Divine Call, Response in Love

13. The call to live the evangelical counsels in a religious family comes from the Father¹, reaching down to us through the love that Christ has for each of us - "Jesus, looking at him, loved him."² His gaze, His choice, resting on each of us, invites us to live more intensely the grace given to us at Baptism³.

Full of wonder and gratitude, we accept in all freedom and faith the call of the Lord: "Come, follow me."(2) We allow the Holy Spirit to guide us in the footsteps of Christ, chaste, poor, and obedient. As our superiors walk with us and discern with us, our response of love becomes more and more all-embracing. By our profession, we unite the whole-hearted offering of ourselves⁴ to the eucharistic sacrifice of the Son⁵.