to stay, His ear to hearken to my need: the wisdom of my God to teach, His hand to guide, His shield to ward; the Word of God to give me speech, His heavenly host to be my guard.

Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me,
Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort me and restore me, Christ beneath me,
Christ above me, Christ in the hearts of all that love me,
Christ in the mouth of friend and stranger.

I bind unto myself the Name, the strong Name of the Trinity, by invocation of the same, the Three in One, and One in Three, of Whom all nature hath creation; Eternal Father, Spirit, Word: praise to the Lord of my salvation, salvation is of Christ the Lord. Amen.


I bind myself to God's power to guide me, God's might to uphold me, God's wisdom to teach me, God's Eye to watch over me, God's Ear to hear me, God's way to lie before me, God's shield to shelter me, God's host to secure me...Against the snares of demons, against the seductions of vices, against the lusts of nature, against everyone who meditates injury to me, whether far or near, few or many.

Composed by St. Patrick