Consecrated

[BarbTherese]

I have long been aware that the reason some lay people do not regard their Baptism with the seriousness and indeed total commitment  due to Baptism, is because they do not understand that Baptism is a consecrated state of life.  This is a failure of education to me and the general cultural inclination to define "consecrated life" in terms of Canon Law "Consecrated Life" only.  Certainly, if one is speaking in terms of Canon Law, then "consecrated life" has a particular definition and Baptism is not within the Canon Law definition.  However, Baptism remains a consecration and the consecration of the whole of life.

We are all called to the evangelical counsels, however not called as radically as in consecrated religious life -  nor are laity consecrated for life to live the evangelical counsels radically.  Be that as it may, those outside of consecrated life just might live the counsels as radically or even more radically than some within consecrated life.

 I was interested to read this:

http://www.sosj.org.au/news-events/view_article.cfm?id=2317&loadref=7

 

What Makes the Difference: Year of Consecrated Life

March 01, 2015

Pope Francis has called us to celebrate this year of Consecrated Life and to go to the heart of God’s call to each of us. He asks us to recall “the joy of the moment when Jesus looked at me”. Rejoice p. 18.

According to John Shea, “these moments trigger an awareness of a More, a Presence, an Encompassing, a Whole within which we come and go. This awareness does not wait for a polite introduction. It bursts unbidden upon our ordinary routine, demands total attention, and insists we dialogue. At these times we may scream or laugh or dance or cry or sing or fall silent. But whatever our response, it is raw prayer, the returning human impulse to the touch of God.” Response to such a defining moment often leads a person to follow Jesus in discipleship –to consecration of life.

Recent conversations with fellow Josephites and other friends have indicated an unease with the identification of Consecrated Life with religious and priests.

The journey of consecration began at Baptism for all the Baptised. Religious vows do not add to or replace our Baptismal commitment; but they do specify it. Religious life has an identity that makes it distinct from the vocation of others who wish to live the gospel call. It is an uncommon vocation but no more or less important than any other vocation to live as a committed disciple. I like Judith Merkl’s image “When we hear a new pianist play Bach, what makes them different from all those who have played Bach before? Each has a different touch!

In the Christian life vowed religious simply play their commitment and consecration with a different touch. Their call is to make the religious dimension of their life uniquely important and central -- so much so, that no other life commitment is possible for them. It is one valuable vocation in the church, and one that Pope Francis is inviting us to think more about throughout this year.

Sr Genevieve Ryan

http://campus.udayton.edu/mary/questions/faq/faq23.html

3. Consecration in Christ through baptism

Christ imparts to his disciples and followers a very special belonging to God.  He gives us his own life by making us participants in his own consecration.  This happens in baptism. Baptism is our first and most important consecration. Baptism is our objective consecration.  With Christ and through him we are destined and commissioned to the glory of God and the salvation of the world.  There is a radical meaning to this mission: through baptism we do not belong to ourselves anymore but to Christ who imparts his life to us.

4. A consequence of baptism

What we commonly regard as consecration--our subjective consecration through promises, renewal of baptismal promises, confirmation, and vows--is consecration by voluntary adherence to what baptism has made of us.  We promise to live as sons and daughters of God, and thus fulfill subjectively our objective consecration.  All consecrations which follow baptism are rooted in this primary act of our Christian vocation.

 

[BarbTherese]

Catholic Catechism http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p2s2c1a1.htm

An indelible spiritual mark . . .

1272 Incorporated into Christ by Baptism, the person baptized is configured to Christ. No sin can erase this mark, even if sin prevents Baptism from bearing the fruits of salvation.Baptism seals the Christian with the indelible spiritual mark (character) of his belonging to Christ.83 Given once for all, Baptism cannot be repeated.

1273 .Incorporated into the Church by Baptism, the faithful have received the sacramental character that them for Christian religious worshipconsecrates84 The baptismal seal enables and commits Christians to serve God by a vital participation in the holy liturgy of the Church and to exercise their baptismal priesthood by the witness of holy lives and practical charity.85

1274 The Holy Spirit has marked us with the seal of the Lord ("Dominicus character") "for the day of redemption."86 "Baptism indeed is the seal of eternal life."87 The faithful Christian who has "kept the seal" until the end, remaining faithful to the demands of his Baptism, will be able to depart this life "marked with the sign of faith,"88 with his baptismal faith, in expectation of the blessed vision of God - the consummation of faith - and in the hope of resurrection.

 

Hence while one can be dispensed from post baptismal consecration by various means, according to the nature of post baptismal consecration............one cannot ever be dispensed from the Baptismal consecration.