“Community living entails a daily sharing of life according to specific structures and provisions established in the constitutions.” (Essential Elements of Religious Life # 19) “Fraternal communion is a God-enlightened space in which to experience the hidden presence of the Risen Lord. This comes about through the mutual love of all the members of the community, a love nourished by the word and by the Eucharist, purified in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and sustained by prayer for unity.”  (Vita Consecrata # 42)

Community life includes sharing of prayer, work, meals, leisure, common spirit, “relationships of friendship, cooperation in the same apostolate, and mutual support in community of life chosen for a better following of Christ.” (Evangelica Testificatio # 39). “A community gathered as a true family in the Lord's name enjoys His presence through the love of God which is poured out by the Holy Spirit. Its unity is a symbol of the coming of Christ and is a source of apostolic energy and power.”  (EE # 19)  It “becomes a sign for all the world and a compelling force that leads people to faith in Christ.” (VC # 46)