Vigils Reading – Office for Vocations

FOR GOD ALONE

From the decree “Perfectae Caritatis” by Pope St Paul VI

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From the beginning of the Church there have been men and women who

have sought to follow Christ with greater freedom, and to imitate him with

closer fidelity through the practice of the evangelical counsels. They have led

lives dedicated to God, each in his or her own way. Many of them, under the

inspiration of the Holy Spirit, have lived in solitude or have founded religious

communities, which the Church willingly recognized and approved.

As a result, in accordance with God’s plan, there has grown up a

wonderful variety of religious families. These have been of great service to the

Church in equipping it “for every good work” and preparing it “for the work of

the ministry for the building up of the Body of Christ“, and also in adorning it

with the different gifts of its children, so that the Church may appear in beauty “

as a bride adorned for her husband, and show forth the many-faceted wisdom

of God.“

Surrounded by this rich profusion of gifts, all who are called by God to the

practice of the evangelical counsels and profess them with fidelity, dedicate

themselves to the Lord in a special way. They follow Christ, who in virginity and

poverty redeemed and sanctified humankind through obedience, “even to

death upon a cross.“

Driven thus by the love that the Holy Spirit pours into their hearts, they

live more and more for Christ and for “his Body which is the Church.” The more

fervent their union with Christ through this gift of self throughout their lives,

the richer is the life of the Church, and the more vigorous and fruitful its

apostolate.

The members of each institute should remember above all that in

professing the evangelical counsels they have given their response to the call of

God in such a way that they are to live for God alone, not only by dying to sin but

also by renouncing the world. They have surrendered to his service the whole of

their lives: this constitutes a special consecration, deeply rooted in the

consecration of baptism, to which it gives fuller expression.

Those who profess the evangelical counsels should seek and love above all

things the God who has first loved us. In every circumstance of life they should

strive to foster a life hidden with Christ in God; such a life is a source of, and

stimulus to, the love of one’s neighbor for the salvation of the world and the

building up of the Church. This love is the animating and guiding principle for

the practice of the evangelical counsels.