"It was not you who chose me,

but it was I who chose you

and appointed you to go and bear fruit

that will remain..." (Jn 15,16)

Mission, our exclusive commitment

 [17]      We receive a gift from the Spirit, within the church and for the kingdom. It embodies our particular and exclusive commitment, the evangelization of non-christians. To this we pledge ourselves by a specific vow which consecrates us completely to the Father and makes us participants in the mission of the Son.

 Mission and consecrated life

 [18]      In order to live and witness this mission consecration in a more radical way, we follow Christ in vowed poverty, chastity and obedience. For us apostolic ministry and religious life together constitute our sole and undivided charism.

Mission vow

 [19]      By our mission vow, we pledge to dedicate ourselves totally to the specific apostolic activity of the Society, according to the Constitutions and directives of our Superiors.  By virtue of this vow we promise to actually leave for the missions and to totally dedicate ourselves to the evangelization of non-christians. Mission departure is viewed as a paschal event, of a life laid aside and of a new life about to begin. Mission departure becomes then a part of the mystery of salvation for the world.

 19.1             Superiors ought to provide that the greatest number of confreres possible are assigned to direct mission work.

 Vow of chastity

 [20]      The mission vocation demands that we be totally available for gospel service. We respond with a vow of chastity by which we pledge ourselves to perfect continence in celibacy. When it is embraced for the kingdom of God, celibacy, together with chastity, is a gift. It is a manifestation of the power of the Spirit, and the expression of the love with which Christ loved the world and gave up his life to save it.

Chastity and mission life

 [21]            Through celibacy we are bound to God by an undivided love. It helps us readily accept the invitation to leave homeland and family to proclaim the gospel to non-christians. It enables us to open our hearts and embrace all in a spirit of genuine fellowship and pastoral service.

 Chastity and fraternity

 [22]      Life in community requires love, respect, collaboration toward the new brothers which the Lord provides. Community life offers valid assistance for a life of chastity, and support to follow our vocation faithfully.

 Helps for chastity

 [23]      While we pray the Lord to grant us the gift of chastity, we strive to preserve it through prudent care, the spirit of sacrifice, and a life of mature and sound love perfected by the grace of the Lord.  As we carry out our apostolic work in celibate chastity we find strength and inspiration in Mary, virgin and mother of Christ and the church.

 Chastity and witness

 [24]      We readily accept the solitude which follows from a celibate life style. The witness value of our life is credible to the degree that we live our consecration with joy, without becoming lost in self centeredness, frenetic, or other evasive activity.

 24.1            If our consecrated life is to have a witness value, we must possess a keen sensitivity to the cultural mores of the people among whom we work. In this way our conduct, incarnate and prudent, will be above reproach, and avoid undue suspicions.

Evangelical poverty

 [25]      "Christ, although he was rich, became poor for our sake, so that by his poverty we might become rich." We, Xaverians, have also been given a gift by the Spirit. We are called, we commit ourselves to embrace poverty and become poor to bear witness to kingdom values and the dignity of the human person.

 25.1            For us missioners, to become poor also signifies the ability to be less attached to one's home culture and more open to the cultural values of peoples to whom we are sent.

 25.2            Poverty is not merely detachment from material things and the desire for more possessions, it requires us to be impartial regarding success and failure, for such are not due criteria for our mission work.

Apostolic poverty

 [26]      When Jesus sent the disciples to proclaim the kingdom, they were to take nothing along. They were to hope and confide in the heavenly Father. The spirit of poverty invites us to rely on the power and richness of the gospel and not place our trust in power structures, the ways of the world, work satisfaction and success.

 26.1            Our choice and use of goods and methods are to reflect gospel values and respect the economic development level of the people among whom we live. We cannot be in solidarity with the people in poorer nations if we maintain a lifestyle removed from them, retain economic control and remain overly dependent on assistance from abroad.

 26.2            Individual missioners and mission communities are not to promote individual works and initiatives, unless the local ecclesial community has been given the opportunity to share in the planning and financing of such projects.

