THE CALL OF JONAH
God called Jonah to preach in the great city of Nineveh considered as great enemies of Israel and worshippers of false gods. The Assyrians were seen as outcast before the Israelites. This became a great challenge to Jonah, he was to refuse God’s call but his attempt of refusal was futile since the omnipotent God went before him wherever he went. While escaping, he was confronted by a tremendous storm that nearly ruined his life. He was thrown into sea having discovered he was cause of the storm.
However, he was swallowed by a shark that vomited him in the land of Nineveh, where he was trying to escape and was compelled to accomplish the task which God calls for. This implies vocation requires availability and readiness since a refusal of the demand of the Most High often ruins our lives. God created us and he assigns mission for his children. This implies that a denial of Gods vocation is often a denial of one’s ontology or foundation of life.
THE CALL OF MOSES
God called a Moses, who was a Shepherd. He saw a burning bush but not consumed as a visible sign of his call, on getting closer he encountered God who called him to liberate his people suffering in the land of Egypt. Moses on his part lacked the power of speech, because he stammered and this could have been an obstruction to this great task. The omnipotent being neglected this deficiency since for him human deficiencies are nothing because he creates and recreates all powers belongs to him. Moses made an attempt to complain but his complaint did not obstruct the plans of God since God had already foreseen everything. He bestowed on him a great power that made all born of women to fear him in the entire land of Egypt. He became a great man and confronted the challenges of his vocation with the assistance of God and he remained victorious and his name became immortalized.
However, in any case we must work according to our vocation; a deviation from our vocation is often disastrous as we may be out of the grace of God that empowers us (Eph 4:1).
THE CALL OF ST AUGUSTINE
Even while we are sinner God could call us and transform us. Augustine of Hippo born in 354AD lived a licentious life. He was inclined to worldly pleasures. As an intelligent man, he pursued academics and often seeks knowledge for intellectual development but his spiritual life suffered. He had a devoted mother, who was concerned about her son Augustine who was living a licentious life and even had a Mistress who gave him a child called Adeodatus. Augustine remained adamant to his mother’s worries and lived his own way of life. He would follow various philosophers only to become disillusioned with the teachings. For nine years he was associated to the Manichean sect. but he never gained satisfaction in his quest for knowledge.
Augustine in his search for knowledge would like to listen to gifted speakers, through whom he gained his motivations and inspirations in his academic gymnastics. However, at his encounter with Ambrose the Bishop of Milan to listen to his preaching, to enjoy the eloquence of the great Bishop, he was caught by the Spirit of God and a gradual change began to occur in his life.
In the year 386AD Augustine and his friends were spending time in Milan, he heard the voice of a child singing a song, the words of which were; “pick up and read it”. He thought at first that the song was related to some kind of children’s game, but could not remember ever having heard such a song before. Later, he realized that the voice was the voice of God. He opened the scripture passage and read;
Not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual excess and lust, not in quarrelling and jealousy. Rather put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the desires of the flesh (Rom13:13-14).
Reading this the great philosopher Augustine realized that he had been living in the world of illusion. This was a moment of disillusion for him; his heart was flooded with light of enlightenment. He turned totally from his life of sin. This became the vocation for the Philosopher who now embraces the service of God through his life as a priest. When God calls you, he transforms you. In his new life as a Christian and minister of God’s vineyard Augustine discovers that humanity is restless until he rests on the Lord.
THE CALL OF SAUL
Saul was an enlightened man who studied Jewish law and religion and ensured that this religion of his Ancestors must be preserved. In view of this, any opposition to the Jewish religion must be attacked by him. In the same way anyone who opposes Jewish religion would be eliminated. This implies that outside the Jewish flock Saul was a great terrorist.
However, the young man thought he was fighting for God, he never knew he was fighting his God since at this time he was walking in the world of illusion (Act 9:1-6). The life and personality of Saul changed when he encountered Jesus on his journey to destroy the Christians considered as obstacles to the Jewish religion. On his way he was called by Jesus who told him that, he, Paul was persecuting him. Paul was astonished at this expression; who might be this man whom he is persecutor? When he discovered it was his Lord in Jewish religion he regretted and his life was transformed. He discovered he was blind, which implies that he had been in the world of illusion, he needed the grace of God to liberate him from his illusory. Ananias was sent to him through whom he regained his sight and came back to the world of actual things in a transformed way. This was the vocation of God for him. When God calls he changes the personality of the individual. He draws the person to himself and liberates the person from the world of fantasy or mirage into the world of realities.

