Ignaz Dekkers, C.Ss.R.

June, 2007

Some time ago I got an email from Fr. Felix Catalá asking me to give some talks here during the course on Redemptorist spirituality. He wrote: I am interested in the theme of The CSsR Constitutions as a Manual for Spirituality. I would prefer if the orientation would be pastoral, that is, addressed to Superiors and Formators in order to give them some practical insights from history for their respective ministries. You may develop the theme as you may see fit. Some suggestions as regard the development of the theme:

1.   The Nature of the Constitutions and Statutes of the Congregation.

      The Constitutions as a normative document – the "law" of the Congregation.

2.   The Constitutions as a Manual for Redemptorist Spirituality.

            a.   what does this mean?

            b.   history of the concept;

            c.   key elements of a Redemptorist Spirituality;

            d.   how does it challenge us today?

            e.   is it relevant for today?

            f.    How can it help us give a faithful response to the signs of the times?

            g.   What are the signs of our times?

3.   Suggestion: small-group reflection and a question period.

********

When he asked me I was delighted, not only because it gave me the opportunity to see Rome once again but also since the subject seems to me very important. After the seventies of the last century, when the God is dead theories made much noise, there has come – as we all know – a new interest for spirituality, be it in a very broad sense which had to do, not only with Christianity, but with all kind of more or less spiritual currents and movements in the most extensive sense of the word.

I am asked to do this in English, which is not too easy. I will do my best hoping that I can make myself sufficiently understood. If what I say is not clear enough feel free to tell me.

After the 2^nd Vatican Council, which was one enormous effort to renew the Church, we too as Redemptorists had to redefine our existence as a Missionary Institute and we did so in the various chapters of the second half of the 20 century. The most important fruit of all these deliberations were, I think, our new Constitutions. Now there is always a danger that such beautiful things remain on paper, a dead letter, unknown, well preserved in the archives or elsewhere, but without any influence on our lives – that would be a pity[1]. I remember: once doing a visitation during a community meeting I read a few lines from our Constitutions. A confrere sitting next to me asked: what kind of book is that? I said: it is a booklet, entitled  Constitutions of the CSsR. He was somewhat embarrassed. I suppose the good man did not forget that moment and I hope that from then on he read our Constitutions at least from time to time and has discovered that they are worth reading.

I am convinced they can offer us as Redemptorists important help, orientation, direction for our spiritual life as individuals and as a community and by that way to the whole Church.

Let me try to explain this a bit more. In the Our Father we say – with Jesus’ own words – adveniat regnum tuum, that your kingdom may come, that your will be done. What does that mean? God’s will will be done only if everyone of his creatures does what it has to do, if everyone of his creatures tries to answer the call which the Lord directs to him and her. For us it means: God’s will will be done in our lives if we try to be as well as possible true Redemptorists. You remember that St. Alfonsus wrote for his novices a booklet; you have read it probably in your noviciate as we did, called il vero, genuino Redentorista. That is always again the central question: how to be a good, a true Redemptorist? What is a good, a true Redemptorist? There we touch the subject of these days.

Our Constitutions do not have any other purpose than to help us to live as, to be good, to be true Redemptorists. To put it in somewhat more modern terms: how can we realize the ideal of St. Alphonsus in our days with an open eye for the fundamental intention, fundamental option of St. Alphonsus in all its depth, and at the same time with an open eye for and understanding of the situation of the world of today? A thorough knowledge of and particularly a faithful life according of our Constitutions can help us, will help us, will help the whole Congregation so that even in our not so easy times the CSsR contributes, continues to contribute what it can to the coming of Gods kingdom, to the thy Will be done which was Jesus’ deepest wish and will.

So with that intention I will try to give some reflections on the CSsR Constitutions as a Manual for Spirituality.

