THE CONSECRATED LIFE AND THE OPTION FOR THE POOR

THE CONSECRATED LIFE AND THE OPTION FOR THE POOR | Chukwuebuka Charles Ugonwafor, OSA ABSTRACT This work, divided into three segments, is aimed at examining side by side the understanding of the Consecrated life and its mission to the poor. An examination that will try to establish links and relationships between the consecrated life and the option for the poor. The first segment will deal with the understanding of the Consecrated life in general, taking into note, various bases that gives it life. The second segment will discuss the Option of the Poor while the third section will try to establish the connection(s) between the consecrated life and the option for the poor. INTRODUCTION. It is understood that by the virtue of sacramental baptism a Christian is consecrated to God, through Jesus Christ by the Power of the Holy Spirit. By the virtue of baptism, a Christian is invited to partake in the salvific mystery of Jesus Christ made manifest in this world through Church. By baptism, we who are members of the Church, recognizing that we partake in the same sacramental equality as People/Children of God, are all called to the same mission of Christ. The reference made to this sacramental equality, does not blind itself to the fact that there exists different vocational status in the Church1 as St. Paul rightly postulated the existence of various charisms, ministers and activities all of the Same Spirit, of the Same Lord (1 Cor. 12,4-6; Eph 4,11-13). Each member of the Church is to exercise the mission of Christ according to his or her calling. The Consecrated life is one of the various vocations that exists and is recognized by the Church. The idea of this work is to reiterate, with various conceptual foundations, the active role the consecrated life plays (or should play) in carry out the evangelical task towards the poor in our world today that is paradoxical. The paradoxical nature of our world is marked by the sensibility and exaltation of Man´s capacity to dominate and explore his surrounding for his own benefit. The ever-rising popularity of the breakthrough in Science, Medicine and Technology. The recognition 1 VEGA, L.G., Teología sistemática de la vida religiosa. Instituto Teológico de Vida Religiosa, Madrid. 1976. pp 225276, highlights in this book, a post conciliar problem that all theologians of the religious life need to look into. The Dogmatic Constitution, Lumen Gentium (chap. 6: 43-44) and the Decree Perfectae Caritatis (n.5) jointly affirms that the religious consecration is rooted in the baptismal consecration which is fundamental. The religious consecration looks to consecrate us intimately by the way of full expression of the baptismal consecration. Now there exists two groups who tend to hold either end of the rope without any hope of reconciliation. The First group holds that since the baptism is the fundamental consecration, it is the only important consecration, while the Second group avers that the most important consecration is that which is special, peculiar and expresses fully and intimately the baptismal consecration. Hence, we see in the first group the non-relevance of religious consecration while in the second group we see the tendency to water down to nothing, the place of baptismal consecration The author proffers various thesis to resolve this problem: 1). The religious consecration is rooted in the baptismal consecration and it is Christ-in his Church- that is the Main figure because he is the one that consecrates us to his Father. 2). The baptismal consecration is projected towards fulfillment by the virtue of these ways: Matrimony, Holy Orders and Religious Life. 3). In the journey towards the full realization of the Kingdom, Christ, in his Church, offers a new and special consecration which consummates that of baptismal consecration…and under the religious consecration, by the action of the Church opus operantis Ecclesiae consecrates to the Father the totality of one´s life through existential projection of Virginity, Poverty, Obedience such as experienced and lived in a Community of evangelical fraternity. 1 THE CONSECRATED LIFE AND THE OPTION FOR THE POOR | Chukwuebuka Charles Ugonwafor, OSA of the rights of human person via laws and decrees, acts of solidarity that underlies various humanitarian organization. We are living in the triumphant age of Man. But on the other hand, in spite of all these progress and triumphs, we cannot deny that we are living in a context marked by famine, wars, malnutrition, poverty and illnesses, all of which threaten the well-being of Man. We live in a society in which there are families who cannot access all or some basic necessities of life. The Capitalist and Socialist economic systems have failed to distribute, with justice and equity, the benefit of the common good, no thanks to the powerful few, who are driven by egoistic and selfish purposes. There is a large scale of poverty that coexists side by side with the breakthroughs and triumphs that are tended to make life better for Man. SEGMENT A: THE CONSECRATED LIFE. A. DEFINITION AND FUNDAMENTS OF THE CONSECRATED LIFE The consecrated life is a stable form of life by which the faithful in following Christ, by the action of the Holy Spirit, dedicate themselves completely to God, who is loved most of all, so that, having been dedicated by a new and special title to his honor, to the building up of the Church, and to the salvation of the world, they strive for the perfection of charity in the service of the kingdom of God and, having been made an outstanding sign in the Church, foretell the heavenly glory (Canon, 573§1)2. St. John Paul II, views the consecrated life as a gift of God the Father to his Church through the Holy Spirit, this gift is profoundly rooted in the examples and teachings of Jesus Christ (Vita Consecrata, 1). Pope Francis also describes the consecrated life as a gift to the Church, born of the Church, grows in the Church, and that is entirely directed to the Church (Apostolic Letter to the Consecrated Persons, III, 5). The sole aim of the consecrated life, is to follow Christ sequela Christi by professing and living out the evangelical counsels – poverty, chastity and obedience. These counsels, considered as the fundamental characteristics of Jesus, have a typical and permanent visibility in the world, in that the faithful are drawn towards the mystery of the Kingdom of God that is made manifest in the history of Man but will be fully realized in Heaven (VC, 1). It is clear that one cannot define the consecrated life without referring to Christ and his fundamental characteristics which has come to be known as the evangelical counsels. The centrality of Jesus Christ in the theme of the consecrated life does not exclude the validity and action of the Blessed Trinity ceaselessly at work in the consecrated life. The vocation to this Life is purely of the Father´s initiative who demands the response of those he has chosen to this life. The Sequela Christi is an invitation to all, to make access to the Father through him who is the way (cf. Jn.14,6) but to some he has called to a complete and total consecration and followership that involves the radical abandonment of everything to live intimately with him going with him wherever he went (cf. Mt. 2 The two sections of Canon 573 give a wholesome understanding to the what the Consecrated life is. This is so because it views the consecrated life with two basic elements: First is Theological that highlights the following of Jesus Christ through the action of the Holy Spirit in total consecration to God for the good of the Church and in the service of the Kingdom through the vows of Obedience, Poverty and Chastity. The Second element is juridical that is a stable form of life, erected canonically by the competent authority of the Church, chosen voluntarily by the faithful and willingly admitted by the institutes. 