Missionaries of the Sacred

Excerpts from a reflection by Fr. Andrew Torma, MSC

Every member of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart takes the vow of poverty. This vow is one of the differenc­es between a diocesan priest and a Religious priest and can cause a fair amount of difficulty and confusion. After all, why would a person choose poverty as a way of life?

According to a just way of life, each of us chooses to live within our resources and share our extras with others. Our excess is not our right but is a privilege. Our middle-class value is that excess is our right. Yet, our moral right is to have our needs met. A just way of life is to share one’s excess resources with those in need. The vow of poverty helps us MSC lead a more just life in community. The radical value of the consecrated life is to live within the boundaries of simplicity, giving life to others by shar­ing the resources that are beyond our legitimate needs for a healthy life and service to the Church.

In the past, medical needs and educational needs were shared with our Catholic community because religious men and women, vowed Brothers, Sisters and Priest, ministered for very little pay in schools and hospitals. Our Catholic School system and Medical Care system through out the USA was financed by the voluntary service and vowed life of poverty of these Religious. Their necessities for food, shelter and education were provided while they gave of their talents for the well being of others. Even our parents gave of their resources for the Catholic education of their children and supported the public school system through their taxes. Living a more simple style of life al­lows a person to have more resources than is necessary for a healthy way of life.

When I was a young religious the transition to the vow of poverty was not that difficult because I was used to living simply out of necessity. I did not have the opportunity to live with more economic choices. I was from a large family that was poor and I had to find satisfaction with my life as a poor person. As an MSC I actually had more opportunities and choices, but as a vowed member of a Religious community, I had to evaluate materialism and economic privileges.

Yet the call to examine our personal privileges is not unique to members of a religious community; in order to enter into a deeper relationship with God, we cannot allow our possessions to become the focus of all our en­ergy and attention. In order to have a healthy relation­ship with ourselves and form healthy relationships with others, we must remember that deach person has dignity as a son or daughter of God. The vow of poverty not only supports a just way of life, it also reminds us that who we are does not depend on what we have.

Fr. Andrew is the Vocation Director for the USA Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart