It is…

…a gift
…a response to a call from God
…a radical, committed way of life
…following Christ more closely 
…living under the action of the Holy Spirit
…striving for the perfection of charity in the service of God’s kingdom 
…an outstanding sign of the Church
…the pursuit of holiness through the freedom found by embracing the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty and obedience
….being totally dedicated to God, to the building up of the Church and to the salvation of the world
…loving God with every fiber of our being
…loving others as Christ loved us
…a proclamation that a life in union with God is the supreme, surpassing good
…a witness to the heavenly glory to come

Source
The source of this way of life is Jesus Christ himself! Religious life is rooted in the life and example of Christ who was poor, chaste, and obedient.  This is why the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty and obedience are essential facets of the religious life. 

Gift Given, Gift Received
A vocation to this way of life is a divine gift given by the Trinity to those whom he chooses. It is up to us to respond in freedom to this very personal invitation. Our profession is the joyous response; it is our “YES” - like Mary’s “FIAT.” We renew our yes through our daily fidelity to our vows and way of life. What a great privilege to be called to live with Christ in chastity, poverty, and obedience.

Path to Holiness
Religious life is a path to holiness which frees us from attachments to earthly things so we can focus solely on God and the things of God. The stepping stones to this freedom are the vows. Embracing the vows doesn’t mean that we believe material goods are bad or evil. Rather, the vows are the means by which we let go of the good things of this world in order to possess the best – the greatest good of all... God. And we can be totally surrendered to, completely possessed, by him. 

Chastity for the sake of the kingdom frees our hearts for an undivided love. 
Poverty liberates us from the captivity of empty earthly possessions that, in the end, fail to satisfy. 
Obedience releases us from ourselves so we can live in the freedom of the providence of the Spirit.

Witness to the “More”
Living the evangelical counsels as consecrated religious witnesses to eternal values. Religious give  a prophetic witness that heralds the glory of the Kingdom which is to come.

United with Christ
Through our vows as Servants of the Trinity we imitate the priestly gift of himself that Christ offered throughout his life, culminating in his sacrifice on the cross.  By surrendering our lives in imitation of Christ we enter more deeply into the Paschal Mystery of Christ our High Priest. Our vows make is possible for us to live our baptism more fully. The vows open the door to a deeper and more radical dying and rising with Christ, which especially unities us more intimately with the Eucharistic Sacrifice of Christ.

The Paradox
In the ongoing surrender of all we have, all we are, and all we might ever hope to be, becoming as it were, a living oblation, we discover the paradox of the cross.  As we let go, the more we receive. Peace, joy and love grow in our heart. As we possess less of ourselves and the world, we are more and more immersed in the fire of the Trinity’s love. Impelled by love of God and neighbor, in offering all to him, our whole existence becomes an act of loving worship, a continuous “sacrifice of praise,” and the cross becomes our glory.