Religious Life

Father Hardon’s writings on religious life explore the vocation of consecrated men and women within the Catholic Church. These articles examine vows, holiness, community life, spiritual discipline, and the call to serve Christ through religious dedication and apostolic mission.

Chapter Two: Community Life

Reverend John A. Hardon, S.J. In the history of the Church, community life has existed from apostolic times. The community of Christians living at Jerusalem after the Lord’s Ascension set the pattern for the future, and no community since then can afford to ignore this biblical paradigm. St. Luke, disciple of the peregrinating St. Paul, […]

The Eucharist and Vocations

Rev. John A. Hardon, S.J.SRV Chaplain It is impossible to exaggerate the close relation between the Holy Eucharist and vocations to the priesthood and the religious life. This is only to be expected once we realize that every vocation is a special grace from God, and the greatest source of grace we have is the […]

Mary, Mother of Vocations

Rev. John A. Hardon, S.J.SRV Chaplain When Mary told the angel at the Annunciation, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word,” she became the patroness of every priest and religious until the end of time. Her acceptance of God’s invitation to become His Mother […]

American Religious Life in Historical Perspective: Chapter 1 – The Crisis in Religious Life

Reverend John A. Hardon, S.J. Bellarmine School of Theology Chicago, IL TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1: The Crisis in Religious Life 2: Community Life 3: Comparative Religious Life 4: Constitution, Rules, and Customs 5: Vocation, Vows, Commitment and Apostolate 6: The Eucharist 7: Confession 8: Poverty, Chastity and Prayer 9: Silence, Habit and Daily Order […]

American Religious Life in Historical Perspective: Chapter 2 – Community Life

Reverend John A. Hardon, S.J. Bellarmine School of Theology Chicago, IL In the history of the Church, community life has existed from apostolic times. The community of Christians living at Jerusalem after the Lord’s Ascension set the pattern for the future, and no community since then can afford to ignore this biblical paradigm. St. Luke, […]

American Religious Life in Historical Perspective: Chapter 3 – Comparative Religious Life

Reverend John A. Hardon, S.J. Bellarmine School of Theology Chicago, IL There is so much to say about religious life in the Catholic Church that it must seem like an intrusion to talk about anything else. But I think we can wait a bit before going on with our subject. There can be real profit […]

American Religious Life in Historical Perspective: Chapter 4 – Constitution, Rules, Customs

Reverend John A. Hardon, S.J. Bellarmine School of Theology Chicago, IL This is not a study of the juridical structure of religious communities. If it were, it would be necessary to trace, in some detail, the different forms of organization that groups of men and women took at different stages in the Church’s history. We […]

American Religious Life in Historical Perspective: Chapter 5 – Vocation, Vows, Commitment and Apostolate

Reverend John A. Hardon, S.J. Bellarmine School of Theology Chicago, IL In any discussion of the religious life two words are invariably associated: vocation and vows. They should be associated because they belong together. However, there are two other words that should join their company: commitment and apostolate. These form what I consider the inseparable […]

American Religious Life in Historical Perspective: Chapter 6 – The Eucharist

Reverend John A. Hardon, S.J. Bellarmine School of Theology Chicago, IL The religious life and the Eucharist are so closely related that the one can scarcely be conceived without the other. In the history of the Church, religious life began with the Eucharist; different orders and congregations took their root in the devotion of their […]

American Religious Life in Historical Perspective: Chapter 7 – Confession

Reverend John A. Hardon, S.J. Bellarmine School of Theology Chicago, IL Until recently the subject of Confession among religious was not much discussed. The Church’s legislation that “religious should approach the Sacrament of Confession at least once a week” was taken for granted. (Canon 595,3). Occasionally an article or even a book might be published […]

American Religious Life in Historical Perspective: Chapter 8 – Poverty, Chastity and Prayer

Reverend John A. Hardon, S.J. Bellarmine School of Theology Chicago, IL If there is one theological development that has come out of the Second Vatican Council, it is the concept of the Church as the universal sacrament of salvation. This means more than saying that the Church professes to have a sacramental system, from Baptism […]

American Religious Life in Historical Perspective: Chapter 9 – Silence, Habit and Daily Order

Reverend John A. Hardon, S.J. Bellarmine School of Theology Chicago, IL We come to the last phase of our analysis of religious life and personality development. The plan is to see under one theme those features that give strong external witness of religious dedication and communal living, and are a special sign of religious obedience. […]

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