2 THE CONSECRATED LIFE AND THE OPTION FOR THE POOR | Chukwuebuka Charles Ugonwafor, OSA 19,27; Ap. 14,4b). This radical abandonment is made manifest through the evangelical counsels in the lives of those who have opted to follow him closely. The vocation to the Consecrated life is related with the work of the Holy Spirit, for it is under his influence that the attraction to this life is perceived and that those who have left themselves to be guided by him, are made to carry within them the special presence of the Resurrected Lord (VC, 17-19). The definition and understanding of what the consecrated life cannot be said to be complete without referring to its Ecclesial dimension. The desire to follow Christ is definitely not an individual ingenuity, rather it is an expression of the faith received in the community, the Church. The foundation of faith is laid by the Church through baptism and nourished constantly through the eucharist and other sacraments. It is this same community, the bride of Christ, that plays an active role in the interpretation of the Christological characters – evangelical counsels- of the consecrated life. The identity of a consecrated person is a miniature representation of the Church which is the body of which Christ is the Head -cf. Eph. 5,23 (The Consecrated Life and its Role in the Church and the World, 41). This is clearly seen from the fact that the profession of the evangelical counsels is intimately connected with the mystery of Christ, and has the duty of making visible the way of life which Jesus himself chose and indicated as an absolute eschatological value (VC, 29). The understanding of what the consecrated life is, must explore every aspect that vitalizes it, that is- the Trinitarian and Ecclesial features- this is so because a one-sided explanation does not enrich its understanding. The Trinitarian aspect which serves as the basic foundation must never be excluded or separated from the medium (The Church) through which it transmits and nourishes the consecrated life in the socio-historical context of Man. It is obvious then that a consecrated life linked tightly to the Church, bereaved of the Trinitarian confession is absurd and only functions as a society of people conditioned by temporal and spatial benefits. B. HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF THE CONSECRATED LIFE3 AND VARIOUS FORMS OF THE CONSECRATED LIFE Earliest historical forms of the Consecrated Life (III-XII): the very first forms of consecrated life that assumes virginity or celibacy is said to have stemmed from the imitation of the life of Jesus. New forms of living this way of life- hermits- started to spring up in the mid-3rd century and it is characterized by the living in solitude, separated from the family and secular engagements in order to attain holiness and be entirely dedicated to God in prayer. St. Anthony is the prominent name here. From the 4th century, the hermitical life started to transform into Cenobitic Life, that is communal life. It was around this time, especially from St. Pachomius, that organized monastic setting under a superior and the rule started to take prominence. The achievement of St. Pachomius is that his idea opened up monastic possibilities to Christians that could not keep up with the high level ascetism practiced in hermit circle. 3 RUIZ, T.B., Los miembros de los institutos de vida consagrada 224-227 in Derecho Canónico I: El derecho del pueblo de Dios. Biblioteca de Autores Cristianos, Madrid. 2006. 3 THE CONSECRATED LIFE AND THE OPTION FOR THE POOR | Chukwuebuka Charles Ugonwafor, OSA The rules of St. Basil, St. Augustine and St. Benedict are worthy of note too. The characteristic of this new monastic form of life is the emphasis on virginity as the basic element required and, living communally under one Rule. Consecrated life and apostolic activity (XII-XVI): with the monastic life flourishing, there came a new form of consecrated life which tended to combine contemplative life and apostolic and pastoral life. In this time, we can mention the Canon regulars of St. Augustine. In the XIII century, by the fourth council of Lateran´s decree to avoid the abnormal multiplication of religious institutions, sprung the Mendicant Orders- The Franciscans, Dominicans, Augustinians and Carmelites- the members of these orders are friars who live a fraternal community life, dedicated to apostolic and scholarly activities and this was the fundamental modification brought about by the Mendicants. In the XVI century, we have the historical appearance of a new form of religious life known as the Clerics Regular, dedicated to Teaching and caring for the sick. The Jesuits, The Brothers of St. John of God are examples of this form of life. Religious Congregations (XVI- XX): prior to the appearance of the Clerics Regular, the solemnity of vows (the Mendicants) and the strict closure (female religious) were the determined and accepted forms of religious life. The appearance of the Clerics Regular changed the attitude to the essentiality of solemn vows; Leo XIII´s Conditae a Christo approved of the Religious Congregations and simple vows. Secular institutes of Consecrated life (XX- PRESENT): in this epoch sprung a new form the religious life, influenced by the anticlerical and antireligious movements, that did not dispense of the traditional elements adapted to the Religious life: Communal life, the Habit, public vows etc. It rather approved only of Consecration and Secularity as the two basic elements to living out this life. Pius XII´s Provida Mater Ecclesia approved of this way of life in 1947. The consecrated life is like a tree with many branches that has been planted by God, it is rooted in the gospel and yields fruit in each age and epoch of the Church. The act of living out the evangelical counsels through different charisms through the ages thereby making perennially present the mystery of Christ, in the Church and in the World is attributed to the incessant work of the Holy Spirit (VC, ibid). From brief historical presentation in the foregone, we can deduce various modes by which the consecrated life is lived and recognized by the Church. • • • • • The Eremitical Life. The Consecrated Virgins. Religious Life. Apostolic Societies. Secular Institutes. All of these forms have in common the radical intent to follow Christ intimately and dedicating of one´s life, in entirety, for the mission of the Kingdom of God. The difference is noted by the way of living out this personal and wholesome dedication to Christ because each one of them has its charism and spirituality. 4 THE CONSECRATED LIFE AND THE OPTION FOR THE POOR | Chukwuebuka Charles Ugonwafor, OSA SEGMENT B: OPTION FOR THE POOR. A. TOWARDS UNDERSTANDING THE TERM: OPTION FOR THE POOR In the first segment, a brief presentation of the concept and foundations (theological and historical) occupies the center stage. In this segment, the focus is on the option for the poor. The intention is to give a description of what the term entails in general, making references to various sources that would give a far-reaching understanding. The term option for the poor has an unquestionable connection with the Liberation Theology that began in the 20th century in Latin America. While its first usage is attributed to Pedro Arrupe SJ, Superior General of the Jesuits in 1968, Gustavo Gutierrez is known to be a front runner in championing this point in his concept of Theology4. Since the Second Vatican Council, the attitude of the Church towards the poor is clearly demonstrated in her magisterium and her practical life (The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 182)5. The option for the poor consists in the voluntary decision that leads one to be incarnated in the world of the poor, so as to assume with historical realism the cause of integral liberation6. This preferential option for the poor is not the attitude that springs from the feeling of superiority over the poor, in that lending a hand becomes some sort of rendering a favor, rather it is the demonstration of the nature of the Church as the sign of the Kingdom of God, a kingdom of love in its horizontal and vertical dimension7. The term as it is, can definitely be dated with exactitude, but what it symbolizes, the act in itself is not 20th century phenomenon. But it is sure that the intent to identify with the poor of the society is not all new. José Luis Sicre in his book demonstrates chronologically that in the Ancient Oriental empires, there existed (and recorded) traits of Kings and rulers identifying with the weak, the poor in their communities. In Egypt, around 2654-2190 BC the era of the great pharaonic constructions, Herkhuf in his autobiography, writes on his achievements especially with the poor, the hungry, the naked and all these he did because he desires to appear just before the great god. The Autobiography of Khety (c. 2190-2040 BC) tells of a governor who was able to feed his subjects especially the needy during the time of famine in Egypt8. From this little presentation we can infer 4 GUTIÉRREZ, G., Teología de la Liberación. Perspectivas, Ediciones Sígueme, Salamanca, 1972 pp. 40-41. In this work, we can see that Gustavo´s concept of theology, is that which is an epicenter of transformation that protests against the trampled human dignity. It is the critical reflection of the lives of the impoverished through the lens of the word of God. 5 Reaffirms the usage of the term preferential option for the poor, which is described as an option or a special form of primacy in the exercise of Christian charity to which the whole tradition of the church bears witness. 6 LOIS, J., Opción por los pobres. Síntesis Doctrinal, 9 in VIGIL J.M (ed) La opción por los pobres, Sal Terrae, Santander. 1991 7 RAYGADA, A.G., El Quehacer de la Teología según la teología de la liberación de Gustavo Gutiérrez (Tesina de la licenciatura), Estudio Teológico Agustiniano, Valladolid. 2018 p. 6 8 SICRE, J.L., Con los pobres de la tierra, Ediciones Cristiandad, Madrid. 