January 2015
The Year of Consecrated Life

The Church is celebrating the Year of Consecrated Life from the First Sunday of Advent 2014 until the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in 2016 (Feb. 2).

To discern a vocation properly, it's important to understand the options you have. You may already know that Religious Life is often called Consecrated Life, but there are other forms of Consecrated Life as well.

In order to better understand how this year can help your discernment, let’s look at the definition of Consecrated Life, and what the Holy Father is proposing to us.

What Is Consecrated Life?

Jesus offered his followers a radical way to follow him, which the Church calls the evangelical counsels: poverty, chastity, and obedience. All Christians are called to follow Christ in this way, even though the manner in which the counsels are lived will be different, depending on the individuals’particular circumstances.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), the Church defines Consecrated Life simply as “the state of life which is constituted by the profession of the evangelical counsels” (poverty, chastity, and obedience). Consecrated men and women publicly profess to live these counsels in order that they might more closely follow Christ, and be better able to transform the world through the perfection of charity. Though all of the faithful are called to do the same, consecrated men and women are called to live the counsels in a special, public way. (CCC 914-5)

In other words, God calls some men and women to live as profound signs of His transforming love to the world. They profess to live chastity, poverty, and obedience in a public way so that others will be drawn to this charity that their lives symbolize.

The Church currently recognizes four types of Consecrated Life (CCC 919-30): religious (brothers, sisters, monks, nuns); hermits; consecrated virgins (women who are attached to a diocese but are not part of an institute of consecrated life); and the secular institutes (those who live in the world and work to transform it from within). The hallmark of each type of consecrated life is the public profession of the evangelical counsels.

How To Celebrate the Year of Consecrated Life

In his letter opening the Year of Consecrated Life, Pope Francis explains that it is dedicated to the renewal of consecrated men and women and their communities. While this is obviously a great thing for those who are already consecrated members of the Church, how can (or should) this affect those who are discerning their vocations?

The Holy Father reiterates in his letter what the Church has continually taught regarding radical gospel living: “Radical evangelical living is not only for religious: it is demanded of everyone. But religious follow the Lord in a special way, in a prophetic way.”

So, the first (and most important) thing you can do is look to consecrated men and women and their communities as prime examples of living the Gospel in the radical way to which we are all called. Drawing close, if possible, to consecrated communities will help their example to "rub off" on you. Get to know their members, participate in their apostolates, celebrate the Liturgy with them, read the lives and writings of their holy founders or other members. This will help to get a better sense of who they are and what they do, and in turn will help inform a better discernment of whether God may be calling you to Consecrated Life, or more particularly, to which type and institition He may be calling you.

While it may not be possible to do some of these things in person, depending on your situation, with the help of social media and the internet, some connections can be forged which will facilitate drawing closer to consecrated men and women.

Secondly, it is good to study Consecrated Life in an intellectual and spiritual way. Probably the best way to do this on your own is to begin with reading Pope St. John Paul II's Vita Consecrata. A copy can be purchased at most Catholic book stores, or it can be found on the Vatican website. A good online resource for more information about Consecrated Life is religiouslife.com.

Regardless of which vocation to which God may be calling you, becoming more closely connected to consecrated men and women and studying Consecrated Life will only help you to have a greater understanding and love for the diversity of vocations in the Church.

Discerning Your Vocation During This Year

When Pope Francis announced that this year would be dedicated to the Consecrated Life, he asked us to, “Look to the past with gratitude… Live the present with passion… Embrace the future with hope.”

Consecrated men and women have done so much for the Church and her presence in the world. They have had tremendous and awe-inspiring impact on human history. We should be grateful for all they have done. We have a duty to pray for men and women living the Consecrated Vocation. May they be faithful witness to the life of heaven here on earth and may they have the same kind of impact upon our world as their predecessors. Finally we must continue to promote vocations to the Consecrated Life so that the future generations can also benefit from their sacred witness and example.

This year can be a time of special graces for the Church, especially for those who are discerning Consecrated Life. I encourage you to take this opportunity to be open to whatever the Holy Spirit is prompting you to do with your life for holiness and for the good of the Church!


Thank you for taking the time to consider your vocation. Be open with God, and He will bless you greatly!

If you would like to talk about your vocation, give me a call or send me an email.

Rev. J.D. Jaffe
Vocation Director
Catholic Diocese of Arlington
Office of Vocations
(703) 841-2514
vocations@arlingtondiocese.org
www.ArlingtonVocations.org





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