Ad Honorem Immaculatae Conceptionis Mariae Oblatio

170 the way of life which Jesus himself chose and indicated as an absolute es- chatological value” 3 This is the very nature of the consecrated life!!! The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium of the Sec- ond Vatican Council reads: “...the disciples must always offer an imitation of and a testimony to the charity and humility of Christ (42).” 4 This way of life raised by Christ Himself and based on the profession of the evangelical counsels, inviolably belongs to the deepest essence of the Church: her life and holiness. If it were missing, the Church would be crippled! In this way, Christ Himself makes sure that the Church faithfully lives according to the Gospel, that she never lacks people who imitate His evan- gelical way of life in the closest manner, and that the Church’s chastity, poverty, and obedience are made constantly “visible” in the midst of the world (VC 1). It is the path of a particular imitation of and devotion to Jesus with an undivided heart (VC 1). This is the internal dynamic of a vocation to the consecrated life (VC 15). Its loss leads to the loss of the identity of the consecrated persons. Therefore, as the Council reminds us, “Since the ul- timate norm of the religious life is the following of Christ set forth in the Gospels, let this be held by all institutes as the highest rule.” 5 It means to surrender one’s entire existence to Christ. This is possible only if a special bond and internal communion exists between the consecrated person and Christ (VC 9 and 16). This bond is something absolutely specific in the religious life: it does not chase after distinctiveness, “originality” that would attract attention or cause sensation. It has the same features that characterized Jesus Himself – ordinariness, simplicity, resignation from successes; it does not aspire to achieve something unusual, significant, to be noticed. In a different context – for he was discussing the formative process of candidates for the priesthood – Joseph Ratzinger thus speaks about this issue: “A priest must be a man who knows Jesus thoroughly, who has met Him and learned to love Him. Therefore, the priest must be, above all, a man of 3 St. John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation Vita Consecrata (March 25, 2996), No. 29. 4 Vatican II, Dogmatic Constitutin of the Church Lumen gentium (November 21, 1964), No. 42. 5 Vatican II, Decree on the Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life Perfectae Caritatis , October 28, 1965, No. 2a.