RELIGIOUS LIFE A GIFT AND RESPONSIBILITY

 

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Religious Life, A Gift And Responsibility

 

My dear sisters, Pope Francis would say about the religious that I cannot imagine of the church without the religious. When he declared the year of the consecrated, he said this. And then he acknowledged the contribution the tremendous contribution that the religious congregations, the religious, consecrated people have been doing to the church. And now today, we are going to reflect upon religious life is a gift and the responsibility. First, I would like to dwell upon

Religious life as a gift. Yes, it's an unmerited, free gift of God. Even Jesus, for him, the vocation that he received, is not because of him, because he received it from the Father. So even for Jesus, it was a gift, the vocation that he received to be the priest and the victim is again a gift from his father. And that's why we read in the letter to the Hebrews, chapter five, verses four to five. So beautifully St. Paul, the author of the letter to the Hebrews says, and one does not presume to take this honor, but takes it only way when called by God. Just as Aaron was, again in verse five we read. So also, Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him, you are my Son, today I have begotten you. So even in the case of Jesus, we know that Jesus accepted  it as a gift from the Father. That's why Jesus tells us we read in the Gospel of St. john chapter 15, verse 16, the first part, you did not choose me, but I chose you. You did not choose me, but I chose you. It's I who have chosen you, you are mine. So, it is Jesus who has called us it is Jesus who has chosen us. Again, we'll read in Mark's gospel, chapter three, verse 13. He called those whom he wanted, he called those whom he desired. So, he wants us and He calls us. So, it is a gift from the Lord. We read in the Bible, various vocation narratives. Everyone in the Bible is called by the Lord. It's not because of their merit. But it is purely out of the love that God had for them. So today, I and you are called, not because of any of our merits, not because of our talents, not because of our efficiencies, but just because he loves me. He wants me He desires me. So, we need to be convinced of being wanted by the Lord, we need to be convinced of being called by the Lord, we need to be convinced of receiving the gift from the Lord.  it’s nothing of my merits, purely his own free gift, because he loves me, he gives me.

Look at the life of Abraham. Abraham was called by God, Abraham never thought that, Abraham never knew about it. But Godchooses Abraham, because God wants him. So, he calls him, he gives him that gift to belong to God.

Again, in the case of Moses, normally speaking, that was the Edict of Pharaoh. At the time, when Moses was born, every male child of the Hebrews should be put to death. And the midwives were well instructed, but Moses remained alive. Then Moses is brought to the palace of Pharaoh, all this because God wanted Moses, all this because God is giving Moses the gift of life, the gift of vocation, the gift of being belonging to God. And then he shares that vocation, to do the work that God himself has to do.

Look at Saul, the first king of the Israelites, did Saul wanted to be a king, not at all. He was in fact searching for his lost donkeys. But God picks him up and anoints him a king. Again, none of the merits of Saul.

The case of David, a small boy, even his father didn't find him fit to be a king. That's why he kept him in the fields looking up to the sheaves. The other sons were kept in the house, when Samuel came to anoint one of his sons as a king. So, from the worldly point of view, David was not at all fit, not at all expected to be a king, but God wanted him. again it is a gift from God, that David receives. No one can say, I will become a priest. No. and No one can say I will become a religious, you cannot say that.

 Being in the formation, I have experienced this. There were so nice with all the qualities sincere, clever, efficient, talented, and so much we had expectations that he would make a very good priest. He will be a great asset to

the church, but they don't they didn't become priests. They decided to go back and choose their vocation to a family life. So, it is purely the gift of God.  

Again, we see. So since, we know that it is a gift of God, we should be grateful to that gift. The one who does not sufficiently thank God for the gift that he has received, he does not know what vocation is, he does not understand the greatness and the importance of vocation, he does not understand the greatness and importance of religious life.

So, two ways of responding to the vocation, the religious calling that we have received is

 One is to be grateful to it.

