FAMILY 3
Luis Munilla, sds
Base-25 c
Caracas - 2010
Index:
Introduction
0.1 Mission Statement of the Society of the Divine Savior
0.2 Resolution on Ways and Means
0.3 Resolutions on our life in Apostolic Community
0.4 Charisma, Mission, Spirituality and Salvatorian Identity
I. TOPICS ON CHARISMA
1. 1 What is and what is not a lay Salvatorian?
1.2 God's experience
1.3 Confidence in the divine providence
1.4 Persons of prayer
1.5 To preach and to show the kindness and the god's love for all the humans
1.6 To love and to live the evangelical poverty
1.7 To have a big apostolic zeal
1.8 To accept the cross of every day as basic element of our life
1.9 Love to Maria and the Church
1.10 To be inspirers for others Movements at the interior of the Church.
II. TOPICS ON MISSION
2.1 To announce the Savior, but: how? nowadays.
2.2 Salvation: plenitude of human life
III. TOPICS ON “WAYS AND MEANS”
3.1 Every maestrillo has his small book (his method)
3.2 Returning about the expression: “Salvatorian family”
3.3 Assuming my responsibility
3.5 The poor evangelize us
3.6 Missionaries today?
3.7 “The sea is not a dump of garbage’s, but a gift of god”.
IV. VARIED TOPICS
4.1 S. D. S.
4.2 The figure of the P. Jordan as priest
4.3 How is a religious community organized?
4.4 - 120 years after that date: 8-12-1881
4.5 Hope for Venezuela
4.6 To re-rubberize or to renew?
4.7 The votes: only for religious?
V. TOPICS ON THE OCCASION OF THE “YEAR OF JORDAN”
5.1 Jordan and education
5.2 Jordan and politic
5.3 Jordan and the Eucharist
5.4 Jordan and the press
5.5 Jordan and Maria
5.6 The Christmas, patronal fest of the Salvatorians
5.7 The young founder and his social dimension
5.8 Jordan as spiritual guide
5.9 The vocation of founding
5.10 The strategies of Jordan at the time of founding
5.11 Jordan exorcist (3 parts)
5.12 The purgatory in life
TOPICS ON THE OCCASION OF “CONTINENTAL EVANGELIZING MISSION” IN QUITE LATIN AMERICA 2009-2012
6.1 ASSAM
6.1.1 Assam 1/4
6.1.2 Assam 2/4
6.1.3 Assam 3/4
6.1.4 Assam 4/4
6.2 THE FOUNDATIONS IN AMERICA
6.2.1 The United States
6.2.2 Foundation in Ecuador: emeralds (1893).
6.2.3 Brazil: campos-quatis (1896)
6.2.4 Foundation in Colombia
VII. LAST YEARS OF JORDAN AND HIS HEREDITY
7.1 The succession of Jordan
7.2 The death of Jordan
7.3 Spiritual agreement
7.4 Spiritual testament of Jordan
7.5 Others will come …
VIII. SPIRITUALITY
8. “Rereading of the sds spirituality SDS From the reality of Latin America
XI. BRIEF AND ANECDOTAL BIOGRAPHIES: JORDAN AND MOTHER MARIA
9.1 Life of Jordan in Anecdotes
9.2 Teresa Von Wüllenweber
X- STATUTES OF THE ‘INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY OF THE DIVINE SAVIOR’
INTRODUCTION
The booklet “IN FAMILY” became out of print. Equally it occurred by the second edition, which I titled “IN FAMILY AND WITH CHARISMA”. Meanwhile I have extended notably the materials and present now the third edition: “FAMILY 3”.
Truly the charisma that received P. Jordan was not to hide it like a big treasure, but to set it to produce - as Jesus asks in the parable of the talents - especially because Jordan was inspired by God, so that he was inviting all the Laypeople to be employed insistently at the announcement of the Gospel. To announce our charisma, which is a gift received from God for the whole Church, it is an obligation, especially because any person who approaches to this charisma, is going to feel animated and inspired to announce, together with others, the same Savior of the world.
To the beginning of the book I place three documents approved in recent Chapters or General Synods of the Society of the Divine Savior, on “Our Salvatorian Mission”, “Forms and Means in our ministry”, and “Our life in Apostolic Community”, that have served as inspiration to write several articles, as well as the document of the International Commission of Charisma on “Charisma, mission spirituality and Salvatorian identity”. All of them are catalogued and arranged by the number "0", since they are to be the basis of abundant reflections of this booklet.
How to work the topics:
One can read the topics personally in of tidy form as they are appearing in the book. Or if you prefers, you can read the brief biographies of the God's Serf Francisco Maria of the Cross Jordan and of Blessed Maria of the Apostles, who are in the end, continuing than with the topics, since thus these acquire a major context in the history, in his origin and in his why.