1984. pp 19- 46. Sicre extensively treated the theme of social justice in the Ancient Civilization to demonstrate the fallacy of a French television program that postulated that humanity got to know basic ethical principles from Moses. Taking his sources from ancient scripts and rolls, he arrived at demonstrating that the concern for the needy in the society pre-dates Moses. 5 THE CONSECRATED LIFE AND THE OPTION FOR THE POOR | Chukwuebuka Charles Ugonwafor, OSA that as far back as 3000 BC there existed the special interest for the needy and weak of the society that is, the hungry, the naked, the orphans. All of these stems from the conviction that these too deserve to be treated with respect and worthy attention. Interestingly, these ethical actions do not go unrewarded by the gods. B. OPTION FOR THE POOR: A THEOLOGICAL- CHRISTOLOGICAL MANDATE IN THE SACRED SCRIPTURE. The Old testament Hebraic vocabulary offers us this understanding when we refer to the Poor, that is, the group of persons without dignity that live in the land of Israel. In this group includes ‘ébed (the slave), ger (the foreign immigrant), miskén (the person looked upon with contempt), helká (the abandoned), ‘ebyôn (the beggar, the oppressed), ‘anaw-‘anawîm (the needy)9 to this list we can also add- the widow, the orphan. We can draw that these persons considered as those without dignity, are casualties of a society with a disbalanced socio-economic setting that only favors a few of the society. However, the lucidity of a socio-economic deprivation does not mean that there are not other ways of understanding what is means to be poor in the Old testament. Joseph Blenkinsopp avers that by the time of the composition of the Third part of Isaiah (that is, 56-66) between 538 BC and 510 BC, the concept of who the poor were has acquired a religious connotation, in that the poor are not necessarily seen as persons without economic dignity, rather as a people of God10. The reference to the option of the poor in the old testament is a characteristic of the just person who pleases God. As it is known one cannot be said to be just without establishing a good union with YHWH through the laws and precepts. In these precepts exists not only religious or cultic injunctions but also, humanitarian rules that tend to defend the rights of the poor in the society. The Pentateuch contains various guidelines that upholds and defends the dignity and rights of the poor ones in the community. The root of these guidelines and precepts springs from the exodus experience of the Israelites from Egypt. The liberation of the people of Israel from the oppression and inexplicable hardship of the Egyptians by God through Moses, made the Israelites have a concrete concept of YHWH as a liberator and defender of the poor and the oppressed11 (and not as the Creator of the Universe as this was a latter theological formulation in the exilic era). This singular experience is what is going to influence the various codes that are in the Pentateuch. In the Covenant code of Exodus 20,22- 23,19, The Holiness code of Leviticus 17:1 - 26:46, The Deuteronomic code of Deuteronomy 12-26 we can sum up various precepts that defend the rights of the poor and the foreigner. These codes succinctly condemn any form of maltreatment of the foreigner, the abuse of the widow and the orphan and the need to help these persons because the Israelites were once in the same condition in Egypt12. It is even interesting to see that religious practices like The Sabbath (Ex. 20, 8-10), The Sabbatical year (Ex. 21,2-6; 23,11: Lev. 25, 2-7: Dt 15, 1-18), The Jubilee Year (Lev 25, 8-22) and the Triennial Tithe (Deut. 14,28) all have positive 9 CAMACHO, I.- RINCÓN, R.- HIGUERA, G., Praxis cristiana.3: Opción por la justicia y la libertad, Paulinas, Madrid, 1986 pp. 29-30 10 BLENKINSOPP, J., El Libro de Isaías (56-66), Ediciones Sígueme, Salamanca. 2017. p 265. 11 FABRIS, R. La Opción por los Pobres en la Biblia, Editorial Verbo Divino, Navarra. 1992 p. 80-81. 12 Cf. LÓPEZ, F.G., El Pentateuco, 3a edición, Verbo Divino, Estella (Navarra). 2008. pp. 197-200; 233-38; 298-309 6 THE CONSECRATED LIFE AND THE OPTION FOR THE POOR | Chukwuebuka Charles Ugonwafor, OSA effects on the poor in the society, this initiative stems from experience of a just and faithful God that liberated the Israelites from Egypt13. A look into the section of the Prophets on the question of the option for the poor would also be beneficial. The general overview of the prophets and the prophetic tradition can be summarized in these context- The fidelity to God through the covenant and the love of God and neighbor is what guarantees living in freedom. The prophets, as mouthpiece of God, proclaimed the will of God and brought to the conscience of the people, the importance of being faithful to him. The aspect of the option for the poor comes as a way of manifesting this love of neighbor, in this way religion and liturgical practice should have a positive influence in the social component of a community. The Book of Amos captures the deplorable situation of the northern kingdom (Israel) in the preexilic era, the prophet on his part does not leave any stone unturned at the time of criticizing the inhuman exploitation of the poor ones by the rich. Amos’ social criticism is based in a theologicalethical understanding that is to be manifested in human relation, a personal experience and the typical traditions of Israel14. Isaiah, in the Southern kingdom of Judah, toes in the line of Amos of denouncing the oppression of the poor. Isaiah´s criticism is constructed in a society where cultic and liturgical practices are appreciated but the obligation and responsibility to the poor are rarely taken to note, that is to say the act of living out the covenant is only reduced to religious rites (1,117). The condemnation and criticism against the magistrates, priests and prophets takes a center stage in the words of Micah. These three groups are the main reason why there is poverty and injustice in the land (3,9-11). This same line of view is common also in the criticism of Jeremiah, Ezekiel15. In the New Testament, we find that the terrain of the manifestation of The Revelation of God takes a new approach. The Letter to the Hebrews helps us in understanding this new mode: Long time ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in the last days he has spoken to us by a Son whom he appointed heir of all things through whom he also created the worlds. (Heb. 1,1-2). The central of the message of Jesus Christ, is the Kingdom of God. This we have recorded in the gospels- Mark, Matthew and Luke- that the good news that Jesus preached revolves around the Kingdom of God as stated by Mk 1:14-15, Mt 4,23, Lk 4,43. This is also proved by the number of times the word The Kingdom of God appeared especially in the gospels in the discourses of Jesus Christ16. This Kerygma of the Kingdom of God by Jesus Christ is a dynamic reality that has far 13 Cf. OLEA- GONZÁLEZ, J.V., Teología Moral Social: Fundamentación Bíblica (Lecture notes) Estudio Teológico Agustiniano, Valladolid. 2017 p.11 14 SICRE, J.L., ibid. 159-161 15 FABRIS, R., ibid. 109-111 16 DUNN, J., Jesús recordado: el cristianismo en sus comienzos I . Verbo Divino, Estella. 2009 pp. 445-449. The frequency at which the word appears in the gospels has spurred a certain desire in the research on the Historical Jesus to know whether it was a word primarily used by Jesus himself or if it was based on the creativity of the evangelists in their respective communities. James Dunn believes that the use of the kingdom of God was certainly active both in the generation of the second temple and the primitive Christian community but not so used frequently as in the Jesus tradition. The point he makes is that we cannot reject the possibility that in the parables and the preaching of Jesus 7 THE CONSECRATED LIFE AND THE OPTION FOR THE POOR | Chukwuebuka Charles Ugonwafor, OSA reaching effects be it in the religious- liturgical sphere, the ethical or moral compromise of a society and an Individual. It is in the whole scheme of the Kingdom of God that men are called to a whole new level of fraternity with one another in Christ. We cannot fail to recognize that social context that Jesus lived in was one greatly characterized with a great percentage of the people living under poverty. The term poor in the Gospels refers to those who are economically dispossessed of material goods, the manual workers who earn meagre salary, the slaves, the prostitutes, the shepherds, the unlearned. These set of persons discriminated in the socio-cultural circle, did not find any refuge in the religious space too, as the result of falling short various pharisaical precepts17. Jesus Christ in this social context preached the Kingdom of God that has a special intent for those who have been marginalized and discriminated upon by the existent social and religious setting of his time. To demonstrate that this Kingdom of God is not a metaphorical or utopian phrase, Jesus preached to the people by the use of parables and miracles (signs) to cement