STUDIES AND PERSPECTIVES
This essay, “The Call to „Consecrated Life? and its Charitable Apostolate” was all about naming the “consecrated life” through the detailed analysis of the concept of the expression “consecrated life.” The study travelled through the phenomenological approach which was considered very adequate for the interpretation of this type. „Naming? was analysed to ensure its unequivocal stance in classifying “consecrated life.” so as to name it properly. In the process consecrated life was discovered to be a state of life in the Catholic Church lived by believers who wish to follow Christ in a more thorough way. The life was found to be heavily tied to the concept of apostolic calling. It was a mode of life rising from the will of God and journeying towards God in all its expressions. It was a call freely made by God on the believers who were pleased to freely respond to it. In responding to this call one was bound to follow strictly the biddings of Jesus Christ doing his father?s will, in praying, preaching, doing good to people, healing the sick and casting out demons and more. In all, Jesus must be seen doing his father?s will in the religious person. Thus, while the faithful was bound to attach to one religious order or congregation in expressing the peculiar vocation assigned to them by the Lord himself, he or she must adhere to the rules and regulations of the congregation or the order in union with the mind of the entire church. Charity was traced to be the channel through which this call was answered adequately. Charity in this case was an extraordinary force which led people to opt for courageous and generous engagement in the field of justice and peace. It was a force that had its origin in God, who was the Eternal Love and Absolute Truth. Charitable person found his good by adhering to God's plan for him/her, in order to realize it fully: in this plan, he found his truth, and through adhering to this truth he becomes free (cf. Jn 8:32). To defend the discovered truth, the religious person articulated it with humility and conviction throughout life.
Keywords: perspectives, studies