"Our Congregation"....
"We are called...." Style of revised CC
signifies personal acceptance and commitment of
each member
"Congregation" has come to mean religious
Congregation.
At first only a "society" (religious were
forbidden in Spain). In 1870 CC require simple vows
for all. Canon law of 1917 recognized those with
simple vows as full religious. Until then only those
with solemn vows were considered to be "religious".
"of missionaries": a generic but very
important title.
Dir. 26. The word "missionary," understood
in the light of the spiritual experience of St.
Anthony Mary Claret, defines our charismatic identity.
The title of "Apostolic Missionary" which
he received synthesizes his ideal of life according
to the style of the apostles. This way of life implies
being disciples and to follow the Master, to live
the evangelical counsels in a community of life
with Jesus and the group of those who are called,
to be sent and to proclaim the Good News of the
Kingdom to the whole world. The anointing of the
Spirit to announce the Good News and the communion
with Christ, the prophet par excellence, render
us sharers of his prophetic function." "Founded
by Archbishop Anthony Mary Claret...." Prophetic
Vision
"Normally, the birth of religious Institutes
is the fruit of the prophetic spirit of their Founders,
coupled with the approval of the Church (LG 45).Thus,
each Founder has had a prophetic gift which has
made him aware of special bestowal of grace conferred
on him by God for the common good of the Church.
This special outpouring of grace implies a social-supernatural
mission within the Church itself.
| 2 |
AIM
OF THE CONGREGATION |
"The aim of our Congregation...."
Historical background: Early in the 20th
century and until the period of Vatican II renewal,
the so-called "universal" theory of the
aim of the Congregation was popular and supported
by many superiors. According to this, the three-fold
aim stated in the CC were our "generic"
aims. They were also universal: We were to save
all people everywhere, by all possible means. Our
"specific" aim is to honour and spread
devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. In the
pre-Vatican II period this theory had very many
practical consequences, many of them not very felicitous,
which the General Chapter of 1967 attempted to clarify.
"in keeping with our missionary charism in
the Church." This is not an added element,
but one which is imbued in the three-fold aim as
an unbreakable unity. This essential element is
specified and amplified in subsequent parts of the
CC. CoCC has the following theological reflection:
(pp. 68-69):
In his founding intention, Anthony Mary Claret was
seeking in all things and through all things—as
an unbreakable unity—these three aspects.
But if any one of them must always come first, serving
as a key to his Congregation, it would be the last:
the salvation of human beings throughout the world.
It is a charism that emerges with a profoundly anthropocentric
intentionality. It is a charism passionately committed
to the salvation of human beings. If this were interpreted
dualistically, one might think that the Congregation
had as its objective the affirmation of humankind,
rather than the glorification of God -which would
be erroneous or a serious deviation. The anthropocentrism
of the aim of our Congregation -like that of all
apostolic congregations- is deeply theological,
that is, it is within the dynamism of the Johannine
text that states: "God so loved the world that
he gave his only Son." The aim of the Congregation
is to participate in this passion of God for human
beings, in the charity-love that leads God to forget
Himself, to love His enemies more than Himself,
to die for others. It is a prophetic anthropocentrism.
Saving humankind is saving God's image: "Whatever
you do for one of these least brethren of mine,
you do for me." The Congregation understands
that it has not other available way to glorify God,
than to put itself unconditionally at the missionary
service of our brothers and sisters. It feels sent
to them as the bearer of God's love. And one's own
sanctification is neither a presupposition nor a
result. It is the progressive impact on the person
of the missionary of his commitment to people and
, his communion with God.
| 3 |
THE
GROUND OF OUR VOCATION IN GOSPEL AND CHARISM |
A synthesis of the Mystery of Christ as it appears
in the spiritual experience of our Founder. Expresses
charism, spirit and mission of the Founder in and
for the Congregation. The Christ of Claret.
Contains key text: "In a very particular way
God our Lord made me understand those words: Spiritus
Domini super me et evangelizare pauperibus et sanare
contritos cor de" (Aut. 118:Lk4:16).
