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Province d'Afrique de l'Ouest: Inter-Postulancy Session in Abidjan: Reflecting on Religious Life

P eventThursday, 12 December 2024

November 3–9, 2024

From November 3 to 9, 2024, an inter-postulancy session was held in Abidjan, the capital of Ivory Coast, bringing together about forty young men and women aspiring to religious life, along with their formators. The session aimed to deepen the participants’ understanding of the origins of religious life. The formation was led by Father Zacharie of the Capuchin Order, who encouraged the young postulants to learn about history as a means of better understanding their vocation.

Father Zacharie began by saying: "As we enter religious life, a new family, it is crucial to understand its past to comprehend the present and envision the future. The origins of religious life trace back to monasticism. Even before Jesus Christ, monks existed, most of them from non-Christian religions. Monastic life was seen as a way of living for spiritual purposes, transcending earthly goals, and was considered the only essential pursuit. This way of life had three key elements: separation from the world, ascetic practices, and mystical aspiration. As pre-postulants, we are called to follow Christ, embracing these principles. This journey begins with the gratuity of love: giving oneself without reservation, practicing detachment, opening the heart, and seeking personal conversion."

He emphasized that the foundation of religious life is the gratuity of love: "Consecrated life is based on gratuitous love, a self-giving without expecting anything in return. The postulant must acknowledge their limitations and allow the Gospel to shape them."

Father Zacharie also highlighted the relationship between the pre-postulant and their formator: "This relationship is vital for a fruitful vocational journey and is built on mutual trust. The pre-postulant must be truthful and obedient. The greatest danger for a postulant is to believe they are inherently good because God does not call us for our goodness but for a specific mission. The formator helps us recognize God’s traces in our lives."

He further emphasized that religious life is not defined by what one does but by who one is: "Religious life is a way of being, a call to imitate Christ in humility and love, serving everyone. One does not become a religious to do a job but to be a witness of Christ through service."

He concluded with a powerful message: "God does not call the capable; He equips those He calls. Jeremiah thought he was too young, Moses stuttered, Peter was a fisherman, Matthew a tax collector, Luke a doctor, and Paul a scholar of the law. God calls everyone without exception. The key to fulfilling the mission is humility: knowing one’s true nature and limitations. To imitate Christ is to have a passionate love for others, both in community and in ministry. Always remember that you are simple, humble servants."

The session was experienced in a joyful and fraternal atmosphere.

Marie-Basilia Bonkoungou, Pre-Postulant of the Religious of the Assumption