← [[appendix-m-f1b|Letter to the OCDS from Fr. Saverio Cannistrà OCD]] | [[formation-I-b-handbook|Table of Contents]] | [[appendix-o-f1b|The Promise and Vows in the Secular Order — Fr. Alzinir Debastiani, OCD]] → # Our First Duties as Carmelites We are living through a period in the Church, when many of the faithful laity gathered in the various lay movements and associations; seek to live the evangelical counsels in a more committed way through some form of consecration of life, whether in the making of promises or vows or by some other affiliation. Thus, the lay faithful, gathered around the Tertiary or secular Orders, live out the charism of a religious Institute, under its authority, cultivating perfection in charity and an apostolate in the world. What is certain is that the existing Constitutions of the Secular Order of the Discalced Carmel contain some reflections and directives with regard to the matter of promises and vows, so that it seemed opportune to go deeper into some aspects given the vocation of the laity. What is our understanding of the promises and vows taken by members of the Secular Order of the Discalced Carmel? What meaning do they have? I will try to respond to these questions after carrying out a brief historical résumé of the meaning of the act of commitment which was formerly done through the vows, which today are done through the promise. From a theological perspective, the promise is intended to be an aid to living by following Jesus, a process begun in Baptism. We will then have a short reflection on the theme of the promise taken by the secular Order, ending with a reflection on following Jesus in the spirit of the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty and obedience and those of the Beatitudes. With this résumé, I hope to help in understanding and situating the significance of the commitment, which the laity of our Order make, as its aim is to be a witness to the Gospel in the midst of the world according to the Carmelite-Teresian charism. I thank the following for the suggestions, corrections and textual revisions: Fray Luis David OCD, Fr. Pedro Zubieta OCD and Fr. Aloysius Deeney OCD. A special thanks to Myrna Torbay OCDS for her patient editing of the text in Spanish. I thank immensely Rosanna Haigh OCDS for the translation from Spanish into English and Fr. Aloysius Deeney OCD for the final revision of the text. 1\. From the vows to the promise We go back to the year 1452, when Pope Nicholas V, in the papal bull entitled Cum nulla fidelium of 7th October, canonically authorized John Soreth, General of the Order of Carmelites, to initiate the Second Order (nuns) and the Third Order (the laity) of Carmel, by which they could receive and give the habit to lay people called to live the spirituality of the Order, as already existed with 88 01.24 1-24-2024Appendix O the Franciscans, Dominicans and Augustinians. This document, together with the Papal Bull Dumb attenta by Sixtus IV (28th November 1476) made the structure of such groups more explicit. At that time, lay people made their commitment to the Order through vows, as foreseen in the ancient missals of the Order of Carmen, like the one edited in Venice in the year 1504, where there is a rite for the admission of vows of poverty, chastity and obedience and another dating from 1587, in which only the vows of chastity and obedience, were made for the admission of married people to be admitted.1 Later, Pope Clement VIII, with the papal bull Cum dudum of 23rd March 1594, extended privileges given to the Order of Carmelites of the Ancient Observance, for also allowing the organization of groups of seculars next to the monasteries of the Order of Discalced Carmelites. Nonetheless and despite the Constitutions of Alcalá in the year 1581, explicitly forbidding the acceptance of seculars, there are reports that recount that prior to the year 1600, Fr. Pedro de la Madre de Dios, superior of the monastery of Santa Maria della Scala in Rome, was admitting secular persons and that they were called “tertiarii ad instar”2; furthermore, this was happening in several countries in Europe. It is indeed certain that there have always and continuously been a presence of lay people, who, committed to the spirit of the evangelical counsels (through vows of chastity and obedience depending on their relationship to the superiors of the Order3), living out the spirituality of the Teresian Carmel, imitating the life of perfection of the religious in the world, carrying this out in diverse styles of life: whether in the family and work, adjacent to the monasteries, joined to the monasteries, as religious or associated in fraternities, oratories or brotherhoods. Although, let us remember that for many years evangelical perfection was reserved for religious and clerics, since some of the great theologians described it thus, as did certain documents of the Church’s Magisterium. In the XVII-XVIII centuries, various documents evolved which sought to unify and organize the life of these lay people, one of the most important of which was published in Marseille in the year 1708: The Rule, ceremonial and directory of the Sisters of the Third Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Teresa established in various cities in France, Italy, Spain and Germany. This document was in some respects the precursor of the Manual of 1921, which we will examine next. Order, Rome 26th June 1990. 1 Cf. Letter from the General OCD to the Congregation for Divine Worship seeking approbation for the Rite of the Secular 2 Cf. Isidoro a Sancto Ioseph, Historia generalis fratrum discalceatorum Ordinis B. Virginis Mariae de Monte Carmelo; congregationis S. Eliae. Tomo I. Romae, ex typhographia Philippi Mariae Mancini. 1668. p. 198 & ff. Available in, http://books.googleusercontent.com/books/ cf. V. Macca, Appunti per una storia, in, Anastasio del SS. Rosario, Partecipi dello stesso carisma; L’Ordine Secolare dei Carmelitani Scalzi. Firenze: Fiamma teresiana 1980. p. 71-83. 3 We can assume that this was an ancient custom in the Order, already present in the Missal of the Order published in Venice in the year 1504, in which a rite by which to receive people into the Order with simple vows of chastity, poverty and obedience was foreseen. Another reference appeared in the Missal published in Rome in the year 1587, where there is a rite for the reception of members with vows of chastity and obedience, making it possible to admit married persons to the Third Order. This custom would remain in later editions and would be the norm and custom to the present day for taking vows. 89 1.1. The Manual of 1921 This was the first official document of the Third Order of Discalced Carmelites, approved by Benedict XV on 6th March, 19214, entitled Rule of the Secular Third Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel and the Holy Mother Teresa of Jesus. It is structured in two parts: IOf the nature of the Third Order and the duties of Tertiaries; IIOf the organization of the Third Order, comprising 162 articles in total. Although, most certainly its content is very valuable, we will only pause to look at that which refers to the vows as the original expression of the present promise. Let us take into account that at that time and according to the Code of Canon Law of 1917, the Third Orders were “instituted to promote the perfection of Christian life among members in the midst of the world” (cc. 685; 700; 712§1).5 The Rule speaks of vows of obedience (Chap. VIII) and of chastity (Chap. IX). The vow of obedience is taken to the superiors of the Order in which the Rule has been established. The vow of chastity implies an obligation to live chastely according to the state in which one finds oneself, when one makes the promise, but it does not prevent the person from changing their state in life. These vows always follow a year of “novitiate” and are renewed devotionally during the Feast of the Holy Cross (14th September) and at Epiphany.6 It is interesting to consider No 31 of the Rule with regard to the vows, which denotes a difference from the vows taken by the religious: “The vows of obedience and chastity, according to the Rule of the Third Order, have not the same binding force as Religious vows and expire upon leaving the Order; they are intended to bring the Tertiary to a perfect observance of the holy Law of God and of Our Holy Mother the Church, and while elevating to a higher degree the practice of Christian virtue and increasing its value and merit, they do but give a more sacred sanction to the duty incumbent on all the Faithful of humble submission to lawful authority and of preserving in whatever state of life purity of soul and body”. 4 The Rule is to be found in the Manuale del Terz’Ordine Secolare della Beata Vergine Maria del Monte Carmelo e della Santa Madre Teresa di Gesù (=Manual) Milano, Casa editrice S. Lega Eucaristica, 1921. From the Manual, the following are included 1-the letter from the General Superior, Fr Luca de María Santísima (13th April 1921); 2Decree of definitive approbation and confirmation of the Rule by Pope Benedict XV (Prot. N. 20581-19. C. 20) – dated 6th March 1921; 3La Regola del Terz’Ordine Secolare della Beata Vergine Maria del Monte Carmelo e della Santa Madre Teresa di Gesù; 4Rituale o Cerimoniale del Terz’Ordine Secolare della Beata Vergine Maria del Monte Carmelo e della Santa Madre Teresa di Gesù; 5Appendix: Sommario delle Indulgenze, dei Privilegi ed indulti del Terz’Ordine secolare della Beata Vergine Maria del Monte Carmelo e della Santa Madre Teresa di Gesù; 6Various formulations: through registration, decisions made by the Chapter, through records of the meeting and witness of the clothing and Profession. In another edition of the Manual made in Rome, 1943, following the Rule, there is an Appendice per gli Aspiranti al Terz’Ordine Carmelitano Teresiano: these consist of some directives for the election and formation of Aspirants to the Third Order, based on the Instrucciones of the Friars, nn 297-299; it was approved in the year 1927 by the Definitory General of the Order. 