"This text, which Jesus made his own, led Claret
to discover, both for himself and for his missionaries
(Aut. 687), his prophetic anointing and his call
to evangelize the poor. For our Father Founder,
Christ was the Servant-Prophet, anointed by the
Spirit to preach the Good News. The prophetic mission
of Jesus is the very marrow of Claret's apostolic
experience and the source of his inspiration. As
the prophets were always attentive to and dependent
on God. and human beings, so Claret would live his
missionary vocation by lending his efforts to the
salvation of others (cf. Aut 238, 448)" (MCT
58).
(CoCC pg. 80)
Essential message: Jesus is the Word, sent by the
Father (God's Envoy, missionary) anointed by the
Spirit to proclaim the good news of the Kingdom
(to evangelize) the poor, to free those in captivity....
The Church is the missionary of Jesus. (Cf. CoCC
p. 86).
"It is important to underscore how this n.
3 of the Fundamental Constitution is nourished on
a conception of mission as witness, sign, representation,
sacramentalization. Jesus, the Missionary of the
Father, is above all the Faithful Witness of the
Father's Love. The pre-and post-resurrection community
exercised its mission by means of a decisive and
testimonial role: that of being the re-presentation
and germination of the New People of the Kingdom
of God. The Church is the "universale salutis
sacramentum." And the religious life arises
under the inspiration of the Spirit as a style of
life re-presenting and witnessing to the Gospel.
This key is decisive for adequately understanding
the place that we, as Claretians, are to occupy
in the Church's mission."
| 4 |
OUR
GIFT AND OUR MISSIONARY VOCATION |
Communication of our Founder's spiritual experience
to the Congregation: the Christ of Claret is the
Christ of the Claretians. This number considers
the gifts of this grace in itself.
"The supreme rule of our Congregation is the
following of Christ, as set forth in the Gospel."
All forms of religious life are under this supreme
norm (cf. PC 2); but in our following of and identification
with Christ we -as missionaries- highlight the missionary
dimension of preaching the Gospel." The second
part of this number 4, and the following no. 5,
try to spell out what our evangelical! style of
following Christ ought to be. (Cf. CoCC pg. 92).
| 5 |
A
TRULY APOSTOLIC INSTITUTE IN THE CHURCH |
This number describes the acceptance of the gift,
proposed to us as a vocation, and our response to
it as a commitment, as a profession in the Church.
We follow Christ -in answer to an evangelical vocation-
in the Church instituted by Him, a Church that is
both spiritual and visible, charismatic and structured.
Our response to this vocation is made visible and
structured in our public profession of vows. Through
this we constitute, in the Church, a religious and
fully apostolic Institute.
The ecclesial nature of our religious life is not
defined so much as a state of perfection, as a re-presentation
of Jesús1 style of life.
The Chapters of Renewal made a considerable effort
to stress the "fully apostolic" nature
of our Institute, so as to distinguish it from the
"conventual."
The new awareness of our apostolic identity was
expressed in the renewal of the Constitutions by
doing everything possible to avoid any dichotomy
between the religious life and the apostolate: we
live the Gospel by preaching it, and we preach the
Gospel by living it.
| 5 |
FOR
THE MISSIONARY SERVICE OF THE WORD |
"In the ministry of the Word"
If, according to our constitutional text,
the charismatic service that characterizes us in
the Church consists of our being steadfast helpers
of its Shepherds in the ministry of the Word, it
should be obvious that we must understand, in full
depth and breadth, what this ministry of Bishops
consists of. The Second Vatican Council offers us
the characteristics of this ministry within the
Episcopal ministry. Here are its principal statements:
- Jesus Christ preaches
the Word of God to all nations in the
person of the bishops, whom the priests
assist.
- One of the principal duties of bishops
is the preaching of the Gospel, setting
forth the integral mystery of Christ
and the way that has been revealed by
God to glorify Him and attain eternal
blessedness. They are the ones responsible
for the announcement of the Good News
throughout the world.
- They must accommodate the announcement
of the Gospel to the condition of people
today, striving to respond to the difficulties
and problems that worry and afflict
them (cf. Vat. II, CD 12-13). Hence
they must show how earthly things and
human institutions are ordered to salvation
by the design of the Creator (cf. CD
12); they must proclaim the Church's
teaching on the human person, on freedom,
on life and on the family; they must
illumine human realities (civil society,
work and relaxation, arts, technology,
the distribution of material goods,
war and peace, fraternal coexistence
among peoples) with the teaching of
the faith.
