The Friars

The Vows

Friars make three promises or vows. The Church calls them “evangelical counsels.” All three vows are based on the Gospel Life, the example of Jesus Christ Himself.

The vow of POVERTY frees a friar from attachments to worldly possessions. The friar does not own anything personally. The things he uses do not legally belong to him; even his salary is not his. All belongs to the community and is distributed according to the needs of the brothers. There are many needs: educating new friars, providing care for elderly friars and ensuring that the missions have adequate resources.

CHASTITY enables a friar to love generously and unselfishly. As a chaste celibate the friar gives up the beauty of married life so that he can be fully attentive to God’s will and the needs of the Church.

A friar promises OBEDIENCE, surrendering even his own will. His life with all of his talents and abilities are at the disposal of the Church and its mission to the world.

At the root of his vowed life, the friar gives himself totally to God. That which our culture cherishes (accumulating wealth, sexual expression and self-determination) are set aside because the friar’s treasure is God’s love and loving will.

All that said, it is often difficult to live the vowed life. One does not enter it lightly. Most friars struggle with one or all of the vows their entire lives. In his struggle the friar gazes at the cross and there sees Him who said, “Yes” even when it was most painful, when all seemed too difficult.