5 Cf. Juan José Echeberria, p. 29, Asunción de los Consejos evangélicos en las Asociaciones de fieles y movimientos eclesiales; investigación teológico-canónica. Gregorian University Press. Rome 1998. 6 Cf. Manuale del Terz’Ordine Secolare della Beata Vergine Maria del Monte Carmelo e della Santa madre Teresa de Gesù. Rome, Tip. Bracony, 1943, n. 29-30. The formula for profession in Nº 29 says: “Io N. N. faccio la mia professione, e prometto a Dio, alla Santissima Vergine del Monte Carmelo, alla nostra Santa madre Teresa, ed ai Superiori dell’Ordine, obbedienza e castità, secondo la Regola del Terz’Ordine, la quale voglio osservare con la maggiore perfezione che mi sarà possible, fino alla morte”. 90 01.24 1-24-2024Appendix O Furthermore, in the Ritual or Ceremonial of the Third Order, published in the Manual, there is no separate rite for Vows from that of the promise as will be the case in the Ritual of 1990.7 1.2. The Rule of life (1979) The Rule of 1921 was in force until the year 1970, when it was developed ad experimentum the Rule of Life. This would be definitively approved by the Sacred Congregation for Religious and Secular Institutes on 10th May, 1979 (Prot. N.C 20-/79). It sought to bring the doctrine and contents up-to-date in order to understand the identity and mission of the laity in the Church, in accordance with the doctrine of Vatican Council II. At the same time it sought to adapt the charism of the Teresian Carmel to the state of the lay way of life, rather than as an imitation of religious life. The first change was in the name: from Third Order, it became the Secular Order of the Discalced Carmelites, more in keeping with ancient tradition and as suggested by many of the fraternities. Another important change was to do with the commitment of lay people in the Order, since in place of vows, they would make promises8 (art. 11-14), with a new form of temporal commitment lasting three years - and not for the rest of one’s life, as said in the formula for the vows of the previous Rule - at the end of which the secular could take them definitively. The vows appeared in art. 15-16, as an option for those who freely sought to take them, at least one year following the definitive promises. They carry the same content and interpretation as the promises, with the clarification that “vows increase the merit of the virtue of religion in the practice of chastity and obedience and represent a more complete offering of oneself and carry with it greater moral responsibility” (Art. 15). 1\.3. The Constitutions (2003) The next step in legislation for the Secular Order was the drawing up of the Constitutions in the years 2000-2003, as a consequence of the advance in thinking and recognition of the vocation of the laity within the Order, encouraged by ecclesial events at the time. The Synod of Bishops of October 1987 was on the vocation and mission of the lay faithful in the Church. In the following year, the apostolic exhortation Christifideles laici (ChL) sought to emphasise and summarise the teachings of Vatican Council II on the laity twenty years on. A few years later, the synod of 1994 took place on consecrated life. One of the themes of interest to us is the new light it shed in relation to the theme of working together with the laity in the mission of the religious. With the publication of the apostolic exhortation Vita Consecrata (VC), there is explicit mention of the laity who participate in the spirituality of religious institutions. The document states that: 44 speaks of the vows or other sacred bonds, which can be an oath, oblation, etc. 7 In another edition of the Manual in the Italian edition of 1963 and published by the General Secretary of the Third Order in Rome, in addition to the documents of the previous edition, there is also a Catechism of the Third Order, drawn up with 158 questions and answers. Questions 57-69 refer to the vows, which seek to explain the substance of the vows and give suggestions as to how to live them, avoiding sinning against them, etc. 8 We have no information about the process of change of the designation of vows to promises in the Rule of Life, 1979. LG 91 “As a result of new situations, many Institutes have come to the conclusion that their charism can be shared with the laity. The laity are therefore invited to share more intensely in the spirituality and mission of these Institutes. We may say that, in the light of certain historical experiences such as those of the Secular or Third Orders, a new chapter, rich in hope, has begun in the history of relations between consecrated persons and the laity. These new experiences of communion and cooperation should be encouraged for various reasons. They can in fact give rise to the spread of a fruitful spirituality beyond the confines of the Institute, which will then be in a position to ensure the continuity in the Church of the services typical of the Institute. Another positive consequence will be to facilitate more intense cooperation between consecrated persons and the laity in view of the Institute’s mission. Moved by the examples of holiness of the consecrated members, lay men and women will experience at first hand the spirit of the evangelical counsels, and will thus be encouraged to live and bear witness to the spirit of the Beatitudes, in order to transform the world according to God’s design” (cf. VC 54-55; cf. 98). These ecclesial events immediately stimulated the celebration of Secular Order international Congresses, the first in 1996 in Rome and then Mexico in 2000. As a consequence, it was considered necessary to revise and modernize the Rule of Life of 1979, taking into account the directives of the ecclesiastical Magisterium. The developmental work took place between 2000 and 2003, the year in which they were approved by the Congregation for the Institutions of Consecrated Life and Societies for Apostolic Life of the Holy See (16th June; Prot. N C 228-1/2003). In the present Constitutions of the OCDS, Chapter 2 deals with the promise, which is about the following of Jesus in the lay Carmel and vows in Chapter 7 in art. 39, which deals with “Organization and government” in the Secular Carmel. The promise is a commitment to the Order and the Community in the quest for perfection in charity according to the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty and obedience and the Beatitudes. Since the vows are made of one’s freewill and the time and circumstances in which to carry them out, the definitive promises are determined by the Provincial Statutes (cf. Const OCDS 58 e). At the same time, they require the agreement of the Council of the Community and the permission of the Provincial. Here there is a clear distinction in the form of commitment and the following of Christ begun in baptism is now highlighted and lived out according to the charism of the Teresian Carmel. With this brief examination of the documents of the Order, we have seen the form of commitment the laity has with the Order, which changes from vows to promise and from the promise to vows of chastity and obedience for those who freely seek it. Further on, we will deepen our understanding of the promise in the light of the documents of the Magisterium and the Constitutions of the OCDS. It is a theme which needs to be deepened and that which is presented here is a small contribution to the understanding of this theme, since there have not been many reflections on this. 2\. The promise and the vows: living the spirit of the evangelical counsels in lay life 92 01.24 1-24-2024Appendix O Central to the doctrine of Vatican Council II (1962-1965), with regard to the Church, is the understanding of the Church as mystery of communion of the whole people of God.9 All members from all states of life in the Church: lay people, religious and clerics/priests all form the People of God, they possess equal dignity, founded in Baptism and play a complementary role10 in the exercise of the mission of the Church.11 At the same time, all participate in a common vocation to sanctity, which consists in the perfection of charity, according to each person’s state in life.12 For each state of life, it is necessary to live out the evangelical counsels, according to the statement in the VC: “In fact, all those reborn in Christ are called to live out, with the strength which is the Spirit’s gift, the chastity appropriate to their state of life, obedience to God and to the Church, and a reasonable detachment from material possessions: for all are called to holiness, which consists in the perfection of love. But Baptism in itself does not include the call to celibacy or virginity, the renunciation of possessions or obedience to a superior, in the form proper to the evangelical counsels. The profession of the evangelical counsels thus presupposes a particular gift of God not given to everyone, as Jesus himself emphasizes with respect to voluntary celibacy (cf. Mt 19:10-12)” (VC 30). The specific mission of the laity in the Church, “The laity, by virtue of the secular character of their vocation, reflect the mystery of the Incarnate Word particularly insofar as he is the Alpha and the Omega of the world, the foundation and measure of the value of all created things” (VC 16b). The laity is to “… seek the kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and by ordering them according to the plan of God. They