Consecrated life is very relevant today

By Msgr. John Wynand Katende

Posted on: Sunday, 8th February 2026

Whenever secularism, a godless system, seems to engulf society, Christianity proves to be the more persistent. This is what we witnessed when hundreds of religious women and men working in Uganda congregated at Lubaga Cathedral to observe the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, on February 2026. The feast is an annual event, honoring Jesus Christ’s presentation in the Temple when he was a young child. It is in this context that we uphold the value and relevance of consecrated life.

Jesus’ presentation in the Temple, as described in Luke 2:22-24, reflects how He fulfills the Old Covenant. According to Old Testament law, a sacrifice had to be offered in the Temple when a child was consecrated to the Lord. Mary and Joseph honor this tradition,

On 2nd February 2024, Pope Francis powerfully expressed that consecrated life never gets outdated because it is a call to witness to Christ at all times and in all circumstances imposed by the changed socio-cultural conditions. It evokes courageous responses based on the Gospel, as does the constant invitation coming from Christ and from the charism of the founders and foundresses, which continues in time.  Consecrated life, then, becomes the new evangelization of today's world, characterized by the rise of new values and cultures which have a conditioning effect on the traditional view of the consecrated life. 

The concept of consecrated life in the Church has evolved over time. The Church fathers were experts in ascetic life and were spiritual masters to many who sought God and a deeper encounter with him while living an extremely austere life. They abandoned the glories of the world and all its riches to seek God in a life of ardent prayer and fasting, living in absolute simplicity.

Later in the medieval years, monasticism started to develop. Rather than seeking God individually, communities with a common religious cause and ideal started to develop. With the emergence of monasteries, the world still needed people who would go out to evangelize and so missionary religious congregations came up following the mandate of Jesus Christ to “go out into the whole world and proclaim the good news.” (Mark 16:15).

The perfection of charity, to which all the faithful are called, entails for those who freely follow the call to consecrated life the obligation of practicing chastity in celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom, poverty and obedience. They are called the 'evangelical' counsels because we find them lived and therefore recommended (counselled) by Jesus in the four accounts of the Gospel. Jesus Christ was poor in spirit, chaste in heart, and obedient in love to the will of his Father. Looking up always to Christ the master, religious life is a desire for perfection.

The evangelical counsels are a useful support in our pursuit of living in allegiance to Jesus Christ. To all who were willing to follow Him, Christ urged them to leave everything behind and follow Him. In Matthew 19:10-12, a young man asked Jesus what he should do to obtain eternal life, and Jesus told him to "keep the commandments", but when the young man pressed further, Christ told him: "If thou wilt be perfect, go sell what thou hast, and give to the poor". It is from this passage that the term "counsel of perfection" comes.

Again in Matthew 19:21-23, Jesus speaks of Chastity by referring to "eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven", and added "He that can receive it, let him receive it" In its wider context, eunuchs were men who were castrated in order to be trusted in overseeing the king's domestic interests, especially in protecting king's harems. A harem the part of the palace where the King's wives lived.

The individuals consecrated to God live their life in the context of a community and thus it is a life that leads the entire community to the joy of witnessing to the mission of Christ collectively with a common cause. Each consecrated person then becomes a support to the other consecrated persons and thus they collectively realize their Charism. The word "charism" is used to describe the spiritual orientation of a specific religious order.

Conclusively, we recognize the beauty of consecrated life and acknowledge its benefits to the Church and society at large. It reminds us of practical faith in God and the lasting values of His Kingdom. Let us support the vocation and those who freely chose to embrace it.