Ad Honorem Immaculatae Conceptionis Mariae Oblatio

94 profession of which is a constitutive element of religious consecration, are clearly Christocentric. Their practice certainly has a Passion character. It may be defined in various ways, ranging from radical phrases such as “emp- tying oneself ” or “participating in the death,” to less dramatic ones such as “total surrender,” “sacrifice,” “offering” etc., but it is always present. – The manner of approaching the Passion dimension of consecration flows from the basic viewpoint adopted in a specific document of the Church. If the starting point is the mystery of human redemption and the healing of human nature wounded by sin ( Redemptionis donum ), then its terminology would refer directly to the Passion and Death of Christ on the Cross. If contemplation and awe before the beauty of God are the initial premise ( Vita consecrata ), then the emphasis is shifted towards a total ded- ication to God, and the term oblatio may be more fitting than passio. The frequency of the appearance of some words is also noteworthy, e.g.: in Per- fectae caritatis the word “sin” appears only once, 16 times in Redemptionis donum , and only seven times in the four-times-longer Vita consecrata . – Religious consecration is focused on life, not on death and oblitera- tion. The teaching of the Church goes beyond the Passion dimension. The paschal context is always present in it, yet the profession of the evangelical counsels does not instill the passion and death in the foundations of the person, but the paschal mystery of the Risen Lord. – The Passion dimension is present in various aspects of the life and ministry of the religious. It is a consequence of practicing the evangelical counsels, leading the community life, and fulfilling a mission proper to the specific institute in the Church. This dimension is inscribed in the stages of life, in the difficulties, and in the adversities and crises that must be dealt with. However, it does not directly concern the mystery of consecration, but rather a broadly understood experience of the religious life. The Christological and Passion dimensions in the writings and life of Saint Stanislaus Papczyński On the one hand, by looking for elements of contemporary theology of consecration in the writings and life of Father Stanislaus, we run the risk of being rightly accused of being ahistorical. On the other hand, deepening a reflection on the religious life does not alter the mystery of consecration itself. Three hundred and fifty years ago, God chose people and called them to Himself the same way He does today. The renewal of the religious life is