- "They should be especially solicitous
for the poor and weaker brethren whom
the Lord has commissioned them to evangelize"
(CD 13).
|
The ministry of the Word must be carried out by the
now-decisive means of dialogue: "Bishops should
make it their special care to approach men and to
initiate and promote dialogue with them. These discussions
should be marked by charity of expression as well
as by humility and courtesy, so that truth should
always be combined with charity, and understanding
with love...likewise by due prudence allied, however,
with sincerity which by promoting friend-ship is
conducive to a union of minds" (cf. CD 13).f)
Among the methods for proclaiming the Gospel, bishops
should endeavour to use, first of all, preaching
and catechetical instruction, but also "teaching
in schools, universities, conferences and meetings
of every kind. Finally, there are public statements
made by way of comment on events, as well as the
press and other media of public communication, all
of which should be employed for the promulgation
of the gospel of Christ" (CD 13). Bishops should
pay very special care to catechesis and should re-establish
or improve the adult catechumenate (cf. CD 14).
In principle, then, the charismatic mission of the
Congregation consists in this: in being steadfast
helpers of our Shepherds in the ministry of the
Word, that is, in the preaching and announcement
of the Gospel, accommodating it to the problems
and questions that trouble people today; in proclaiming
the Good News to the poor; in evangelizing all peoples,
making privileged use of such means as dialogue,
teaching and instruction, and the catechumenate.
CoCC pp. 117-125
By reason of our Claretian characteristic of being
steadfast helpers of the bishops in the ministry
of the Word, we must first of all acknowledge their
personal authority and the responsibility incumbent
on them as shepherds of the people of God in their
particular Churches. Consequently, we should second
their norms and directives, collaborating creatively
and prophetically in any over-all pastoral planning."
- Dir. 27.
| 7 |
ALL
SHARING THE SAME VOCATION |
This number describes the Congregation as a communion
of diverse persons. This communion is based on their
vocation or rather their co-vocation in common life
and in the same mission. Their diversity is considered
from the canonical dimension of their diaconal or
priestly ordination. -C o CC p.113
Theological Reflection
In the Congregation we all share the same missionary
vocation, and hence our fundamental definition,
in which there is no sort of differentiation, is
that of "missionaries." So true is this
that the constitutional text calls even the novices
"iuvenes missionarü" (CC 65), and
the students, "missionaries quid in periodo
formations versantur" (CC 72). Hence we are
all congregated in the same community, carry out
the same mission and share in the same rights and
duties.
The substantive element here is to be missionaries;
subordinate to this are the different modes of being
missionary, according to each one's charismatic
and ministerial gift. This congregational self-understanding
makes questionable the canonical definition of our
Congregation as a clerical Institute. In fact, the
Fundamental Constitution makes no reference to this
classification, which appears only in Part III of
the Constitutions "Congregatio nostra...communitas
est charismatica et institutionalis; ac praeterea
in clericalibus adnumeratur" (CC 86. Note:
The last phrase was unwittingly omitted in the English
translation.). Our Congregation of missionaries
is made up of priests, deacons, brothers and students.
Each of them fulfils his missionary vocation according
to his ministerial condition within the People of
God: as a consecrated layperson or an ordained minister.
The understanding of the ministerial and charismatic
perspective of the different members is developed
in Part II of the Constitutions.
There are also other men and women, and other priestly
and lay institutions which, though not belonging
juridically to our Institute, have also received
our missionary gift. This means that our own charismatic
and institutional community does not have a monopoly
on the Claretian charism, but that we share it with
other institutes, groups or persons. 137 We ought
to establish adequate "mutual relations"
with them, allowing for our mutual enrichment and
a closer collaboration in missionary actions, in
which we may all be authentic bearers of our mission.
-Co CC pp, 139-140
“Our missionary service of the Word will be
more credible if our community, made up of priests,
deacons, brothers and students, over-comes the inequalities
that militate against fraternal communion, and if
it integrates our different charisms in a creative
way” (IPM.30). Therefore we will reflect in
our communities on our common vocation as consecrated
missionaries (IPM 30.1)
(cf. Vita Consecrata and the Circular on The Missionary
Brothers...", 1997). We will revise all usages
that still denote clericalism: titles, practices
and customs.
