Parma,
Motherhouse, July 2, 1921
In
omnibus Christus!
To
my dear missioners/brothers
The
gospel portrays apostolic life and professed religious vows as together
constituting the most perfect form conceivable. By the profession of vows we die
to earthly things so as to be hidden in God with Christ Jesus. St. Paul wrote:
"you have died, your life is now hidden with Christ in God" (Col.
3,3). Religious vows are sacred bonds which constrain us to divine service. They
signify total liberation from the world, flesh and the devil. They stimulate us
ever onward toward higher things. They are a form of martyrdom, the suffering
may be less intense, but the duration is for life. Our actions, then, are more
meritorious. Church fathers tell us that what is done under vow is doubly
meritorious before the Lord. St. Anselm says: "an ordinary persons is like
one who offers the fruits of a tree, a vowed person gives the fruit and the tree
as well.". St. Thomas Aquinas compares religious profession to a second
baptism, because it marks the beginning of a new life.
Since
the apostolic and religious life together enjoy this singular excellence, the
devil leaves nothing untried to dishearten those who have embraced and to
dissuade others from entering. He fills the mind with doubts, the heart with
anxiety, the imagination with false fears, the will with discouragement. By
exaggerating difficulties, he presents this life as impossible. Often enough he
succeeds.
The
Holy Spirit warns that temptations are to be expected, when we prepare to enter
the Lord's service. This should not deter us though. Rather we are to turn to
the Lord in prayer, re-new our decision, re-double our fidelity to duty. Paul
assures us: "let everyone remain in the vocation to which he was
called". (1 Cor. 7,20)
If
we are faithful to our society, observe the constitutions, work under the
guidance of our superiors, we certainly acquire much merit, touch many souls,
receive the hundredfold promised by Christ to the apostles and those who put
their hand to the plow without turning back.
The
devil may lead some to believe that they can do better elsewhere. They may leave
the society but they will not be any happier at the time of the death as a
result. They will be bitterly disillusioned, the Lord cannot generously bestow
his gifts on the unfaithful who abandon the higher state to which they had been
called.
Let
us appreciate our vowed life, it makes us more like Christ, the prototype of all
the predestined.
Embrace
poverty, this is the first demand which Christ makes of those who seek
perfection by following him. He wants them for himself alone and requires
affective and effective detachment from earthly things. Often he said:
"unless you renounce what you possess, you cannot be my disciple". His
apostles were not to have more than one tunic, nor to keep money, nor to be
preoccupied about tomorrow, nothing would be lacking to those who left all to
follow.
Paul
admonishes us: "if we have food and clothing, we have all we need...."
(1 Tim 6,8)
Everything
else is contrary to the spirit of evangelical poverty, even if it costs
suffering, inconvenience, humiliation. Opulent poverty which lacks none of
life's comforts does not please the Lord, nor is this the poverty of the
apostles and other apostolic men. Wherever we may be, in mission or in society
houses, we should be content with the food and clothing provided and neither
seek nor possess anything as our own. This is the poverty we vowed, this is the
poverty which liberates, this is the poverty which guarantees heaven promised by
preference to the poor in spirit.
The
constitutions, and canon law, permit radical ownership and the use of certain
civil property rights. Yet no confrere may administer or dispose of possessions
without the permission of his superior. Contrary practice may prove detrimental
to those who voluntarily have renounced all.
Let
us be cautious and attentive to preserve that virtue which makes us pleasing to
God and worthy of the respect and admiration of men. How foolish it is
underestimate its value or to carelessly throw it away. In this fashion we lose
God's pleasure, jeopardize our salvation, diminish our inclination for good and
virtue.
We
hold this treasure in a fragile clay vessel. In this sinful world human nature
rebels against the spirit, we should use every means to remain pure. Avoid
idleness, dangerous occasions, undue familiarity with women, unrestrained
sensual affection, dangerous particular friendships. We should master the
senses, especially the eyes, and be moderate in eating and drinking. Christ and
the saints teach by example the value of christian mortification and discipline.
Humility is the guardian of chastity. Sirach teaches: "he who wastes the
little he has will be stripped bare." In time of temptation prayer is the
answer, experience shows that God's help is needed if we wish to preserve this
virtue.
Eventual
difficulties encountered here will be amply compensated for by the joy, peace,
inspiration and abundant graces which the Lord bestows on the pure.
We
should also treasure the sacrifice of our will which we make to God through the
vow of obedience. As an offering obedience is more acceptable
than victims, by obedience we offer up the greatest gift which we possess
in the natural order, our free will. St. Thomas Aquinas tells us that all of the
other virtues are summed up in obedience. St. Bonaventure says that religious
perfection is found in the surrender of one's will in obedience.
Since
we have vowed obedience, we ought to consider ourselves instruments in the hands
of the superiors for the glory of God and the salvation of our brothers. We
should be completely indifferent regarding assignments and offices, this or that
mission, service in mission or society houses. We ought to be open to the easy
as well as the difficult, things we like as well as to what is less appealing.
We may be asked by our superiors about new assignments or tasks, however, we
ought not be taken aback if our remarks are not taken into consideration. There
is no place for exemptions or privileges due because of service given or society
positions held. Any such privileges are detrimental to religious discipline.
Even if someone for many years has held the supreme direction of the society to
the satisfaction of all, he should remember the gospel admonition: "we are
useless servants" and consider himself the least of all, and subject to the
regular observance.
Those
holding authority roles within the congregation should energetically suppress
all unsavory desires for reform, and suppress every tendency toward division and
party factions. These are lethal enemies of religious communities, the reason
why some have disintegrated and disappeared.