live in the world, that is, in each and in all of the secular professions and occupations. They live in the ordinary circumstances of family and social life, from which the very web of their existence is woven. They are called there by God that by exercising their proper function and led by the spirit of the Gospel they may work for the sanctification of the world from within as a leaven. In this way they may make Christ known to others, especially by the testimony of a life resplendent in faith, hope and charity. Therefore, since they are tightly bound up in all types of temporal affairs it is their special task to order and to throw light upon these affairs in such a way that they may come into being and then continually increase according to Christ to the praise of the Creator and the Redeemer” (LG 31; cf. ChL 14-15). In order to fulfill this mission, the Church recognizes the liberty of the baptized people to form and participate in associations of faithful, as a mutual aid in the development of a particular apostolate in the name of the Church. This is the case of the Third Orders or Seculars: they participate in the charism of a religious institution; their aim is to dedicate themselves to the apostolate and to seek Christian perfection under the direction of the same Institute, in accordance with its own Statutes.13 In the Order of the Discalced Carmelite Seculars (OCDS), the Constitutions determine the degree of commitment with the Order of the Discalced Carmelite, as expressed in n. 11: 9 Cf. ChL 18-19. 10 LG (Lumen Gentium) 17; 33; ChL 20; 55. 11 Cf. id. 23; VC 31. 12 LG Chap. V, especially 39.42 13 Cf. CDC can. 303; cf. L 29; VC 54-55. 93 “Following Jesus as members of the Secular Order is expressed by the promise to strive for evangelical perfection in the spirit of the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty and obedience and through the beatitudes. By means of this promise the member’s baptismal commitment is strengthened for the service of God’s plan in the world. This promise is a pledge to pursue personal holiness, which necessarily carries with it a commitment to serving the Church in faithfulness to the Teresian Carmelite charism. The promise is taken before the members of the community, representing the whole Church and in the presence of the Delegate of the Superior of the Order” (Constitutions OCDS 11). But, what does it mean to make a promise? This is what we will endeavor to deepen in the next section. 2\.1. A general outline of the promises In order to understand the theme of the promise which is made in the Secular Carmel, let us begin with that which is said in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) with regard to promises in general: “In many circumstances, the Christian is called to make promises to God. Baptism and Confirmation, Matrimony and Holy Orders always entail promises. Out of personal devotion, the Christian may also promise to God this action, that prayer, this almsgiving, that pilgrimage, and so forth” (CCC 2101). From the Bible, it is evident that “God has approved the pact and promise so that He himself is bound by it in such a way that, without even expecting fidelity from his ally, He will fulfill his promises even if his ally does not fulfill his” (Scharbert). God keeps his promises, because He is faithful to himself and through them seeks to create a new heart (Jer 31:33) with all those for whom his promise is destined, as in the case of Abraham in the Old Testament. The same applies to the new covenant, for the action of the Holy Spirit guarantees the realization of the promise, which needs to be embraced through the observance of the new law which is Jesus Christ (Gal 3:16,19); an observance or attachment which is a vivifying spirit which sets all free (cf. Gal 4, 5:1). In this sense, attachment to Jesus in his Spirit means attachment to God’s promise, to full liberty and to love. Thus, the promise, seen from either side, whether from God’s part which He promises or whether trusting in man’s part, the fidelity of both sides show the two poles of God’s justice, which seeks the salvation of mankind.14 From this dynamic perspective, the promise constitutes the deepening of one’s own liberty in the experience of love in the following of Christ, in the same way that a dynamic path opens up to the future and ventures forward in faith and hope. It implies the capacity for love, to be able to open oneself up in a responsible way, determinedly and realistically in pursuit of the evangelical values. At the same time, it requires an openness of oneself to others, available to that which could be useful or pleasing to the beneficiary of the promise (the Community, the Church, the Order): “To make a promise is one of the key terms in the language of love. To make a promise means to pledge all one’s strength and weakness, proclaiming oneself both certain of the future and sure 14 Cf.: Rom 1:17; 3:5.21-25; 10:3. 94 01.24 1-24-2024Appendix O of oneself. At the same time, it means arousing adherence of heart and generosity of faith in one’s companion”. Thus, fidelity is “the condition of reliability, a key condition in social relationships and also in the relationship between God and man. The promise demands openness and also seeks trust, hope and therefore love”.15 In summing up, the central value of the promise is the fidelity of God and his Covenant on the one hand and man’s conscience, liberty, deliberation, which in turn are conditions validating a promise on the other. This brings the person to loving openness to God and to others. 2\.2. The meaning of the promise in the Secular Order Bearing in mind the afore-going reflections, we will now seek out the meaning of the promise in the OCDS. In the same way, but not to the same degree as the promises made in the Sacraments, through which the Christian is consecrated, belongs to God definitively and receives the appropriate grace according to of the Sacrament in order to live and exercise the mission according to the Sacrament one receives, the promise which the Secular Carmelite makes to the Superior of the Order and to the Community, demands sincerity,16 fidelity and a firm resolve. The promise is made in a liturgical context (Eucharist, Liturgy of the Hours and Celebration of the Word). This signifies that the purpose of the liturgy is kept in mind: worship of God and the sanctification of the assembly (cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium 10). Personal will to the Community/Authority of the Order in the “following of Christ” and “to strive for evangelical perfection in the spirit of the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty and obedience and through the beatitudes” (Const. OCDS 11). Here, the moment is clothed with a similar character as that of the promises which are made during the celebration of the Sacraments, where the person who is responding to God’s call enkindled by charity. The promise is the evidence of the will to grow in the perfection of the love of Christ and of one’s brethren, which was already assumed in Baptism. It is also a humble recognition of the need of the presence and assistance of the Other-other, in order to live out the evangelical counsels and to live in following and with the progressive configuration in Christ in greater fidelity. The promise makes us face up to our weakness and limitations in fighting against the great temptations, which lie in wait for us: having - poverty, being able to - obedience, pleasure - chastity. Thus, the promise should be a source of liberation, liberating us from that which prevents us from reaching the fullness of being, the fullness of living in dignity, and the fullness of Love. Only thus, can we understand that the promise is a strengthening of the “baptismal commitment at the service of God’s plan in the world”, a “garment of personal sanctity” which should be carried to a “commitment to serving the Church in fidelity to the Teresian-Carmelite charism”. 15 To examine that which follows in greater detail see: L. Padovese, Promesa y juramento, in: http://www.mercaba.org/DicTM/TM_promesa_y_juramento.htm (accessed 5th December 2015). 16 The promise made as a verbal expression of the interior will of the person, implies living with the truth as the eighth commandment demands: “Truth or truthfulness is the virtue which consists in showing oneself true in deeds and truthful in words, and guarding against duplicity, dissimulation, and hypocrisy” (CCC 2505). 95 For this reason, if “the fidelity of the promise made to God is a manifestation of respect to the divine Majesty and out of love to the God who is faithful” (CCC 2101), equally, we could say that fidelity to the promise made in the Community is a manifestation of love and respect to the brothers and sisters of the same Community and Order. All this is expressed in the formula for the making of the promise: “I [], inspired by the Holy Spirit, in response to God’s call, sincerely promise to the Superiors of the Order of the Teresian Carmel and to you my brothers and sisters, to tend toward evangelical perfection in the spirit of the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty, obedience, and of the Beatitudes, according to the Constitutions of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites, for [3 years/rest of my life]. I confidently entrust this, my Promise, to the Virgin Mary, Mother and Queen of Carmel”.17 Thus the crucial aspect with regard to the promise taken in the Secular Carmel is the following of Christ and participation in the mission as a response to the first love, the living out of the spirit of the evangelical counsels and the Beatitudes as a result in the Community. The Community is thereby the test, aid and the place where these will be translated into a living and prayerful relationship with Christ, as well as concrete actions with one’s brothers and sisters, in family life and at work (cf. ChL 30). Consequently and in accordance with one’s individual state in life, situation and possibilities, each one “heightens and enriches the baptismal commitment” and married people will encourage “those called to married life, both as spouses and as parents” (Const. 