Why a Rule of Life?
One characteristic of a Religious Community is that there is a shared way of life that bind us together. This can look very different. From the solemn permanence of a Benedictine Monastery to the missionary commitment of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and from the strict isolation of Athonite Hermits to the embedded witness of Franciscan Tertiaries.
These are old and odd names that give testimony to how the Holy Spirit has called people to Jesus – often in response to a decline in godliness of secular society or the church, or both – since about AD 250.
The choices we make shape our lives – the choice to marry or work in a particular field; the choice of how we respond to conflict or injustice, or the scars from life – all these choices shape our lives, often without us being very conscious of it.
On the contrary, choosing to share a way of life in Community is a choice with a specific purpose – in our case, the choice to grow together with one another so that we may carry the healing power of Jesus to a world in pain. Our Rule of Life describes how we choose to do that.