Religious Life

December 30, 1983 — Homily By Father John A. Hardon, S.J. We should expect that the New Code of Canon Law would be very specific in directing religious to be very devoted to the Holy Eucharist. Why? Because the Church has already told us that the Holy Eucharist is the center of every religious community. If the […]

December 30, 1983 — Afternoon Conference By Father John A. Hardon, S.J. We are on the last phase of our reflections on prayer in the religious life. Having reflected on the role of the Holy Eucharist, we now wish to address ourselves to penance. There is one whole Canon in the New Code regarding religious life and […]

December 30, 1983 — Evening Conference By Father John A. Hardon, S.J. The new Code of Canon Law is remarkably clear and very detailed on the subject of continuing or lifelong formation of religious. There are many canons dealing with formation before first vows, but that is not the subject of our reflections. There are new canons, […]

December 31, 1983 — Homily By Father John A. Hardon, S.J. Against the background of our last conference on the need of a lifetime formation in the religious life, I wish now to offer three meditations on three successive areas of crucial need for the formation of religious in our day. I say crucial because in my […]

December 31, 1983 — Afternoon Conference By Father John A. Hardon, S.J. Suppose we first get our bearings. We are reflecting on the necessary lifetime formation, especially in doctrine urged on all religious in the New Code of Canon Law. We are told that this continual formation should be both doctrinal and practical; where the doctrine has […]

December 31, 1983 — Evening Conference By Father John A. Hardon, S.J. In context, we are looking for the third and last time at the matter of lifelong formation for religious. The Church wants us to be continually educated, trained, from entrance into a Community up to eternity. We now wish to consider doctrinally, from the viewpoint […]

January 1, 1984 — Afternoon Conference By Father John A. Hardon, S.J. Remember that we are reflecting during this retreat on the Holy Father’s essential elements of Religious Life. The second to the last of these substantials according to Pope John Paul reads, “A form of Government calling for Religious authority based on faith.” It is essential, […]

January 1, 1984 — Evening Conference By Father John A. Hardon, S.J. In Pope John Paul’s own words, he identifies the closing essential element in Religious life as “a special relation to the Church.” Religious life is nothing – if not ecclesial. It is the Church, the ecclesial, that preserves Christ’s revelation about the evangelical counsels. It […]

January 1, 1984 — Homily By Father John A. Hardon, S.J. Today’s feast, the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, was instituted by the late Pope Paul VI. He explained in his Apostolic Exhortation, Marialis Cultus (The Veneration of Mary), why this feast was established and he gave five reasons: was to commemorate the role played […]