And one another one is to be faithful to it,

 To be grateful. We need to sufficiently thank God for this wonderful gift of vocation that we have received. Every moment we should be grateful to it. For me, it has become a habit, that every day, at the end of the day, when I go to bed, sitting on the bed, I used to look at myself and say, Oh, I am a priest and sing the priests? What guarantee do I have? I am

weak, vulnerable. I can lose it. Anything can happen in my life. But God keeps me in the gift that He has given me. Because he wants me, he desires me. So, every day when I before going to bed, I sit on my bed and turn to the Lord and say, Lord, I thank you, for still you're keeping me as a priest, we should be able to thank the Lord. Because it is such a wonderful gift for which I am not worthy . So religious calling, religious life is a gift from the Lord. It's an unmerited, free gift of God to each one of us. Also, I would like to see how it is a gift we can also see within our life.

The religious life can be explained through the need theory, which the psychologists use it the needed theory, they explained the human person, the whole life project of the human person, through a need theory, though we don't accept it.But we can explain this need the life of a religious through the NEED theory, they would say for example, a child is born. And then the moment the child is born to this earth from that moment, different needs are before the child. The whole life of that human person who is born or born to this earth is fulfilling need after needs, you've tried to fulfill one need, another need arises and you fulfill that another need arises

till you step into the grave, you have been fulfilling the needs of your life, the various needs of your life. That's how they explained the human life. And we can also take that a child as soon as it is born, the first need of the child is to breathe. And that's why is struggling to breathe, that becomes like a cry. And so,the child the moment the child starts breathing, everything is cleared, smoothly breathing, then the other need arises, that child wants milk hungry, then it drinks milk. So, when we in that development of the human person, we find the needs keep changing, and the person keeps fulfilling those needs. And then finally, when the child grows, becomes an adult, the different needs are coming.

Three basic needs come into every human person's life. That is

i.              the need for companionship,

ii.             The need to warn or possess things for life. Then

iii.             The need to make one's own decisions.

These are the big three basic needs of human life and the person's life is built on these three needs. So every human person experiencing these three basic needs and tries to fulfill that needs and his whole life is centered around those three needs. For example, 

A girl marriageable age, she feels the need for a companion in a life partner, the desire to marry, either she will find a boy or the home people would find a companion for her. Once that is done, that need is fulfilled, the second need of possessing some things, a house, a job, all the other things required for the life. And so, in this way, the second  need it will be fulfilled. Till the end of life different things are needed for life, and they will be fulfilling it, then they have to make decisions in life to make one's own decisions. So, in this way the life is being lived.

In our case, when we are in need of a companion, Jesus enters into our life, takes our name and request says Francis, would you like to become my life companion? Would you like to accept me as your life companion? And I say yes. And that's my call. That's my vocation. So, Jesus becomes my life companion. I and Jesus together, we start living. And that is the evangelical Council of chastity. Since I have Jesus as my life companion, I don't need anyone else. I don't need any other human person to become my life companion. Because I have the life companion Jesus Himself,

Then the second need, that need to possess things, Jesus is everything for me. And so, I don't have to depend on the things of this world. I need to depend on Jesus who is my life companion who is everything, who is the creator of the whole universe. So there comes an evangelical Council of poverty,

Then to make decisions in life. I know Jesus knows all that I need. Jesus knows much more about me than anyone. And so, I listened to him. He knows what is best for me. And so, I obey

Him. So, the evangelical Council of obedience, this is all the Life Project, the religious life, the religious calling, which is a gift that we have received. And why it is a gift again, it's a gift of Jesus in my life.Because in my life, I am in need of fulfilling, I am in need of fulfilling these three basic needs of my life. And Jesus steps into my life, gives himself as a gift for me. And then fulfills these three needs in a much wonderful, beautiful way hundred percent. A human companion will not be that faithful, a human companion will not be 100%, loving, but Jesus who is a gift for me, through vocation I have received; he becomes 100%, faithful partner with me. He is my true-life companion. That's why in my one life project, when I am in need of the three basic needs, Jesus offers himself as a gift to fulfill my need. And so, my vocation, to be a religious is a gift from Jesus. And that gift is Jesus Himself as my life companion.

And that how we have to look at the religious life. So, the religious life really is a tremendous gift. And this gift is a most beautiful thing which can never be compared to anything else, Jesus, the creator of the whole universe, the second person of the Trinity, and in Him the father is present, his spirit will receive such a wonderful gift through our religious calling we receive. And so, I must live that life with the Lord, a life of love relationship with him, a life of intimacy with him. That's the essence of my call to live for Jesus.

