Dear Parishioners, it is worthwhile considering the attributes of a vowed life. They are:

·   A Vow is an Act of Religion: Vows are self-imposed and often belong to a popular practice of religion. Such a vow is an act of unconditional and total devotion to God; thus, a vow binds the person thus enhancing faith which is an attitude towards God.

·   A Generous Self-Offering: A total self-gift is possible only if we experience and cultivate that deep joy which comes from the Holy Spirit. A joyful heart is both a condition for and a consequence of a vowed life.

·   An Act of Worship and a Prayer: Since religious consecration is both a voluntary and a total self-offering to God (oblation), it is a special act of worship.

·   A Solemn Promise: A vow is a solemn promise underpinning a commitment to God or to another person. It is generally considered to be irrevocable.

The vows therefore are conglomerates of values, all of which relate to the human search for meaning.

·   Poverty is not about sacrificing material goods but about exercising stewardship over the goods of creation according to the equality and integrity of the Gospel. It has to do with accountability.

·   Chastity is not about abstinence from sexual thoughts and acts but about engaging with the daily struggles and challenges of authentic sexual and relational growth.

·   Obedience is not about submitting our will to a higher authority but about exploring and proffering ever new ways to engage responsibly, collaboratively, and creatively with the issues of power and powerlessness that we encounter in daily life. The engagement with values, and not the observance of laws, is what the vowed life entails in its primary and fundamental meaning.

Thus, the traditional vows locate this specification in the attitude and behavior of the religious in the areas of the four major dimensions of human life:

Personal     Social

·   Possession: Economics

·   Affectivity: Social life

·   Power:        Politics

The vows form a single framework of life. They constitute a way of life defined by the gift of one’s life to God in love. The vows serve as a framework not just for living but for loving. By vows we give our love a frame, a meaning and a future. As a framework of life, the vows make on-going demands. In this, they are a cohesive structure of life, which have an internal consistency. While we cannot predict the future, we vow that our decisions will follow a certain path.

In relation to the theological virtues, faith is so central in the exercise of obedience; love in chastity; hope in poverty and charity (exalted love which embraces faith and hope) in stability. 

Happy Sunday to you all!