Evangelical Counsels
"Let us be upright in our thoughts, heart and life...Delicacy of conscience, spiritual sensitivity, rectitude before God and people...Holiness is and always consists in living Jesus Christ as He is prescribed in the Gospel: Way, Truth and Life."
Blessed Fr. James Alberione
This institute helps foster priestly holiness in the exercise of the priest's ministry. Therefore there are two essential elements which form this way of life, devotion to God through the evangelical counsels, and apostolic ministry in the world.
The priest who devotes himself in observing the Evangelical Counsels by entering the institute has the possibility of encountering a greater fidelity to Christian perfection and his vocation as a diocesan priest.
With the public profession of the Evangelical Counsels of chastity, poverty and obedience, the members become more intimately consecrated to "the service of God and of the Church."
So, the profession of the Evangelical Counsels "makes visible for all believers the presence of heavenly goods already in this life and gives a better witness to that new and eternal life won by Christ's redemption, giving a better foretaste of the resurrection to come." And so it involves the person in all his potentialities, making him part of the plan of salvation following the example of Jesus: "As I did, so you must do."(John 13:15)
The Evangelical Counsels, "freely chosen according to the personal vocation of each one," help a great deal in the growth of charity and as a means of conforming "oneself to the poor and virginal life which Christ chose for himself and which his Virgin Mother embraced."
Chastity
"Virginity is a great virtue, chosen wth heaven in view and so as to attend more freely to heavenly things. The heart of the person consecrated to God does not live in solitude, but rather lives in an immensely superior love, comforted by greater communications with God."
Blessed Fr. James Alberione
Institute members profess the Evangelical Consel of Chastity which "accepted as a notable gift of grace" makes "the heart free in a special way" and "implies the obligation of perfect continence in celibacy."
Poverty
"The first Beatitude taught us is poverty: 'Blessed are the poor in spirit because theirs is the kingdom of heaven.'
It is the first step toward sanctity."
Blessed Fr. James Alberione
Consecrated poverty expresses a sharing in Jesus, the Divine Master's lifestyle, he who "being rich made himself poor so as to enrich us by his poverty."(2Cor 8:9) and it opens the disciple's heart to supernatural realities.(Matt 6:25)
Although members profess consecrated poverty the members provide for themselves through their own means and do not renounce the right to possess temporal goods. The members will cultivate a simple lifestyle, leaving aside consumerism and adorning themselves with good works.
The members also live their lives in humble service, in poverty of spirit. They should be alert to the needs of the poor(Matt 10:42) and in particular of those who do not yet know the Gospel(Mark 8:2) so as to give a common witness...to the dignity of human beings created by God, redeemed by Christ, sanctified by the Spirit and called in this life to lead a life in conformity with this dignity.
Obedience
"Obedience is certainly the way of peace, of grace, of God's blessings in the apostolate. God blesses only what is conformity with his will."
Blessed Fr. James Alberione
By the profession of consecrated obedience, members "offer to God the total gift of their will as a personal sacrifice and through this sacrifice they unite themselves to the saving will of God in a more certain and constant way."
To make a reality of consecrated obedience and to become "chosen instruments"(Acts 9:15) in the Father's hands while bringing to all his saving plan,
members:
Will have a filial devotion toward the Pope "so as more directly to derive (from him) doctrine, spirit and apostolic activity." "We also give this obedience the strength of a vow."
The members will endeavor to obey their lawful superiors, "being aware that they are thus making their contribution to the building up of the body of Christ according to the plan of God," the obedience which is owed to their superior does not in any way remove them from their obedience to their Bishop.
The members will respect the dispositions of those who exercise the service of authority in the natural, civil and ecclesiastical fields having the correct attitude toward them.
"To enable the personality of the one consecrated to reach its full development," obedience requires that he live in a dimension of profound interior liberty and always open to life's needs according to the Spirit (Galatians 5:16).