That's why the little flower would say, not even an atom of my love belongs to anyone else, except

Jesus. And she would also say, at last, I found my vocation at the heart of the church. That is, I will be loved. So, our call is a call to intimacy. The religious life is a call to intimacy. The religious life is a call to a life of love and a love with Jesus. When I love Jesus, as he loves me, that's the command that the Lord gave us. Love one another as I have loved you. When I love Jesus as He loves me the consequence of  loving Jesus as He loves me. I become chaste like Jesus, I become poor like Jesus, I become obedient like Jesus, and that how the evangelical councils become my lifestyle. So, it is a consequence of loving Jesus, as he loves me. So that is what that's why the religious calling is a beautiful gift for us.

Now, this gift the religious calling, the religious vocation, this gift as an eternal character, that also we should keep in our mind. It's an eternal character. The book of Jeremiah, chapter one, verse four, and five, the call of Jeremiah, what do we read there?

 

Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. And before you were born, I consecrated you, I appointed you, a prophet, to the nations, how beautiful it is. This

not just telling Jeremiah, today we should be able to hear this being addressed to us. Jesus telling me,before you were formed in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I consecrated you. I appointed you, as a religious to live and work in the church. That's what the Lord is telling us. Are we aware of it?

Today, we religious, live our life, but we don't realize the greatness of our religious life, the greatness of our vocation, the importance of our vocation, that we cannot sufficiently understand it. So, this religious calling is a gift. And so, we should sufficiently thank the Lord for this unmerited free gift that the Lord has given to each one of us. Now, this gift, has its responsibilities, the responsibilities attached to this religious calling. It's the life of total dedication, and service. And it is the life of the religious. However, it's so beautiful, so important, so great occasion. But it is not a bed of roses. Today, in the midst of difficulties and challenges, it seems to be losing ground. Today, in the midst of all the difficulties challenges, the life of the religious today, it seems to be that religious life is losing ground 

Pope Francis said that the contribution of the religious to the church and the world cannot be measured.

The during the year of consecrated life, Pope Francis gave a message for that year. And the message was so beautiful. In short, I can just tell you, first he said, religious, put Christ at the center of your life, let your life become Christocentric. Christ centered. That's the thing that he

asked all the consecrated religious, but unfortunately, somehow this was just ignored. After saying this, only Pope Francis said, religious wake up the world. That slogan was taken up. And everywhere it was focused in all the articles, in all the magazines, in all the seminars. Everywhere it was said, Pope is calling in the year of consecrated life to wake up the world, religious wake up the world, and how you wake up the world, by being. by being joyful, by being brave, by being people of communion by being people of communion. So, by being joyful, by being brave, by being people of men and women of communion, this was the message that Pope Francis gave for the year of consecrated life, but this is, this would have been possible only. The first thing what Pope Francis said, religious make your life Christocentric that's what the gift our life is a gift and the gift is Jesus. So that gift is to become center. It has to become Christocentric. This is what Pope Francis told. At the same time, we have the other side, while majority of the religious live a very committed holy lives, there are still some living scandalous lives, which affect the church. Scandalous life these days we hear of religious priests committing suicides, people, ordinary people cannot somehow understand that. religious priests who are supposed to instill hope in the life of the people, they are committing suicides.

 

There are scandals, scandalous lives, scandals, emotional immaturity,crossing the boundaries and violating the boundaries of sexuality, financial irregularities, conflicts in relationships, lack of collaboration and teamwork. So, this is what we find sometimes now in the life of the religious and this affects the church so much. So, our responsibility today comes from this. We need to live a life of intimacy with the Lord. I would also like to say this, all scandals, all these things come up because we have not understood the greatness and the importance of the religious life.