strongly that the reality of this Kingdom that has come and already manifesting among Men. In Luke 4,18-19 we read a Christological fulfillment of the text of Isaiah 61,1-3. Before beginning to narrate the activity of Jesus, Luke makes it very clear to his readers what the passion and the goal of Jesus Christ was. The Spirit of God in Jesus is sending him to the poor, directing his life towards the needy, oppressed and humiliated. The "option for the poor" is not an invention of the twentieth-century theologians or a trend that came into circulation after Vatican II. It is the option of the Spirit of God, which animates the whole life of Jesus and of which we, his followers have to introduce constantly and consistently in our world today18. Later in 7,18-23, Jesus responds to John the Baptist in a concise manner to let him know that he (Jesus) is the one who was to come. Jesus refers once again to the category of people who form part of the global enterprise of the Poor. There are two sets of beatitudes in the gospels: Matthew (5,3-12) is one, as Luke possesses another set (6,20-23). The two sets of beatitudes have a lot in common as much as what differentiates them. While Matthew has eight beatitudes plus one constructed in a distinct form, Luke has four beatitudes and we may add the subsequent woe sayings of (6,24-26). It is noted that both beatitudes have these set of people as subjects of the beatitudes: The poor, the hungry, those who weep and the persecuted. It becomes clear to one that the poor are going to be in the thick of the mission of Jesus, since the kingdom of God is promised to them. The reason for this is that God, whose Kingdom Jesus is preaching, is a God of justice and cannot reign where injustice prevails. The poor, the oppressed, the hungry, the persecuted have been granted the heritage of the kingdom of God not by their own doing but by the attitude of God towards them19. We can refer to the two banquets mentioned in the Gospels -Matthew 22, 1-10 and Luke 14, 1624- the text of St. Luke would favor us here. The host who sent invitations to important Christ, there existed the use of the Kingdom of God by Christ himself and that it was central to his message and mission 17 OLEA GONZÁLEZ J.V., ibid. 25 18 PAGOLA, J. A., El Camino abierto por Jesús: Lucas 3, PPC, Madrid. 2012. pp 105- 116 19 FABRIS, R., ibid. 25-32 8 THE CONSECRATED LIFE AND THE OPTION FOR THE POOR | Chukwuebuka Charles Ugonwafor, OSA personalities had to take a radical turn after seeing that the guests did not want to come for individual reasons. We all know how the parable ended. If we read it in the light of the person Jesus Christ, we realize that Jesus justifies God's option for the poor that in Luke's list are: the lame, the blind, the crippled. These are the poor, the clients of God because God acts as a master who calls the poor after being ignored by the guests20 .The fact that Jesus also ate with the poor signifies that, yes, it is possible to rise above the social stigmatization of the Poor. Matthew 25,31-46 presents another interesting set of Jesus’ discourse on the poor, in the context of the final judgement. Jesus makes us understand that compassion and being compassionate is what guarantees one a place on his right hand and more concretely, compassion to the poor. This text clearly has the identity of Jesus as a judge who identifies himself with the poor Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family you did it to me. Therefore, helping any of these- The Hungry, The Stranger, The Naked, The Sick- means that it is Jesus who is helped, one cannot help but notice the evident Christological identity vested upon the poor, who live among us. St. Augustine helps us in understanding this when he states that you (we) have Christ seated in Heaven; on earth begging (through the poor)21. The miracles (and signs) of Jesus demonstrated especially in healing infirmities, are ways of showing that the Kingdom of God is already taking its foothold in the history of salvation by its ability to free the sick from their shackles of pain. These signs, are intended to pass a message to social structures built on deceit, injustice and oppression that it is possible to change for the better22. C. THE EARLY CHRISITIANS AND THE OPTION FOR THE POOR. The foregone section discussed the option for the poor as having its firm base in the vision of God which was further emphasized by Jesus Christ in his parables and miracles. In the early history of Christianity, the primitive Christians will also include this attitude in their missionary and daily labor. The general component of the Christian attitude has the practice of alms giving side by side other practices like fasting and prayer. The community life that characterized the life of the earliest Christian community in Jerusalem as recounted by Luke, tells us the benefit of this way of living there was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned land or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles’ feet and it was distributed to each as any had need (Acts. 4,34-35). By this we see a presentation of a radical implementation of the gospel of Jesus. Also, we can cast our minds to the institution of the Seven Deacons in Acts 6:1-6. The bond of contention that led to the creation of the office of the deacons in the early church´s life was the issue of segregation of the Hellenists from the daily distribution carried out by the Jewish Christians. The twelve, at the time of confirming the seven young men nominated for the office of 20 FABRIS, R., ibid. 71-74 CF. ST. AUGUSTINE Commentary on Psalm 36, 3,6 in Obras de San Agustín, Biblioteca de Autores Cristianos, Madrid. 1964. This the original Latin text Habetis Christum in caelo sedentem, in terra petentem. 22 SOBRINO, J., Opción por los pobres y seguimiento de Cristo, 39 in VIGIL, J. M (ED) Opción por los pobres. Editorial Sal Terrae, Santander, 1991. 21 9 THE CONSECRATED LIFE AND THE OPTION FOR THE POOR | Chukwuebuka Charles Ugonwafor, OSA diakonia, affirmed at the same time the different but complementary functions between the two groups- The twelve shall be dedicated to prayer and service of the word of God, while the Seven will focus on the daily distribution. What we should take from this is that the deep union of the members of the early Christian community in Jerusalem, had its expression in the assistance of the poor and the needy. Hence while the twelve by the authority of Jesus Christ satisfied the spiritual hunger of her members through the word and breaking of bread, the Seven satisfied the human necessities of the community23. St. Paul does not make any explicit reference as to the care for the poor and the needy, giving that his letters were brought about by occasional need to clarify certain problems or for specific purposes. But one can be certain that Paul believed in the equality of all who are called to share in the mystery of Christ the Lord (Gal. 3,28-29; Rom. 10,12). The problem of division at the time of celebrating the Lord´s supper among members of the community of Corinth presented Paul with the intent of correcting the wrong practice of the rich members who segregated themselves from those who are below them in social status24. Again, we can refer to a duty Paul mentioned while narrating what transpired in the council of Jerusalem, which Luke narrates in Acts 15. In Gal. 2,10 Paul has this to tell They asked only for one thing, that we remember the poor, which was actually what I was eager to do. This obligation which Paul was eager carry out is also recorded in 1Cor. 16,1-4 where Paul appeals to the Christians in Corinthians telling them that the collection is for the saints in Jerusalem. St. James’ characterization of a Christian life has the outlook for the poor. In his letter it is noted that listening to the word, which is at the beginning of the Christian journey, must be translated into a corresponding life, characterized by the unity between the word and life, between doctrine and praxis, between faith and works (2,14-26). But what directly concerns this work, is his criticism against favoritism or partiality in the favor of the rich in the community at the expense of the poor ones (2, 1-13). This partial attitude shows that it is not acceptable according to the criterion of God, who chose the poor to make them rich heirs of his Kingdom. Fabris describes it very well in his summary of this text of St. James, “The option for the poor that the gospel reveals to us, as the principle of life and praxis of Christians, it is the action of the law of freedom, a perfect and real law that acts not with words but with actions, in a praxis of solidarity and active love”25. In the developing history of Christianity in the Roman empire, Christians were famed to have maintained a moral way of life that differed from that of the pagans, this was a result of the lessons from the person and gospel of Jesus Christ. The Christian morality was demonstrated first in hospitality, in that it was a service rendered to Christ himself impersonated in the guest. The care for the Poor was the highest office of the bishop of the community. There were two types of income through which the community helped the poor: The spontaneous contribution and alms. They also collected dresses and shoes. Furthermore, this attitude of generosity too was extended to the orphans and widows. It must be considered that orphaned children lived in a time of great risk and violation in ancient Roman society. Christians had a benevolent attitude towards orphans. The Fabris, R., ibid. 150 ÁLVAREZ C. D., Corpus Paulinos (Lecture note), Estudio Teológico Agustiniano, Valladolid. 