CHALLENGES OF VOCATION
The world is not a bed of roses neither is the world a bed of thorns. In any condition of life one must be ready to face challenges. Vocation is accompanied by challenges. This implies that as the mouth piece of God ministers could step on the feet of violent politicians and bourgeoisies who would not want anything against them. In the course of rendering the service of God’s word, the life of ministers are threatened, the priest, religious and evangelists are confronted with enemies who strongly oppose their ministries. In God’s vocation men and women are called to be advocate to the speechless but in the course of this, religious men and women, evangelists and prophets, are attacked by governmental bodies. The question that emanates in their minds would be; where do we go from here? However the answer remains our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth.
NOURISHMENT OF VOCATION
Divine vocation is delicate and must be nourished as a result of the frailty of human nature. The religious are earthen wares carrying heavenly treasures, earthen wares are fragile and thus require extreme carefulness. Religious are called not because of their holiness, but called as sinners that require God’s mercy and assistance, thus religious need the continuous grace of God to execute their tasks. In view of this religious are invited to a life of prayer. In prayer religious implore God’s mercy.
Furthermore, no one is an island, a tree cannot make a forest, a stick of broom cannot sweep the house neither can a grain of rice satisfy an individual. Religious needs the support of one another in their spiritual growth believing in the fact that individuals are endowed differently, and in relationship with one another the religious grows positively and would be able to develop spiritually. Humanity is created to be a being for the other and this is the essence of community life among religious.
WHAT IS RELIGIOUS LIFE?
For us to understand the term religious life, it is pertinent to understand the meaning of the concept, “religious”. The word religious is from the Latin word “religare” which means to bind. In religious life people are bind together to God in a special way to go beyond the “minimum requirements” and seek the higher path, the path of perfection (Mk1:16-20, Luke 5:1-11).
In 1 Jn2:15-17 it is written;
“love not the world, nor the things which are in the world. If any man loves the world the charity of the father is not in him. For all that is n the world is the concupiscence of the flesh”.
Thus religious should detach from the pleasure of the world, since the world gives illusory pleasure but the actual pleasure lies in heaven.
In Mt 19:16-30, Jesus is asked how to be saved. He answered and then revealed what we must do to perfect. Thus a religious should project love in his or her relationships both with God and humanity for effective ministry. The two different things here are; the love of God and the love of our fellow human being. In religious life a group of people come together, realizing their human frailty, but coming together to help one another in spiritual growth, through their different talents in life, recognizing the fact that people are being blessed differently.
Poverty, chastity and obedience the “evangelical counsel” described by the combined words of Our Lord and St Paul shaped the path of perfection walked by the early religious, and which is still walked today by those who have the call.

ORIGIN OF RELIGIOUS LIFE
The religious life originated as a result of men and women desiring to live a more perfect life beyond the normal life of the Christians, but to imitate the life of the Christians of living together for mutual benefits, life of prayer and communal sharing. In the beginning these groups of people and virgins who want to live a special life lived with their families, while pledging sexual continence and working for the church. The virgins work as deaconesses an office that did not involve Holy Orders by which women functioned to help other women in the church such as Baptisms. They were a special class in the church. In ancient Rome a veil was worn by married women and because Christ is the bridegroom, these consecrated virgins and widows also took the veil and were called “brides of Christ”. St Athanasius (295-373) described these people who reflect angelic holiness as brides of Christ.
At the early stage of this, it was conferred by parents but soon the giving of the veil to virgins who pledged continence was done during solemn consecration by Bishops when they were 25. And soon the women lived in communities.
The oppositions confronted by the church generated a more stable religious life. These oppositions drove many who desired to live a perfect life into deserts but some did not use the wilderness as a refuge but embrace it in the spirit of mortification and after the example of St John the Baptist as the Catholic Encyclopedia puts it well, they sought to triumph over the two unavoidable enemies of human salvation, the flesh and the devil, by depriving them of their assistance. The greatest among the ascetics was St Anthony Abbot.

ST ANTHONY ABBOT
St Anthony lived between 251AD -361AD. He was known as the father of monasticism. He was son of rich parents, but abandoned his parents’ wealth at the age of 20 compelled by our Lord’s word to the rich Youngman in Matthew Gospel and embrace poverty. While living in desert disciple flocked around him for spiritual benefits. He acted as spiritual director in 305AD.
ST PACHOMUS
He lived between 290AD-346AD and spent his time organizing men into communities nurturing the seeds of cenobitic monasticism. Pachomus in this contributed greatly towards what is now is known as formal religious life. Religious life continued from this nursery stage to what it is now known today. Other religious congregations and orders emanated with their respective rules and orders but always subjected to the approval of the church.
1209------------------- Franciscan order was founded
1220------------------- Dominican Order was founded
1244------------------ Augustinian Order was founded
1540------------------St Ignatius founded Society of Jesus
1703-----------------Holy Ghost Congregation was founded by Poullart Des Place.