 

The greatest danger in religious life is and among the consecrated people is that we take things for granted, taking things for granted. Our religious life, we take it for granted. Vocation, take it for granted our consecrated life, we take it for granted. Another thing I would always say that we cannot this is another danger. We consider the religious especially the women religious they consider them  like any other ordinary women, they are not. They are consecrated people, they are set apart, just like a chalice which cannot be used to drink tea and coffee. It is set apart for the Holy Eucharist,  its set apart for to pour the blood of Jesus. It cannot be used for the other way. So similarly, a consecrated religious is not an ordinary human, the moment that she makes her profession, the moment she commits herself to Jesus for life, she is consecrated, she is set apart. And she is meant to only for Jesus, that Jesus whom she sees in every brother and sister, it is for that Jesus she is meant for. So that's why the set part. So, a consecrated religious should not be looked at as any other woman or a girl, anybody that's the greatest danger, also taking life the consecration for granted. So, we need to understand the greatness of it. And then we have the responsibilities. It is actually a life of complete sharing with Jesus. Every religious has a complete sharing of the life of Jesus. A religious life is a life of intimacy.

There are a few points I would like to present before you the first important sign of this intimacy is complete sharing. So, when you have received this gift, the gift of consecrated life, the responsibility follows of total sharing of yourself with Jesus. The first thing complete sharing, we read St. John's Gospel chapter 15, verse 15. I do not call us servants any longer, But I call you friends. A servant does not know what the master is doing. I call your friends because All that the Father has revealed to me, I reveal it to you. A total revelation, a total sharing a complete sharing of himself with us. You can imagine, Jesus says to us this, I call you friends, because all that the Father has revealed to me, I reveal to you. So that's the beauty of our call. So, total, sharing the first thing Ido I share everything of mine with the Lord. I get the good news, I get the bad news, who is the first person that I share with? Do I share with my life companion in Jesus, who has given himself as a gift to me? So that is the first sign of intimacy.

Second, choice of friendship. JOHN, Chapter 15, verse 16, the first part, you did not choose me, but I chose you. Jesus has chosen me as his first and best friend. Have I chosen now Jesus as my first and best friend? So, I have to choose, choice of friendship, that shows my intimacy. In my life situations, that's Jesus becomes my choice. Or sometimes I choose other things other person's, choose my name, my position, we have to today examine. This is my great responsibility of choosing Jesus. Every time in every situation, in every incident in everything, I must choose Jesus as my first and best friend. That's why the little flower could say, not even an atom of my love belongs to anyone else, except Jesus saw lifers to become that. So, he should be my first and best friend.

Thirdly, suffer for the friend. JOHN, Chapter 15, verse 13, we read, no one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends, lay down one's life for one's friends. So, Jesus says lay down his life for me,

who is his friend? Am I ready to lay down my life for my Jesus? Am I ready to make sacrifices in my life for my Jesus, who has laid down his life for me because he loves me? He is ready to suffer for me. Am I ready similarly, to suffer for Jesus? That's what the life of intimacy. So, the responsibility as a gift follows that I must do sacrifice for him because he loves me.

The fourth sign of intimacy, not for possessive friendship. John chapter 15, verse 16, the second part, you did not choose me, I chose you so that you may go and bear fruit, the fruit that endures, he has chosen me so that I may be fruitful, I may go and bear fruit, not for a possessive friendship, not to cling on to him, but to do the mission. So, the responsibility, the mission becomes my responsibility. The gift that I have received, that is Jesus. Now, because of that gift. The mission of Jesus becomes my responsibility. I have chosen you to go and bear fruit. Mary Magdalene, after having the apparition of the risen Lord, she wanted to cling on to him, but Jesus says don't cling to me. Go and tell my brothers do the mission. So that is what the intimacy with Jesus that's my responsibility. The mission, mission should become my life.

          Fifth the point, friends are of one mind and one heart. JOHN, Chapter 14, verse 21. I read those who have my commandments, and keep them or those who love me, and those who love me, will be loved by My Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them. See the beauty of it, the love relationship. So,friends are of one mind and one heart as friends of Jesus, as we have received the gift of Jesus as He has become My life companion and as I have become a consecrated religious for Jesus, I must have the mind and heart of Jesus.

six to one concern about the friend. Again, we read St. John's Gospel chapter 14, verses 15 to 17. If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, He will give you another advocate to be with you forever. So, he is so concerned that he is leaving. So,he has asked the father to give me the spirit, another advocate, another helper. So, the concern that Jesus has for me, do I have the same concern for the Lord? Am I concerned about his glory? Am I concerned about his mission? Am I concerned about his mission? Am I concerned about his church? So, I must show that concern in my life.

