Note: The above paragraphs are from an article from "Franciscan Archive" (Used with permission) |
The Evangelical Counsels
"The Rule of the Friars Minor is this, namely, to observe the Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ, by living in obedience without anything of our own, and in chastity." (Solet Annuere, Chapter I)
In the very first chapter of St. Francis' Rule is the explanation and summary of what it means to be a Franciscan and to follow Our Lord after the example of St. Francis. Notice the importance in the mind of St. Francis of the three evangelical counsels, those of obedience, poverty, and chastity. These three vows are the foundation of all relgious life, and especially that of St. Francis and Franciscans, the Friars Minor.
What is a vow?
A vow is a promise made to God to do something Good for the love of God. This could be a prayer, good work or penance or a combination of these. What makes this a vow is the promise made to God. Since God is infinitely good and just and holy, a vow is therefore one of the most importany acts anyone can make. Indeed religious vows are the greatest sacrifice that a Catholic can offer to God, after that which the Priest offers in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. When a vow is fulfulled then God is honored. And one fruit that comes from honoring God is the good example this gives to others for their salvation.
There are a special kind of vows which are called religious vows. These are vows to live a form of life which has been approved of by the Church. Those who take religious vows are called religious. They live in communities such as monasteries, friaries, convents, hermitages, etc.. The three vows that most religious take are called the Evangelical Vows, which are vows to live the three evangelical counsels which Our Lord taught to His Apostles: obedience, poverty, and chastity.
These Three Evangelical Counsels are good works which Our Lord advised all of us to practice sometime in life. They help us get to heaven. But they are not commands: all of us need not observe them all at all times. Yet it is good if some of us do. Among these are religious who promise to observe these three by their religious vows.
Obedience is a virtue. We should obey all legitimate authority, in our family (father and mother), in our nation (president/prime minister, leaders of the government), and most importantly in the Church (the Pope, our bishop, our pastor etc.). Without obedience no one can get to heaven. A promise made to God to obey an ecclesiatical superior in a religious community is called a vow of obedience. By it one makes himself a subject of the superior and promises to obey him in accord with the Rule of the community.
Chastity is a virtue. We should be chaste in our family and in public life. Without chastity no one can get to heaven. Chastity for the laity means celebacy before and after marriage and respect for one's spouse in marriage. Chastity for the clergy or for religious means celebacy for life. The vow of chastity is something religious profess. By it they sacrifice the freedom the laity have to marry and raise children.
Poverty is a virtue. We should love God above all things and love other thing only insofar as they help us love God. Without the virtue of poverty, which is a detatchment from possesing things for the love of God, no one can get to heaven. No one should be greedy or make wealth the purpose of his life. Religious by the vow of poverty promise to live as a family, with all goods owned by the community and each member owning nothing personally.
What is unique about Franciscan Vows of Obedience, Poverty, and Chastity?
All religious men and women live some form of the vows of obedience, poverty, and chastity. But what distinguishes Franciscans from other religious is the manner and extent of the sacrifice offered by these sacred vows.
In obedience a Franciscan not only promises to obey his legitimate superiors in the Order in everything that is explicity contained in the Rule and Norms of the community, but also oblidges himself to do whatsoever the superior might command him so long as it is something good and licit. By this vow, the Franciscan religious obtains a childlike purity of heart which makes him pleasing to God and offers God the greatest of all sacrifices, that of his entire free will.
In poverty a Franciscan not only renounces the ownership of all possessions, giving them to the poor, and promises to live a communal life with his fellow religious, but he entrusts his life to God's providence and accepts only the use of necessary things. As such Franciscans traditionally own no property, either personally nor as a community, nor do they own or use money or financial instruments or investments. They rely entirely upon the charity of the faithful in everything, accepting the use of things and consumables in exchange for their manual labor.
In chastity a Franciscan not only renounces the goods of marriage, but also promises to avoid all familiarity with women, as well as every interior and exterior act which is against virginal purity. By this vow the Franciscan religious, while on earth, takes on the angelic life of purity which is the life of all the saints in Heaven.
Finnaly, by promising to observe the Gospel Life of the Apostles, the Franciscan religious promises to observe a unique and very perfect form of Marian Consecration, living as he does each day, to strive to ever more perfectly observe the words of Our Lady at Cana, doing whatsoever Our Lord says in the Gospel and through His Vicar on earth, the Roman Pontiff.
Note: The above paragraphs are from an article from "Franciscan Archive" (Used with permission)
