Ad Honorem Immaculatae Conceptionis Mariae Oblatio

90 therefore to the very essence of the Christian vocation. But it belongs in a particular way to the essence of the vocation linked to the profes- sion of the evangelical counsels (10). To show the Passion dimension of religious consecration and the prac- tice of the evangelical counsels, the Pope uses powerful expressions as he writes about: sacrifice (RD 3, 8), total devotion (RD 3, 7, 8), dedication (RD 7, 8), immersion into death (RD 7), emptying through death (RD 10), re- nunciation (RD 10), participation in the Cross (RD 8), putting to death (RD 14), etc. It should be clearly emphasized, however, that the terms which are mentioned are always accompanied by references to the mystery of the Res- urrection. The Pope speaks of: entering a new life (RD 7), liberation from the slavery of sin (RD 7), a life for God (RD 7), the beginning of a new crea- tion (RD 8, 10), etc. Religious consecration and the practice of the evangel- ical counsels introduce us into the depth of the human person, to the roots of humanity, not only the mystery of Christ’s Passion, but the whole of His paschal mystery. The Exhortation Redemptionis donum is a powerful mes- sage, the good news about how “the economy of the Redemption transfers the power of the Paschal Mystery to the level of humanity, docile to Christ’s call to life in chastity, poverty and obedience, that is, to a life according to the evangelical counsels,” (RD 10). The Apostolic Exhortation “Vita consecrata” of Saint John Paul II The exhortation was published in 1996 as the fruit of the Ordinary General Session of the Synod of Bishops, dedicated to a reflection on “the Consecrated life and its mission in the Church and the world.” The doc- ument describes the rich diversity of communities of consecrated life in the Church, analyzes the circumstances in which they find themselves in the modern world, and outlines the paths and tasks facing them. Aside from this assessing and practical aspect, a large part of the exhortation is devoted to a deep theological reflection on the mystery of religious conse- cration. In Vita consecrata , we see an important shift in perspective com- pared to Redemptionis donum . In the document related to the Jubilee of the Redemption, the Pope chose this mystery as a point of reference, mainly recalling the letters of St. Paul, especially the hymn to the kenosis and the exaltation of Jesus in the second chapter of his Letter to the Philippians. This approach communicated a Christocentric character with strong Pas- sion and Paschal accents to the entire exhortation. Vita consecrata has an unmistakable Trinitarian perspective, with the transfiguration on Mount