A few weeks ago, our sisters Azola and Asanda professed their religious vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. We must pause and realise how extraordinary it is when a young woman—or a young man, in the case of our brothers—freely chooses to give up everything for Christ.

 

As Fr. Ricardo, the Founder of Koinonia, often says, the gift of virginity is central to our community. It is both a sign of Christ’s presence among us and a prophetic message to the world.

 

It is a sign of Christ’s presence because when a young, intelligent, and healthy person decides to respond to the love of Jesus—loving Him above all things for the rest of his or her life—only the living presence of Christ can explain such a decision.

 

It is also a prophetic sign because, as Jesus said:

“In the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven” (Matthew 22:30).

Consecrated life, therefore, points us toward the reality of heaven, where God’s love will fill every heart so completely that there will be no need for exclusive human bonds.

 

As St. John Paul II, in his Apostolic Exhortation titled Vita Consecrata, beautifully teaches:

“By the profession of the evangelical counsels, the consecrated person does not only make Christ the meaning of his or her life, but strives to reproduce in oneself, as far as possible, that form of life which He, as the Son of God, accepted in entering this world” (Vita Consecrata, 16).

 

Let us treasure the gift of consecrated life and speak openly about its beauty, so that young people who are called to leave everything for Christ may be inspired to respond. The Lord has not stopped calling; the question is, do we create spaces where His voice can be heard and followed?