An Overview of Universal Mission
According to Mary of the Passion
Part II – Book 5
Table of Contents
Lived Experience- Deep Life of Contemplation 3
Theological Vision of Universal Mission 4
The Biblical Vision of Universal Mission 5
Universal Mission is an Ecclesial Call 6
Universal Mission is an intrinsic
part of our Charism 7
Her Vision of International Community 9
In Cultural Diversity 10
Universal Mission is realized through
Sisters being sent and received 11
To be sent everywhere 12
Universal Mission and insertion in the
Church in which we are sent 13
Readings 14
End Notes 15
An Overview of Universal Mission
According to Mary of Passion
Lived experience - deep life of contemplation
While a small number of French women’s missionary congregations were established to be of assistance to specific groups of missionary priests, George Goyau, talking about the congregation founded by Mary of the Passion made the following statement: “For the first time in the history of the Church a congregation had been founded exclusively for mission work.”[1] And Dana Robert being more explicit stresses the fact that the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary were the first mission community for “universal mission” founded and directed by a woman.”[2] Mary of the Passion not only drew up the rule and put in writing a book of customs. More than giving her religious written texts she wanted to instill in them the missionary spirit that she was developing through her contemplation, and she will form, train, cultivate, with solicitude the first communities of the Institute.
The powerful expression: “she knew at first hand the conditions and difficulties of life on the mission”[3] was a clear cut explanation of the subsequent tremendous development of the Institute of the Missionaries of Mary. From her rich missionary experience, which she always put through the sieve of a continuous life of contemplation, Mary of the Passion acquired a deep perception of universal mission, which is an intrinsic part of our FMM charism; it inserts us deeply in the life and mystery of the Church and enables us to communicate in Trinitarian love. Universal mission is a call for which each FMM bears responsibility.
Different factors combined to bring about her rich theological, biblical and spiritual vision of universal mission. Mary of the Passion ceaselessly deepened, by her docility to the Holy Spirit, a concrete and a realistic vision, results of her life experience. Mary of Passion would gradually develop some clear strategies and guidelines for training her religious called to answer the different calls from the Holy See. Her missionary vocation was already in seed form in her family environment where she learned to sacrifice for the poor. That experience was successively enriched by her short stay with Poor Clare and in rich and determinant life experience in the society of Mary Reparatrix. She was still a novice, when Mother Mary of Jesus sent her as missionary in Madurai, India. There she began to discover spirituality oriented towards mission; her vision broadened through her work as Foundress and mostly in the crucible of years of trials and sufferings.
Theological vision of universal mission
The universality of the mission is rooted in the radiation of the Trinitarian love, the mystery of the Father and of his love which is revealed through Jesus Christ in the Spirit. The immensity of God fascinated Mary of the Passion “The earth is the Lord’s.” This immensity is not only cosmic but a spiritual outpouring, which is spread over every person, not turned in on self, enabling one to participate in the infinite.(MD 821; NS 285)
Universal mission is a participation in the redemptive mission of Christ who became man and was immolated on the cross to save all souls. (CS, 2) “We are called to this vocation; we must dedicate ourselves to sacrifice; we are victims, not to save our brothers from temporal captivity, but to ransom their souls from eternal bondage. That was the work of Our Lord Himself… we, His humble servants, moved by such love and sharing His desire for souls, wish “to make up in us what is lacking in the Passion of Jesus Christ,” to take part in the redemption of human race and to deliver ourselves with Him for the salvation of souls” (MD, 672).
Universal mission overflows from the life of the Spirit. It is the divine breath which makes of the Institute “an apostle sent by God” and prepares “a new Pentecost” It is He who arouses in the soul the thirst for God, truth and charity, not only for oneself but for the whole earth (MD, 80) “The Spirit of Love fills the souls of the Apostles, the disciples and the Holy women. Transformed they become preachers of the gospel and nearly all will become martyrs” (MD, 810). “Missionaries, we have a large share in the grace of Pentecost. Everywhere and in every language we are called upon to help the labor of the successors of the Apostles” (MD, 811)
The biblical vision of universal mission
Mary of the Passion identifies the universal mission to the biblical theme of the Reign of God journeying towards its fullness. This concept of the Reign of God occurs very often in her writings: “to call down the Reign of God” to contribute to the Reign of God, “to prepare the Reign of God” to work for the Reign of God and “to burn for the Reign of the Gospel.” “To fight for the Reign of God” Thirst for the reign of God.” Obtain the reign of God.”… (Cf. The Gift of God, 28)
In her contemplation she had a glimpse of that eschatological Reign through the song of the elect in the Apocalypse:
“Lord, our God, You have redeemed us by your blood, from every tribe and people and nations, and You have made us the kingdom of God.” (Revelation 5: 9-10) She added, “Our missionary vocation consecrates us to form this kingdom,” (MD, 638),to establish the reign of charity.
Universal mission is an ecclesial call
For Mary of the Passion, the universality of the Institute was intimately linked with the catholicity of the Church. It means to bring the Good News to the extremities of the world. “…We are Catholic and should desire our vocation to be universal like our Holy Mother the Church” (CT/2, 138). A sending by God was, therefore, a sending by the Church.
