Chapter I
Confessio Trinitatis
Chapter I: Confessio Trinitatis
The origins of the consecrated life in the mystery of
Christ and of the Trinity
I. In Praise of the Trinity
II. Between Easter and Fulfilment
III. In the Church and for the Church
IV. Guided by the Spirit of Holiness
Chapter I: Confessio Trinitatis: The origins of the
consecrated life in the mystery of Christ and of the Trinity
Icon of the Transfigured Christ (14-16)
I. In Praise of the Trinity
“A Patre ad Patrem”: God’s initiative 17
“Per Filium”: in the footsteps of the Son 18
“In Spiritu”: consecrated by the Holy Spirit 19
Evangelical counsels, gift of the Trinity 20
Reflection on Trinitarian Life 21
Consecrated like Chirst for the Kingdom of God 22
II. Between Easter and Fulfilment
From Tabor to Calvary 23
The Paschal dimension of the consecrated life 24
Witnesses to Christ in the world 25
Eschatological dimension of the consecrated life 26
Active expectation: commitment and watchfulness 27
The Virgen Mary, model of consecration and discipleship 28
III. In the Church and for the Church
The consecrated life in the mystery of the Church 29
New and special consecration 30
Relationships between the different states of Christian life 31
The special value of the consecrated life 32
Bearing witness to the Gospel of the Beatitudes 33
The living image of the Church as Bride 34
IV. Guided by the Spirit of Holiness
A “transfigured” life: the call to holiness 35
Faithfulness to the charism 36
Creative fidelity 37
Prayer and asceticism: spiritual combat 38
Fostering holiness 39
A renewed trust: “rise, and have no fear”. 40
The evangelical basis of
consecrated life is to be sought in
the special relationship which
Jesus, in his earthly life,
established with some of his
disciples. He called them not
only to welcome the Kingdom of
God into their own lives, but also
to put their lives at its service,
leaving everything behind and
closely imitating his own way of
life (VC. no.14).
The consecrated life is thus called constantly to deepen the
gift of the evangelical counsels with a love which grows ever
more genuine and strong in the Trinitarian dimension: love for
Christ, which leads to closeness with him; love for the Holy
Spirit, who opens our hearts to his inspiration; love for the
Father, the first origin and supreme goal of the consecrated
life. The consecrated life thus becomes a confession and a
sign of the Trinity, whose mystery is held up to the Church as
the model and source of every form of Christian life. Even
fraternal life, whereby consecrated persons strive to live in
Christ with "one heart and soul" (Acts 4:32), is put forward as
an eloquent witness to the Trinity (VC. No.21).
In the light of Jesus' consecration, we can see in the
initiative of the Father, the source of all holiness, the
ultimate origin of the consecrated life. Jesus is the One
whom "God anointed ... with the Holy Spirit and with
power" (Acts 10:38), the One "whom the Father
consecrated and sent into the world" (Jn 10:36). Accepting
his consecration by the Father, the Son in turn
consecrates himself to the Father for the sake of
humanity (cf. Jn 17:19). His life of virginity, obedience and
poverty expresses his complete filial acceptance of the
Father's plan (cf. Jn 10:30; 14:11). His perfect offering
confers an aspect of consecration upon all the events of
his earthly existence. (VC. no.22)
I. IN PRAISE OF THE TRINITY
This is the meaning of the call to the consecrated life: it is an
initiative coming wholly from the Father (cf. Jn 15:16), who asks
those whom he has chosen to respond with complete and
exclusive devotion. The experience of this gracious love of God is
so deep and so powerful that the person called senses the need
to respond by unconditionally dedicating his or her life to God,
consecrating to him all things present and future, and placing them
in his hands. (VC. no. 17).
The consecrated life truly constitutes a living memorial of Jesus'
way of living and acting as the Incarnate Word in relation to the
Father and in relation to the brethren. It is a living tradition of the
Saviour's life and message (VC. no. 22).
II. BETWEEN EASTER AND FULFILMENT
The disciples are invited to contemplate Jesus raised up on the
Cross, where, in his silence and solitude, "the Word come forth from
silence“ prophetically affirms the absolute transcendence of God
over all created things; in his own flesh he conquers our sin and
draws every man and every woman to himself, giving to all the new
life of the Resurrection (cf. Jn 12:32; 19:34, 37) (VC. no. 23).