2017. pp.26-27 25 FABRIS, R., ibid 155-157 23 24 10 THE CONSECRATED LIFE AND THE OPTION FOR THE POOR | Chukwuebuka Charles Ugonwafor, OSA bishop is designated as the Father of the community and the person responsible for the action of the community. After the Constantinian peace, specific reception centers for orphaned children were created. The Christian community also took into her care, poor widows26. It easy to see that the Christians made effort to live as Christ did, replicating all that he said about the Kingdom of God. If Christ identified with the poor in his actions and in his words especially of Mt. 25, 31ss, the Christians did not do anything less than recognizing in the poor, the needy, the personhood of Jesus Christ. This is the primary influence of the Christian life in general, that is, living as Christ lived, and it does not restrict itself to moral codes or liturgical practices, it is a life, lived in constant reference to God and to neighbor. D. THE CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING AND THE OPTION FOR THE POOR. The magisterium, the teaching office of the Church, is known to have been entrusted the task of interpreting the sacred scripture and the sacred tradition in the person of Jesus Christ (Dei Verbum, 10) but the scope of the magisterium is not only restricted to the interpretation of the sacred scripture and the sacred tradition. Historical events help us understand that the teaching office of the Church has, in one form or the other, made efforts in making its voice heard in the sociopolitical setup of the human history. This particular function is enshrined in the catholic social teaching of the church by which the church takes upon herself the proclamation that the Lord has commended to her, making known the freedom and redemption wrought by Christ (CSDC, 63). The Catholic Social Teaching is a process of reflection that implies the totality of the Church but that has its decisive expression in the documents of the social magisterium, by which the basic principles are not only formed but also, responses are elaborated with regards to the existent social problem of each historic moment27. Leo XIII encyclical on capital and labor resonates that the function of the church is not restricted to the spiritual circle alone but also in the things that concerns Man in his earthly existence. This is what authorizes the Church to pay a special attention to the poor and care for them in the way that she can (Rerum Novarum, 28-31)28. If he alludes to the Church´s duty towards the poor, Leo XIII does not fail to call the State into recognizing her duty of protecting the rights of the citizens especially of the poor (RN, 37). In his encyclical on Christianity and Social Progress, John XXIII makes his point to the nations who enjoy the better living. The Principle of Solidarity is cited as to why nations with better economic status must see it as their obligation to collaborate with those nations that do not enjoy so much as the former, for it is in this way that lasting peace is achieved (Mater et Magistra, 157). 26 GÓMEZ, J. A., Historia de la Iglesia I: Edad Antigua, Biblioteca de Autores Cristianos, Madrid. 2001 pp.169-179 CAMACHO, I., Doctrina Social de la Iglesia. Quince claves para su comprensión, Desclée de Brouwer, Bilbao 2000, pp 21-22. 28 It is important to note that in these paragraphs of the encyclical, Leo XIII tries to establish the Christian attitude of charity at the same time maintaining the balance of the preaching of the gospel. Christian morality, when adequately and completely practiced, leads of itself to temporal prosperity, for it merits the blessing of that God who is the source of all blessings. The Church cannot be silent nor turn a blind eye to the reality that surrounds her. The Church´s intention on the act of charity to the poor is that they may have a better condition of life (28). 27 11 THE CONSECRATED LIFE AND THE OPTION FOR THE POOR | Chukwuebuka Charles Ugonwafor, OSA Paul VI condemned vehemently the lifestyle of extravagance and wastage in the face of the glaring reality of millions of persons who do not have access to some or any of the fundamental basic human amenity (Populorum progressio, 53). The eradication of the poverty that exists in our world can only be steered by an action based on genuine love, personal effort and commitment (PP. 75). Benedict XVI recognizes that there should be a connection between creating a Just society and carrying out acts of charity. This relationship is necessary because charitable acts do not change the status quo of the poor in our society reason, being that it is carried out by the rich to tranquilize their consciences. While clearly stating that charity is a function of the church, Benedict XVI, does not fail to mention the need to do more and specifically, to create a just society which is to be the agenda of the political sphere of the society. Thus, the option for the poor implicates both the Church and Politics (Deus caritas est, 26-29)29. Pope Francis holds that the kerygma (the gospel of the kingdom of God) has a social dimension (Evangelii Gaudium, 177). Our confession of faith in the Trinity is that which impulses us to open up to others. This is the base from which he treats the theme of social inclusion of the poor as an important task of the Christian. This task stems from a correct understanding of what solidarity is. It presumes the creation of a new mindset which thinks in terms of community and the priority of the life of all over the appropriation of goods by a few (EG, 188). The option of the poor is a theological category because it is God who shows the poor his mercy first and our attitude to this duty should not be that which characterized by activism rather it should an attitude of attentiveness, a true concern which considers the other person as we consider ourselves. He adverts us against making excuses of incompatibility of our lifestyle demands and sparing time to be close to the poor (EG, 198-201). SECTION C: THE CONSECRATED LIFE AND OPTION FOR THE POOR: RELATIONSHIP, CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS. Until now, this work has treated separately the two major concepts upon which it is centered- The Consecrated Life and the option for the poor- with the aim of understanding better the principal thread by which the work is guided. This segment is aimed at examining these two realities in order to extract what unites them, no matter how minute the factor might be. It shall also examine the challenges that affect the proper correspondence that should exist between the life and the option for the poor and proffer solutions to the challenges raised. 29 In other to effect tangible and realistic changes to the lives of the poor, the society must have the notion of being just to each person of the society. The function of procuring Justice in the society is mainly the function of politics and not a direct obligation of the Church. This understanding recognizes the autonomy of politics and the church (religion). Although justice is an obligation of the state, she must carry it out under reason, that requires constant purification from ethical blindness caused by the dazzling effect of power and special interests. This purification is the duty of faith. On the other hand, the Church's charitable organizations, constitute an opus proprium, a task agreeable to her, in which she does not cooperate collaterally, but acts as a subject with direct responsibility, doing what corresponds to her nature. The Church can never be exempted from practicing charity as an organized activity of believers, and on the other hand, there will never be a situation where the charity of each individual Christian is unnecessary, because in addition to justice, man needs and will always need, love. 12 THE CONSECRATED LIFE AND THE OPTION FOR THE POOR | Chukwuebuka Charles Ugonwafor, OSA A. