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JUBILEE TEACHING

Poverty, Chastity and Obedience

JUBILEE TEACHING FOR FEBRUARY 3, 2008 | FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Religious orders still play a huge role in the ministry of the church. Religious orders consist of groups of men or women living together and dedicated to a particular ministry, be it teaching, nursing or even contemplation. For instance, the Sisters of Charity, founded by St. Vincent de Paul, have dedicated themselves to the care of the poor and founded many hospitals. The Carmelites are a cloistered order devoted to prayer and meditation.

St. Benedict established the first monastic order. The Benedictine monks founded a monastery in Monte Cassino, Italy, around 520. Eventually, monasteries became prevalent throughout the Christian world. They served as centers of religious learning, and they often became financially successful in farming, winemaking and other endeavors.

In addition to the monastic orders, the church also saw the rise of the mendicant orders. Friars belonging to these orders did not live in seclusion, but went out into the world in order to exercise the sacred ministry. They were not allowed to earn an income, but had to exist on donations. A “brother,” such as a Christian Brother, is a type of friar.

All members of religious communities, whether monks, nuns, friars, or brothers, practice the evangelical counsels — that is, they take voluntary vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. They do not marry, hold no private property, live communally and practice strict obedience to their superiors.

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JUBILEE TEACHING

Poverty, Chastity and Obedience

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