Words I Need to Know
I don't know the meaning of some of those words I keep reading. What do those words mean?
Here are some commonly used terms:
Charism: a gift of the Holy Spirit granted to a person or to a group of persons for the common good of the Church
Community: another name for the Sisters belonging to a specific group of women or men religious
Congregation: a more formal name for a religious community
Constitution: a written document that establishes the rules and principles that govern our common life and which has been approved by the Congregation for Religious and Secular Institutes in Rome
Discernment: a decision made in faith between many goods (good choices)
Evangelical life: the Franciscan charism given to the Church in which emphasis is neither on a common place centered on contemplation and the praise of God (monastic life), nor on a common task centered on a concrete mission of service to the church and world (apostolic life)...rather it is on a common heart; a prophetic witness to Christ and the whole of His Gospel
Formation: the steps in which discernment takes place in becoming a member of a religious congregation
Institute: a term given by Canon Law for a religious congregation
Local community: the many ways that consecrated women gather to share common life
Mission: A community’s mission statement defines the core purpose of its existence –it shares in and expresses the way Christ was and served in the world and church
