Nihal Abeyasingha

Religious Life Nihal Abeyasingha

Greed, the craving of pleasure, the idolatry of power, the triple concupiscence which marks history, is at the root of past and present evils. Baptism and the following of Christ is one response to that situation. Other religious traditions have their own responses. Religious are persons who live their baptismal commitment as intensely as they can. So, consecrated persons - monks and nuns, contemplatives, religious dedicated to the works of the apostolate, members of Secular Institutes and Societies of Apostolic life, hermits and consecrated virgins - are models and exemplars for all the baptized. The charismatic dimension of the diverse forms of consecrated life, while always in progress, is never finished. New needs, which could not even have been imagined earlier, are emerging in the 21st century. The numbers of those committed to religious life is declining in the West, while increasing in the East. Basic issues still need to be addressed - the originality and uniqueness of a charism, its purpose. The third millennium is witnessing the emergence of associations of the laity, and of ecclesial movements. Is the charismatic dimension still operative in religious life? Religious need to remain open to the Spirit who works in accord with the Father's will, praising the grace which has been given to them in Jesus the Christ. The Church needs to re-think its own traditional positions. A new type of communion and collaboration within the various vocations and states of life especially among consecrated persons and laity is beginning. The present collection of articles written is not systematic, but is meant to provoke thinking.