COMMUNITY LIVES
A unique aspect of the call of religious life is the ability to share in the community living. Basically this means that the religious community becomes an individual spiritual family. The individual joins with others who have made a similar commitment of service to be a sign of support and encouragement to one another. Religious live together in community to give witness to common goals of service, simplicity of life and common prayer as they strive to actualize together the charism of their community.
OBSTACLES TO RELIGIOUS LIFE
JEALOUSY – This is a great enemy to religious life. When it creeps in it cuts off the bond of love of religious life leaving individual in their states of individualism while the community as a body suffers. Love should be the center of religious life since it is the reflection of the face of Jesus. Moreover, the natural tendency of humanity is to be loved. Hence, any community that is deprived of love as a result of jealousy suffers individualism and disintegration and thus collapses into oblivion.
SELF CENTEREDNESS- This is against the religious spirit since individuals are called to work together. When self centeredness creeps into the community, community interest will be neglected, while community suffers, individuals remain in their shells. Selflessness is the attribute of a good religious community.
AMBITION- The tussle for power and wealth is great obstacle to religious growth. When this spirit creeps into religious community self interest will be projected and the vow of obedience becomes questionable since everybody wants to become great. Cares should be taken in the quest for power; submissiveness is highly needed in the lives of religious.
MATERIALISM- The attachment to material things deprives the religious from actualizing his or goals. Detachment is highly needed for simplicity of life and readiness to reach out to the needs of the poor and the universal church. The religious are the ambassadors of Christ here on earth.

VOCATION TO RELIGIOUS LIFE AND EVANGELICAL COUNSELS.
It is not everybody that is called to embrace the life of celibacy, is called to religious life. In religious life individuals work out their salvation in companionship with their fellow confreres in the community whose lives are sources of motivations and inspirations. A religious is called to be a manager of humanity; this implies that human psychology should be in his or her finger tips, taking into consideration that the community is made up of different people with different temperaments.
Religious life is an invitation of the life of tolerance in human co-habitation since it is the ability to share in community living. Since religious can serve the needs of God’s people in a variety of ways and various areas of the world, community provides the affirmation and a healthy environment in their ongoing effort to say “yes” to God’s call. Community living is a challenge to share ups and downs, success and failures and whatever is impacting the lives of the fellow community members. Religious are present to one another to challenge and support each other in their effort to grow spiritually and emotionally as they strive to develop their full potentials.
The religious life is a reflection of the early life of believers;
The group of believers was one mind and heart. None of them said that any of their belongings were their own (1 Cor4:32-36).
However, not everyone has the vocation to religious life, this is because humanity is complex, and not everyone can live in the community and imbibe the spirit of sharing.
FORMATION TO RELIGIOUS LIFE
Since in religious life there is need for interrelationship of people in the same community irrespective of their cultural background, philosophy and psychological makeup there is need for temperamental study a psychology that deals with the uniqueness of individuals.
HUMAN TEMPERAMENTS
In the field of psychology, humanity is divided into three. These include; Melancholic, sanguine and choleric.
Melancholic- These are group of people who appear pensively sad, they are difficult to be impressed, quiet in appearance, tending to feel a thoughtful or gentle sadness. In relating with people like this, carefulness should be observed in order not to hurt them psychologically, since they could be difficult in forgiveness. They hardly make friends but once friendship is established they maintain a prolong friendship.
However, melancholic could be good in meditation and spiritual exercises. They believe more in the power of the mind reflect more and talk less.
Sanguine- these are the group of people that bring life to the community, they keep the community moving in their cheerfulness and optimism. They can easily make friends but could easily breakup a relationship. They believe in the power of speech and allow their feelings to be exposed and thus do not keep malice.
Choleric- these are people that are bad tempered, showing or tending to show anger or irritation. They can easily fight but within a short time ask for forgiveness, since they act emotionally. They can easily begin a project but may not complete it. They are filled with ideas and spontaneously in actualizing these ideas but most often leave their works uncompleted.
The religious therefore is an invitation to mingle with these different types of individual in the pursuit of the kingdom of God.