12). It demands a constant renewal due to the appropriate dynamic of the following of Christ. As a consequence, the promise in the OCDS demands commitment and personal endeavor in order “to acquire the necessary training to know the reasons, the content and purpose of the evangelical lifestyle they are undertaking” (id.). Eternal life is the goal of the Christian life and is a dynamic journey, with a call to grow and mature unceasingly and to yield fruit in every stage of the person’s life. In order for this to happen, each one must take their responsibility and produce fruit in order not to be cut down and cast away like the sterile branch compared with the vine and its branches in the Gospel (cf. Jn 15:5-6; ChL 57). 2\.3. The vows The vows are a phenomenon present in all religions. According to Canon Law, public vows are characteristic of Consecrated and eremitical18 Life. The vow includes the promise, as it is defined in the Code of Canon Law, in can. 1191, which is quoted in n. 2102 of the CCC: “A vow is a deliberate and free promise made to God concerning a possible and better good which must be fulfilled by reason of the virtue of religion” (CIC can. 1191, § 1). “A vow is an act of devotion in which the Christian dedicates himself to God or promises him some good work. By fulfilling his vows he renders to God what has been promised and consecrated to Him. The Acts of the Apostles shows us St. Paul concerned to fulfill the vows he had made (cf. Acts 18:18; 21:23-24)” (CCC 2102). 17 Ritual OCDS 1990, 42 A. In the original: “…according to the Rule of Life…”. 18 The vows are public, when the evangelical counsels are accepted by the legitimate superior in the name of the Church (can. 1192, 1). Cf. CIC can. 207, §2; 573, §2; 587, §1; 603, §2; 607, §2; 654. 96 01.24 1-24-2024Appendix O The promise, as we saw previously, “is not made directly to God, but to a person or institution (Church, Institute). It is not an obligation due to religion but by virtue of fidelity and means an oblation of the person”.19 On the other hand, the vow is part of the virtue of religion and transforms the promise into an act of worship or religion and is understood as a giving of oneself, according to the theological virtue of charity.20 This brings us to “love God above all things for his own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God” (CCC 1822). Furthermore, justice toward God is called the virtue of religion. This consists in always having a firm and constant will to give one’s due to God (CCC 1807), whether in adoration (CCC 2096-97), prayer, (CCC 2018), sacrifice (CCC 2099-2100), the promises and vows (CCC 2101-2103). On this account, the vow, as an act of the virtue of religion, is a response to an interior call from God and is an act of reverence and worship to God, which entails the commitment of the whole life of the person, who undertakes it and implies fidelity to that which has been promised. Non-observance has the consequence of being a sin. Thus, the virtue of humility, together with a spirit of trusting prayer in the grace of God and the fraternal aid of the Community, are essential for a faithful response to this very call. For the vow to be legitimate, deliberation is necessary. This is one of those human acts, by which the exercise of freedom is united with the ability to know, reflect and to love; to undertake all that is implied by the vow. On this account, the CIC says that “all who possess suitable use of reason are capable of making a vow“(CIC can.1191§2). Deliberation also calls for freedom, that is the absence of coercion, whether internal or external, the imposition of another, even if it is out of reverential fear.21 At the same time, the vow is made in the quest for a possible and better good, one which it is possible to achieve and which the one who promises has the capacity to accomplish in the future and better than that which is lived out in the present. The Constitutions of the OCDS speak of vows in Chap. 7, which deals with organization and government in the Secular Order. It is the election of the legislator to give greater emphasis to the following of Christ made by means of the promise, since, according to the Council, public vows are typical of Consecrated Life. The text expresses it thus: “All of Christ’s faithful have the right to make vows.22 With the consent of the Council of the community and the permission of the Provincial, a member of the Secular Order may make vows of obedience and chastity in the presence of the community. These vows are strictly personal and do not create a separate category of membership. They suppose a greater commitment of fidelity to the evangelical life but do not transform those who make them into juridically recognized consecrated people as in Institutes of consecrated life. Those who make vows in the Secular Order continue to be lay persons in all juridical effects” (Constitutions OCDS 39). Fr. Pedro Zubieta makes the following comment about this point: 19 Juan José Echebarría, La asunción de los consejos…, id. p. 199. 20 Id., p. 113. 21 As for example a promise made to a significant person on one’s deathbed, pursuing or embarking on a career in which the person himself does not feel that he has of his own free will elected to do it. 22 Ritual, Instruction, 9; 30-49 97 “The Constitutions, taking up the tradition of the Secular Order of Carmel, foresaw the possibility that secular Carmelites who might wish to, should be able to take the vows of obedience and chastity. It concerns private vows which the text qualifies as being ‘strictly personal’ and which do not create, within the community, a different category of belonging to the same; although they are made in the presence of the community and with the previous agreement of the Council. The vows taken imply a ‘greater commitment to faithfulness in evangelical life’, but do not change those who have taken them into people recognized juridically in the same way as those in the Institutes of Consecrated Life. Those who take the vows in the Secular Order continue to be lay people juridically. In all other matters, the scope or substance of the vows of obedience and chastity is the same as in respect of the promise. The difference as we have explained, is in the quality of the bond”.23 The quality of the bond comes from the fact that the vow is now made to God. In the ambit of the virtue of religion, the vow commits the entire life of the person in an act of worship or religion, as an act of love, according to the theological virtue of charity, source of life, whether as a promise or as a vow. Thus, chastity as a vow is a call to live out the virtue of chastity according to one’s state as a bachelor, spouse or widow. Obedience means submitting one’s will to that of the Superior of the Order and of the Community Council in the capacity in which they represent the will of God, as that which is prescribed by the Constitutions of the OCDS. With regards poverty, if it is not part of the vow, one should nonetheless be vigilant, and one is called to live in sobriety and solidarity with regard to the use of material goods. Furthermore, it is good to be constantly reminded, that all dimensions of the Christian life are united in a living out of the evangelical counsels in the following of Christ. When all is said and done, vows in the Secular Order demand a mature decision, freely taken on the part of the person who feels called to make them and in consultation with a spiritual director and the Council of the Community. It should not be taken for vainglory. Prudence (cf. Prov 20, 25), discernment and a firm decision are above all necessary in order to compel oneself to live in a continual quest for a possible good, which is better than the contrary. The authority of the Community, for their part, seek respect for the person, look for discernment in the light of faith, together with a serious awareness of the ability of the person to live and give witness through the vows, questioning whether it will foster growth, whether there is a sound human basis, if the person is freely seeking, etc. 23 Pedro Zubieta, Orden seglar del Carmelo Teresiano, Regla Constituciones y comentario. Roma 2003. pp 94-95. 