Ad Honorem Immaculatae Conceptionis Mariae Oblatio

82 Michał Kozak MIC Sanctified in Christ Crucified (cf. 1 Cor 1:2). The Dimensions of Consecration Related to Christology and the Passion The past decades can certainly not be called a period which saw the stable and peaceful existence of religious communities. Rather, they were turbulent years, full of questions and problems, as well as deep reflections which brought a lot of light. Religious orders experienced crises, many of their members left the monasteries; there were shames and scandals. A state of bewilderment was palpable; difficulties arose in defining one’s identity and place in the dynamically changing human community, and even in the community of the Church. At the same time, new and diverse communities arose. Some of them drew on the old traditional forms of the religious life, others took the risk of looking for previously untrodden paths with varying degrees of success. As befits a loving mother, the Church re- sponded to this situation. First, by calling for a thorough renewal linked to a return to the roots, and then a deep reflection on the theology of the re- ligious life. This conference is an attempt to present the Christological and Passion dimensions of religious consecration in the teaching of the Church after the Second Vatican Council. Although my topic does not imply it, at the close, I shall add a brief reference to the written works and experiences of our Father Founder. Christological and Passion dimensions of consecration in the teachings of the Church Since the Second Vatican Council, the Church in her teachings has de- voted a great deal of attention to the consecrated life. Many documents of different rank have been published explaining the related issues, specify- ing the terminology and developing the theological understanding of this ecclesiastical reality. Their detailed analysis should begin from the sixth chapter of the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen gentium and