THE EVANGELICAL COUNSELS
The evangelical counsels as the name implies is a projection of the gospel values of Jesus own life on earth. It is a profession of the three vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. These are public statements of one’s desire to live simply, love inclusively, and listen attentively in service to God’s people and the church in the spirit of obedience. The religious vows are a deepening of our baptismal commitments to love God above all things, and to make God’s dream of love and reconciliation for all people a reality in the world.
POVERTY
As Christ made himself poor to enrich us, religious profess the vow of poverty to strive for a simple and modest lifestyle free from the pursuit of material possessions (Code of Canon 600). Thus they are free to share their time, energy and resources within the community and with their poor and needy sisters and brothers.
CHASTITY (CODE OF CANON LAW 599, PERFECTA CARITAS 12)
This is the reflection of the love of Christ for humanity who gave himself on the cross for humanity as a ransom for his salvation. There is no love greater than this. The religious who profess the vow of chastity needs to be a person of compassion who possesses spiritual and emotional maturity. This maturity will enable them to enjoy intimacy and friendship founded on the spiritual power of love.

OBEDIENCE (CODE OF CANON LAW 601)
As Christ submitted himself in loving obedience to the will of his father, religious who profess the vow of obedience desire to place themselves at the service of the religious community in the mission of the church. Obedience is a listening vow, challenging the religious to be attentive and open to the call of God in the service of others.
The profession of evangelical counsels allows the religious to live simply in availability and readiness to carry out mission of the church. Chastity makes them to be disposed to embrace universal and selfless love for all in their evangelical work. Obedience brings them to total submission to God and to the church especially in time of needs. In poverty they detach themselves from the worldly pleasures that weigh them down.
Here I am Lord, I come to do your will, is the language of the religious. Religious life is not an opportunity to escape life but rather an invitation to live life to its fullest. It requires the ability to give, grow and responds to the challenges of making the gospel a reality in today’s world.

PRAYER IN THE LIFE OF RELIGIOUS
The sustenance of the life of religious depends on prayer. In prayer the religious draws towards God in a loving relationship.

WHAT IS PRAYER?
Prayer is a conference or conversation or discussion with God. Prayer could also be defined as the lifting up of mind and heart to God. In prayer we speak to God and God speaks to us. This implies that in prayer we maintain a dialogue with God in which man is a receiver and God is a giver.
Francis de Sales sees prayer as contemplation, meaning; loving thought of any sort about divine realities. Hence prayer is considered as the Christian side of divine- human conversation. In prayer we maintain a vertical relationship. This is divine human relationship, in this relationship; the Christian life is nourished and sustained.
Vatican II points out that prayer and reading of the scriptures go together. The former is the human side and the latter is God’s side of one and the same conversation. In listening to the scriptures we listen to God and in prayer we respond to him as Ambrose say (Dei Verbum 25, Gaudium et Spes 19). Prayer also projects Christian life, it shapes action in accord with faith. It is the principle of continuity by which one’s past relationship with God is kept fresh and made to yield still more abundant faith Jas 1:23-24. In prayer, religious live according to Christ whose entire life was based on his relationship with the father. He started his public ministry with prayer and fasting and ended his public ministry with prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane.

RELEVANCE OF PRAYER IN THE LIFE OF RELIGIOUS
Prayer is the blood stream of any religious community. Just as the blood is important to individuals, prayer life is important to any religious community. The cessation of prayer in any community leads to the collapse of the community. Since we maintain a continuous relationship with God which is kept fresh and made to yield abundant faith, therefore, without prayer in the community, it begins to decline in faith and individuals who are supposed to act communally begin to act individually since prayer is a source of unity.
Jesus ministry was sustained in prayer and he reserved time for prayer Mt 14:23. After he had sent the multitudes away he went up into the mountain and prayed. Prayer life when strengthened in the community helps individuals to overcome temptations. In Mt 26: 41 Jesus said; “watch and pray that you do not enter into temptation”. In prayer the religious keep vigil for the kingdom of God, for no one knows when he shall come, but the devil is in continuous battle Mk 13: 33.
The vocation of religious life is to pray for the world and when prayer life is excluded, the religious deviates from his fundamental option.

TYPES OF PRAYER
Prayer seen as an intimate relationship with God in conversation between him and humanity, through which humanity recognizes his nothingness, is divided into different types seen in these five different forms.
1. ADORATION- In prayer of adoration, we recognize the greatness of God and acknowledge human nothingness. In prayer of adoration or worship, we praise the greatness of God and we acknowledge our dependence on him in all things. In adoration, humanity exalts God and places him higher than other beings. In mass we adore God in Gloria and profess his greatness in Credo. Prayers of adoration are; Ex 15:2, Jdg 5:3, Ps 8, Ps 67:5.
2. EXPIATION- In prayer of expiation or contrition we acknowledge our sinfulness and ask God for his forgiveness and mercy. This prayer is very important in the community, because it is our recognition of our sinful state before God, who can forgive us. This is clear in the penitential part of the mass. Prayers of Expiation are; Ps 6:2, Ps 51, Ps 130.
3. PETITION- In Petition we present our needs and aspirations to God whom we know is a great provider. This is the prayer we are most familiar with. “Our father” is a good example of prayer of Petition. Examples of prayer of Petition are; 1 Sam 1: 10-11, Jn 17:24-26, Luke 11: 1-5, Jn 14: 14, Ps 109.
4. LOVE- Prayer of love or charity is our expression of our love for God in prayer, the source and object of all love. The Act of charity is an example, 1 Cor 16:24 and sign of peace.
5. THANKSGIVING- This is a prayer that expresses our appreciation to God for his goodness and kindness towards us. This is the most neglected form of prayer. Prayers of thanksgiving include; 1 Chron 16: 8, Ps 18: 49-50, Ps 35:18

