The Gift of the Redemption

A short apostolic exhortation to men and women religious 'on their consecration in the light of the mystery of the Redemption', dated on the feast of the Annunciation, 25 March 1984, as the Holy Year of the Redemption (1983-84) drew to a close. Written in a direct, personal voice ('Dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus!'), it reads religious profession as a particular sharing in the Redeemer's death and resurrection. After an opening on the call, built round the words 'I have called you by name', it treats consecration and its link with baptism, and then each of the evangelical counsels in turn: chastity, poverty and obedience, as a way of following Christ and as a sign within the world. A section on love for the Church precedes a conclusion that places the document in the heart of Mary, presented as the one most fully consecrated to God. The 1996 exhortation Vita Consecrata later treated consecrated life at length.