98 01.24 1-24-2024Appendix O 3\. Living the spirit of the evangelical counsels and the Beatitudes Understanding of the evangelical counsels and the Beatitudes is essential in the process of a mature and dynamic growth in the life of divine grace. They form the evangelical content of the promise in following Jesus. Before all else, the objective and significance of taking on the evangelical counsels24, with a promise, is based on the fact that it represents a free response to a call to an “intimate relationship between Christ, teacher and his disciple”. “Christian life becomes a loving response to the invitations made by Christ to human liberty, in the attitude of the disciple open to incarnate wisdom, in a dimension of joyful trust and surrender”. The vocation to following Jesus is personal a one. It is an “invitation, without distinction to put God above all things and to accomplish his will. It takes form in different spheres according to their personal mission and individual circumstances; to follow Jesus, whether in the fidelity of an indissoluble marriage or as a celibate person for the kingdom, or giving all to the poor, or offering half of one’s goods (Mk 10:21; 19:8), abandoning everything to be with him or staying in one’s own environment (Mt 19:27; Lk 8:38-39)”. The counsels do not tend to impose or to level, but to persuade, convince, test individually and to commit through a freely taken decision; since they wish “to make them win through by means of entry into the kingdom of God; they promise joy, bliss and eternal life. They are a call to perceive that they do not limit individual rights and definitely lead to freedom”.25 Thus, the profound anthropological significance is a guarantee that “the decision to follow the counsels, far from involving an impoverishment of truly human values, leads instead to their transformation. The evangelical counsels should not be considered as a denial of the values inherent in sexuality, in the legitimate desire to possess material goods or to make decisions for oneself. Insofar as these inclinations are based on nature, they are good in themselves” (VC 87). It is certain that in order to reach maturity in the Christian life, according to the counsels, it becomes necessary for there to be an “assimilation of the counsels of the Lord by means of humble listening, reflection, decision making and verification of experience”; all this “transforms the Christian into a wise man, spiritually mature and with the ability to help others with 24 Cf.: S. de Fiores, Consejos evangélicos in, http://www.mercaba.org/DicES/C/consejos_evangelicos.htm. Accessed 7th December 2015; cf.: Juan José Echeberria, Asunción de los Consejos evangélicos en las Asociaciones de fieles y movimientos eclesiales; investigación teológico-canónica. Gregorian University Press. Rome 1998, p. 74-75: “Lo esencial de la práctica de los consejos evangélicos es por lo tanto seguir a Cristo más de cerca, set partícipes del misterio pascual más cercano y más radical, en anticipación respecto a los otros para los cuales esto tendrá lugar al menos en la hora de la muerte”… “Para todos los bautizados, en conformidad con sus diversas condiciones de vida, se da una exigencia real de pobreza, pero no hasta la liberación de los bienes terrenos; de castidad no pero hasta la renuncia al matrimonio; de obediencia, pero no hasta el despojo de la propia voluntad respecto a aquellos que tienen el lugar de Dios… Por tanto los laicos están invitados a vivir los consejos evangélicos de un modo concreto aunque diferente de la vida consagrada, pero sin que esto signifique una vivencia irreal o accesoria de su compromiso. La radicalidad evangélica, que exige un amor total al Señor y la perfección de la caridad, se dirige a todos los cristianos y esta se lleva a cabo a través de las diversas vocaciones cristianas que se integran recíprocamente y juntas realizan la sequela Christi en la Iglesia universal”. 25 Juan J. Echebarría, Asunción… p. 75. Cf. Ghirlanda, Cit. en, Ib….p. 76-77. 99 advice”.26 On the other hand, the CCC reminds us that “the evangelical counsels are inseparable from the commandments” (CCC 2053). Thus, we will seek in first place to see the doctrine of the CCC with regard to each counsel in order subsequently to examine the content in the Constitutions. 3\.1. The spirit of the counsel of chastity Within the scope of the sixth Commandment (cf. CCC 2331 and ff) the CCC states the following with regard to chastity: “Chastity means the successful integration of sexuality within the person and thus the inner unity of man in his bodily and spiritual being. Sexuality, in which man’s belonging to the bodily and biological world is expressed, becomes personal and truly human when it is integrated into the relationship of one person to another, in the complete and lifelong mutual gift of a man and a woman. The virtue of chastity therefore involves the integrity of the person (2338-2345) and the integrality of the gift” (2346-2347) (CCC 2337). Every baptized person is called to live in chastity (CCC 2348) depending on their state in life whether in virginity or as a consecrated celibate and “others in the way which is determined by moral law, whether married or celibate” (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) declaration in Persona humana 11). “Married people are called to live conjugal chastity; others practice chastity in continence” (CCC 2349). This practice of chastity confronts us “with relation to the other” for one’s own benefit, that is, necessitating a reflection on that which the other person signifies and represents, the place which he occupies in the relationship, the implied respect, the purity of the intentions which bind me with the other and above all of not being “treated as an object” of the person, since the other is not a disposable object for consumption or for the indulgence of needs or insufficiency, but a subject of love, gratitude and gratuity. Only by being aware, can we understand offences against chastity (lust, masturbation, fornication, pornography, prostitution and violation), as well as the topic of homosexuality, dealt with in nn. 2351-2359 of the Catechism. Conjugal chastity appears in 2360-2391 of the Catechism for further examination. Here, we recall that in the context of marriage and “in the Christian view, chastity by no means signifies rejection of human sexuality or lack of esteem for it: rather it signifies spiritual energy capable of defending love from the perils of selfishness and aggressiveness, and able to advance it towards its full realization”.27 Chastity is the virtue which regulates the correct manner in which to live out sexuality as a man or woman, according to the precepts of Christian love. 26 S. de Fiores, art cit. 27 John Paul II, Familiaris Consortio 33. For his part, the moral theologian, B. Häring describes it as follows: “Christian charity: perfect dominion, exercised by divine charity over sex and eros, or over sexuality and psychosomatic eroticism, out of holy respect for redeemed creation and a resolute will in struggle and renunciation. Christian charity is founded in absolute love. The Apostle says this when he states that it is “fruit of the spirit” (Gal 5:22), of “the Spirit of divine love”, in, http://www.mercaba.org/Haring/II/261-336_matrimonio.htm. 100 01.24 1-24-2024Appendix O All these topics form part of general moral doctrine on chastity and are proposals in order to live out the promise which the Secular takes, according to the situation in which he finds himself: whether single, married or widowed. The Constitutions of the OCDS describe the content of the promise to live out the promise in following Christ in the spirit of the evangelical counsel of chastity: “The promise of chastity reinforces the commitment to love God above all else, and to love others with the love God has for them28 In this promise the Secular Carmelite seeks the freedom to love God and neighbor unselfishly29 giving witness to the divine intimacy promised by the beatitude “blessed are the pure of heart for they shall see God” (Mt 5:8). The promise of chastity is a commitment to Christian love in its personal and social dimensions in order to create authentic community in the world. By this promise the Secular Carmelite also expresses the conscious desire to respect each person as required by God’s law and one’s state of life, as a single person or married or widowed. This promise does not prevent a change in state of life” (n.13). We will now highlight a few essential elements in specifically living out the counsel of chastity.  Love of God and neighbor according to the beatitude of the pure in heart (Mt 5:8). According to the Bible30, the happiness of the pure in spirit is related to the main seat of our thoughts (cf. Mt 9:4; 24:28), understanding (cf. Mt 13:15), recognition of values (cf. Mt 6:21), aspirations and activities (cf. Mt 15:19), in our behavior in relation to others (cf. Mt 11:29; 18:35), and of our relationship with God (cf. Mt 15:8; 22:37). This means that the center of the intellect, will and emotion of the individual is the origin and point of reference and unity of the relationship with God and with others. In Mt. 5:8 it is stated that those are happy who maintain their heart in unison with God and his Word, free of tendencies and impulses contrary to the will of God (cf. Ez 20:13-16). According to Ps. 24, God is approached by “those who have clean hands and pure hearts”, united with the desire for the presence of God, a desire which will be sated in the eschatological vision (cf. Mt 5:8). For this reason, the one who has a “pure heart” has the capacity for fraternal love (cf. 1 Tm 1:5), since it is the source of charity (cf. 1 Pet 1:22).  Liberty and lack of self-interest in love In the New Testament31, freedom is understood in relation to “the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (Rom 8:21); there is freedom “where the Spirit of the Lord is” (2 Cor 3:17). The concept refers to “the freedom we have in Christ Jesus” (Gal 2:4; 5:1). When St. James speaks of the “law of freedom” (1:25 and 2:12), he is referring to the vital order in which man lives in accord with the will of God; it is about living in accordance with the Gospel or the person of Jesus: “the truth will make you free” (Jn 8:32), and this “truth” brings the person to live and to serve through love, following His example, moved by Him and not for egotistical reasons due to sin: “now that you have been freed (NB: emancipated) from sin” (Rom 6:18, 22). Taken in this sense, Christian 28 Cf. Ascent, III 23, 1. 29 Counsels, 1 and 6. 30 Cf. Beatitudini, from Dizionario di Mistica. http://www.clerus.org. accessed 17th December 2015. 31 J. Blunk, Libertad, in Diccionario teológico del Nuevo Testamento II (Salamanca: Sígueme 1990) p. 434-435. 