A calling to religious lifePeople entering religious life today have the same basic motivation as the hundreds of thousands of religious men and women who have lived this life throughout the history of the Church. Religious life has undergone great changes in recent decades but the call remains the same: to follow Christ as closely as possible and to do so according to the way of life of a particular religious order.

One of the first things that anyone discerning a vocation to religious life will become aware of is the great variety of forms of religious life. The main distinction is between monks and nuns who live in an enclosed convent or monastery and religious who work outside the cloister, for example in education, health-care or evangelization. A variety of giftsThere are hundreds of different religious orders or congregations, each of which contributes a particular gift to the life of the Church. Some are rooted in the great spiritual traditions, such as Carmelites or Benedictines; others are based upon a particular ministry, such as Dominican preaching or the Missionaries of Charity’s care for the poorest of the poor. The Second Vatican Council described how the Church presents different aspects of Christ through the variety of religious congregations: “Christ in contemplation on the mountain, in His proclamation of the kingdom of God to the multitudes, in His healing of the sick and maimed, in His work of converting sinners to a better life, in His solicitude for youth and His goodness to all people”.

Each religious congregation is a public witness to one particular way of following Christ. Some religious wear a distinctive clothing or habit which speaks of their dedication as a religious, others express their solidarity with those among whom they live and work by wearing ordinary clothes, often with a cross or distinctive symbol of their religious congregation.Community lifeReligious usually live in a community, where they support each other, in prayer, in ministry and in providing for the daily needs of each one. Within religious communities joys, sorrows and the challenges of life are shared. Just like life in a family, community life has its struggles, but in seeking to live charitably with one another, people of different ages, backgrounds and temperaments witness to Christian communion and to the fact that the love of Christ is stronger than anything which may divide them.

Religious VowsReligious make vows which help them to be free to follow Christ with an undivided heart. The three vows that most religious make are of life-long celibacy, poverty and obedience. These are also known as the ‘evangelical counsels’.

CelibacyJust as Jesus remained celibate, open to loving all whom he encountered, religious do not get married or have sexual or exclusive relationships. This helps them to be available to others and to grow in freedom of heart. It also witnesses to the all-sustaining love of God; Pope Benedict XVI describes how celibacy cannot mean “remaining empty in love, but rather must mean allowing oneself to be overcome by a passion for God.”

‘Come follow me’Matthew 4:19 Poverty

By their vow of poverty, religious promise to share their time, talents and resources, both within their community, and with those who are in need. Like the early Christians who “placed all things in common” (Acts 2:44), any money earned or gift given to a religious belongs to their religious community, which provides them with all that they need to live a simple and modest life-style.ObedienceThe Gospels frequently describe Jesus seeking solitude to be alone with his heavenly Father. In prayer he received knowledge of the Father’s will and the strength to follow it. By their vow of obedience religious imitate Jesus’ obedience to his Father, believing that God’s will is manifested through their religious superiors. This includes decisions about what ministry or service they will be entrusted with. However, religious obedience is not a one-way relationship of submission but one where each one is called to pray about decisions that need to be made and to share the fruit of this prayer with those who will make the final decisions. Religious obedience requires availability and detachment from purely personal desires.

‘There is a variety of gifts but always the same Spirit’

1 Cor 12:4Religious Vocations-Leaflet.indd 1 14/09/2012 16:01

A Vocation to Religious Life

CTS

Other vowsWhile all forms of religious life are marked by the public profession of vows which will include poverty, celibacy and obedience (which are named differently in some monastic congregations), some religious also take other vows. These include stability, to remain in the same monastery and vows which mark the particular charism of the religious congregation, such as the Jesuit vow to undertake any mission the Pope requests of them. Entering religious lifeIn most religious congregations ‘temporary’ vows will be taken at the end of the noviciate (a time of training in religious life). A religious can be in temporary vows for between three and nine years before final or solemn vows are made for life. The long process before life-long vows are made guarantees that both the person making this solemn commitment and the religious congregation receiving them have thoroughly discerned if it is truly God’s will.Discerning a call to religious lifeGod is continuing to call people to religious life. If you are unmarried, have no dependants, are free of serious debt and have sufficient physical and mental health to be able to enter into this way of life, the Church invites you to consider living out your discipleship of Christ in religious life. Very few people who enter religious life have a clear, undoubted sense of ‘call’ from God, most go through a process of discernment, which involves a prayerful consideration of how they can best express their love of God. Here are a few indicators that you may be being called to religious life:• You feel drawn to spend more time in prayer • You have a desire to dedicate your life entirely to Christ • You are inspired by religious you know or have read about • You feel drawn to the work of a particular religious congregation, for example as a missionary or in caring for those on the margins of society • Those whose spiritual advice you trust suggest that you might be suited to religious life.

‘Seek ye first the Kingdom of God’

Matthew 6:33

More information about vocations to religious life can be found at: •www.ukvocation.org •www.ukreligiouslife.org •www.compass-points.org.uk • How to Discover your Vocation by Fr Stephen Wang (CTS PA13)

Explanations•A religious is a person who has taken vows to live in a religious order or congregation•A religious order or religious congregation is a group of men or women who live according to a common rule in a structure approved by the Church

Praying for vocations to religious lifeSince the first centuries of Christianity religious men and women have played a vital role in the Church. Vocations to religious life are a gift of God, both for the individual called and for the whole Church. All members of the Church are called to support religious, including praying for an increase in vocations to religious life.

A wide range of inexpensive publications is available from CTS to help nurture your faith and keep you informed about a wide range of issues. If you would like to receive further information please contact us:

CTS, 40-46 Harleyford Road, London SE11 5AY Or visit www.cts-online.org.uk

Tel: 020 7640 0042 Fax: 020 7640 0046

All rights reserved. © 2012 The Incorporated Catholic Truth Society. Front cover image: Pentecost by El Greco, © Prado Museum, Spain/© Francis G.

Mayer/CORBIS. Icon of sitting Lord Jesus Christ © Dmitry Kalinovsky/Shutterstock.com. All other images courtesy of © Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk.

ISBN 978 1 86082 824 9 LF 69

Religious Vocations-Leaflet.indd 2 14/09/2012 16:01