Ad Honorem Immaculatae Conceptionis Mariae Oblatio

74 For the mission of the lay faithful, whose proper task is to ‘seek the Kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and by ordering them according to the plan of God’, the consecration of Baptism and Confirmation common to all members of the People of God is a sufficient foundation. In addition to this basic consecration, or- dained ministers receive the consecration of ordination in order to carry on the apostolic ministry in time. Consecrated persons, who embrace the evangelical counsels, receive a new and special consecration which, without being sacramental, commits them to making their own – in chastity, poverty and obedience – the way of life practiced personally by Jesus and proposed by him to his disciples. Although these different categories are a manifestation of the one mystery of Christ, the lay faithful have as their specific but not exclusive characteristic, activity in the world; the clergy, ministry; consecrated men and women, special conformity to Christ, chaste, poor and obedient (VC, 31). A distinguishing feature of the latest magisterial approach presented by St. John Paul II in the Post-Synodal Exhortation Vita Consecrata is the con- stant emphasis on the Trinitarian dimension of the vocation to the con- secrated life. Man is called at the initiative of the Father, so that, anointed with the Holy Spirit like the Son, he may consecrate himself, offer himself to the Father and, by the power of the Spirit, carry out the mission of sal- vation towards humanity (cf. VC, 22). Moreover, the consecration is placed by St. John Paul II in the classic post-conciliar theological key: mystery ( Confessio Trinitatis ) – communion ( Signum fraternitatis ) –mission ( Ser- vitium caritatis ). Terminological and linguistic issues One of the significant problems that emerged in the course of devel- oping the theology of religious consecration is the issue of terminology. 4 The Latin verb “consecrare” is sometimes translated in many languages as a reflexive verb, expressing the act of a person offering and sacrificing him- self, which indicates the sacrificial nature of consecration. The same active 4 See T. Paszkowska, Misterium konsekracji osób w perspektywie duchowości Soboru Watykańskiego II , Lublin 2005, pp. 49-67.