In
every house and mission there is a superior who is to be obeyed by all, not
because of the person himself but rather because of the authority with which he
is invested. No one should try to get his own way or wrangle a superior to give
in to his wishes. Whoever so acts seeks not the will the God, but merely his
own, as a result he cannot count on the graces and aids which the Lord grants to
those who abandon themselves in filial trust to do his will.
The
life, strength, prosperity of the society depends on obedience. The society is
to be a close-knit well-ordered force, with a profound veneration and unshaken
attachment in the service of the vicar of Christ. The society also holds the
bishops, successors of the apostles, in high respect. If this spirit wanes, the
society is well on its way to disarray and disintegration.
St.
Alphonse wrote to the Redemptorists: "it does not sadden me to hear that a
confrere has been called by the Lord to the other life. I feel the loss since I
am human, but I am consoled since he died in the congregation, I believe that he
is saved. I am not sorry when someone leaves because of his faults, I am
thankful for the society has been freed of an infected sheep capable of
infecting others. Persecution does not upset me, the Lord never abandons us if
we do our best. What does disturb me, however, is when I hear that there are
some imperfect confreres who do not obey, and give little importance to the
rules." This is what preoccupied the holy Doctor, I share his concerns. If
such a situation were verified in our midst, I would see this as the first sign
of the gradual destruction of our congregation in the near or distant future.
To
avoid this, we ought to live that life of faith which seeks God's pleasure and
not our own. This is expected of the just man, more so is it expected of the
priest and apostle. We can do this if faith becomes the absolute norm for our
conduct, and permeates our thoughts, intentions, feelings, words and actions.
Our life will be so if we focus on Christ in all, always and everywhere: at
prayer, study, the altar, in our pastoral activity and meetings with others,
during moments of distress, sorrow and temptation. So inspired our exterior life
becomes the reflection of the interior life of Christ within. Such a deep seated
faith will ward off dangers in the ministry, fortify our strength, multiply
merits, purify intentions and obtain joy and ineffable consolation to lighten
the burden of the apostolate.
We
ought to nurture the interior life through the use of all of those spiritual
practices suggested by the constitutions and various other circumstances. Never
omit the daily meditation, spiritual reading, the visit to the blessed
sacrament, weekly confession, the rosary, general and particular examination of
conscience, annual retreat, monthly day of recollection and prayer for a good
death.
The
eucharistic Lord is the focus of our thoughts and affection, we are his apostles
and priests. Before the tabernacle we can daily renew our strength for new
challenges. We should also have a manly devotion for the immaculate Virgin,
Queen of the Missions; St. Joseph, her chaste spouse and patron of the universal
church; the apostles and our patron, St. Francis Xavier.
While
working for the salvation of souls, let us not forget our own, hence the need to
make use of these powerful means for holiness. Experience teaches that tepidity
in prayer, diminished desire for things above, lessened enthusiasm for good,
weak resistance in temptation are all facets of the same reality. St. Alphonse
often said: "I love Jesus Christ, I ardently desire to give him many souls,
first my own and then numerous others." This is a wise rule to follow.
Alongside
of our love for God, we ought to nurture a love for self, our brothers, and for
those who belong to the same religious family with whom we share common labors,
merits, guidance, all while awaiting the day when we will also together share
heavenly glory. There is no room for doubt in this matter. St. John tells us:
"This commandment was given by God...the man who loves God loves his
brother as well."
Confronted
by my own frailty, I pray that that union of hearts and mind which the divine
Master left, as a final remembrance and heritage, to the apostles and all who
believe in him may prevail among those serving in society houses to prepare
others for the apostolate. May they work in unison, loyalty, mutual respect
under the guidance of the general direction. Id division, differences, contrasts
become manifest among them, this could be detrimental to peace and to fraternal
community building. "How good and pleasant it is for brothers to dwell
together in unity", says the psalmist. May the Lord grant that this be true
of us always. It will be so if the love of God, so well described by Paul,
becomes the foundation for our relationships and pulls all the members together
forming a single mind and heart.
The
bonds of unity are to be preserved by avoiding all that weakens them. To be put
aside are egoism, fault-finding, murmuring, contentiousness, the desire to
appear singular, the tendency to excel and seek recognition.
All
of this is to be sacrificed on the altar of fraternal love so that the common
life becomes easier and stronger and institutions may flourish
As
I send you the new constitutions I make these observations, my brothers, because
I am deeply concerned for your salvation and for the good of the society.
Finally, as I close allow me to briefly summarize what I have said above, and
express a wish. I desire that the distinguishing characteristic of present and
future members of the society should be the resultant of these three components:
- the spirit of living faith which enables us to see God, seek God, love God in
all by intensifying the desire to promote his kingdom - the spirit of prompt,
generous, constant obedience at any cost so as to taste the victories promised
by the Lord to the obedient - the spirit of intense love for our religious
family, which we consider as a mother, and boundless love for all its members.
Accept this wish as the testament of a father. I entrust it to the loving heart
of Jesus, I ask him to bring this about by the power of his grace. If we work,
as best we can, toward this, even though we are workers of the last hour, we
will be able to make our own small contribution to build the body of Christ, and
we will be entitled to the same reward as the workers of the first hour reward
of Christ
I
experience the tender love of Christ, stronger than any human bond... I
recognize how great is the cause which unites us as a single family. I
wholeheartedly embrace - as if here present - all present members of our
society, and all who will in the future join us. Recognizing my unworthiness, I
ask God to bestow on us the spirit of the apostles, and final perseverance.
We
have been members of the same family on earth, may we one day meet in heaven,
our blessed homeland, this is my prayer. I bless you!
Guido M., Archbishop/Bishop
Superior General
St.
Francis Xavier Foreign Mission Society