POWER OF PRAYER
1. Prayer brings reconciliation between us and God.
2. In prayer we are able to overcome our temptations and trials in life.
3. In prayer our needs are granted.
4. Prayer is a source of unity and sanctification.
5. In prayer we establish a strong relationship between us and our fellow human being.

FOR EFFECTIVENESS OF PRAYER
1. Prayer should be in unity with others Mt 18:19-20, Jn 17:22-23.
2. Pray in the name of God Jn 14:14, Jn 15:7.
3. Pray together as a family, use general pronoun; “Our father” Mt 6:9-16.
4. Pray in union with the Holy Spirit.
5. Prayer should be selfless. Pray for enemies Mt 5:44.

LOVE IN RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY
Everybody needs love; both the born and unborn child has a natural tendency towards love. Love is self donation of oneself to the other, for the spiritual, psychological, social and physical development of the other without considering the stress one might undergo in this self donation. Love is often a strong bond that binds a community or family together without which there would be disintegration and individualism.
God creating human persons in his own image and calling them by grace to heavenly communion, God’s will that they constitute a single family in this world and begin now to treat one another as brothers and sisters. Love unites persons in communion, while perfecting each created member of the communion in his or her own distinct personhood. For the fact that God calls human persons to divine human familial communion, the first and greatest commandment is to love God and neighbor (G.S 24). Therefore, one most basic Christian responsibility towards others is to love them. But what this requires is not always obvious therefore must be clarified.
The religious community is a family, thus in order to stand or establish as a family, it must be governed by love. Love is the strong bond that binds members of religious community. Everybody in the community needs love from one another for survival.
Love helps in the preservation of the vow of chastity, when love is not found in the community, individuals search for love outside wherever it could be found, this could be inimical to the religious vow of chastity. Religious are to project the love of Christ in their apostolate, thus this love must be built in the communities. God is love, in God reside all treasures of infinite goodness, perfectly shared among the three persons and graciously communicated to mankind. God’s love was revealed when God sent into the world his only son, so that we could have life through him Jn 4:9. Religious in following the footsteps of Christ must project this love of Christ in their various communities, as a sign of heaven here on earth. In doing this, the religious would be able to preach the gospel of Christ. Since the life of Christians and religious is the best Gospel (C.C.C 2044).
In religious love the diverse gifts of members are appreciated and the uniqueness of individuals is acknowledged. Loving everyone in Jesus with the same Christian love means acknowledging the same human dignity shared by all who are called to be God’s children and avoiding all human discriminations with respect to every basic human right. Love appreciates differences, perfects then even as it unites those who differ and motivates different people to use their various gifts in fulfilling the diverse, complementary responsibilities pertaining to their personal vocations.
St Paul wrote in 1 Cor 12:4-7, 12-13; now these are varieties of gifts, but the same spirit and there are varieties of services but the same Lord.
Love is expressed in works (1 Jn 3:16). Living faith requires that one do the work of love L.G 41.if one loves God one should do what he loves. Thus a religious must be ready to express love in his or her relationship with others in the community to portray his or her love for God. God’s creatures must be loved as an indication of our Love for God.

TYPES OF LOVE
The concept of love in English language is obscure. However, in order not to be misunderstood, there is need, to make distinctions of love following the different concepts of love in Greek perception. According to C.S Lewis who explores the nature of love from a Christian perspective through thought experiments, there are four major types of love
1. STORGE – This is a Greek term  which implies fondness through familiarity especially between family members or people who have otherwise found themselves together by chance. It is described as the most natural, emotive and widely diffused of loves. It is naturally in that it is present without coercion, emotive because it is the result of fondness.
2. PHILIA – This is a Greek concept of love  which is the love established by people who share a common interest or activity. This love is described as gregarious and least biological. It is often freely chosen. David and Jonathan in the bible share this type of love.
3. EROS/ROMANCE – This is a Greek concept (ros) which implies love in the sense of being in love or loving someone. It is a love which has an emotional connection with the other person. It is a strong attachment to people which may attract suicide when compelled to part.
4. AGAPE – This is an unconditional love. This is the actual love a religious community should establish. It is a Greek concept of love () which implies universal and unconditional love. It is the love that brings forth caring regardless of the circumstance. This is the greatest of loves. This is the love of God to humanity.