"The consecrated life reflects the splendour of this love
because, by its fidelity to the mystery of the Cross, it confesses that
it believes and lives by the love of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In
this way it helps the Church to remain aware that the Cross is the
superabundance of God's love poured out upon this world, and that
it is the great sign of Christ's saving presence, especially in the midst
of difficulties and trials. (VC. No. 24).
III. IN THE CHURCH AND FOR THE CHURCH
A particular duty of the consecrated life is to remind the
baptized of the fundamental values of the Gospel, by bearing
"splendid and striking testimony that the world cannot be
transfigured and offered to God without the spirit of the
Beatitudes"(VC. no. 33).
In Mary the aspect of spousal receptivity is particularly
clear; it is under this aspect that the Church, through her perfect
virginal life, brings divine life to fruition within herself. The
consecrated life has always been seen primarily in terms of
Mary — Virgin and Bride. This virginal love is the source of a
particular fruitfulness which fosters the birth and growth of
divine life in people's hearts. (VC. no. 34).
IV. GUIDED BY THE SPIRIT
OF HOLINESS
All the sons and daughters of the Church, called by God to "listen to"
Christ, necessarily feel a deep need for conversion and holiness. But,
as the Synod emphasized, this need in the first place challenges the
consecrated life. In fact the vocation of consecrated persons to seek
first the Kingdom of God is first and foremost a call to complete
conversion, in self-renunciation, in order to live fully for the Lord, so
that God may be all in all. (VC. no. 35).
From the standpoint of the Christian life as a whole, the vocation to
the consecrated life is, despite its renunciations and trials, and
indeed because of them, a path "of light" over which the Redeemer
keeps constant watch: "Rise, and have no fear" (VC. no. 40).
ORIENTASI DARI
DIREKTORI DEVOSI
POPULER DAN LITURGI
2001
N. 204. The history of Marian
devotion contains many examples of
personal or collective acts of
"consecration or entrustment to the
Blessed Virgin Mary“ (oblatio,
servitus, traditio, commendatio,
dedicatio). They are reflected in the Seen in the light of Christ's
prayer manuals and statutes of words (cf. John 19, 25-27), the act of
many associations where the consecration is a conscious recognition of
formulas and prayers of the singular role of Mary in the Mystery of
consecration (surrender) , or its Christ and of the Church, of the universal
remembrance, are used. and exemplary importance of her witness
The Roman Pontiffs have frequently to the Gospel, of trust in her intercession,
expressed appriciation for the pious and of the efficacy of her patronage, of the
practice of "consecration to the
Blessed Virgin Mary" and the many maternal functions she has, since she
formulas publicly used by them are is a true mother in the order of grace to
well known. each and every one of her children.
It should be recalled, however, that the term "consecration" is used here in a broad and non-technical sense: the expression is use of
"consecrating children to Our Lady", by which is intended placing children under her protection and asking her maternal blessing for them". Some
suggest the use of the alternative terms "entrustment" or "gift". Liturgical theology and the consequent rigorous use of terminology would
suggest reserving the term consecration for those self-offerings which have God as their object, and which are characterized by totality and
perpetuity, which are guaranteed by the Church's intervention and have as their basis the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation.
Devotional Act
The faithful should be carefully instructed about the practice of consecration
to the Blessed Virgin Mary. While such can give the impression of being a
solemn and perpetual act, it is, in reality, only analogously a "consecration
to God". It springs from a free, personal, mature, decision taken in relation
to the operation of grace and not from a fleeting emotion. It should be
expressed in a correct liturgical manner: to the Father, through Christ in the
Holy Spirit, imploring the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to whom
we entrust ourselves completely, so as to keep our baptismal commitments
and live as her children. The act of consecration should take place outside of
the celebration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice, since it is a devotional act which
cannot be assimilated to the Liturgy. It should also be borne in mind that the
The Immaculate Heart of
Mary
• N. 174: Following the apparitions at Fatima in 1917, devotion to the
Immaculate Heart of Mary became very widespread. On the twenty-fifth
anniversary of the apparitions (1942) Pius XII consecrated the Church and
the human race to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and extended the
memorial to the entire Church.
• In popular piety devotions to the Immaculate Heart of Mary resemble
those of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, while bearing in mind the distance
between Jesus and his Mother: consecration of individuals and families, of
religious communities and nations; reparation for sins through prayer,
mortification and alms deeds; the practice of the First Five Saturdays.
• This pious practice should be seen as an opportunity to live intensely the
paschal Mystery celebrated in the Holy Eucharist, as inspired by the life of
the Blessed Virgin Mary.
