Dear Marie,

The essential reason is there in St Paul. By consecrating yourself wholly to Christ you can love him without distraction; you can follow the path of obedience, poverty and chastity that he chose for himself and his Blessed Mother; you are a visible sign of the heaven that awaits us (where we neither marry or are given in marriage), and you are totally at the service of the needs of his Body, the Church.

Since as human beings we are always tempted to pride and a sense of superiority, as if it all were the fruit of us being special people, I always think that any description of the "excellence of the consecrated vocation" needs to be premised by this simple fact: This beautiful and immensely fulfilling vocation, which brings so much happiness to the person who lives it sincerely and honestly (ever see anyone more profoundly happy than, for example, John Paul II or Mother Theresa?) is for those to whom it is given because for man it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.

Another point to keep in mind is that the actual condition of holiness of an individual person depends not so much on the vocation he or she is in, as on their honesty and integrity in living it. A simple fact that brings us down to earth right away is this: there are many lay saints, and not every consecrated religious is a saint. I have no doubt that religious life gives us more opportunities to grow in holiness, and every single one of us should be an example to follow, but the fact is we are not.  This is not only humbling, it is dangerous, "To whom more is given, more is asked of him." Not only is God saying we should be holier, he is also counting on us being holier since he is asking more of us in knowledge of him, in prayer, in charity and service...

God bless.