CONSEQUENCES OF LACK OF LOVE
Love is a therapy and gives individual the sense of belonging. However, when love lacks it could be disastrous. Its disastrous effect could be seen in various ways;
1. PARANOID DISORDER: Paranoid disorder is what the psychologists describe as a state of lack of trust. In this state of life, everybody is seen as an enemy. When this happens in religious community it could be disastrous since confreres would be seen as wolves to others, character assassination comes in and gossips will be the order of the day.
2. SUICIDE: The natural tendency of humanity is to love. When there is no love the world becomes meaningless for the individuals, this could lead to madness or suicide.
3. DISINTEGRATION: Love is a bond that binds the people together without any particular interest. When love is excluded this bond is broken and individuals remain as distinct individuals, co-habitation and interaction become impossible. Conflicts emanate which tear people apart.
4. ATHEISM: When there is no love, there will be conflict and hatred, this leads to great hostility and barbarism. People begin to question the existence of God amidst dilapidated communities. In the midst of injustice and barbarism the Philosopher Thrasmachus said there is no God. If the wicked continue to live and the virtuous die.

HOW TO BUILD OUR LOVE
1. Look unto Jesus Christ who kept the commandments of the father and abided in his love and is inviting us to do the same Jn 15:10.
2. We should reflect on Christ who died for us while we were sinners so that we can live 2 Cor 5:14.
3. We should learn to see everybody as the image of God who saved us while we were sinners.

THE SPIRITAN LIFE
There is nothing much to be said about Spiritans, different from other religious congregations. However, it becomes a known fact that Spiritans should not be dissolved to the state of nonentity but must be recognized in its uniqueness in its devotedness to the alleviation of the life of the poor.
Spiritans are members of the Holy Ghost Congregation, whose charism is to provide personnel where the church finds it difficult to get personnel. These are mostly difficult and abandoned areas of the poor. This congregation was founded by a young seminarian called Claude Francois Poullart des Place on the 27th of May, 1703 on Pentecost day, during the celebration of the Holy Spirit and diversity of gifts, this earns this new congregation its name; Holy Ghost Congregation. The founder was ordained a priest thereafter on the 19th of March, 1707. Claude was well placed in the society and enjoyed the privileges of a noble family of Francis des Place and his wife Jeanne Le Meneust. He had a good upbringing, studied under the Jesuit; he was a talented student and most often being placed higher than other students as one of the most intelligent students.
However, Des Place was characterized by his penchant to improve the condition of the poor around him. While a law student, he was moved to help the homeless boys and chimney sweeps by giving them money. While he was involved in these charitable exercises, he was laying foundation for a congregation that was yet to be established in responding to the needs of the poor, this is the Holy Ghost Congregation. Though he eventually graduated as a law student, his growing desire to identify with the underprivileged in the society dominated his life and compelled him thereafter to abandon his career and entered into the seminary.
Aware of the poor condition of his fellow seminarians, the young Des Place began to support them in small group, financially, in the spirit of one mind and one heart. Soon a dozen of these students asked him to set up a formal community. So on Pentecost Sunday May 27th, 1703 the group met in the church of St Etienne des Gres to dedicate themselves to the Holy Spirit under the patronage of Mary.
Furthermore, this society as it was known then was triggered by the needs of the poor and the needs of the universal church in providing personnel to the most abandoned areas. The new society began to serve the needs of the poor in rural France and in mission overseas according to the needs of the church at that time.
Subsequently, the needs of the church began to grow and the poorest of the people were discovered in some areas of Africa. Fr. Libermann who was the General Superior then in 1848 began to send missionaries to meet the needs of the church in these poor and abandoned African nations.

