“In every age there have been men and women who, obedient to the Father’s call and to the prompting of the Spirit, have chosen this special way of following Christ, in order to devote themselves to him with an undivided heart. Like the Apostles, they too have left everything behind in order to be with Christ and to put themselves, as he did, at the service of God and their brothers and sisters. In this way, through the many charisms of spiritual and apostolic life bestowed on them by the Holy Spirit, they have helped to make the mystery and mission of the Church shine forth, and in doing so have contributed to the renewal of society.”
~ Vita Consecrata
The Vows
“Our commitment to the evangelical counsels frees us to give ourselves totally for the Kingdom of God.”
~ Our Form of Life
Poverty
“St. Francis lived poverty in an undivided union with Jesus Christ, who emptied Himself and became man for us. St. Francis regarded everything as gift; therefore, he lived with joy and thankfulness a life of detachment and inner freedom.”
~ Our Form of Life
“Mother Maria Theresia also treasured a life of poverty as a total surrender to Divine Providence, according to her motto: ‘He leads, I follow.”
~ Our Form of Life
Obedience
“Through the vow of obedience we follow closely our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave His life to fulfill the will of the Father.”
~ Our Form of Life
Chastity
“For St. Francis, the gift of chastity was intimately related to poverty, which made him interiorly free and open to God and others. For us, as for St. Francis, a life of celibate chastity for the Kingdom of God is not primarily a renunciation but a gift that leads to inner freedom.”
~ Our Form of Life
“Our vow of consecrated chastity is a sign of the world to come and a source of fulfillment of the human heart.”
~ Our Form of Life