Nevertheless, the topics are thought, normally for a work in group, for the formation of religious candidates and religious, as well as for the formation of groups of Salvatorians Laypeople. They are brief, for not to exceed the time of a meeting, knowing that only in one day everything cannot by explained. They have been published, mainly, in the magazine “Iglesia y Vida”, with 7.500 monthly copies of diffusion; this fact demanded, equally, the briefness, simplicity and adaptation to all the public ones. At the end of many topics, I have added, a few questionnaire to help in the community reflections.
The scheme of the meeting can be: Initial prayer in charge of someone of the group. Reading of a phrase of the Gospel according to the topic, or the Gospel of the following Sunday, commented in the group by someone, or with contributions of every member, not more than 10 minutes, since it is a question for introduction and an exercise of sharing. Later on take the topic of the day, well there can be read as written and commented and explained for whom it coordinates this meeting, or better if a mini-commission of approximately three persons has prepared in advance the topic, and looked in the Diary of Jordan, in his Allocutions and in the Bible … some texts that confirm and extend the topic, since by written them, I covered the inverse way, always without preserving in the articles the texts on which I base it. Important is the exchange of ideas, resolution of worries and doubts, as well as to reflect and to discern on perspectives of future, thinking to what mission call us the Savior in our community and inside the Church. Finally, the final prayer must not be missing, thanking, normally shared by several of the group. The meeting must not be longer than hour and a half, dedicating later a brief time to share a coffee and personal experiences.
On our Web page: www. Salvatorians.org.ve youcan find many complementary materials, as well as presentations that can help you in the personal reflection or to prepare or to direct a topic in your group.
There are groups that begin and join in the first termfor a work or pastoral action and, being in it, they feel the need for reflection; others that meet to help and to accompany themselves in a reflection, and if they do it well, necessarily it will take them to a pastoral awkward action. These topics can help in both cases.
Luis Munilla, sds
0.1 MISSION STATEMENTof the Society of the Divine Savior
We Salvatorians are called to follow Jesus Christ, the Divine Savior,
by living as community within the universal Church for apostolic service.
As with our Founder, Father Francis Mary of the Cross Jordan,
we proclaim to all people the salvation which has appeared in Jesus Christ,
so that by the lives we live and in our apostolic activities,
all may come "to know You, the only true God,
and Jesus Christ whom You have sent" (John 17:3),
and have life in all its fullness.
This mission compels us to share our call to be apostles
with people from all walks of life.
We are ready to serve all people everywhere,
by all ways and means which the love of Christ inspires.
We trust in God's loving providence in discerning
and courageously responding
to the particular signs of the times in each place and age.
Today, these signs urge us to be a prophetic voice
for the renewal of Church and world,
by conveying in a contemporary way the values of the Gospel
in dialogue with each culture;
by animating lay people to live their baptismal commitment
for Christian leadership, ministry, and service;
by joining the poor in challenging contemporary evils
which frustrate a fully human life,
particularly social injustice, poverty and violence in all their forms.
We Salvatorians seek to fulfill our mission by being one with those we serve,
manifesting to the world the goodness and kindness of God our Savior.
Approved by the VIII General Synod, October 24 1995
0.2 RESOLUTION ON WAYS AND MEANS
To further our Salvatorian mission, Father Jordan urged us to be ready to use "all ways and means" given the signs of the times. While we engage in a great variety of apostolates, our God, Church and world continually call us to strengthen the authenticity of our personal and communal witness, to prepare ourselves for ministry, to evaluate the effectiveness of our apostolates, and to answer new challenges according to the following criteria:
- to create methods to raise religious consciousness among people through Christian formation and spiritual development;
- to collaborate with the entire Salvatorian family, share responsibility in partnership with laity, cooperate in ecumenical endeavors, and join forces with those involved in similar apostolates and in promoting the defense of life and human rights;
- to prepare lay people and Christian communities to engage in leadership in the work of evangelization;
- to relate with those we serve through mutual experiences of life and faith, community and prayer;
- to serve the needs of the poor and marginalized in a manner which empowers them to transform their situation;
- to promote a missionary spirit and to support missionary activity through personnel and/or finances;
7.to educate ourselves and others to respect creation and so to use natural resources justly and responsibly.
The presence of these criteria marks our apostolates and ministries, whatever they may be, as authentically Salvatorian. Today, a reading of the signs of the times and the recommendations from the provinces/missions point toward an emphasis on:
- pastoral centers which serve the whole person by supplying a wide range of services; such as, religious instruction and preparation for ministry, human development and promotion of family life, health care and psychological counseling, and economic assistance;
- evangelization at the parish level in light of our Salvatorian charism in communion with the local Church;
- evangelization through social communications media;
- ministry to youth which demonstrates the varied dimensions of the Christian vocation.
0.3 RESOLUTION ON OUR LIFE IN APOSTOLIC COMMUNITY
- XVI GENERAL CHAPTER -
“…that they may become completely one,
so that the world may know that you have sent me…”
John 17.23
In order to be authentically Salvatorian and inviting to others, our consecrated life in community must witness a communion of love, advance our mission and be flexible to our apostolates, support the members in their works and ministries, and manifest our charism. To do so, we are called to renew our life in community. Today, Salvatorians around the world indicate that this renewal can be furthered by the following initiatives.