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CONSECRATED LIFE AND THE OPTION FOR THE POOR. • The Jesus Factor- Incarnation It is an undeniable fact that one called to the Consecrated Life has the desire to follow Jesus Christ closely, a followership that demands a total and radical commitment (Mk. 1,16-20; Lk. 9,57-62). This radical and total followership avails one the opportunity to perceive the socio-historic context from the Jesus-point of view and live it out. What example then does or can a consecrated person receive from Jesus Christ? If the Kingdom of God preached by Jesus had a fundamental interest in the poor and the marginalized of the society in Palestine, it will be more interesting to note that from the commencement of his human life, that is, at the Incarnation, that He not only became Man, but was also poor. The incarnation of Jesus is an ontological radical option for the poor. The Prologue of the gospel of St. John 1,1-14, is the presentation of the general scope through which the gospel of St. John should be read and understood. It has been interpreted that John presents us with the Divine Pre-existent state of Jesus who became flesh, sarx (v.14), St. Paul´s famous Christological hymn in his letter to the Philippians (2,6ss) described this reality of Christ as Kenosis. In this sense the evangelist, John, includes not only the true human nature of Christ but also the frailty of his human condition30. With the help of the prologue of St. John and the Christological hymn of St. Paul to the Philippians, one cannot be at fault to note that the preexistent status of the Word and his incarnation-kenosis find their unity in the Person of Jesus Christ, who died and resurrected. The Kenosis of Jesus Christ, of assuming truly the human flesh and nature in its entirety should not only be understood only from the viewpoint of his divinity, and this is what Paul´s Christological hymn is all about, that is, a Human existential kenosis. Christ is understood as an obedient servant who selflessly offered himself freely for the sake of others, this selfless act is not characterized by power, riches and autonomy rather by his humble obedience to the Father31, an obedience that took him to die on the Cross. It is he who in all his richness accepted, out of love, to share in the humanity of man and assumed upon himself not only poverty and weakness but also death- the ultimate consequence. And this should definitely be the first port of call when referring to the option for the poor because in it we see Him who was rich, yet for our sakes became poor (cf.2 Cor.8,9) coming in contact with us, sharing and feeling our joys and sadness, recognizing in the poor their pain and needs, all of these in his own humanity. The option for the poor only makes more meaning for a consecrated person who desires to follow Christ intimately. 30 31 SALA, R., Cristología Dogmática (lecture notes) Estudio Teológico Agustiniano, Valladolid. 2017. p. 69 VEGA, L.G., ibid. 83 13 THE CONSECRATED LIFE AND THE OPTION FOR THE POOR | Chukwuebuka Charles Ugonwafor, OSA • The element of the vow of poverty. It is indisputable that the vow of poverty as professed by the consecrated person- together with the vows of obedience and charity- springs from the person of Christ32 and of the desire to imitate him. Understanding what the vow entails will help in stating that the consecrated person is directly implied in the question of the option for the poor. The evangelical poverty cannot fully be realized in the consecrated person if it is only about understanding it in the sense of not possessing material goods because being poor (evangelically) is an internal personal decision, and like Jesus, it is that which springs from within and affects the entirety of the person. In this regard, the beatitude of the poor pronounced by Jesus becomes the perfect understanding of what the vow of poverty tends to incarnate in the life of a consecrated person- a life identical with that of Christ and that which makes the religious person sensible to the plight of men around him or her33. The vow of evangelical poverty is the response of the consecrated life in a world that is challenged by the materialistic attitude in the world, which craves possession, heedless of the needs and sufferings of the weakest and the lack of concern for the balance of natural resources (VC, 89). A closer look into the situation of most religious congregations today injects one with a certain dose of ambiguity, in the sense that while holding to the evangelical vow of poverty, these congregations have at their disposal some great wealth of assets scattered around them and have in them members who by their qualifications do not fail to attract the attention of the civil society, hence the tussle of identifying who the consecrated person is becomes really difficult- are the religious congregations and orders on the side of the rich or the poor? Are they a privileged third group (or the middle class) between the rich and the poor?34. Not to lose sight of the prize here, the focus is on the evangelical poverty and the mission of the option for the poor, because despite the glowing ambiguity that seems to exist between the life of a religious and the duty to the poor, there is a great number of religious whose lives manifest the correspondence between the evangelical poverty and the praxis of the option for the poor. AZEVEDO, M., Los religiosos vocación y misión: un enfoque exigente y actual, Sociedad de Educación Atenas, Madrid, 1987. p.45. Marcello in his reference to two aspects of poverty in the person of Christ first is what he refers to as the ontological poverty and this is enshrined in the incarnation of Christ. The second aspect is the poverty of possession (of having) which shows the conscious affirmation and the experimented precariousness of things and their incapacity of guaranteeing man the true happiness. These two aspects in the person of Christ tells of being free ontologically in spite of not possessing. 33 AZEVEDO, M., ibid 47 34 This ambiguity is an evident fact to which I as a religious, have tried to reconcile with the evangelical poverty that I profess and my personal reality, probably because I am still in my formative stage of my religious life I may not fully understand the panorama between the two. But I am conscious of the fact that my tuition for studies, my health bills, accommodation and feeding are not footed by me so how can I claim to even be poor when I am not on top of the situation that sees to my personal welfare in comparison to a young person my age on the other side of the fence who struggles to make ends meet. I am easily accepted and can blend in perfectly with those who are comfortable because I am a religious and thanks to the many gracious philanthropic donations of people who see to my being sustained. But the fundamental question in the face of this reality is How I can really and radically live out the evangelical poverty. I think this question does not require a once and for all answer, rather a consistent and renewed response vis a vis the charism of my religious life. 32 14 THE CONSECRATED LIFE AND THE OPTION FOR THE POOR | Chukwuebuka Charles Ugonwafor, OSA The evangelical vow of poverty instills in the religious the outward demonstration of the solidarity to those whom the society in all spheres and criteria has neglected. A sense of austerity imbibed by this evangelical watchdog has to be willingly accepted within the personal reality of the religious, failure of which will only convert the solidarity acts to miss the mark of reaching these persons and convert to a mere ´touristic presence´ with regards to the question of the option for the poor which does not lead to any internal conversion no matter the astonishment that we feel35. St. John Paul II, presents perfectly the correlation between the evangelical vow of poverty and the option for the poor. Consecrated persons are therefore asked to bear a renewed and vigorous evangelical witness to self-denial and restraint, in a form of fraternal life inspired by principles of simplicity and hospitality, also as an example to those who are indifferent to the needs of their neighbor. This witness will of course be accompanied by a preferential love for the poor and will be shown especially by sharing the conditions of life of the most neglected. the consecrated life shares in the radical poverty embraced by the Lord, and fulfils its specific role in the salvific mystery of his Incarnation and redeeming death (VC, 90). The Socio-historic factor. I was privileged to be in a workshop for the young Augustinian Religious in October 2018 which took place in Madrid. Among the things that we needed to do, aside the interactive sessions, was to embark on a little excursion to the Church of San Anton (Iglesia Social de San Antón) located also in Madrid. A Church, under the care of a lay Non- Governmental organization known as Mensajeros de la Paz (Messengers of Peace) founded by P. Ángel Garcia Rodríguez a Spanish catholic priest, ordained for Catholic Archdiocese of Oviedo. It did not occur to me that this excursion was not the normal conventional cultural-touristic visit to different basilicas and churches with magnificent architectural details. I was wrong to have built an image of the church and I refused to quench my inquisitiveness by searching the internet (which is absurd for me). I was disappointed by the structure I was seeing as we approached the