12. THREE-FOLD 'CALL' DEVELOPMENT

The following is an Embeddable Blog Spreadsheet to show the personal development of my own understanding of the Universal Three-fold 'CALL' for Freedom-Unity-Integrity, and their SOURCE. The Three-fold 'CALL' expresses the Universal 'Essence' of the three traditional vows of Religious life, Poverty-Chastity-Obedience, which have basically been 'limited' to Monastic, Communal, Ministerial life. However, the 'good news' is that this Three-fold 'CALL', indeed, is to 'ALL' PEOPLES of this World no matter one's life 'state' or 'style'. The Universality of the Three-fold 'Call' for FREEDOM-UNITY-INTEGRITY, the essential meaning of the vows of Poverty-Chastity-Obedience, does not in any way minimize the value and validity of a genuine calling to traditional forms of Relious, Communal/Monastic life.

This spreadsheet is designed to show the 'over-view' relationship of each of the three 'CALL', ASPECTS with each other for FREEDOM (first, right hand column); for UNITY (second, middle column); and for INTEGRIY, (third, left hand column). Read, ACROSS, each line. Also, varying parallel aspects of each individual 'Call' relative to our SOURCE can be viewed by reading DOWN each column.

The Three-fold 'CALL' for FREEDOM-UNITY-INTEGRITY, respectively, touches the 'heart' of our Universally experienced human struggles with, Greed-Control-Fear, the antithesis of LOVE/PEACE which All PEOPLES are 'CALLED' to 'be' in relationship with one another.

May I invite you to both read across each of the lines in the Developmental Chart below, and, also, read down each column. The first column down on the left refers to the 'CALL' for, FREEDOM; the second column in the center refers to the 'CALL' for, Unity; and, the third column on the right refers to the 'CALL' for, Integrity.

Below this Chart will be three summary statements of my understanding of key, 'practical elements’, of each of the three traditional vows for poverty-chastity-obedience. Following each one, will be a summary statement of my understanding of the essential Universal meaning of each paralleled 'Apect' of the Three-fold 'CALL' for FREEDOM-UNITY-INTEGRITY. These latter summary statements were formulated by collating the terms used under each column:






Poverty – ‘Poverty of spirit’ opens the door to, 'FREEDOM', for selfless giving . . . for enablling and encouraging one another in our respective services . . . to get in touch with the gifts, talents, and personal mission our SOURCE has given to each of us . . . to encourage the development of others’ gifts, talents, and personal missions . . . to change what 'can be' changed, for our and other's wellbeing; and, to assist one another in finding ‘where’ we can each use our gifts and talents in service of all Peoples of the World.

FREEDOM: Left column, DOWN, collation: Through responsiveness to God’s ‘Call’, as Creator, to ‘Let My People Go’, we know true ‘Freedom’. By recognizing and receiving the ‘Life-giving’ Gift of ‘generous availability’, as good ‘stewards’, and, by being a selfless-presence for one another, we are enabled to ‘live justly’ in The Divine ‘Light’. Ever striving to be ‘poor in spirit’, ours is the, ‘Kin-dom (Reign) of Heaven’. (In a retreat conference the presenter used the term, ‘Kin-dom, to emphasize the, ‘we’, of all Peoples
instead of the, here 'I' am, and, then there are,'those others', theology.)


Chastity – ‘Singleness of heart’ opens the door to Unity, to be all embracing . . . for enabling and encouraging one another with a supportive, affirming love for one another . . . to get in touch with every aspect of what it means to, ‘love God and our neighbor as ourselves’ . . . to supportively help one another to accept what cannot be changed in life's disasters and hardships; and, to be always ready and willing to love with ‘no greater love than this, than to lay down our lives’ for one another.

UNITY: Middle column, DOWN, collation: Through responsiveness to God’s ‘Call’, as Redeemer, to ‘Be one as They are One’, we know true ‘Unity’. By recognizing and receiving the ‘Transforming-Gift’ of ‘all-embracing’, unconditional 'other- centeredness’, and by being supportive-presence for one another, we are enabled to ‘love tenderly’ in/with our LOVE-SOURCE, our ‘Way’. Ever striving to be ‘single of heart’, we ‘can see God’ in our neighbor.


Obedience – ‘Hunger and thirst for holiness’ opens the door to Integrity, to wholeness and holiness . . . for enabling and encouraging one another to reverently 'listen' as well as to be reverently 'heard' . . . to get in touch with God’s Perfect Plan for each of us . . . to 'discern' together the 'Wisdom' to know the difference of what is to be 'changed' and what is to be 'embraced' . . . to ‘hear’ God’s Word in our hearts through prayer, Scriptures, one another; and, to recognize God’s Voice in all aspects of daily life.

INTEGRITY: Right column, DOWN, collation: Through responsiveness to GOD'S ‘Call’, as Sanctifier, to ‘be holy as God is Holy’ -- to ‘be whole as our CREATOR is WHOLE’, we know true ‘Integrity’. By recognizing and receiving the ‘Purifying-Gift’ of ‘quiet readiness’*, and 'open listening', by being prophetic-presence for one another, we are enabled to ‘walk humbly with GOD’, our ‘FULFILLMENT’. Ever striving to be ‘hungry and thirsty for holiness’, we ‘will be satisfied’. (*‘Quiet readiness’: ‘ego surrendering stillness’ to really ‘hear’ GOD'S internal 'VOICE'.)


NOTE: The lived ‘spirit’ (Beatitudes) of each of the three traditional vows of Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience moves us from ‘exclusivity’ (only for ‘religious’ nuns, priests, sisters, brothers and a ‘few’ lay persons) to a Universal Three-fold 'CALL' to 'ALL' Peoples, for FREEDOM-UNITY-INTEGRITY . . .