57 Inside the person, a mechanism of self-justifi cation is at work and the person begins to believe that basically everything can be reconciled for the sake of a socalled “higher good,” because it is the intention that is the arbiter of everything. In practice, this attitude results in accumulation—quite clearly seen in religious houses—of the goods of a purely materialistic nature for both communal and so-called personal use, which are in fact personal property. Can I give examples? Here are some: a computer must be new and state-of-the-art, and it’s personal of course, just like one’s underwear. It must come with uninterrupted and unlimited Internet access directly to one’s own room. It would also be best to have the latest-model cell phone; limitless use of a car, quality food of the so-called “healthy” variety; a suffi cient amount of pocket money (it would be best if there would be no need to give an accounting of this, because there is really no need to account for “ridiculously small sums”). Also, the Superior must be attuned to the Religious’ personal situations lest he appear “inhuman” (“one has the right to be tired” and “one doesn’t need to like the tasks assigned by the Superior”). I could’ve given more examples, but this is not the point. The essence of the matter is that a totally different priority, unlike the one of Christ and His cross is behind this attitude. In the face of this extreme and well-concealed consumerism, it is quite futile to talk about primacy of the spiritual life, because the spiritual life itself is understood in the categories of consumerism. The only way out, is it to point to Christ and His primacy in practicing the religious life according to St. Paul’s words from his Letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor 2:2): “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucifi ed.” Conclusion It is necessary, above all, to strongly emphasize that the contemporary Church’s appeal, calling consecrated persons to place the spiritual life on the fi rst plain, does not mean a quest for new instruments or means of spirituality (piety). The means are well known and have been used for centuries by various religious institutes. However, today they seem to have become forgotten or undervalued. As we’ve said earlier, these means are: the Word of God, prayer, contemplation, the Eucharist, asceticism or abnegation and work, striving for communion, as well as—something that has been being particularly reinforced by our rule—benefi tting from the sacrament of penance and spiritual guidance. Thus, the Church’s appeal is not so much to multiply or search for practices, but to live in accord with the character of the institute, in order to rediscover the sense of the religious life and one’s individual vocation, “to adhere ever more closely to Christ, the center of consecrated life and once again take up the path of
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