church because it was not carrying the normal look, no thanks to patches of black soot from a fire incident that took place years ago. My disappointment did not last long as it was overshadowed by the wonder that my vision presented me. It is a Church, yes because I could see the altar and the tabernacle and the confessional booths; but it was something else - A home for those who do not have shelter (literally!). It was not empty as there were people in it, tourists and people without shelter, one could see a good number of boxes and luggage belonging to people who live, eat and clean up inside the Church (because there are restrooms behind the altar). The pews are constructed in such way that there is a platform on which food is served and eaten. The Church accommodates everyone in need of shelter and food. To demonstrate that what is done in the church and the services rendered are not borne out of activism, it offers Wi-Fi services to these people and Television sets that emits live broadcast from the Vatican when the Pope celebrates Mass, Live 35 Azevedo, M., ibid. 62 15 THE CONSECRATED LIFE AND THE OPTION FOR THE POOR | Chukwuebuka Charles Ugonwafor, OSA football matches (All matches of the last edition of the FIFA World Cup were televised live) and News. Our visit did not end there, as we were invited to a Restaurant RobinHood another arm of this NGO that offers food for free to people who cannot afford to. I ate my supper on a table with others, many of whom are not capable to pay for their meal. Early exchange of pleasantries took place between my fellow table companions and I. I was astonished by what I was seeing and how events were unfolding before my eyes. I asked one of those with whom I ate, what his story was. He was glad to share that he had travelled from Ecuador to Spain with his immediate family to look for a greener pasture in 2000 as the economic situation in his country at that time was nothing favorable. Fast forward to 2008 when Spain went into economic recession that crippled various families’ financial income, my interlocutor was affected, he sent his family back to Ecuador but he has not been able to go back to his country (that is doing better now than before) for lack of finance. As he was telling his story I noticed that he had a crutch close to his seat, I asked what is was for. He told me that he got into an accident in his place of work of recent, and he was relieved of work to go and recuperate, but it would have been difficult were it not have been for the NGO because he has no insurance as of the time of speaking. I have tried to detail this personal experience to drive a point, which is, the real existence of the poor in our midst. The Church and the restaurant had a very good number of people in dire need of either or both shelter and food. It is important to realize that in our time, like as of centuries past, that there are poor people around us and in an interesting manner, it is not easy to detect those who have been left desolate and are lacking in one or all basic necessities of life because many of them do not give us that impression by their appearance anymore. In a developed city like Madrid there is the temptation of being anaesthetized into thinking that only the few numbers of beggars we see on the streets are all that there are with regards to the poor forgetting completely the immigrants, those who are without shelter (I witnessed a group of persons too who sleep on the streets), or people in the situation of my table companion. As religious, we are called to live our lives in this concrete historical moment that we find ourselves and that means to be linked and connected to others, allowing ourselves to experience the other person´s joys and plights, taking to note the painful situation that is lived by the man, woman or child who has been socially excluded36 because this mission with reference to the religious life is not that which is reserved to a few; as religious we are to incarnate ourselves, following Jesus, in the historical dimension and the social questions of our world today. Our vow of poverty makes us free from being slaves to possession and egoistic gains and helps us to be objective in our criticism against injustice, thereby helping us to exercise a true form of solidarity with those in need. Our conscience is triggered deeply when we come in contact with these people who are poor, History and time brings us in proximity to them which in turn makes us reflect on how we have been living out the gospel of the Kingdom of God, which is not just about a personal relationship with God nor are our loving response to God be demonstrated by GONZÁLEZ, A. I., Pobres y solidarios. Vivir compasivamente en medio de la historia p.79 in VIDA RELIGIOSA MONOGRÁFICO La buena noticia del Reino: Criterios y valores para una minoría significativa (vol.124) Buen Suceso, Madrid. 2018 36 16 THE CONSECRATED LIFE AND THE OPTION FOR THE POOR | Chukwuebuka Charles Ugonwafor, OSA small personal gestures to individuals in need; rather it is about loving God who reigns in our world. This love should set the pace for an impact of universal fraternity, justice, peace and dignity on the society (EG, 180). The prophetic-solidarity factor. The demonstration of solidarity with those in need is not to be left to acts of charitable donations and little personal acts of alms giving, rather it should tend further towards making the lives of these individuals in need better. And this can only be done when as religious we assume the duty of being prophets, criticizing injustice and oppression rooted in the various socio-economic systems and structures of political entities. Solidarity and the dignity of the human person complement themselves in that it excludes the accentuation of an isolated individualism on one extreme and on the other extreme, the collectivism that restricts the individual freedom and autonomy37. The principle of Solidarity affirms the relation between persons, social groups and the society at large expressing it through the anthropological-ethical union and the vocation to an ethical responsibility of each and every person. That is to say each person is responsible for the good of the other38 (in this case especially for those in need). It is important to stress that solidarity is not same as alms-giving or donation, rather it is an attitude, driven by the desire of helping each and every person to realize their individual potentials for the good of the society. For us, Religious and Consecrated, Solidarity has a theological foundation, it ceases therefore, to be a social obligation when we recognize that in the history of salvation God auto-reveals himself to us, and demonstrates clearly the side he is on through the person of Jesus Christ by the sign of his life, passion and resurrection. Hence, we see God who has identified with us, poor as we are, in our own history. Pope Francis clearly stated that the distinctive sign of the consecrated life is Prophecy, it is in this way that the religious follows the Lord. A religious must never abandon prophecy. As prophets we receive from God, the ability to scrutinize the times in which we live and interpret events. We are able to discern and denounce the evil of sin and injustice. Prophets tend to be on the side of the poor and the powerless, for they know that God himself is on their side (Letter to all Consecrated People, II, 2). As prophets, we cannot overlook the task of defending the poor. We are called to be prophets of the kingdom of God on earth, a kingdom which among other things, frowns against the injustice, oppression, harsh realities that impede the full realization of the citizens of the Kingdom. The Prophets in the biblical tradition from the time of Amos never passed on the chance of criticizing and condemning all forms of social injustices of their time. The Religious must never shy away from truthfully bringing to notice of those who in charge the glaring disbalance in the society, the great chasm that cuts between the unbelievable display of wealth and the horrible and deplorable living condition of the marginalized. 