101 love is by its nature gratuitous and seeks the good of the other because it is a mutual good, without ulterior motives.32 Gaudium et Spes (GS) speaks of the greatness freedom (Nº 17) and describes it as “only in this can man direct himself toward goodness”. This “is an exceptional sign of the divine image within man”; it forms part of the dignity of man, which “demands that he act according to a knowing and free choice that is personally motivated and prompted from within, not under blind internal impulse nor by mere external pressure”. It continues by saying that man will achieve this dignity when, freed entirely from being held captive to passions and by seeking the support of the grace of God, he inclines to this end with the free election of what is good and finds appropriate means through effective and skillful action.33  Respect for each person according to their state in life “Purity of mind and body helps develop true self-respect and at the same time makes one able to respect others, because one sees them as persons to reverence, as they are created in the image of God and through grace are children of God, re-created by Christ who “called you out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 P 2:9)”.34 It is about a sense of consideration and recognition of the intrinsic value of every person, accepting them and treating them with love and according to their capacity for understanding and intrinsic dignity. The golden rule in Mt 7:12 is the measure of respect: to treat others as one would like them to treat oneself (cf. CCC 1929-1933).  Commitment to creating a community The theme is developed in Chap. 3 B of the Constitutions on fraternal Communion. This is underpinned by the need to take into account the relationship dimension of the human being, who is by nature sociable (cf. GS 4, 25; Apostolicam actuositatem (AA, 18), created in the image and likeness of God Trinity. On account of this, personal salvation passes through solidarity with the other, recognized as another I.35 In the Teresian context, the community is an aid and support in the search for God, as is explained in N. 24 b of the Constitutions. 3\.2. The commitment of the promise to live out the spirit of the evangelical counsel of poverty Having a spirit of poverty means having the humility to follow the example of Jesus, who “though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor” (cf. 2 Cor 8:9), and who came to serve not to be served. But it is also meant to be a sign of hope for those who live in situations of oppression. Voluntary humility of the human spirit and renunciation are called “poverty of spirit” by the Word: the apostle gives us the example of the poverty of God, when he says: ‘for your sakes he became poor’ (2 Cor 8:9) (St. Gregory of Nyssa, beat, 1). 32 Cf. Benedicto XVI, Deus caritas est; esp. nn. 1; 6; 16-18; 33; 39; 33 The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church deals with freedom in nn. 199-200. 34 The Pontifical Council for the family, The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality, 17. 35 Cf. Compendium of the Social Doctrine… nn 31-37; 149-151. The statement in GS 12 is key: “For by his innermost nature man is a social being, and unless he relates himself to others he can neither live nor develop his potential”. Cf GS 25. 102 01.24 1-24-2024Appendix O The Catechism deals with poverty of the heart in the context of the tenth commandment, especially in nn. 2544-2547. The motivation is the example of Jesus, who exhorts them to “direct their affections rightly, lest they be hindered in their pursuit of perfect charity by the use of worldly things and by an adherence to riches” (Lk 14:33) for Him and for the Gospel (cf. Mk 8:35). A short while before his passion, He showed them the example of the poor widow in Jerusalem, who, despite her extreme poverty, gave all she had to live on (cf. Lk 21:4). “The precept of detachment from riches is obligatory in order to enter the Kingdom of heaven”. Thus, Lumen Gentium (LG) exhorts all Christians to “have a care that they guide aright their own deepest sentiments of soul. Let neither the use of the things of this world nor attachment to riches, which is against the spirit of evangelical poverty, hinder them in their quest for perfect love” (LG 42). Surrender to the providence of the Father frees us from concern for tomorrow (cf. Mt 6:25-34), and trust in God disposes the person to the beatitude of the poor: they shall see God (cf. CCC 2545-2546). The Constitutions of the OCDS take up the content of the promise of poverty thus: “By the promise of poverty the Secular Carmelite expresses the desire to live in accordance with the Gospel and its values. In evangelical poverty there is a wealth of generosity, self-denial, and interior liberty and a dependence on Him who “Though rich, yet for our sake, became poor” (2 Cor 8:9), and who “emptied Himself” (Ph 2:7), to be at the service of His brothers and sisters. The promise of poverty seeks an evangelical use of the goods of this world and of personal talents, as well as the exercise of personal responsibilities in society, in family, and work, confidently placing all in the hands of God. It also implies a commitment to the cause of justice so that the world itself responds to God’s plan. In combination with these, evangelical poverty recognizes personal limitations and surrenders them to God with confidence in His goodness and fidelity” (n. 14). Now, let us highlight some of the essential aspects of poverty.  Wealth of generosity and denial of self is to be found in evangelical poverty Poverty and generosity always presuppose availability (of self, time, things...). one need only look at the example and invitation of Jesus: “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it” (Mt 16:24-25) and “if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile” (Mt 5:40-41), then “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). From this viewpoint, “self-denial” is the sacrifice which one makes of one’s will, affections or one’s own interests in order to dispose oneself to the service of God or of one’s neighbor. This entails ascesis, a struggle against egoism, indifference and individualism.  Placing oneself at the service of one’s brothers and sisters The Christian dimension of service36 (Diakoneo) acquires its significance from the person of Jesus and his Gospel (Mk 10:45). It becomes the characteristic by which to designate the activity of love for one’s brother and neighbor (which proceeds from God), the realization of communion (koinonia) and solidarity. 36 K. Hess, Servicio, in Dic. Teológico del NT. Vol. IV, p. 214. 103 The service of Jesus to man and to his disciples was a demonstration of the love of God and of true humanity, a humanity beloved of God. “I am among you as one who serves” (Lk 22:27; cf. also Jn 13:1-15) and “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve” (Mt 20:28). The example of Jesus (Jn 13:15) brings with it an exhortation to the disciples: “the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves” (Lk 22:26; cf. Mt 20:26 par; 23:11). The gift which each one has received must be put at the service of the others (1 P 4:10). He who feeds the hungry, gives shelter to the homeless, clothes the naked, visits the sick or the prisoner (Mt 25:35 s) “serves” (v. 44) by doing so Jesus himself: “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me” (v. 40). The exhortation to serve is imperative, since it derives from the sacrifice of Jesus who came “...to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mt 20:28). In accordance with the meaning of this text, 1 Jn 3:16 puts forward the consequence, that we too should give up our lives for our brothers (cf. 1 Jn 3:16).  seek the evangelical use of the goods of this world and of personal talents The principle is that “all things on earth should be related to man as their center and crown” (GS 12), and in this sense the Secular should be aware of the universal destination of created goods, since, “in using them, therefore, man should regard the external things that he legitimately possesses not only as his own but also as common in the sense that they should be able to benefit not only him but also others. On the other hand, the right of having a share of earthly goods sufficient for oneself and one’s family belongs to everyone”.37 Personal talents are intended for the good of the Community (cf. 1 Cor 12).  The exercise of one’s responsibilities in society, the family and at work “The lay faithful’s duty to society primarily begins in marriage and in the family” (ChL 40), without forgetting mindful participation in politics, in order to encourage human and gospel values (cf. ChL 42; cf. CDSI 83-84). “In the context of the transformations taking place in the world of economy and work which are a cause of concern, the lay faithful have the responsibility of being in the forefront in working out a solution to the very serious problems of growing unemployment; to fight for the most opportune overcoming of numerous injustices that come from organizations of work which lack a proper goal; to make the workplace become a community of persons respected in their uniqueness and in their right to participation; to develop new solidarity among those that participate in a common work; to raise up new forms of entrepreneurship and to look again at systems of commerce, finance and exchange of technology”. To such an end the lay faithful must accomplish their work with professional competence, with human honesty, and with a Christian spirit, and especially as a way of their own sanctification, according to the explicit invitation of the Council: “By work an individual ordinarily provides for self and family, is joined in fellowship to others, and renders them service; and is enabled to exercise genuine charity and be a partner in the work of bringing divine creation to perfection. Moreover, we know that through work offered to God an individual is associated with the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, whose labor with his hands at Nazareth greatly ennobled the dignity of work (GS 67)” (ChL 43).  