SPIRITAN CHARISM LK 24: 47, MT 28: 19-20.
Spiritans are counted together with other religious. However, as I stated earlier Spiritans are known for their uniqueness and this marks the identity of Spiritans and serves as their fundamental option. This fundamental option ought not to be forgotten by Spiritans, it must always be recalled in the Spiritan rule of life, stands as a reminder to its charism. These are;
1. TOTAL ABANDONMENT TO THE HOLY SPIRIT: The Holy Ghost Congregation is dedicated to the Holy Spirit; this implies that the Spiritans’ aspirations, wills and desires must be governed by the dictates of the Holy Spirit represented by the voice of the superiors. In this the Spiritans emulate the virtue of Jesus Christ in Phil 2:6-11; He, who was God did not think he should claim equality with God but humbled himself and subjected to the will of the father for human elevation. We are rational beings with our desires, wills and aspirations, but the Spiritan ought to submit to the Holy Spirit who is the enlightener and giver of knowledge. Our knowledge as human is myopic but the Holy Spirit sees beyond the limitations of humanity.
2. AVAILABILITY TO THE NEEDS OF THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH: The Spiritans are called as religious to work under the church. For this reason, the Spiritans must be conscious of the superiority of the universal church. Hence Spiritans should be ready and available to carry out the task entrusted to them by the universal church.
3. OPTION FOR THE POOR: The formation of the Spiritan Congregation was triggered off by the needs of the poor. This forms the fundamental option of Spiritans. For this reason in time of comfort and pleasure, the Spiritan must not forget their primary task of alleviating the life of the poor.
4. PREACHING THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST: All religious are called to preach the Gospel of Christ. The Spiritans demonstrate their uniqueness by their readiness to move interiorly to places where the gospel has not been preached “The ends of the earth” or where the church finds it difficult to get personnel.
5. WORKING AS COMMUNITY: Spiritans are called to work in solidarity with confreres not in isolation. Through this they discuss their problems together and arrive at a remedy together.
6. OBEDIENCE TO SUPERIOR: The vow of obedience of Spiritans demands obedience to the Superior who represents the Holy Spirit here on earth. For solidarity and effectiveness of the congregation this obedience is highly demanded.
CHALLENGES OF SPIRITAN VOCATION
In my earlier discussion we are called as sinners not as saints that implies that as ministers and religious there could be some challenges which one must be careful not fall into. These form the major challenges in the apostolate as Spiritans and all other religious congregations.
1. MATERIALISM: When the yearning for material pleasure emanates it prevents the Spiritan from his charism of availability and self surrender. The search for self fulfillment begins. It is therefore necessary for Spiritans to curtail their desires for these material things. They could be good but our entire being must not be dominated by them.
2. AMBITION: Spiritans are called to work as colleagues, brothers and friends. When the tussle for power and wealth comes in it destroys this spirit of comradeship and equality among members. It brings about dichotomy and pride.
3. SEXUALITY: When adequate maturity is not observed, relationship to opposite sex becomes an obstacle to the ministry. Sexes should be valued as God’s gifts for the completion of humanity. While men are seen as brothers women could also be seen as sisters and either of the sexes should be seen as God’s image which are sacred and must be related with care. It therefore means that homosexuality relationship or heterosexuality must not be found among Spiritans since these acts violate the vow of chastity. When human nature is allowed to project one becomes a failure in this aspect, and ministry suffers, thus in Spiritan formation sexuality is a major course.
4. SOCIETY: Spiritans are called to be the light of the society. However, when Spiritans dissolve into the society it affects the ministry. When the desire for competition arises between Spiritans and society the law of diminishing returns take place in spirituality. This could be competition with friends in relation to drinking, material acquisitions and other forms of social vices.
5. MONEY: Money is the root of all evil and the same time money is good because human activities are best managed by financial power. However, humanity is meant to control money and should be seen as a disposable items designed for human control in rating values. When money penetrates into the heart of the Spiritan and captures him, it could incapacitate him in his ministry. Hence an awareness of the danger of money is necessary in the life of Christian. Heaven is the target of all Christians’ attachment to money brings about a loss in focus and thus brings about religious fractions and violates the vow of poverty.
SELF EXAMINATION TO ACCESS OUR RELIGIOUS STATE
Continual examination is needed in our pilgrimage to heaven as religious. According to the great Philosopher Socrates; a life without reflection is not worth living. As religious we must often examine ourselves and ask ourselves a fundamental question which Jesus asked the apostles concerning himself; “who do people say I am?” When adequate reflection is not realized our lives as religious may be scandalous to people, thus reflection calls a religious to order, to redirect his or life to a way suitable as Christian and good religious.
In our strives for perfection we must engage ourselves on moral reflections upon becoming aware of the need to do so. In many cases one should reflect before acting. The rule for morally responsible person is; look before you leap. Often we are inclined to do something even by purely spontaneous action without choice, when we should stop, reflect and examine what would be involved.
