The mission of the consecrated stems from the words of Jesus in Matthew 19, in which he acknowledges that some will choose not to marry for the sake of the kingdom of heaven, and encourages anyone who can to accept this particular gift of God. (Mt. 19:10-12; vc 30 2,3) The apostolic exhortation of John Paul II, Vita Consecrata (1996), addresses the consecrated, those whose very mission is special conformity to Christ, chaste, poor and obedient. The invitation to consecrated life is an invitation to accept the grace to leave behind ordinary lives and to enter into a closer relationship of intimacy with Jesus. (CF. VC 16 1) Those comprising this branch of the tree, with its many offshoots, support the life of the Church by making their own the way of life personally practiced by Jesus. Preparation for this mission comes through the foundational sacraments of baptism and confirmation, and a non-sacramental consecration.

Those living the consecrated life are often addressed by the title “sister” or “brother” they often take a new religious name at the time of their profession of vows; and those in particular religious families indicate the identity of that family by adding initials after their names, such as “S.J.” for “Society of Jesus.” It comes as a surprise to many Catholics to learn that these characteristics - title, new religious name, initials - while proper to forms of religious consecrated life, are not proper to all forms of consecrated life. Those forms properly lived in the world (secular forms), such as consecrated virgins and members of secular institutes, do not use the title “sister” or “brother” and do not take new religious names. And forms not identified with a particular religious family, such as consecrated virgins, do not use initials after their names. We'll take a closer look at these distinct vocations within the family of consecrated life.

The distinct vocations of consecrated life are also depicted in the Vocation Tree. So varied are these forms in appearance, and yet each radiates, in its distinctive form, a witness to the resurrected life to come. In the Gospel of Mark (12:25), Jesus observes: “When they rise from the dead they neither marry nor are given in marriage.” Based on these words of Jesus, the Church explains that those who choose virginity or celibacy now for the sake of the kingdom of heaven begin to live on earth the life that will be lived by all in the future resurrection. These men and women stand as a sign of and a witness to the resurrected life to come, the union with God that is the telos (intended end) of all souls.

And yet the distinctions among the various forms are important, especially for one discerning a call to consecrated life. A form might be characterized by its relation to the world: a form lived apart from the world is known as religious consecrated life; the form lived in the world and yet not of the world is known as secular consecrated life. Most forms are lived in community, but two are lived individually under the direction of the bishop. Some forms are characterized by a more contemplative life and others by a more active life. Such a variety of witnesses to the love of Christ as Bridegroom!

There are seven specific actualizations (flowerings) of consecrated life noted in Vita Consecrata.