- We cultivate ways of praying together centered in Christ which are conducive to our apostolic identity and are rooted in shared reflection on our experience of God in Word, Eucharist, community and apostolate. (c. 401-403, 501-504)
- We emphasize in initial and continuing formation that our life and service within community has an apostolic value in itself, that the individual is called to be committed to the community’s needs and apostolates, and that each individual’s apostolic activity needs to express our charism. (c. 311, 326)
- We assess our community gatherings by their capacity to enrich and strengthen our bonds as a community of life and faith, that is, by their quality and regularity and not only by their quantity or long tradition. (c. 406)
- We provide occasions when we express to one another our need for forgiveness and reconciliation so that we more fully respect and accept each one’s individuality. (c. 309, 326, 404-405, 509)
- We use any appropriate means which can help us more effectively communicate and dialogue, share personal experience and concerns, and give and receive support. (c. 403, 405)
- We open our life in community to fuller integration with the Salvatorian Family and to deeper relationships with men and women of similar apostolic and spiritual aspirations, while respecting differences of lifestyle. (c. 107-108)
- We evaluate the simplicity of our lifestyle and integrate our communities within the reality of the people whom we serve, conscious of our obligation to be in solidarity with the poor. (c. 315, 403)
- We form our leaders to view their role as one of service and shared responsibility; to engage us in dialogue, communal discernment, and apostolic planning; and to implement the initiatives in this resolution. (c. 324-326, 405-406, 701-704)
In our efforts to renew our life in community, we gain inspiration from the apostles at Pentecost:
“They devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women,
and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled,
they were all in one place together. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.”
Acts 1:14, 2.1,4
WORKSHOP:
On the three previous documents I prefer not to put questions for discussion. But I clarify again, that there are Documents written for all the Salvatorians religious men of the world. There are a way of expressing briefly our TODAY and they want to mark ways and questions for the future. In any of the topics that continue, we can ask us, what say these three programmatic documents for our life, and our apostolic action.
0.4 “CHARISMA, MISSION, SPIRITUALITY AND SALVATORIAN IDENTITY”
Text contributed by the International Commission of Charisma
Rome, June 16, 2001
Introduction
We the Salvatorians, men and women, religious and lay, describe our charisma, mission, spirituality and Salvatorian identity, affirming that these elements are related between them in an inseparable way. The charisma and the mission are two faces of the same coin that are lived by means of the spirituality. The identity is the resultant one of the specific Salvatoriancharacteristics that we recognize in us and for those that we are recognized by the others.
At first we are in accordance with the following dynamic description of the terms:
Charisma is a specific gift given by the Holy Spirit to a person or to a group for the good of the others so that God is known and loved better.
Mission is the dimension of the charisma by whom, who receives the gift, he is sent to share it with others.
Spirituality is the dynamic form in which a person or a group, live through the specific charisma and the mission that they have been given them by God.
Identity is so much what we are for us self as the form as the others see us. It is the embodiment of our charisma, of our mission and of our spirituality.
Salvatorian Charisma
The founding charisma is the specific gift of the Holy Spirit given to P. Jordan for the Church and the world. It is deeply rooted especially in four Biblical texts that are key elements for his life and work. These are the center of the charisma that he communicates to all the Salvatorians.
Juan 17,3: “This is the eternal life: that meet you the only real God, and whom you have sent, Jesus Christ”.
Mat. 28, 19-20: “Go, then, and make all the people disciples baptizing them in the name of Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to keep everything what I have ordered you. And now I am with you every day up to the end of the world”.
Marc 16, 15 “And he said to them: Go all over the world and proclaim the Good Piece of news to the whole creation”.
Daniel 12,3 “The learned ones will shine as the shine of the firmament, and those who taught to the multitude the justice, as the stars, for the whole eternity”.
Key elements found in these founding texts for which we are called and qualified:
- To live the eternal life
- To meet the only real God and his envoy Jesus Christ
- To follow the traces of the Apostles
- To do disciples of all the nations
- To guide others to the eternal truth and to the justice
- To proclaim the universality of Christ's message
- To be capable of discerning the signs of the times
Salvatorian Mission
We, Salvatorians, are called and sent by the mission to announce, by means of our life and action, the evangelical message, as we can find in the key elements of our charisma:
- To announce the Savior
- To work for the plenitude of the life, that is to say, for the salvation
- To guide others to take existential conscience of God
- To support us mutually on our apostolic commitment
- To involve others in the mission
- To emphasize the role of the lay apostle
To proclaim the message to the whole world, everywhere, opportunely and importunately, and to do this by means of all the forms and means that Christ's charity inspires us
Salvatorian Spirituality
The Salvatorian spirituality is the concrete way as we live every day our charisma and mission. Specific elements of our spirituality: