RELIGIOUS LIFE AND THE FAMILY(THE REALITY, EXPECTATION AND CHALLENGES): WATER OF BAPTISM AND BLOOD TIES

Abstract

Religious life is a response to the love of God in both a personal and communal way. The personal and communal ways reflect the understanding and commitment of an individual to the three vows of poverty, obedience and chastity. As Africans, we are not individuals without family ties: the family bond is a strong value we uphold. This fact sometimes impinges on how well one is able to live and be committed to the freely chosen and embraced religious life. This paper tries to examine the gray areas of living the religious life within the context and demands of the natural family.