YOUCAT Question n. 145 - Part V. Why does Jesus want there to be Christians who live their whole lives in poverty, unmarried chastity, and obedience?
(Youcat
answer - repeated) God is love. He longs for our love also. One form of loving
surrender to God is to live as Jesus did — poor, chaste, and obedient. Someone
who lives in this way has head, heart, and hands free for God and neighbor.
A deepening through CCC
(CCC 923)
"Virgins who, committed to the holy plan of following Christ more closely,
are consecrated to God by the diocesan bishop according to the approved
liturgical rite, are betrothed mystically to Christ, the Son of God, and are
dedicated to the service of the Church" (CIC, can. 604 § 1). By this solemn
rite (Consecratio Virginum), the
virgin is "constituted… a sacred person, a transcendent sign of the
Church's love for Christ, and an eschatological image of this heavenly Bride of
Christ and of the life to come" (Ordo
Consecrationis Virginum, Praenotanda 1).
Reflecting and meditating
(Youcat comment)
In every age individual
Christians let themselves be completely taken over by Jesus, so that “for the
sake of the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 19:12) they give everything away for God—even such wonderful gifts as their
own property, self-determination, and married love. This life according to the
evangelical counsels in poverty, chastity, and obedience shows all Christians
that the world is not everything. Only an encounter with the divine Bridegroom
“face to face” will ultimately make a person happy.
(CCC Comment)
(CCC 924)
"As with other forms of consecrated life," the order of virgins
establishes the woman living in the world (or the nun) in prayer, penance,
service of her brethren, and apostolic activity, according to the state of life
and spiritual gifts given to her (Cf. CIC, can. 604 § 1; OCV Praenotanda 2). Consecrated virgins can
form themselves into associations to observe their commitment more faithfully
(Cf. CIC, can. 604 § 2).
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