“We will do more to foster the ministries
of Brothers that are directly related to the missionary
service of the Word”.( IPM 30.2)
We will study the nature of our Institute and the
possibility of having it recognized as a "mixed"
institute. (IPM 30.3.)
We “know that building communion in the Church
and in society is a complex and arduous task. As
missionaries, we desire to contribute with our efforts
to build communion in the Church and peace in the
world” (IPM 33)
We will care for our belonging to particular churches
and for communion with their shepherds, opening
ourselves to the wealth of their diverse charisms
and contributing our own to them. (IPM 33.1)
“We will search for new ways to share our
life and missionary commitment with the laity. We
will undertake common apostolic initiatives in a
co-responsible way” (IPM 33.2)
“We will collaborate in spreading and strengthening
the Lay Claretian Movement. We will offer them the
support they need for growing deeper hi their identity
and formation. We will follow through with them
by providing the service of religious assessor-ship
and will seek with them new ways of communion and
of joint apostolic works” ( IPM 33.3)
“We will endeavour to work together with those
men and women, institutions and groups engaged in
prophetic witness to the Kingdom of God: particular
churches, religious life, basic ecclesial communities,
ecclesial movements, non-governmental organizations,
groups that promote justice and peace and the safeguarding
of creation, associations of solidarity, think tanks,
etc...” (IPM 33.4.)
| 8 |
CORDIMARIAN
DIMENSION OF OUR CHARISM |
"The founding"
Our Founder categorically affirmed, in the Retreat
of 1865, that the Virgin Mary had founded the Congregation.
We still have the handwritten outlines of this Retreat,
and in the talk on Zeal, when Claret speaks of atheistic
humanism as one of the evils that were threatening
humanity, we can read:
"The Most Blessed Virgin has founded her sacred
Congregation in order that her Heart might be the
Noah’s Ark, the Tower of David, the city of
refuge and the sacred propitiatory." 138
Father Clotet attended this Retreat and he relates
the words our Founder spoke in the following way:
"The Congregation is Yours, You founded it.
Do you not remember, Lady? Do you not remember?
lie said this with such an accent and such naturalness,
that it could easily be seen that he was remembering
in a very lively way at that moment the precept,
the words and the presence of the Mother of God."139
The Chapter of 1973 clearly expressed its feelings
on the relationship of the Congregation with the
Blessed Virgin Mary:
"Given the intensity with which the image of
Mary figured in the mystical ufe of our Founder,
it is evident that the Marian (Cordimarian) aspect
forms an essential part of our charism and constitutes
an indispensable trail of our spirituality. The
Virgin is, consequently, much more than simply the
principal Patroness of the Congregation. The living
of our cordimarian sonship provides us with a special
dynamism to fulfil the kind of being and mission
that define the Claretian religious" (2 RL
7f).
Mary, Mother of the Congregation, will be for each
one of us what she was for our Father
Founder: "We are and are called Sons of Her
Heart"
We have already called attention in n. 1 to the
title of Sons, which corresponds to our vocational
being: sonship. The attitude that corresponds to
this is filial love and trust, as is spelled out
inn. 36. Pope John Paul II reminded us:
"I do not want to end this encounter without
recalling another distinctive trail of your sprit,
which constantly appears in your Holy Founder with
singular forcefulness and which should continue
to be your own way of being and feeling. I refer
to his clear awareness of being a Son of the Heart
of Mary and of being an instrument of salvation
in Her hands. You know perfectly well the point
to which this awareness of Marian filiation lies
at the base not only of the apostolic activity of
your Holy Founder, but also and in a specific manner,
is the cement of the very foundation of your Institute.
Throughout your history, this character of motion
filiation has always remained as an important element
of your spirituality and evangelizing action. Never
let it be weakened. In the doctrine of the Second
Vatican Council on Mary, Mother of God and Mother
of the Church, you have a doctrinal foundation for
this motion spirit which your theologians and spiritual
teachers should deepen and develop still more."