The foundations were established according to the desire of the Holy See. “Church of Christ, we give ourselves to you…’Your daughters rise up at your sides’ we wish to act as missionaries and suffer as victims for you” (MD 83). “ “Give us a large heart that is not only concerned about to our own life…Extend our interest to all the works concerning the Order and the Institute… even more… to those embraced by our holy Church.” (MD 365)
Universal mission is an intrinsic part of our charism
Mission is integrated into all the aspects of the charism, and draws from them its dynamism and strengthens their unity:
For Mary of the Passion mission is lived out as an offering for the Church and the salvation of the souls, we fulfill it giving ourselves in total disponibility. The missionary is “ready to confront dangers and crosses”, to go to “the most dangerous missions.” The measure of donation is that of mission.
The Eucharist is Christ’s offering continued now: “The Eucharist is the Word, who has emptied himself and became man. It is humanity that has been despoiled on the Cross. It is Love come down from Heaven to earth, Love that ascends from earth to Heaven. There, in the mystery of His self-emptying, is the Way, the Truth and the Life. The Eucharist upholds the world, yet to all appearances this incomparable power has been totally annihilated.”[4] Eucharist is the source of all missionary action, the center where the life of prayer and action are unified: a double movement of silent contemplation and action.
The Eucharist, where Christ, in the cosmic dimension of his glorious body "supports the world” and offers Himself to all in a limitless love without reserve. “Let us feed our charity at the source of love.” In the Eucharist, Mary of the Passion saw herself “united to the infinite Immensity” which gave greatmess and extended to all she was and did. And within her a thirst surged “to have the world communicate with the grace of the Tabernacle”, to bring the adoration of peace to all the nations of the earth” (NS, 285, 40, 336, 340).
Mary of the Passion offered her adoration on Thursday “so that the Institute would adore our Eucharistic God in the five parts of the world”. Mission is to draw new adorers to Jesus in the Eucharist, the great Missionary of the Institute. The Eucharist is of itself evangelizing.
Mary of the Passion invites the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary to continue the mission of their Mother who gave Jesus to the world. Mary accompanied her Son from Bethlehem to Calvary, so would do her missionaries. They had to imitate Mary contemplating the mystery of: Annunciation, Visitation, and Epiphany, at Cana and at the foot of the cross. “ Faithful to our vocation, may we be the stars of Mary, leading to Jesus, and we shall then continue the Epiphany of the Lord, by helping to manifest Him to all the nations” (MD, 83)
· Mary of the Passion “wanted her missionaries to be, like Mary, at the heart of the Church to renew there the Gospel work which Mary did in the early Church.”
· She saw Mary as “incarnated in the Institute” in order to “bring a new effusion of the Reign of Jesus”, “to the Church, the Order, the Institute, the homes of all Catholics, everywhere, in everything … The mission of Mary is the third Pentecost.”
In the Franciscan way, the dynamism of universal mission finds a new impetus.
· “Francis is a source of dynamism for missionaries, linking contemplation to charity in a total gift of self.”[5]
· Following Francis, Mary of the Passion would like “to go and cry out in the whole world” the Gospel of charity.
· Mary of the Passion felt “possessed” like Francis, with the desire to bring back the practice of the Gospel to the earth… to obtain “a new evangelical effusion” drawing its strength from minority and poverty, because “real power is detachment, it is love.” (NS, 46, 72, 400; JO, 497; MD, 590).
Her Vision of International community
The influence of the years spent in India was noticeable in Mary of the Passion’s activity as foundress. She entered into contact with different cultures, religions and languages. The community experience in India, and later on with the sisters of the Institute, enabled her to gain deep insight into the link uniting community and mission. “If the community life with its atmosphere of prayer, of serenity, of charity in poverty, is a source of apostolic dynamism, the horizon of universal mission gave the community its true dimension, facilitated its growth and made it conscious of its participation in the building up of the Kingdom.”[6]
The Institute has carried the requirement of internationality from the very beginning. Insertions in different countries widened this range of nationalities after 1885. Mother Foundress wished the internationality be visible at the community level. In planning new foundations and especially at the time of departures she always took care to choose sisters from different countries.
The international community becomes also a witness, especially credible in a world enticed by all kinds of nationalism and sectarianism. It is a proof that the universal charity of the Gospel is not an abstract ideal, but can be lived concretely and without affectation in daily life. An international community is ipso facto an evangelizing community. Mother foundress was aware of the difficulties which can arise in an international community; she trained her sisters and also asked that they should be trained to assume this renunciation from the beginning of their religious life. “Whatever their nationality” they should “mix with one another.” Sisters had to promote true communion, build fraternal/sisterly relationships, each one should strive to actively participate in bringing about the unity.
She expressed three aspects of participation: “active and assiduous presence, attention to atmosphere, and disponibility to fraternal service.”[7] “Silent Guest, nevertheless divinely acting”, Christ in His Eucharistic presence, who truly founds the community, remains not only its center but its bond of unity.”[8]
The enrichment from living internationality was not only cultural, psychological satisfaction, it had a spiritual meaning: “a large share in the graces of Pentecost”. Mary of the Passion was aware that the internationality when lived in its fullness was only of value when it became a spirit.
In cultural diversity
The acceptance of the cultural diversity which is a constant factor in our communities, is fundamental because the internationality of our communities is not always realizable everywhere. This needs formation, because the acceptance of diversity is not improvised. Here also, Mary of the Passion stressed on mutual respect, mutual acceptance, each sister has her place and responsibility in the community.
The study of languages requires perseverance, and humility. The Institute had increasing numbers of Sisters from different countries and different languages. Knowledge of more than one language was necessary for the missionary both within community and in relation to her place of mission. Mary of the Passion insisted upon the importance of language study from the novitiate.[9]