I have made the following choice. I will try to give an answer to the question proposed by Fr Catala: can our Constitutions be called a manual for spirituality? If so, how? The general answer will be: I think that indeed they can be used and serve as a manual for spirituality, particularly the first 3 chapters: ch. I: The Missionary Work of the Congregation; ch. II: Community Life; ch. III: The Apostolic Community, dedicated to Christ the Redeemer. This certainly does not exclude other sources for our spirituality, first of all God’s word in the Bible, the liturgy of the Church of East and West, the writings of our Saints and so on.

Schema:

I.    General and introductory questions;

1.   method;

2.   history of subject;

3.   spirituality;

4.   Redemptorist spirituality

5.   Why do we speak of Redemptorist spirituality?

6.   Redemptorist Congregation

7.   Constitutions

8.   normative document;

9.   pastoral approach;

10.  a manual;

II.   Our Constitutions as a manual for Spirituality.

      1.   The mission of Christ;

      2.   Our mission; Church; Laity;

      3.   The missionary work of the Congregation;

      4.   sent as helpers, companions and ministers of Jesus Christ;

      5.   The poor;

      6.   Where to find the poor?

      7.   Poor youth;

      8.   Community

            8.1  We work as a community.

            8.2  The presence of Christ in the community.

            8.3  Community of conversion;

            8.4  docile to the Holy Spirit;

            8.5  Community of prayer;

       9.  Vows;

      10.  Our Lady;

      11.  St. Alphonsus;

      12.  Apostolic virtues;

      13.  Government;

III. Conclusions.

      1.   Meaning of: the Constitutions as a manual for Redemptorist Spirituality.

      2.   Relevance for today.

      3.   Not exclusive.

      4.   Comparison of basic terms.

      5.   A Compendium: Constitution 20.

I. General and introductory questions

1.   Method

I will touch a number of topics which I think are essential for Redemptorist apostolic commitment and consequently for Redemptorist life in the world of today and tomorrow. Fr Catalá suggested the orientation to be pastoral[2], that is, addressed to Superiors and Formators in order to give them some practical insights from history for their respective ministries. In a sense that is not so easy since I am no more in charge of formation – I was 40 years ago prefect of students at Wittem, Holland, but the problems of the sixties are not the same today. Here I think your own questions could give me some orientation. Anyway I hope to present it in such a way that young people too can understand it and that it can inspire them. E.g. reading texts together, let them discuss them and ask themselves how they can be lived in their situation, in their culture and country. I hope each of you has a copy of our Constitutions in English.

Literature:

-     Raponi R = S. Raponi, Il carisma dei Redentoristi nella Chiesa, commento alle Costituzioni, Romae, 1993;

-     R1, 2, 3, 4, 5 = Readings in Redemptorist spirituality;

2.   History of our theme

Before entering into our subject it could be good to tell something about the history of our subject. Long before our Constitutions of 1982 were made, there was in the Congregation already talk of making some kind of a handbook for Redemptorist spirituality, a so called directory[3] for spirituality. Already in the chapter of 1894 the wish was formulated for a directory according to the ascetical doctrine of the founder particularly to help the formators. The rule of Benedict XIV of 1749 and also that of 1936 was mainly juridical, the more spiritual part of it was centered around the 12 virtues. After the Second World War the need was felt to renew this system; one of the reasons was the liturgical movement, newer biblical studies, a renewed ecclesiology and theology of the sacraments[4]. One of the confreres to be mentioned here is Paul Hitz, Swiss confrere, professor at the Academia Alfonsiana, Rome. Various general chapters – 63, 73 – have discussed the subject but eventually the plan was rejected because the Constitutions themselves are considered to be a handbook for spirituality. That is the reason why as a theme for our gathering here and now was chosen our Constitutions as a handbook for spirituality.

