La vida consagrada y la opción por los pobres: testimonio dLa vida consagrada y la opción por los pobres: el amor preexistente y de la solidaridad encarnada de Cristo

The incarnation of Christ is a radical expression of the option for the poor. This theological position is based on the pre-esistent status of the Word (Who was in the form of God-Divinity) and His incarnation-kenosis (Who truly assumed the human fresh and nature in its entirety) that find their unity in the Person of Jesus Christ. The selfless act of Christ dermonstrates His option for the poor because He accepted poverty, weakness, and death in recognition of the pain and needs of poor humanity. This paper argues that the pre-existent status of the Word and His incarnation are the first consideration in a discourse on the option for the poor in relation to consecrated life. This work begins with an understanding of the option for the poor and further studies the demands of consecrated life in relation to living out the vow of poverty and the significance of witnessing. While there are several independent papers on consecrated life and option for the poor, this work carves its niche by connecting the rwo through its response to two fundamental questions: Is there a connection between consecrated life and option for the poor? Is option for the poor a fundamental dimension of consecrated life? The hermeneutic, analytical and thematic methods of inquiry were employed to guide the development of this paper. The paper argues that consecrated life has a fundamental space for the poor based on the vow of poverty and the indispensability of witnessing to Christ whom they have chosen to follow more closely.