placing oneself with trust in the hands of God 37 GS 69; cf. Compendium of the Social doctrine of the Church (CDSI) 171-196; cf. Caritas in veritatem 9, 27 & 35. 104 01.24 1-24-2024Appendix O Jesus teaches us to base our very existence in God and in seeking his kingdom (Mt 6:33), not to fear persecution (Mt 10:28-31). He teaches us to found our very existence in God and the seeking of his kingdom (Mt 6:33), not to fear persecution (Mt 10:28-31), not to seek security in material goods which perish, since God cares for his creatures (Lk 12:22-34). The apex of this trust in providence is taught us in the Our Father. The whole of Jesus’ teaching is directed to revealing that man lives under the loving, providential gaze of the Father, who is close to him. Neither does evil escape divine providence, but is at the service of the plan of salvation. The certainty which guides Christian existence is that all happens for good with those who love God (Rom 8:28).  commitment in favor of justice in the world Justice, according to its classical definition “is the moral virtue that consists in the constant and firm will to give their due to God and neighbor” (CCC 1807)38. Pope Francis, in turn, warns and recalls that “spiritual conversion, the intensity of the love of God and neighbor, zeal for justice and peace, the Gospel meaning of the poor and of poverty, are required of everyone” (cf. Francis, EG 201). As a result, justice forms an important part of the growth of fundamental, human values in the mission of giving witness to the Gospel through them, as the Council already stated: “[the laity] should also hold in high esteem professional skill, family and civic spirit, and the virtues relating to social customs, namely, honesty, justice, sincerity, kindness, and courage, without which no true Christian life can exist” (AA 4).  exercise of hope which recognizes personal limitations and surrenders in confidence to the goodness and fidelity of God Hope has its roots in man’s very being, since he is a being open to the future, to infinity and eternity. In the domain of the Christian religious, the theological virtue of hope has its basis in the promise of God, whose lordship is revealed gradually until its definitive consummation in Christ’s death and resurrection (cf. Acts 13:32-33). In this sense, faith-hope are united, since faith reveals the path to an authentic life and hope makes us journey along it until we reach “the measure of the full stature of Christ” (Eph 4:13). At this point, it is necessary to make one’s life an act of absolute trust in God, who saves through the death and resurrection of Christ. To trust means to love the one whom we trust, but authentic love is translated into concrete works. Thus, faith-hope are united in bringing us to transform the world in the service of mankind, since authentic hope always generates life and transformation wherever it exists. Benedict XVI wrote a beautiful page about this: “Faith, hope and charity go together. Hope is practiced through the virtue of patience, which continues to do good even in the face of apparent failure, and through the virtue of humility, which accepts God’s mystery and trusts him even at times of darkness. Faith tells us that God has given his Son for our sakes and gives us the victorious certainty that it is really true: God is love! It thus transforms our impatience and our doubts into the sure hope that God holds the world in his hands and that, as the dramatic imagery of the end of the Book of Revelation points out, in spite of all darkness he ultimately triumphs in glory. Faith, which sees the love of God revealed in the pierced heart of Jesus on the Cross, gives rise to love. Love is the light – and in the end, the only light – that can always illuminate a world 38 On this topic, cf. CDSI 82; 167; 201-203; 292; 303; 306; 340; 366, etc. 105 grown dim and give us the courage needed to keep living and working. Love is possible, and we are able to practice it because we are created in the image of God. To experience love and in this way to cause the light of God to enter into the world - this is the invitation I would like to extend with the present Encyclical” (Deus caritas est 39). 3\.3. The commitment of the promise to live out the spirit of the evangelical counsel of obedience The Letter to the Hebrews tells us that Christ “learned obedience” (Heb 5:8). Thus, the model, par excellence, for all Christian obedience is the obedience of Jesus to the will of the Father, in each and every situation of his life, from the temptations to the cross, thus He also carries out the obedience by which He – a man among men – remains faithful to his own earthly existence and through it, to himself, giving in this particular way, proof of his obedience to the Father: “and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him” (Heb 5:7-9). Jesus himself invites us to do “the will of my Father in heaven” (Mt 7:21). The “Our Father” (Mt 6:10) and the prayer of Jesus in Gethsemane (26:42) speak of the will of the Father. At the end of the Sermon on the Mount we read: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only one who does the will of my Father in heaven” (Mt 7:21). The condition for admission is clearly formulated: obedience to the will of the Father. What does this mean? It is not enough to invoke the name of the Lord. “Christ” must be translated into life and to this end, words alone are not enough. The decisive gauge in this transformation is obedience to the will of the Father, manifested in the Sermon on the Mount. This indicates the alternative of the will of the Father to current praxis; it introduces a new and liberating path: one is not to return evil for evil, it is possible to turn the other cheek, it is possible to conquer evil with good (5:38-42); the enemy does not carry on being the enemy necessarily: it is possible to discover in him, the man over whom God makes the sun to rise (5:43-48). The will of God can be summarized in the commandment to love, for this is the focal point. Love is the lens through which the law is to be interpreted. The law and the prophets depend on it. Thus, Abraham’s examples of obedience in faith are important (CCC 2570) and that of the Virgin Mary (CCC 148-149). With regards to obedience in the ambit of the Church, the faithful “show themselves to be established in a respectful adhesion to the Superior, but at the same time try to transcend it in order to be bound immediately to the Father in the Spirit of Christ; each recognizes authority as a grace to lead to the plan of God and which he then carries out. At the same time, it leads to commitment and nurturing of life, which is thereby less alienated from God’s wishes. He has faith that the Lord is present in the hierarchy, but also knows that the face of God in Christ is ineffable. He trusts in obedience as a path to acquire Christian freedom, but at the same time, he has to commit himself to going beyond the person of the superior so as not to fall into servility”.39 “‘You 39 T. Goffi, Obediencia in http://www.mercaba.org/DicES/O/obediencia.htm. Accessed on 18th December 2015. 106 01.24 1-24-2024Appendix O shall worship the Lord your God’ (Mt 4:10). Adoring God, praying to him, offering him the worship that belongs to him, fulfilling the promises and vows made to him are acts of the virtue of religion which fall under obedience to the first commandment” (CC 2135). Let us look now at the text of the Constitutions which refer to obedience: “The promise of obedience is a pledge to live open to the will of God, “in whom we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28) imitating Christ who accepted the Father’s will and was “obedient unto death, death on a cross” (Phil 2:8). The promise of obedience is an exercise of faith leading to the search for God’s will in the events and challenges in society and our own personal life. For this reason, the Secular Carmelite freely cooperates with those who have responsibility for guiding the community and the Order in discerning and accepting God’s ways: the Community’s Council, the Provincial and the General” (Nº 15). The essential themes which can be highlighted are as follows:  living one’s life open to the will of God “To seek the will of God means to seek a friendly and benevolent will, which desires our fulfilment, that desires, above all, a free response in love to his love, in order to make of us instruments of divine love. It is along this via amoris that the flower of listening and obedience blooms” (CIVCSVA, The service of authority and obedience, 4). Listening to God in his Word and following Jesus give meaning to human mediations with regard to obedience and the laws which they represent (Magisterium of the Church). Thus, an attitude of faith is important in these mediations and at the same time vigilance so as not to follow only that which one feels interiorly, but to face up to authority; obedience to the will of God demands constant vigilance so as not to allow oneself to be carried along by passive or convenient exterior obedience and not follow the interior impulse to not obey when an order or decision of the Community is not to one’s liking. Only experience of the love of the living God can make one become constantly open to his will, to seek to know it and to understand that which is most pleasing to him in order to translate it into actions: “The love-story between God and man consists in the very fact that this communion of will increases in a communion of thought and sentiment, and thus our will and God’s will increasingly coincide: God’s will is no longer for me an alien will, something imposed on me from without by the commandments, but it is now my own will, based on the realization that God is in fact more deeply present to me than I am to myself” (Deus caritas est 17).  