2. Contents
History and it evolution
Spirituality of religious life
Religious spirituality today
3. 1. History and it evolution: Form
Desert father and mothers
Spirituality of religious life first of all took a form in the desert father and
mothers. They live far from the noise of the city and live in a solitude place.
They lives their lives in abstinence.
“Mana” is a food for them. The spiritual food.
The designation “Desert Fathers and Mothers” refers to sources of ascetic
literature from late antiquity that are associated with monasticism
principally in the deserts of Egypt, Palestine, Syria, and Arabia, the Ancient
World Prehistoric Eras to 600 C.E.
This way of life inspired and continues to inspire religious consecrated life
today.
5. Monasticism
The Greek word ‘monachos’ –Lonely-later became the standardised
description for all types of monk, including many destitute peasants
during the fourth century, when the monasteries proliferated in
Egypt.
Monasticism, which sought physical removal from the inhabited
world, quickly identified with the uninhabited desert as a refuge from
temptation and as a hostile environment in which to train the body
and the mind toward the single goal of serving God.
Model of monastic life
6. Early form of monastic life
1. A group of religious people that live
together in monastery.
2. Dedicated their life to prayer, to
ponder the law of God day and night.
3. Live a life abstinence
4. God as ultimate friend
7. Mendicant
• Mendicant (Latin: Mendicare) ‘begging’ to ask for
something.
• Some religious orders live their lives as a mendicants.
Everything that they obtain from begging are shared to in
common.
• The mendicant orders are the Franciscan friars,
Carmelites and Dominicans.
• Mendicant Friars are members of those religious orders
which, originally, by vow of poverty renounced all
ownership not only individually but also (and in this
differing from the monks) in common, relying for support
of their own work and on the charity of the faithful.
8. Apostolic institute
• In 1500-1800, many men and women flock to apostolic
institutes.
• The principle of stabilising the apostolic institutes was to
responsd to the apostolic mission of the church.
• The focus of this institutes was apostolic works. E.g. Care for
the sick and the poor, and education.
• Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556), established a group called: The
Company of Jesus or the Jesuits.
• Angela Merici (1474-1540) was the founder of Ursuline
institute.
• The focus of this group of women was to work/minister to the
sick, elderly people and give education for young teenagers
especially girls.
• A secular institute was also inspired by the work of Angela
Merici.
10. The Community ofApostles/Apostolic society
We are a “Society of Apostolic
Life,” priests and brothers
sharing a common mission of
service to the Church, living a
community life, sustained by a
spirituality of the Blood of Christ.
These are three pillars—mission,
community, and spirituality—
support our life and work
together. We live our life in the
service of God and his People
Missionary of the precious blood
Society of Apostolic life
11. • Religious life is the continuation of the “apostolic life”
described in the Acts of the Apostles, in which the
Jerusalem church “with one heart and soul… had all
thing in common”( Acts 4:32).
• The one heart soul is the essence; the ‘all things in
common’ is a sign that is an extension of the breaking of
the bread which Jesus shared with His apostles (Acts
2:46).
• The essence of apostolic life is adoration and charity.
12. 2. Spirituality of religious life
• Three characteristics: evangelical, ecclesial and the charism of
the founder.
• Spirituality of religious life is about living to bring about the
Kingdom of God in a special way.
• Following the footsteps of Jesus Christ in a radical way and
being fully dedicated to Him, like the apostles.
• Spirituality of religious life is also about to living a life in
accordance to the three evangelical counsels: chastity,
obedience and poverty.
13. • These three evangelical counsels are taken as vows in
religious life, as a response to the primary gift of God, a
gift of love, which cannot be rationalized. It is something
that God works in the person whom God has chosen.
(Vita Consecrata 13)
• As a response to the gift of God, the vows are a triple
expression of a “yes” to the one relationship of total
consecration. (LG 44;PC 5;Evangelica Testificatio/ET 7)
14. • John Paul II: Vita Consecrata (consecrated life)- The
foundation of religious spirituality or the consecrated life
as being profoundly reflective of Jesus' teaching and as a
model of Jesus.
• “It is a gift of God the Father to the Church through the
Holy Spirit.”
• By the profession of the evangelical counsels: chastity,
obedience and poverty, religious show by their lives
characteristic features of Jesus "visible" in the midst of the
world. Their lives direct the eyes of the faithful toward the
mystery of the Kingdom of God already at work in history,
even as it awaits its full realization in heaven.
15. • People who consecrate their life even if they don’t belong
to the church’s hierarchy, are an important part of the
church’s life and holiness.
• Religious life is not an office or a function, or particular
work in the church. It is a state of being, state of grace
that pertains to the order of life and holiness.
• Religious are servants of the church, but their specific role
is not to be teachers or nurses or administrators.
• Their proper contribution is to be holy members, holy
workers, witnesses to the one calling of all in Christ
Jesus.
• The vocation calls religious to work in the church, but
under the precise formality of manifesting holiness in the
work.
16. What are the vows?
oVows are a commitment made by religious people with the promise to
the service of God and the Church.
oGenerally, there are three vows in religious consecrated life.
o Chastity, Latin castus, meaning “morally pure,” and preserving your
chastity means you are keeping your body pure and free from sexual
relations.
oSome religious figures take a vow of chastity so they can focus their
thoughts on their faith.
oObedience, conformity to a monastic rule or the authority of a
religious superior, ultimately to God.
oPoverty, in religious life, to live simply life in accordance with the
Gospel. No private ownership. Everything owned together, sharing
everything in common.
17. 3. Today’s religious life
• The influence of the early forms of religious life have
inspired many ways of religious life today:
Congregation of Charity
Sacred Heart Missionaries
Sisters of Holy Spirit
Canosian Sisters
Redemptorist brothers
Passionist bothers
Sisters of Mercy and so on.
VowsChastity Obedience
3
Poverty
18. discussion
What do you think about religious life today in Australia
Or
Any thoughTS about this presentation?