Mental Prayer for February 23, The Religious Life

Mental Prayer Meditation Helps

Presence of God

Grace I Ask: To see clearly and to admire the great aim of the religious life.

Mental Picture (cf. Matt. 19: 16-21) : One day a clean-cut young man in rich, well-tailored clothes comes before Jesus and drops on his knees. "Master, how can I gain eternal life?" The answer doesn't satisfy him. "The commandments? Why, I have observed all of them from my youth; what am I still lacking?" With great love our Lord tells him: "One thing is wanting; if you want to be perfect, sell your possessions... come follow me." This is an invitation to become as perfectly as possible like Christ: poor, chaste, obedient to His Father's will.

My Personal Application: There are many different kinds of religious life: Benedictines, Franciscans, Dominicans, Carmelites, Jesuits, Trappists, and many more. And although their work and daily life may differ, they all have one great common purpose: to follow and imitate Christ in a more perfect way.

Each religious life has vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience which clear the way for this purpose. Just as a runner strips off all heavy clothes so he can run more freely, so the religious sheds the hindrance of material worries by a vow of poverty, the cares of family by chastity, independence of will by obedience. These vows leave him free for the big purpose: becoming like Christ.

I Speak to God: Divine Master, I see that your call to religious life is not so much a call to give up things, but rather to become your more perfect follower. I thank you for loving men so much and I promise to regard the calling to religious life with the greatest esteem.

Thought for Today: "Come, follow me."
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Adapted from Mental Prayer, Challenge to the Lay Apostle
by The Queen's Work,(© 1958)