"The consecrator is to God and to Christ
We must become witnesses who give the first place in our lives. "
St. John Paul II
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Benedictine contributors living in the world include both lay and secular priests as Christians living in their own home, society, and workplace. They find directions in their lives within the rules of St. Benedict, mature their call to evangelical perfection, serve God, and find ways to glorify God.
Consecration can take its origin from the rules of St. Benedict itself and has been recognized by the church as a settled activity for a long time through centuries. These Christian dedications took place in a concrete form by renewing their baptismal dedication according to the spirituality of the Benedictines.
All contributors have a bilateral relationship with a particular Benedictine monastery chosen according to their spiritual interests or local conditions, and through this relationship they become associated with all Benedictine monasteries.
Application and training process
Dedication is achieved by submitting a petition for dedication to Papas and accepting it. The dedication is made after a total of three years of training, and those who have not reached the age of 18 or who belong to the third order of other religious orders will not be accepted. Without disturbing their work or family life, Benedict's attitude of life as a consecrator is formed through a deeper understanding of the rules, participation in liturgy, meeting with other contributors, and lectures by spiritual leaders. The rite of consecration takes place during the Eucharist according to the sanctioned liturgical pattern, and as it is spoken before God, it is of a durable and obligatory character.
The specific life and spirituality of the consecrator
The consecration meeting was derived from the growth of the true value of the Gospel and the Christian value of the monk tradition. Thus, the consecrator is responsible for faithfulness to this life within the confines of the Benedictine spirituality through prayer and self-dedication according to spiritual, doctrinal and liturgical progress. The spiritual life of consecration is realized by dying to sin, living a new life in Christ, and responding specifically to universal appeals and invitations to holiness.
The center of the consecrator's day should be God's work Opus Dei, as St. Benedict taught that “nothing shall precede the work of God” [Rule 43,3]. First of all, as daily as possible, the consecrator will participate in the sacrificial offering of Christ, the Eucharist, in the sense of adding his or her consecration to the sacrificial offering of Christ. Also, we must practice the holy affairs [at least morning prayer and evening prayer] and Lexio Divina. We must pray deeply and lead a life of listening to God in silence.
And as a contributor to the Benedictine, who had a bilateral relationship with the Order of Olivetano, he will learn from the Virgin Mary an example of inner life, as did its founder St. Will. In addition, in the life of a believer, a consecrator who aligns himself with Benedicdo rules must strive to practice humility, obedience, and love. In particular, we will cultivate a good passion for serving our neighbors [Rule 72] with a good heart in the world, understanding our neighbors, maintaining an attitude that is always open to the requests of our brothers.
Finally, the contributor will be fully committed to the expansion of the kingdom of God and the love and completion of the temporal order in a Christian spirit, with a generous heart yearning for eternal wealth. [See Decree 4 on the Second Vatican Council Lay Apostolate]
