Consecrated life study guide
Vocab
Breviary- a prayer book that contains the prayers for the liturgy of the hours
Eremitic- relating to the life of a hermit, characterized by self-denial and solitude
Ascetic- pertaining to spiritual discipline in which a person leads a strict life of simplicity
and self-denial
Lectio divina- a latin term meaning divine reading. It is a form of meditative prayer
focused on a scripture passage
Cenobitic- monastic life lived in a community rather than in solitude
Religious communities- a group of men or women religious who are joined by a common
charism
Mendicant- means to beg. Members of these orders rely solely on charity for support
Counter-reformation- a movement of internal reform within the church during the later
16th and earlier 17th centuries that was a response to the protestant reformation
Sacred bond- a binding commitment within the Church that is recognized by Canon Law.
Religious vows are an example of these
Moderators- the people in charge of secular institutes
Be able to distinguish between
Consecrated virgins- they are called to live out a vocation to spiritual motherhood
through prayer and apostolic work
Dedicated widows- widows, can be a man or a woman, who dedicate their life to the
church and dont get remarried
Hermits- baptized men and women who live alone in silence and solitude to focus on
God more
Societies of apostolic life- a form of consecrated life in which members unite around a
common apostolic purpose
Secular institutes- an organization for people who feel called to live the evangelical
counsels as completely as possible, while also living fully in the world
History of religious life
1. Consecrated virgins and hermits
o Before Christianity is legal
2. More consistency
o Rome falls because the Christians organize
o St Anthony and St. Pachomius
3. More organization
o Rule of St. Benedict- 529 AD
o Beginning of monastic communities
4. Mendicant Orders (1500s-1600s)
o Still live in community, but more service focused
5. Jesuits
o Counter-reformation- defending Catholocism
o Catholic education
Active orders
o 16th-17th century
o Non monastic/non cloistered
Hermit Saints
St Paul
o Fled into desert at 15, lived to 112. Considered the earliest saint
Saint Anthony of Egypt
o Called the father of monks
o Was inspiration for various other hermits
Saint John Cassain
o Left an extensive body of writing called the Conferences, which contains advice
and guidance on the eremitic life
How a lay person can embrace spirituality of religious order- P 175
By joining a:
o Third Order- for laypeople. They usually meet regularly for fellowship and
mutual support, commit to daily prayer practices that reflect the spirituality of
their order
o Oblate- these people commit to observing the rule of the monastery as best as
possible in accord with their state of life and commit to receiving spiritual support
and guidance from the monastery
o Associate member- these people join the religious community for prayer and
celebrations and special occasions and they volunteer their time to support the
church
General Timeline
After lots of thinking, they enter a postulate, during which they live with the community
and figure out if they want to live there. A couple months-2 years
Received into the community and do a novitiate, which is focused on growth in prayer,
study, continued discernment, deepening knowledge of a communitys charism, and
spiritual preparation for the profession of vows
Take a temporary profession of vows and take on much more responsibility. These vows
can last as long as 9 years, and the churchs law states it must be at least 3 years in
temporary vows
3 societies of apostolic life
Oratorians of St. Phillip Neri
o Provides spiritual support and guidance to lay prayer groups
o Priests serve in local communities called oratories
o Each oratory is free to choose his own primary apostolates w/ permission of local
bishop
Daughters of Charity
o Dedicated to works of charity at the service of the poor
Society of Saint Sulpice
o A society of diocesan priests dedicated to priestly formation in seminaries
Paulist fathers
o Known for their outreach to fallen-away Catholics and young adults seeking to
deepen their faith
There are 3 more
