Prophecy From a Catholic Perspective (41) – Consecrated Life as a Sign of Fulfillment

Continuing through the Catechism of the Catholic Church as it relates to prophecy:

916 The religious state is thus one way of experiencing a “more intimate” consecration, rooted in Baptism and dedicated totally to God. In the consecrated life, Christ’s faithful, moved by the Holy Spirit, propose to follow Christ more nearly, to give themselves to God who is loved above all and, pursuing the perfection of charity in the service of the Kingdom, to signify and proclaim in the Church the glory of the world to come.

923 “Virgins who, committed to the holy plan of following Christ more closely, are consecrated to God by the diocesan bishop according to the approved liturgical rite, are betrothed mystically to Christ, the Son of God, and are dedicated to the service of the Church.” By this solemn rite (Consecratio virginum), the virgin is “constituted . . . a sacred person, a transcendent sign of the Church’s love for Christ, and an eschatological image of this heavenly Bride of Christ and of the life to come.”

933 Whether their witness is public, as in the religious state, or less public, or even secret, Christ’s coming remains for all those consecrated both the origin and rising sun of their life:
For the People of God has here no lasting city, . . . [and this state] reveals more clearly to all believers the heavenly goods which are already present in this age, witnessing to the new and eternal life which we have acquired through the redemptive work of Christ and preluding our future resurrection and the glory of the heavenly kingdom.

I have not pulled all the different excerpts on consecrated or religious life from the Catechism, but these are emblematic of the whole. Those who dedicate themselves through vows of virginity and chastity, poverty and mission-work, and so on in a very special way unite themselves to the Kingdom and are in themselves signs of the glory of the perfected Kingdom to come. Further, as the universal Church is the bride of Christ, individuals are an image of this bride by consecrating themselves only to Christ and His Church.

This extends not only to recognized religious life, but to lay apostolates as well. Ultimately, this extends to all of us in every walk of life. There is a very special bond in the religious life. But this also is a sign to our own calling in life, and our own devotion to Christ and His Church – whether we are husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, teachers or lawyers or actuaries… wherever we are, we are still a witness.

That is in the here and now. But the Catechism considers all these orders and apostolates and individuals to be signs of the ultimate fulfillment of all our hopes and expectations in the return of Christ and perfection of the Kingdom. Whenever we see goodness, we see the Kingdom.