The Gift of a Consecrated Life

By Fr. Krzysztof Nizniak, SDB, Assistant Director, Salesian Missions

Living a consecrated life might be seen by the world as a life of “giving up,” but my experience proves it is a life of taking flight. By offering your entire being, you are not losing yourself; you are placing yourself in the hands of the One who knows you best.

Consecration is more than a profession of vows. When you offer your entire being, all your talents, weaknesses, past, and future belong to God. This total self-donation creates a sense of being guided and taken care of rather than being overburdened with a sense of “self-ownership.”

Experience taught me that the heart must grow undivided. In a world that is constantly pulling our attention in a thousand directions, having an undivided heart is a superpower. It allows you to love God with a singular intensity. Because the heart is not fragmented by worldly attachments, it has more room to be filled with Divine grace. Once consecrated to God, I must be very vigilant and not compromise with what the world offers: opportunity, popularity, fame, and comfort.

With time, I learned one essential value: availability is the practical expression of your love for Christ and Don Bosco’s mission. By prioritizing God's will over your own plans, you turn your life into a vessel. Frankly speaking, I discovered many talents within myself only by being exposed to places and challenges I would never have thought of experiencing.

For me, St. John Bosco and St. Joseph are examples of what it means to live a “consecrated” life, even though one was a priest and the other a layman. They both turned the idea of “surrender” into an active, joyful mission. Don Bosco’s joy was a choice rooted in faith and the constant presence of Mary Help of Christians, regardless of the many challenges and hardships he had to overcome. He chose the mission over his own ego, even when it hurt.

Similarly, St. Joseph had to abandon his own plans for a quiet life in Nazareth. He, too, chose the mission over his own ego and shows us that freedom is found in the ability to accept God’s plan rather than following your own desires and fears.

Responding to Jesus’s invitation involves turning away from self-centered living and choosing to trust in Jesus.

Lord, thank you for the joy I find in this calling. Keep my heart undivided and my spirit ready. May my life be a simple, continuous 'Yes' to Your love, offered fully and without reservation. Amen.