37 38 OLEA GONZÁLEZ J. V., Teología Moral Social: Introducción, 11 GALINDO GARCÍA, A., Moral Socioeconómica, Biblioteca de Autores Cristianos, Madrid 1996. p.16 17 THE CONSECRATED LIFE AND THE OPTION FOR THE POOR | Chukwuebuka Charles Ugonwafor, OSA B. CHALLENGES OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CONSECRATED LIFE AND THE MISSION OF THE OPTION FOR THE POOR. The deficient understanding of the vow of poverty: It is important to know that the vow of poverty is not a theory or an abstract injunction that does not have any connection between its profession and its praxis. There are cases of religious to whom the vow of poverty is mainly a spiritual enterprise, failing to note that being poor in spirit always reflects in the totality of the person in question. There is a great chasm at the time of reconciling the life of a religious who is excellent in giving powerful talks and demonstration as to what evangelical poverty is and his or her questionable attitude towards material possession, vacations, allowance and titles. The Christ-less focus of the Religious: the basic fundament of the Consecrated and religious life is to follow Jesus Christ closely. The Option for the poor viewed from this sequela Christi attitude ceases to form an appendix to the mission, it rather becomes an important part of the mission of the life. A religious loses his or her identity when this is missing and it becomes evident in certain attitudes demonstrated by him or her. The characteristics of the religious person is determined by that of Jesus Christ, living contrary to these characteristics supposes a life lived and directed by one´s individual ingenuity. Losing the Christological dimension of our lives draws us down to the level of uniformed social workers and our concern is shifted from the gospel. It is even worse when it is on a whole level of the religious community. The poor under our care will not be so much affected by their own personal situation than they are affected by the scandal we cause. Materialism in the consecrated life: It is true that we are humans, therefore the need of material goods for the sustenance of all that pertains to our life and mission. Our connection to material goods is determined by the need of one or of the community, this helps to check the situation of having more than we need. The strain to the mission towards the poor becomes evident when we become attached to these things and become slaves to them. A religious dominated by the passion of possession, who views every want as need (or even creating them unnecessarily) and cannot pass up the chance of riding the latest model of cars, electronic gadgets and honorary titles will definitely find it difficult to share his benefits to the poor. The attitude of those who seem to be in need: In our society, especially in Nigeria where there is a great number of poor persons it is possible for a religious to constantly meet them whenever they maybe and lend the necessary assistance as it should. Some religious communities that are in charge of parishes have founded special social groups to help with the welfare of these people who have found themselves in the unfortunate situation that they are in. But the problem is the ability to discern and figure out who and who are in real need of the assistance rendered and who is not, given that in Nigeria some would even claim to be poor while they are not or they are just lazy to find themselves a befitting job. This, of course, raises suspicion in the conscience of the religious who is out to help for fear of helping the wrong person. The supposedly poor individual has taken up begging as a profession and it is really difficult to differentiate one from the other. The Socio-economic status of the society: we live in a Society driven by an insatiable desire of accumulating material benefits caused by an unhealthy egoistic competition to be superior. 18 THE CONSECRATED LIFE AND THE OPTION FOR THE POOR | Chukwuebuka Charles Ugonwafor, OSA Countless promotions and advertisement presented us by the media is not helping at all as it is no longer anything other than the option for personal goods. The Human person is considered from the economic power he or she is able to possess and control. There is the attitude of generalizing the poor situation existent in our society, an abstract understanding one created by a faceless phenomenon to the question of the poor. The quest for power and control has driven men throughout history to do despicable things in the name of preserving a personal legacy at the detriment of the masses. There is an irreconcilable boundary that cuts between the rich who are always richer and the poor. Nigeria, as it is, has seemingly succumbed to the illness of corruption and the alarming trend of chop-I-chop syndrome in the echelons of power is gradually becoming a culture despite countless promises and orientation of fighting corruption. It is therefore difficult to reach the poor in the best way possible, because of the alarming increase in poverty. In a society such as this, a religious can only do so much with the little at his or her disposal. It is a situation that can make a religious to fall into being inactive when it comes to the praxis of the gospel of Jesus Christ. C. SOLUTIONS TO THE CHALLENGES. It is important to understand that the vocation to the religious and consecrated life is one that requires constant renewal both on a personal and communal level, given the situation that we live in. To do is, we must constantly review our lives with the demands of the of Jesus Christ, learning from him the meaning and practice of love (Apostolic letter, I,2) This is a missionary aspect directed to none other than ourselves when we open our hearts to the promptings of the spirit of Christ which will in turn make us true signs of Christ in the world (VC, 25). There is the need to have a complete initial process of formation for those who are aspiring to be religious. A wholesome formation process that views the formandi from every aspect of his or her life. A formation that is honest and sincere that will seek to enhance the good qualities of the formandi and help him or her to put them in good use; picking out the weak spots in order to correct unwanted responses to the life in question. Formators are to be companions and not agents of the mechanical application of rules and conducts of each Institute of Religious Orders and Congregations, with the focus of habilitating the spiritual, psychological, theological and pastoral growth of the formandi. There should be a fraternal aura around the formator and formandi so that counsels and criticisms are given and received with love and sincere gratitude. The initial stage of formation should not be understood as temporal rather as a process that leads one even after solemn or final vows (VC, 65-69). It is necessary to have a good understanding of what evangelical poverty means and the demands of the vow itself. A good approach to poverty, as has been said more than once, should be from the person of Jesus Christ. A life of poverty following that of Christ for the sake of the gospel will have to be a remove whatever appear as an obstacle, adherence to elements of worldly power, influence, money, Comfort, non-availability. Only those who are existentially poor will find the 19 THE CONSECRATED LIFE AND THE OPTION FOR THE POOR | Chukwuebuka Charles Ugonwafor, OSA practical norm to live it in such a way that it penetrates all the dimensions of its being, its evangelical life and its dedication to the announcement of the gospel.39 In our dehumanized society, we are called to build a new world. We are to be the signs that question the society overwhelmed by the desire to possess; signs and hope of a new society. This, will only take place when we assume our prophetic tasks, if from our fraternal life we -by the austerity of life, by sharing the goods, by the constant attitude of service, reconciliation- become the examples, that puts into crisis the Intra-mundane values 40. D. CONCLUSION. The intention of this work through various clarifications is to reaffirm the role of the consecrated life and her mission to towards the poor. This has been done by assessing the two realities independently and later present various connecting ports between them. To wrap up this segment therefore, it is important to note that the religious and consecrated persons are to be involved in the option of the poor, a mission which requires a serious effort to view the world, society, the Church and Humanity at large from the perspective of the poor, taking to cognizance their urgencies and needs, their values and calls, their possible and valid contribution towards the construction of a just society. This different perception, starting from the poor, will make possible the effective change in the criteria and decision processes, whether on the ecclesial, social or cultural level. It will allow us to put ourselves at the service of the poor and, therefore, an effective transformation of the current world and the quality of our presence and religious apostolate41. In this way, our desire to follow Christ will not be only spiritual affair or just relegated to the sanctum of the of personal life without influence on societal and national life…without a right to offer an opinion on events affecting the society (EG, 183), our obligation and duty as religious and consecrated persons is not that of quietism and being restricted to our liturgical or sacramental actions, we should not be afraid to bring the poor closer , make them accepted, for they too, like us, are Children of God in Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. VEGA, L. G., ibid. 359; ROBLES, A., Los Religiosos ante la sociedad de consumo, in Religiosos en un mundo inhumano, Instituto Teológico de Vida Religiosa, Madrid. 1982. 146 40 ROBLES, A., ibid 145 41 AZEVEDO, M., ibid 77 39 20