Consecrated Life – Questions for Parents
I understand we need priests to say Mass and administer the sacraments but what about brothers and sisters? All the works of religious can and are being done by lay persons in the Church. Why do we need religious life? Are they just a nice addition to the Church but not necessary?
Religious men and women are doing many wonderful and necessary things in the Church. But they are called not only to do for God but to be God’s and to live totally for Him. The entire life of a religious is focused on God and His will. Their apostolic life and the works they do flow from this relationship with God's called consecration. Consecrated Life has been around since the earliest times of the Church. Mary the Mother of Jesus and John the Apostle modeled this life for us. You can think of the Consecrated Life as the footings of a building. The major portion of their structure is unseen but required for the support of the entire edifice.