Seventh, the sorrow for separation, again, John's Gospel chapter 16, verse 16, a little while, and you will know no longer see me. And again, a little while you will see me. So here Jesus is expressing his intimacy with these disciples, he is telling them, I am going to go away from you.

He's feeling that sadness, that separation. What separates us from Jesus? sins separates us from God. So we must have dread for sin, a consecrated religious should have fear of sin, dread for sin, because that's what separates us from Jesus, our life companion.

 

Eighth happiness in the intimate friendship, john 15, verse 11, we read, I have said these things to you, so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. He has revealed everything so that I may remain joyful, that your joy may be complete, how beautiful it is.So, there is joy in the friendship with Jesus, because he is the source of joy, who is within me.

And the last one ninth one, a friend wants to be always with the one he loves. That is john 14, verse 23.

 

JOHN 14, verse 23, Jesus answered him, those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make a home with them. That's the abiding presence, he always remains with us. And that's what Jesus for us is the intimacy the responsibilities, today we should look at ourselves and see what's our life. Looking at the crisis in the religious life, today, it looks to be the consecrated life loses its relevance. Why because we are losing our specific identity as a religious as a consecrated person, we are trying to become like the others. Yes, we should be one with them, but then our identity should be kept up. Today, the danger today facing the religious life, we cannot accept it as a gift, we are not aware of the responsibilities ,because the recruitment, today we are promoting vocations for what is it to live a life of intimacy with Jesus or as a labor force, rather than as a vocation. We need personnel to run the institutions. So, we search for vocations. We need to correct that today. We have to choose people who are gifted with that gift of Jesus, a life of intimacy, a life of consecration. We have to promote vocations, to live the life of Jesus, not to just train to run institutions, not to work not for a labor force.

Another danger is we have today become a tendency of sticking to our comfort zones. Do not want to take any risk, do not want to be out with the people facing the difficulties, troubles of life facing the challenges of life. We want always to be secure, safe and comfortable. That's what the religious are looking for. So basic identity comes from the work that we do the job that we do, the position that we hold, or our vocation to belong to Jesus This is what today you have to ask. There is a strong temptation today to relate one's identity to one's functions. As an educator, as a social worker, as a professor of philosophy, theology, etc. It's raw scripture, as a counselor, as a doctor, as a lawyer. That’s a great danger among us. Also, it is a temptation to relate one's identity to these things. These functions require specializations. But without being the person of moral and spiritual integrity. These are useless. The priority that's why Pope Francis was declared in the year of consecrated life, what did he say? religious be Christocentric put Christ at the center of your life at the center of your existence, we

need to have that once we have that then we will be able to use everything for His glory for his kingdom, for his mission.

Another responsibility in the present-day context is that we need to move from the mono culturality to a multicultural relationship, membership multicultural relationship.

We need to move out from our parochial and divisive tendencies.

The recognition of other cultures is required today, respect for cultural diversity and differences. The promotion of a healthy interaction between cultures,

also in the congregational collaborations,

collaborative mission with the church, the parish, the diocese, these are required, these are our responsibilities, then.

Pope Francis also calls us to move to the peripheries, not to be closed out in the center, not to be in the high compound walls with the securities. In Evangelic Gaudium Pope Francis says, I prefer a church which is bruised, wounded, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets. Rather than I want the church which is bruised, wounded, dirty, rather than a church which is unhealthy from being confirmed, and from clinging to its own security. I do not want a church concerned with being at the center. And then yes by being caught up in a web of obsessions and procedures. if something should rightly disturb us, and trouble our consciences, it is the fact that so many of our brothers and sisters are living without this support, without the strength without the light without the consolation and bond of friendship with Jesus without a community of faith to support them without meaning and goal in life. This is what Pope Francis is saying to us. So today, as we are reflecting about our religious life, which is a gift, and the responsibility is an unmerited, free gift of God, we need to be grateful to him thankful to him. And then we need to be faithful to that call that He has given us. So, the responsibility of being in intimacy with Jesus. So, let us try our best. Let's bring a transformation and pray to the Lord, that the Lord may really touch you. Let him give you a fresh anointing of the Spirit. So that baptized in the spirit soaked in the spirit, we may become Jesus to all the people. That's what is the essence of a religious calling. So, let us pray to the Lord for this grace. Thank you. God bless you.

 

Bishop Francis Kalist