Various Spiritualities - Thesis Example

The paper "Various Spiritualities" is an outstanding example of a religion and theology thesis. The aim of this course is to examine the religious call and the lifestyle or the spirit in which it is lived. St. Paul stated: “Those who are living by their natural inclinations have their minds on the things human nature desires; those who live in the spirit have their minds in spiritual things,” (Romans 8:5). So we shall examine what we know about the way of being religious and how to live according to the knowledge, that is, an openness to the Holy Spirit and acceptance of who we are as religious by appreciating our religious call. It exposes us to the various aspect of consecrated life and opens us up to mature discussions on our spiritual journey and religious life.

According to an anonymous author, “Our call to the religious life is a call which as been “ab initio” (from the beginning) in the mind of God.” From all eternity God has made this divine call and only manifested it in time and God to has left us with the option to respond or reject his call. The religious call is a special privileged invitation to holiness, to the life of Christian perfection. It implies toeing the “narrow path,” the rough, rugged path, the “via crucis,” the way of the cross. It involves as St. Jerome stated: “Nudus Sequere,” (following of Christ nude), who was born in the manger, who though rich made himself poor for our sake. Jesus though in the midst of plenty or abundance decided to suffer want, or deprivation of material things in order to sae the world. A religious is to follow the example of his or her Spouse: poor, obedient and chaste from where the evangelical counsels derived their being, weight and meaning. Religious life is a holy state but people who are not holy are called to live it; people who were born sinners. But since we have freely responded to God’s call, He expects us to play our own parts to bring the good work he began in us to a perfect end. St. Augustine has stated: “He who created us without our knowledge will not save us without our cooperation.”