A reflection based on the homily on Consecrated Life delivered by Pope Francis on July 14, 2022, during the meeting granted to representatives of various monastic communities at the Vatican.
Monsignor Joji Vadakara, Vatican City
Mutual encounters
The Pope was the first to talk about the importance of mutual meetings and gatherings. Occasional encounters are good. Encounters between community members, especially those in positions of authority and other members, are useful for evaluation, growth, and encouragement.
But meeting each other is not always an easy task. During this period we have seen that it is not always easy to meet others, to look them in the eye, to exchange ideas with each other, to pray together, to participate in Holy Communion, often in our thoughts. Times like the Covid pandemic that make life difficult, even impossible to meet each other, remind us of this one thing.
Vine and branches
Speaking to the devotees, one example the Pope gave was from the Gospel of Saint John, chapter fifteen, verse five. Here is what Christ says; “I am the vine and you are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit. Without me you can do nothing” (Jn. 15, 5). All devotees live this experience. Only those who live together with Christ, with fellow devotees, can produce results close to the heart of Christ. Those who are distant from Christ and distant from their brothers may be able to act in their own way. But those are never the fruits of Christ. We can understand this only through a social perspective. There is strength in standing together. Authorities should understand and live by this. But along with that, they should motivate the members of the society to lead a harmonious life.
Community life and spiritual considerations
In community life, especially gatherings and get-togethers, should not be reduced to a time of exchange of ideas only. Meetings should be a time of spiritual reflection and evaluation of community life. Saints, with the help of the Holy Spirit, should reflect on whether they have lived responsibly the specific siddhis and intentions of their community. It is the Holy Spirit who should help us evaluate our community life. We must seek answers to questions such as in which direction our lives are heading, what needs to be improved, and where a change is needed. But decisions should not be made on the basis of practicality unless under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The real situation of social life should be considered before God, before the soul. Thus, when we pray together, think and make decisions, we can live a life like that of the early Christian church. This is the same style we see in the Acts of the Apostles. As with any consecrated community, the work under the Holy Spirit is fundamental.
Evangelization and consecrated life
In his homily, the Pope highlighted that the most important criterion for evaluating spiritual life is the level of evangelization that occurs through the respective communities. Different devotional communities have different specific siddhis. The founders of the church established various dedicated societies with specific missions in front of them. But the church communities that strive to live out the special siddhis of their community, an important thing that every devotee should think about is how evangelistic their lives are. Because the ultimate purpose of all siddhis is to evangelize.
The Pope makes this clear by referring to the words of Saint Paul. Paul writes that all accomplishments are for the building up of the church.
The church is not something that aims only at the growth of its numbers. The church exists to preach the gospel of Christ. In this sense, the specific siddhis of consecrated communities are diverse, but they must be held together for evangelization. Pope Francis reminds us that the joy of the Church is in evangelization, which Pope Saint Paul VI wrote in the article Evangelii Nunsanti. The vocation and joy of the church consists in evangelization.
Devotional Society and Spirituality
We need to learn what true evangelism is by looking at the lives of the church founders. We need to recognize how they have become creative, Spirit-inspired, Spirit-working evangelists, rather than merely traveling through ideas. They were praying and laboring evangelists. Evangelism is not a process of seduction and conversion. In true evangelism, a life of only deep ideas, without social and missionary work, has little place. In the same way, without a proper spirituality that transforms hearts, a lifestyle that puts forward only social and pastoral speeches and actions has little place in evangelization (Ex. Ap. Evangelii gaudium, 262).
The testimony of each of the saints and saints tells us that we must cultivate an inner space that gives a Christian meaning to our actions and vocations. The lives of the saints teach us that our actions will have no effect without a long period of worship, a prayer-based relationship with the Holy Word, and an honest conversation with the Lord. Such a life can easily wear us down and sap our zeal (ibid.). Every devotee and devotee needs to consider what place they give to prayer and divine worship in their lives.
Mutually accepting community life
The Pope reminded us that in addition to evangelization in society in a personal way as baptized persons, we also need to evangelize in the consecrated community of which we are members and through our fraternal life together. By accepting and honoring one another, we are declaring that we belong to Christ. Community life is a big challenge. But Christ says in the Gospel of Saint John that the world will know that all of you are Christ’s disciples (John 13:35).
Community life is not easy with a worldly mindset. Community life requires a daily conversion of heart, the ability to listen and communicate with others, attention to the hardness of our hearts, and great endurance. Above all, the Pope says in his sermon that humility and simplicity of heart are important for those who live a consecrated social life and should pray to God for that.. Through free brotherhood and evangelical cooperation, each one should be able to witness to other brothers and sisters. It is important to be able to create a harmony in the societies we live in, in our mutual actions and lives, as in a concert. More than personal fame, the collective life with society should be given importance.
Community life and happiness
It is important for every devotee to establish a close relationship with God in prayer and worship. A question every devotee and devotee must ask himself is whether he finds joy in his calling. Or should every devotee ask himself whether he is trying to move forward as best he can and find happiness elsewhere.
The Pope reminds us that a style of living as if fraternity, but at the same time harming others, does not belong to the consecrated. But brotherhood is not for acting, it is for living. Plastic smiles are not useful in social life. The Pope reminded that true joy can be found in each member, with their shortcomings and evils, in being Christ’s, and also in being one community. This joy in life comes from being forgiven by God and sharing that forgiveness with your brothers and sisters. Such joy is something that cannot be hidden and spreads to others. Every devotee who has true happiness within, unknowingly spreads that happiness to others. Each of the founding saints of the church drew others to Christ because of the joy they brought to others through their lifestyles and the Christian witness they gave. The Pope mentions that they should especially remember that they drew others to Christ through their lives. None of them wanted to be the center of society’s attention. Rather, they acted in front of Christ and attracted others to Christ. This is where we should show simplicity and humility of heart. Such a life is the life of true evangelism.
Evils and Saints
The Pope reminded that there is no place in social life for defamation that destroys the lives of others. It is an evil that destroys the joy of social life. If you have something to say to someone, you should be able to say it as directly as possible. If not, tell someone who can solve that one problem. There will be no growth in social life because one’s fault is never told to others. So many people’s lives are made difficult by unnecessary accusations and slander. Blasphemy is an evil that the Pope mentions many times. This evil, which destroys and destroys the lives of others, does not belong to any community, especially the dedicated ones. Slander is not a human virtue, it serves destruction. It is an evil that destroys not only the society but also the person who utters it. It can turn us into shallow personalities living superficial lives. They will be reduced to basing their lives on it alone. So learn to control your tongue.