3.   Spirituality

Our theme is: the Constitutions as a Manual for Redemptorist Spirituality. What do we mean by spirituality? As you know it is used very often today; I consulted the internet; it was mentioned three million times. There we find many references to it, they almost immediately refer one to charismatics or oriental exotic religious practices, yoga, reiki, etc. We use the term spirituality in its Christian meaning; so it has to do with the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit. In that sense the entrance hymn of the feast of St. Alphonsus quotes Luc 4,16 Spiritus Domini super me, propter quod unxit me, evangelizare pauperibus misit me; the Spirit of the Lord is over me; therefore He anointed me and He sent me to bring the good news to the poor. – Spirituality has to do with life, with lived life, with day to day life, the life of the Spirit.      Spirituality can be used in two senses: (a) a part of theology that studies the various forms of spiritual life that have existed and still exist in the Church, (b) spirituality as a way of life, a style of life which articulates and incarnates a response to God. It is God who initiates this relationship. Spirituality integrates life and unifies one’s life and one’s relations with God, with others, with creation[5].

(a) Spirituality or spiritual theology as a part of theology beside several other parts of theology. Theology is the understanding of Gods plans with this world and with us human beings. Moral theology reflects upon the Word of God as far as it speaks of life as Disciples of Christ, how we should live. Spirituality or spiritual theology is then the systematic reflection on what it means to live according to the Spirit. These various parts of theology have to do with knowledge, reflection, with what and how I think; in that sense they are speculative.

(b) Spirituality as we understand it here is a way of life, it has to do with practice; with the way people try to live according to the Gospel. So we speak of the spirituality of the Fathers of the desert, the spirituality of St Benedict, St Francis, Carmel and so on.

4.   Redemptorist spirituality

Is there a Redemptorist spirituality?[6] According to Fr. Hitz there is not such a thing as a Redemptorist spirituality. Redemptorist spirituality is characterized by the missionary charism of the Congregation, i.e. the evangelization of the poor. That evangelization however is an essential task of the whole Church; therefore the Redemptorist spirituality is essentially the common Christian spirituality. The Redemptorist spirituality is not connected with a particular school of spirituality; it is the Christian spirituality, centered on the mission[7] of Christ-Redeemer. By the grace of our vocation of being Redemptorists we are placed in the very heart of the spiritual and missionary renewal of the Church as proposed to the whole Church by Vatican II. Our spirituality is that of the Church[8]; Raponi 336. – Raponi nonetheless speaks of a proper physiognomy, that starts with the charism and the spirituality of the Founder, the saints[9] and other great Redemptorists, traditions, symbols, devotions, methods of prayer, ascetical practise; elements that come together in a life style which the Redemptorists live and pass on to a younger generation.

In a publication of the Center for Redemptorist Spirituality, Charism 2000 I read: We affirm that there is a Redemptorist spirituality – it is the particular style of life (Christian spirituality) which is marked and shaped by the experience of a group: Alphonsus, the first Redemptorists, and those who have followed them, right up to the present moment. It is essentially missionary in its orientation, sharing in the Mission of Christ, the first missionary,  who declared of himself: He sent me to preach the Good News to the poor’ (St Alphonsus as quoted in Const. 1).

Redemptorist spirituality has no being apart from Christian spirituality. Like a member of the body in relation to the whole, it is intimately connected to Christian spirituality, yet shaped in a way which is appropriate to its mission.

It may be also considered as a set of lived values and attitudes which give a particular flavor to the whole. It is not a recipe which one can follow blindly, but a way of life articulated in our Constitutions and tradition. It is also shaped by and passed on through the lived experience of the members in Mission, community and dedication to Christ the Redeemer[10].

We speak of Redemptorist spirituality. That is more than the spirituality of St Alfonsus, though his spirituality pervades all of the Constitutions[11]. It entails also the spirituality of St Clement, St Gerard, St John Neumann, Peter Donders, Stanggassinger, Seelos, Sarnelli and the others, of all those who have followed St. Alphonsus and his ideal in their way.    