exercise of faith which leads one to seek the will of God in daily personal and social events As an exercise of faith, in the light of the secular person, all situations in daily life provide occasions for doing the will of God “in every event”, and to “see Christ in everyone whether he be a relative or a stranger, and make correct judgments about the true meaning and value of temporal things both in themselves and in their relation to man’s final goal” (AA 4). In this sense, these very occasions provide opportunities for permanent formation, namely to be “free to learn during one’s whole life, at every stage and at every moment, in every human ambit and context, with everyone, in every culture, allowing oneself to be instructed in truth and beauty, which are to be found within one’s reach”.40 40 Caminar desde Cristo, 15. 107 For St. Teresa, who was particularly committed to obedience (cf. F 18,13), she describes how she used to recall the example of Jesus: “And in matters touching on obedience He doesn’t want the soul who truly loves Him to take any other path than the one He did: obediens usque ad mortem” - obedient unto death (F 5,3). “It’s necessary to be on one’s guard and careful in the performance of good works by having frequent interior recourse to God, even though these works are done in obedience and charity” (F 5,17), since “obedience gives strength” (F prol. 2).  unfettered cooperation in discernment and acceptance of God’s ways with the authority of the Order: the local Council, the Provincial and the Fr. General Unfettered cooperation in discernment41 demands that one take an active role – never passive or submissive – in the process of decision making and obedient acceptance. This always needs to be done in the light of the Spirit, with the spirit of faith, prayer and listening to the will of God. The aim is for a greater giving of oneself in love, following Christ more closely, even when it results in suffering, but without ever attacking the dignity of the person. It is important that obedience be the fruit of dialogue, illuminating the conscience and done in charity. It should in turn be a manifestation of interior freedom, so that, despite disagreeing in the face of a particular situation, one may have the capacity to welcome in all humility that which is proposed, aware always that it will be for a greater good. The criteria for fraternal communion in the Church and the Community, of peace and light, together with the fruits of the same Spirit42 in the life of the believer are criteria which must be taken into account. At the present time, community discernment acquires special significance. 3\.4. The commitment in the promise of living out the spirit of the Beatitudes The Beatitudes are central to the New Testament.43 They comprise an attitude to life rather than virtues, which emphasize the fleeting nature of the world. The Kingdom of God is represented in the person of Jesus, in his preaching and works. They take up the promises made to the chosen people since Abraham. The Beatitudes fulfill the promises by enjoining them no longer merely in respect of the possession of land, but of the Kingdom of heaven. They depict the “countenance of Jesus Christ and portray his charity”. At the same time, “they express the vocation of the faithful associated with the glory of his Passion and Resurrection; they shed light on the actions and attitudes characteristic of the Christian life; they are the paradoxical promises that sustain hope in the midst of tribulations; they proclaim the blessings and rewards already secured, however dimly, for Christ’s disciples; they have begun in the lives of the Virgin Mary and all the saints” (cf. CCC 1716-1717). They are proposals for joy (cf. CCC 1718) which begin in the ‘now’ of this world, but which lead to an end which transcends it. Thus, the “poor in spirit”, “those who suffer”, “the non-violent”, “those who hunger and thirst for justice” only represent different aspects of the same attitude in confronting the world, which is approaching its end or perhaps, the attitude of one who 41 Cf. A. Barruffo, Discernimiento, in http://www.mercaba.org/DicES/D/discernimiento.htm 42 Cf Gal 5,14-22; Ef 5,8-10; Rm 7,4-5.19-20. 43 Cf. for that which follows see: U Becker, Bienaventurado, in Diccionario teológico del Nuevo testamento, Vol. I (Sígueme Salamanca, 1990) 183-184. 108 01.24 1-24-2024Appendix O endures and who is ever waiting. It is not a highlighting of a set of virtues, rather a proclamation of joy, which has the same sound as “blessed” from the first half of each beatitude and which reflect the motivation expressed in the second half. What has been seen and heard is put into action (Lk 14:14; Jn 13:17) by those who maintain vigilance and trust (Lk 12:37 s; Mt 24:24; Jas 1:12; Ap 16:15 and passim). Despite the differences of each Beatitude, it must be stated that with respect to the future perspective, they cannot be understood from a sense of consolation or of later retribution. They always deal with an affirmation of a future which brings with it a radical transformation of the present. The Beatitudes are the “the only path that leads to the eternal beatitude for which the human heart longs” (CCC 1697). This is all expressed in article 16 of the Constitutions, where at the same time, the living out of the day-to-day nature of the Beatitudes calls the Secular to give witness to Christ: “The Beatitudes are a plan of action for life and a way to enter into relationship with the world, neighbors and co-workers, families and friends. By promising to live the beatitudes in daily life, Secular Carmelites seek to give evangelical witness as members of the Church and the Order, and by this witness invite the world to follow Christ: “the Way, the Truth and the Life” (Jn 14:6)” (Const. OCDS 16). In the search to live out the spirit of the Beatitudes, the theological aspect of the faithful is key to union with Christ, lived out in daily actions, a continuous exercise of faith, hope and charity. It is that which AA, advances under the subheading Secular Spirituality with reference to the Apostolate (4). We have the perfect example of this in the Virgin Mary, “who while leading the life common to all here on earth, one filled with family concerns and labors, was always intimately united with her Son and in an entirely unique way cooperated in the work of the Savior”. “Let us go forward together, Lord…” In every Christian, baptism and confirmation imply consecration of the person to God through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit. It is a commitment to configure oneself in Christ throughout one’s life and to work with him in the construction of the Kingdom, in one of the states of life in the Church, whether as a lay person, priest or in consecrated life. The evolution of understanding of the lay vocation in the secular Order has come about as a consequence of Vatican Council II and of the Synod of Bishops of 1987 and 1995. For the Teresian Carmel, this has entailed a permanent discernment of the mission of the laity in the Order and their call to live the baptismal commitment according to their own charism. Placing the emphasis on the following of Christ, the promise and vows are possible graces to the fidelity of God in the first place, since He is faithful to his promises and in consequence, the secular responds reciprocally to his faithfulness. Hence the promises in the secular Order are also a commitment of faithfulness to the Order and the Community, since the promise is made before members of the Community as representatives of the Church. The Order and the Community, for their part help the member to live out their commitment taken in the promise and vows in faithfulness through the spirituality, sharing of formation and offering fraternal life as a support on the personal path in the following of Jesus and the exercise of their own mission, according to 109 the spirit of the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty and obedience and those of the Beatitudes. As a result, it is necessary to be an active member in the life of the Community. If a member feels called to take the vows in the secular Carmel, this implies a deeper oblation of oneself to that already undertaken in the promises, but not isolating oneself from others, but following Jesus according to one’s state in life. The vows carry weightier moral responsibility and the awareness of making one’s life a spiritual worship which is pleasing to God, “Do not be conformed to this world” (cf. Rm 12:1-2). It also brings with it humility before the gift which has been bestowed in the spirit of service and a more intense vigilance in response to God’s appeal: to be a servant in the construction of the Kingdom, already begun by Jesus, in the Church and in communion with the Order, living in oblation to Jesus Christ (Rule of St. Albert, 2), who is “the Way, the Truth and the Life” (Jn 14:6). Fr. Alzinir Francisco Debastiani OCD Rome, 6th January 2016 Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord --- **Source:** Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites, *Formation I Year B: I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life* (US National Formation Program, 2024).