As religious we should always think about prospective bad consequences. People sometimes terminate moral reflection because they regard foreseen consequences as irrelevant or at least do not take them seriously enough. Thus the morally responsible but imperfect person should bear in mind the maxim; “Always count the cost beforehand”. In the course of our daily reflections we should come forward with the following questions;
1. HOW DO I LIVE MY PRAYER LIFE? Prayer is the key to morality. This is because through prayer we commune with God. I should ask myself; how often do I commune with God? In my period of holidays as religious have I neglected my prayer life because of the pleasure of the world or have I neglected my prayer because of the desire to dissolve into the society? I should often bear in my mind that a religious ought to carry his or her identity anywhere he goes.
2. WHAT IS MY ATTITUDE TOWARDS OBEDIENCE? In my course of reflection, I should often ask myself; what is my attitude towards obedience, do I project my will to the detriment of the will of the community? Community projects should always be the priority of every religious. In our lives as religious we should put aside our personal wills and allow the will of the community to take precedence. However, our occasional reflections help to moderate our excesses.
3. HOW IS MY REVERENCE TO THE BLESSED SACRAMENT? There is a saying that; over familiarity brings contempt. The religious is always exposed to the Blessed Sacrament every day. This implies that there is danger of contempt. It is only faith that sustains him in his reverence to the Eucharist. However, I must ask myself whether my frequent meetings with the Holy Eucharist have diminished my devotion reverence to the Holy Eucharist. I should consider myself as an ambassador of Christ before the people of God. Based on this reason, I should have hunger for the Holy Eucharist and a high regard for the body and blood of Christ the source and summit of our faith.
4. HOW IS MY RELATIONSHIP WITH MY CONFRERES? We are called created as being for others and in our vocation to religious life we are called to live and value one other as special gift from God, since no man is an island and humanity cannot develop in isolation but gains his or her physical, psychological and spiritual development in his interaction with one another. This means that our existence is meaningful because of the presence of the other. Hence, I ask myself; how have I often related with my confreres, does my relationship with my confrere help to increase his happiness or diminish his happiness? Our reflections on this will help to restructure our relationship in order to build a better community.
5. HOW IS MY CHASTE LIFE? Our lives as religious is sacred, this is because it is a life embraced in imitation of Christ consecrated before the people of God, to God in the sacrifice of the altar, offered by Christ himself and represented by his priest. Hence it is a sign of heaven here on earth. As ambassadors of Christ we should guide our bodies as temple of the Holy Spirit. I must keep on asking myself; how is my attitude towards sexuality, am I matured in my relationship with men or women or do I take advantage of this relationship for the satisfaction of my sexual urge? Homosexuality, lesbianism and heterosexuality are against the vow of chastity and baptismal commitments as Christians. It therefore means that I must say “no” to these.
6. HOW IS MY ATTITUDE TOWARDS MATERIAL THINGS? As religious we are called to a life of detachment in order to live a simple life to be effective as missionaries and heralds of the Gospel of Christ. However, attachment to materialism weighs us down and deprives us of our goals. I must often ask myself; do I adore material things and regard them more than my confreres, do I see material things as secondary aspect of our life, as stepping stones towards the actualization of our missions as religious? We are to control material things, not them controlling us.
7. DOES MY ACTIVE WORK AS RELIGIOUS AFFECT MY CONTEMPLATIVE LIFE? Religious are called to both active life and contemplative life. In contemplations the religious unite with God in prayer through which he draws his inspirations to carry out his apostolate. However, when this life of contemplation is destroyed by total involvement in active work, it destroys the religious spirit and diminishes the hunger of God. I must keep on asking myself; has my involvement in active suppressed my contemplative life? This is an important question in the life of every religious because it brings him or her to order in case of any deviation.
8. DO I HAVE REGARD FOR THE PEOPLE? Religious are called to work for the people of God, for this reason they must have regard for them for the message of Christ to bear fruit. It therefore means that the religious must take his work seriously. Punctuality and consistence are needed in the relationship between a religious and the people of God. Absence of punctuality shows disregard thus a religious should be time conscious and learn how to say; I am sorry. It has a psychological healing effect. I must ask myself; do I value the people of God, especially in my appointments with them?
9. WHAT SHALL I DO FOR MY COMMUNITY? Our basic question should often be; what must I do for the growth and development of my community? Many religious are often concerned with what the community will do for them. In as much as we have our rights in the community we have our obligations to the community. Rights and obligations go paripasu. As representatives of Christ we should follow the words of St James; faith and good work go together, faith alone cannot save us (James 2).

CONCLUSION
My brothers, we are called to reflect the face of Jesus Christ; teacher, prophet, priest and king in order to say what Christ said of himself in relation to the father; “he who has seen me has seen the father (Jn 14:9). The basic mission of religious is to be the face of Christ. People should be able to see the face of the Lord in the face of religious.
Furthermore, as religious our relationship with one another should be governed by the invitation of Christ to be his imitators. Hence in relating with the other, one should project the image of Christ, one who was loving, humble and submissive to the father. Always remember that religious are ambassadors of Christ!