Ahead of the World Day for Consecrated Life Feb. 2 — an observance that was instituted in 1997 by St. John Paul II and is attached to the feast of the Presentation of the Lord — OSV News spoke with Father Jorge Torres, a priest of the Diocese of Orlando, Fla., and executive director of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat of Clergy, Consecrated Life And Vocations.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
OSV News: At its core, what is consecrated life in the Catholic Church?
Father Torres: Consecrated life is living our calling from a baptismal call. Poverty, chastity and obedience are the evangelical counsels that guide consecrated life. What they’re doing is living exactly like Jesus did, in obedience to the will of the Father, seeking to serve those in need, spending life in prayer. … It’s living to their fullness our baptismal promises, and then letting the evangelical counsels guide you throughout your life in community.
OSV News: What trends are you currently seeing in those seeking consecrated life today in the U.S.?
Father Torres: One of the trends that we are seeing is that those who are coming (to consecrated life) have more life experience and have had a career. They sold the house. In some cases, they were engaged, and they parted ways with all of those dynamics to at least discern and eventually enter into a life of service with Almighty God in consecrated life.
I’m very hopeful about consecrated life as a whole in the nation. There are so many young people who are saying yes. They are attracted to those communities that are challenging them to live the Gospel in its fullness, and that’s one thing that sometimes people may not see.
Do we have the numbers that we had some generations ago? We don’t, but we have great quality. We have young men and women who are choosing to be brothers, who are choosing to be monks, who are choosing to go into the cloister and give their life in prayer.
And to me, that is not only inspiring, but it also challenges me. How am I responding to the Lord today?
And so we’re incredibly grateful to those who are in consecrated life for their daily witness, and for saying “yes” to the Lord, living here on earth the way that we’re going to live in heaven — the way Our Lady and St. Joseph did, as they lived the evangelical counsels.
OSV News: What is the connection between the feast of the Presentation of the Lord and the World Day for Consecrated Life?
Father Torres: The reason why we celebrate this day of prayer on Feb. 2 is because that’s the day Our Lord was also consecrated, during the presentation. And so they (those in consecrated life) can also rejoice that the genesis of their consecration is when Our Lady walked into the temple and Simeon welcomed her. … And so much was said at that moment: “A sword will pierce your heart” (Lk 2:35). Certainly for consecrated life, I’m sure that they know which sword has pierced their heart. And we’re grateful for their witness.
For Simeon, the consecration of our Lord moves his heart so deeply. In his canticle (Lk 2:29-32), Simeon says, “You may let your servant go in peace. I’ve been waiting for this moment all my life. I can now enter eternity.”
And so the next time you attend the consecration of perpetual vows, think of how Simeon would look at that moment, now with all of the salvation history we have to enlighten us to the graces that he was foretelling. He would probably go to the highest levels of heaven, saying, “People are saying ‘yes’ to the Almighty and all of the challenges (it involves).”
OSV News: What are some of the riches of consecrated life?
Father Torres: It depends on the particular charism of the community. For those who are serving the poor, they are serving Jesus in the infirm, in the person who is destitute.
For the ones who are in perpetual adoration, they are seeing Jesus in the Eucharist.
And so it’s both a seeing of Jesus, but it’s also what we have in the Shema (a central Jewish prayer taken from Dt 6:4): “Remember, O Israel, the Lord, your God; love him with all your strength, with all your might, with all your heart.”
And so we have the (command to) remember there, and we also have it in the words of the institution (of the Eucharist): “Remember, do this in memory of me” (Mk 14:22-24, Lk 22:19-20, 1 Cor 11:23-25).
The consecrated are living their life, day in and day out, in a way that reminds me and hopefully others as well, that Jesus is present in those who need and in the Eucharist. And it’s also a call for me to remember him at every moment.
OSV News: In several homilies and remarks, Metropolitan Archbishop Borys A. Gudziak of the Archeparchy of Philadelphia has called consecrated life one of the most radical, countercultural choices a woman could make. Would you agree?
Father Torres: Oh, totally. It is radical because it’s saying to the Lord, saying to the world, saying to herself, “I will only belong to my Spouse.” A lot of times nuptial language is used in describing this relationship, particularly for females. It is radical because they’re saying, “I will belong to no one else except Jesus.”
OSV News: What would you say to someone considering consecrated life?
Father Torres: Increase your prayer, take up “lectio divina” (spiritual reading of sacred Scripture), get to know the community you’re discerning with.
There is a desire within the human heart to give yourself completely to someone, to something — something that will not only be your North Star, your compass in life; but it’s an absolute gift, and it’s total, and whenever we hold back, that’s when we get into trouble. It’s an absolute call. It doesn’t allow for halfways or negotiations. It’s completely out of love that we receive, and then out of love that we respond.
OSV News: What would you say to those in consecrated life who may be struggling with their vocation?
Father Torres: Return to that moment when you felt the call, and you wanted to give it your all. Someone who loves you called you. Return to your first love.
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