Pilgrims of Hope

A Jubilee reading of the evangelical counsels as a path of faith, freedom and communion

We find ourselves in a Jubilee Year, a precious occasion to reflect on the evangelical counsels under the motto “Pilgrims of Hope”. The vows we profess are a concrete and profound way of expressing our hope in the God of life. Through them, we manifest in history our faith in the God of Jesus: a relationship of radical trust in Him.

In essence, religious profession is a revelation of our faith and our hope. By consecrating ourselves, we recognize and always hope in God as the only Lord of history, the Absolute, loved and sought after by all.

The vows: a path to the Kingdom of God

The vows are a fundamental pillar of consecrated life, which impel us towards the Kingdom of God. Through them, and by means of their evangelizing power, the values of that Kingdom are radically lived and promoted, showing that a new world is possible for all humanity.

Consecrated life, lived with lifelong fidelity, is a powerful witness of absolute hope. We give everything into God’s hands, trusting that something new and great is yet to come.

These vows condense our deepest longing: a full fraternal life. A life that is manifested in each person, in each community, and in all the people of God.

Obedience: building a Kingdom of fraternity

When we profess the vow of obedience, we believe that we are doing the will of God the Father. We trust that He will lead us to unexpected places, to ministries we may never have imagined. He guides us to always do His will, not our own, overcoming our whims and desires.

Publicly professing obedience impels us to dream and to collaborate with God in the building of a new Kingdom: a Kingdom of fraternity. Although it has yet to be built, we do not cease to hope for a renewed humanity, in truth and peace. This vow constantly orients us towards the supreme values of the Kingdom, which transcend human achievements and make history fruitful.

Poverty: trust and detachment in God

When we profess the vow of poverty, we learn to live in hope. The lack of goods leads us to an inner attitude of detachment, which in turn opens us to a full trust in God. He never abandons us and always sustains us in every situation.

Living evangelical poverty publicly as a way of life enables us to enjoy things without needing to possess them. This poverty is born of trust and hope placed in God. Therefore, we consecrated persons should live our vows of poverty as a grateful expression of the gifts we have received.

Evangelical poverty is total abandonment into the hands of the Father. It is He who inspires our hope. As the Holy Father Leo XIV teaches:

“Recognizing that God is our first and only hope, we too make the passage from ephemeral hopes to lasting hope. Faced with the desire to have God as a companion on our journey, riches are relativized, because we discover the true treasure of which we really have need.” (Message for the 9th World Day of the Poor)

Chastity: gift of love for the Kingdom and humanity

By professing chastity for the sake of the Kingdom, we recognize that celibacy is a gift from God: a gift from the Father so that we may live as sons in the Son. This vow allows us to turn our energies, passions and abilities to the service of the Kingdom and humanity.

It is a life project that seeks happiness, a way to learn to love the other and the Other (God), different from myself. To profess chastity publicly is to affirm the superiority of God and hope in his dream of love for humanity. It is, in the end, a confession of great hope.

It can only be understood from faith in eternal life. This hope transforms the present life, turns it into a path of freedom, and makes possible what seems impossible: the hope of a full life with God, without despising or devaluing the life we now live.

Living the evangelical counsels with hope

In short, we are called to live the evangelical counsels with the immense hope that everything comes from God and everything is for Him. It is necessary to live them out of hope in the Triune God, who is always faithful. And we, for our part, are called to remain faithful to what we have professed with joy and dedication.

Wilmer Moyetones, OAR