( L'Osservatore Romano, 23 rd September l985: XX
Gen. Chap., Rome 1985, p.73.)
"We commit ourselves to Her to be conformed
to the mystery of Christ"
In Jesus' entrustment of his Mother to the Beloved
Disciple on Calvary, Saint Anthony Mary Claret recognized
the Virgin's maternal role in his own life as a
disciple and apostle. He acknowledged this in repeated
acts of accepting her spiritual maternity -Mother,
behold your son- and of committing himself to her
love and service.1 The Congregation felt this same
desire to acknowledge what the Mother of Jesus meant
to it, and manifested this with its own act of commitment
and consecration. The official public practice of
this act began in 1863.144 In the beginning the
Congregation consecrated itself to the special service
of God and Heart of Mary in order better to achieve
its aim: the glory of God, personal sanctification,
the salvation of the world and collaboration m the
ministry of the Word.
In the renewed Constitutions, this consecration
is made with a view to accepting Mary's spiritual
maternity as she conforms us with Christ according
to the mystery of our charism, namely, with Jesus
Christ the Evangelizer, who seeks the glory of the
Father and sanctifies himself for the salvation
of all. This is a better way of spelling out the
awareness of a reality that we have lived from the
earliest tunes: our spiritual filiation or sonship.
"To cooperate with her maternal role in our
apostolic mission"
Our Father Founder felt that he was in some way
a collaborator in the spiritual maternity of Mary
through his prayer, evangelization, suffering and
zeal. From the very outset of his preaching, he
regarded himself as an instrument of Mary, a prophetic
arrow poised in her mighty hand (Aut 270). Toward
the end of his life he felt the inner presence of
Mary and considered himself intimately united with
Her. He also felt that this grace was for the Congregation:
the Congregation, through its apostolic action,
should make visible the maternal action of Mary
in the Church."" CoCC pp. 143-146
Our prophetic lifestyle receives a distinctive imprint
from the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mother of the
Congregation. She teaches us that without heart,
without tenderness, without ¡ove, there is
no credible prophecy. Mary uttered the Word (cf.
Lk 1:38) because she had first conceived it in her
heart; she proclaimed her prophetic Magnificat (cf.
Lk 1:46-55) because she had first believed; she
stood near the Cross and was present at Pentecost
because she was the good earth that welcomed the
Word with a glad heart, made it bear fruit a hundred
fold (cf. Lk 8:8,15,21) and asked others to do whatever
the Word told them (Jn. 2:5). IPM 20.
Dir 32: The consecration to the Immaculate Heart
of Mary, which our Father Founder proposed as the
first formula for joining our Institute, is addressed
to the overall aim of the Congregation. For this
reason, the effort to attain that aim by means of
the Immaculate Heart of Mary must be considered
as a characteristic note of our missionary life.
Dir. 33: This consecration also expresses the spiritual
experience of our Founder, who acknowledged that
he was formed as a disciple and apostle of Christ
thanks to a special maternal intervention of Mary.
Our spirituality takes on a filial character since,
through Mary the Spirit conforms us to the Missionary
Son of the Father. The presence of the Heart of
Mary in our spirituality gives a mark of humility,
meekness, tenderness and motherly love to our apostolate.
Dir: 34.As missionary sons of the Immaculate Heart
of Mary, she forms us in the forge of her mercy
and love, and makes its instruments of her maternal
love for humanity in the exercise of our apostolic
service. Since being Sons of the Heart of Mary pertains
to the charism of the Congregation;
- we must especially integrate this
reality into our vocation;
- we must be concerned about Mary in
liturgical! worship and popular Marian
piety,
- in our apostolate, as we proclaim
the integral mystery of Christ, we must
call attention to the role played by
Mary, His Mother and ours,
- to do this, we most deepen our theological
understanding, either through personal
study or though specialized courses,
and intensify our personal and community
Marian living, with days of reflection,
meditations, readings and shared prayer.
|
| 9 |
THE
"MODEL" OF THE MISSIONARY |
Dir. 35. Our Founder has left us the spiritual and
charismatic portrait which describes his own experience
of the missionary life by means of the short texts
contained in the Autobiography (494) and which we
call indistinctly "definition," "form,"
or "memorial" of a missionary. He has
handed it over to the Congregation so that each
missionary may carry it with him and have it as
the guide-line for his life.