 Poverty and solidarity

 [27]      When Christ was sent by the Father to evangelize the poor, he become poor like them.  Professed poverty requires that we have a preferential option for the poor, and demands solidarity and sharing from us toward those who are forced to live in misery because of the structures and strategies of our world.

 Community poverty

 [28] Poverty, lived in a community context, requires that:

  -         we place all, that we possess, in common;

  -         we adopt a truly poor life style, choose what is poor and in keeping with professed poverty;

  -         we submit to the common law of work,

  -         we show due care for everything placed in common use,

  -         we render a faithful account of our administration.

 28.1            Sharing of goods: Whatever we have is held in common and shared with other communities on all levels: local, regional, congregational.

 28.2            Concern for others: Each community is to be attentive to the needs of the wider ecclesial or human community, to determine how we, in solidarity and communion, may share what we have with others. Significant gestures of this nature are to be agreed upon with the competent Superior.

 28.3            Moderation and sobriety: The poverty we profess moves us to adopt a sober tone in our life style. As individuals we try to show restraint in our use of food, drink, clothing, travel, vacations, entertainment. As communities we try to reflect simplicity in our buildings and works, and employ modest means in our financial activity.

 28.4            Authorization and accountability: Each Xaverian is to keep an accurate account of all that he handles, obtain all necessary permissions, present financial reports to the Superior promptly.

 Radical poverty

 [29]      "Apart from the formation houses and residences of missionaries, the Xaverian Society cannot possess real estate of any kind."

 Vowed poverty

 [30]      The ownership of property and the use of material goods are not reconcilable with the vow of poverty which imposes a limitation in the use and disposition of goods. For this reason we relinquish the right to administer patrimonial goods, freely dispose of temporal goods, and claim any financial retribution for ourselves from our work.

 30.1            Use and usufruct of goods: Previous to his temporary profession a novice relinquishes, to a person of his choice, the administration of whatever he possesses and provides for their use and revenues. The same provisions are to be made for any patrimonial goods received after profession. Should anyone wish to change his decisions regarding these matters, the permission of the Regional Superior is required.

 30.2            Last Will: Before perpetual profession, each Xaverian is to draw up a legal will to provide for the administration of his present and future possessions. Two copies of this document are necessary, one for the archives and the other for the confrere. The dispositions of a will may be changed, the permission of the Regional Superior is necessary.

 30.3            Waiver of inheritance rights: A perpetual professed confrere may freely relinquish his share of an eventual inheritance in favor of another person. Proper legal procedures are to be followed, and the permission of the Superior General is required.

 30.4            Separation from the Society: If a member decides to leave the Society he regains his right to use and dispose of patrimonial goods. He will receive some financial help, if need be, to assist him in the initial transition period of his life. He may not, however, demand payment for any work carried out during his presence in the Congregation.

 Gospel rooted obedience

 [31]      Christ came into the world, not to do his own will, but to accomplish the will of the One who sent him. He invites us to place ourselves with him before the salvific will of the Father. The fact that we are chosen to proclaim the gospel makes us docile to the action of the Spirit which constrains us to accept obedience to the Father as the norm for our life and apostolic service.

 Obedience in community

 [32]      A privileged place to discern God's will is the community, where members gather to hear the word, reflect on events, and pray together. The exercise of authority as service, obedience lived as sacrifice, are gifts of the Spirit which demand mutual respect, fraternal dialogue, and availability. Obedience finds fulfillment in joyous acceptance of the Superior's decisions and in the active, generous collaboration of all.

 32.1            Authorizations and permissions, granted by a Superior, normally cease at the termination of his mandate.

 Obedience, willing service and union

 [33]      Our vowed obedience requires that we are available  to accept "every role or assignment, transfer to any mission station, a task to accomplish in Society work at home, whatever is assigned to us... in the same spirit with which one would leave to work in direct mission activity". Since evangelization is ecclesial by nature, we carry out mission in communion with the Pope, the bishops of the churches we serve, our Superiors, according to their respective roles.

 Vow of obedience

 [34]      By the vow of obedience we offer to God the right to freely dispose of our life. We solemnly promised to submit our will to the directives of our Superiors, in all that pertains to the life and goals of the Society, according to the Constitutions.