Celebrating Consecrated Life: Living the relationship

Sister Annette Wagner, IWBS is Director of the Office of Consecrated Life for the Diocese of Corpus Christi.

One of the most challenging and rewarding aspects of consecrated life is the essential element of community. Like the first disciples of Jesus, consecrated women and men often find themselves in relationships with others simply because they have been called together by the same loving God. They may even laughingly admit that they never would have met each other if it had not been for that common call.

They can also add a more serious note. Living in a community of individuals from a variety of backgrounds and experiences is enriching—both for the individual and for the life of the community as a whole. Each member brings with them family experiences, traditions and formation; previous work, relationship and life lessons; strengths and wounds—all shared to become the reality of that local community and of the total congregation. In and through community life, each member can be challenged and strengthened; can discover fullness of life and grow into a graced wholeness.

So what holds them together? How do they live community? By sharing in communion. Community, communion—two words intertwined in meaning and experience. Looking at the Latin origin of these two words sheds more light. Both come from the combination of two words: munus meaning “gift,” and cum meaning “together” or “among each other.” Further examination of these root meanings affirms that being in physical proximity is not enough. People in an elevator qualify for that description.

Community can be defined as a group of people who welcome and help develop the gifts of each individual member AND from whom the individual member can expect to receive gifts in return. Thus an uncertain member may be challenged to use talents that her sisters in community may recognize in her. A faltering member may be strengthened by his brothers’ faithful daily living of their common commitment.

Likewise—as Paul reminds the members of the Corinth community—gifts given to the individual are for the benefit of the community . No gift of the Spirit is given for exclusive benefit of the individual recipient.

Therefore real community living involves communion among its members. The word communion suggests a significant exchange of thoughts and feelings on a mental or spiritual level leading to a sense of fellowship with others who share attitudes, interests and goals.

These two terms are two sides of the same coin. True sharing involves a consistent openness to being affected by the exchange of spiritual treasures. With this openness to change comes openness to union with those involved in the sharing. Such receptivity can lead to growth for the individual and the community.

And what are the treasures to be shared? The gifts that bind community members together are the charism and spirituality of the congregation; the call to service expressed in the congregation’s stated mission; the congregation’s style of living the evangelical vows of poverty, celibate chastity and obedience; the congregation’s chosen patterns of prayer. All these experiences–authentically lived–both form and bind a community into a true communion.

When Jesus sent his disciples out on their first missionary expedition, he counseled them: what they had been freely given, they were freely to give to those in need (Mt 10:8). Those who authentically live communion as a religious community truly have much to share with those they encounter in their field of ministry. Since they carry that desire and ability for communion with them, they are often the spark that ignites, strengthens and supports an appropriate level of community among those with whom and to whom they minister.

Community endures—flourishes—as the observable fruit of the more intangible but very real communion. Such is one of the gifts that consecrated life offers to its members and the world—the gift of sharing that leads to unity.