Theological Reflection
The Fundamental Constitution ends with the definition
of the missionary or "forma Missionarii."
It is doubtless the most expressive summary and
permanent memorial of our missionary vocation.
- "A son of the Immaculate heart
of Mary is a man on fire with charity,
- who spreads its flames wherever he
goes.
- He desires mightily and strives by all
means possible to set everyone on fire
with God's love.
- Nothing daunts him:
- he delights in privations,
- welcomes work embraces sacrifices,
smiles al slander,
- rejoices in all the torments and sorrows
he suffers,
- and glories in the cross of Jesus Christ.
- His only concern is how he may follow
Christ and imitate him in praying, working,
enduring,
- and striving constantly and solely
for the greater glory of God and the salvation
of humankind."
|
In this memorial of what a missionary son of the
Immaculate Heart is, our Founder presents three
fundamental traits: the missionary as a man of God's
holy fire, a man who glories in the cross of Christ,
and a man who follows and imitates Jesus.
The Man Undaunted
Our Father Founder sets the Missionary, the Son
of the Immaculate Heat' of Mary, within the scenario
of eschatology, of the last and definitive times.
Claret was graced with a powerful eschatological
awareness, which he nourished through his living
identification with the Jesus of the Gospels, and
with the prophets and the Apostles. He understood
mission as a participation in the battle of the
end time, as an all out war against the power of
the Evil One. This eschatological awareness - so
essential to Christianity- is usually (though not
always) lacking in many First-world settings, where
believers have so accommodated themselves to the
present world that they do not feel the apocalyptic
goad, or the need to extricate themselves from their
own, sometimes diabolic, labyrinthine ways.
An apocalyptic awareness -as a fundamental inspiration
for mission- situates the missionary in the thick
of (he battle between Christ and the Evil One. For
this reason, the missionary has to count on being
met with contradiction, suffering, slander and even
death. In fact, the definition of the missionary
makes reference to privations, works, sacrifices,
slanders, torments, sorrows and the cross. These
are the hallmarks of authentic prophecy, of missionary
authenticity. It is only logical that all of this
should happen when the missionary, answering the
call of God - and not running off in the opposite
direction like Jonah- exposes himself to risk in
the front tanks where the battle is at its thickest:
"Jesus, my Life, I know and fully realize that
suffering, Sorrow and work are the badge of (he
apostolate. Will, the help of your grace, my Lord
and Father, I will embrace them and declare that
I am ready to drink the cup of inner torment and
resolved to receive the baptism of outer pain. And
so I say, 'God forbid that I should glory, save
in the cross on which you were nailed for me and
on which I, too, would be nailed for you. So be
it." (Aut 427).
This risk-taking and courageous style of mission
should shape the Son of the Immaculate Heart of
Mary. In the chapter on Conformity with Christ,
the Constitutions spell out the way in which we
should make each aspect of the definition of the
missionary into a reality: he delights in privations,
gladly tackles works, embraces sacrifices, is glad
amid slanders, rejoices in all the torments and
sorrows he suffers, and glories in the cross of
Jesus Christ.
Abreviations
CC: Constitutions
Dir: CMF Directory
LG: Vat. II, Lumen Gentium, Dogmatic constitution
on the Church.
CD: Vat. II, Christus Dominus, Decree on the Pastoral
Office of the Bishops.
PC: Vat II, Perfectae Caritatis, Decree on Renewal
of Religious Life
ET: Paul VI, Evangelica Testificatio, 1971, Apostolic
Exhortation on Renewal of Religious Life.
ES: Pope Paul VI, Ecclesiae Sanctae, Apostolic
Letter on implementation of Vat. Documents, 1966.
MR: Mutuae Relationes, Directives of the Congregation
for Religious & Secular Institutes, 1978.
IPM: In prophetic Mission, Document of XXII General
Chapter, 1997.
MCT: Mission of Claretians Today, Document of
XIX General Chapter, 1979.
CoCC: Our Project of Missionary Life, commentary
of constitutions, Vol. 2, by Jose Maria Viñas
and Josè Cristo Rey Garcia Paredes