5. Why do we speak of Redemptorist spirituality? 

Previously general chapters took as themes for the sexennium explicit proclamation and evangelization. Is there any opposition or at least tension between those themes and spirituality? No; rather we embrace the theme of spirituality as the integrating and unifying dynamic, which brings consistency to our Mission, Community and Dedication to Christ the Redeemer. There is one end or purpose for our Congregation: to follow Jesus the Redeemer in the proclamation of the Gospel to the poor. The apostolic life[12] is at one and the same time a life specially dedicated to God and a life of missionary work (Const. 1).

Redemptorist spirituality cannot simply be reduced to a way of prayer or particular spiritual exercises or practices. This can lead to a spiritualism which distorts the nature of our Apostolic Life. For the Redemptorist the following of Jesus can never be separated from the proclamation of the Word to the poor.

We affirm the intention of the General Chapters to take spirituality not as a new theme, but as a deepening of the call to coherence from the 1991, XXI General Chapter. There is no genuine Redemptorist spirituality apart from Mission and Apostolic Community dedicated to Christ the Redeemer. These three dimensions must not be seen as in any way separate but as integrated and unified in our apostolic life[13]

6. Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer

We speak of the CSsR Constitutions. Before we can speak of the Nature of the Constitutions and Statutes of the Congregation a few words about the Congregation itself because it is in function of the Congregation that these Constitutions were made and exist. All of us have lived for many years in our Congregation in the various parts of the world, everyone of us could write a book about his experiences – happy ones and sometimes not so happy ones – and we know something about its past, its history and actual situation. But it is not superfluous to remind us about some dates.

The Congregation was founded in the 18^th century in the Kingdom of Naples and it spread over the world in the 19^th and 20^th century. The idea of founding the Congregation came to Alphonsus, as you know, when he was confronted with the human and religious misery of the goatherds of Scala. What he had in mind was to work for the poor inhabitants of the countryside, who were not only materially in need but also religiously abandoned. So his first intention was not to create a religious institute but to do himself something for the poor people. The institute was not intended, it came, some friends joined him and so slowly with the numbers increasing that small group got some structure. They formed a group of secular priests who dedicated themselves to the religious needs of the ordinary people of Naples.

Alphonsus himself expresses it this way: he wants to work for the poor inhabitants of the countryside. It was by announcing the Word of God that Alfonsus intended to bring hope to the poor.

When he uses the word poor, it is not a question of a fashion, his heart is with the poor, it is therefore that he, coming from the upper class of the Naples society, leaves the city and goes to the poor wherever he can find them.

His work expanded through many troubles, crises; it moved from the south of Italy to Austria – think of St Clement – and Poland, to most countries of Europe, it crossed the Ocean: the two Americas, Asia, Africa, and Australia. Up to today. Now we are in more or less 80 countries. As a whole the Congregation has tried to remain faithful to the ideal and the spirit of Alphonsus and his companions.

7. Constitutions

We speak of the CSsR Constitutions. What are Constitutions? In secular language a constitution is the basic law of every society, particularly of each state. It is the juridical skeleton. They want to serve the Congregation. We do not live for the Constitutions, they exist for us, and they should help us to be good Redemptorists. One can define them in various ways. Often they are called the legislation of a religious institute; a very classic definition. Personally I think it is not bad to say: it is a document where the members of a religious community try to formulate what they intend to be and the means they want to use so that there is a good chance that they will reach that end.

For us the Constitutions articulate the aims of the Congregation and the ideals it has to approach; they show the personal commitments for anyone who is or will be a member of the Congregation so that it is able to pursue its aims in the best way and give inspiration; they indicate the general strategy which has to be observed for the attainment of the aims; they give motives and impulses, these motives are taken from different sources: theology (Christology, eschatology) anthropology, sociology. The Constitutions will motivate and move; they are imperative[14].

A remark: Fr Felix, in asking me to speak of the Constitutions as a manual for spirituality, mentions only the Constitutions and I think rightly so, since speaking of spirituality it is easier to see some link with the Constitutions than with the Statutes. The Statutes are more specifically juridical, or better, canonical norms. The Constitutions describe more the basis concept, the spirit, spiritual climate of our being together, of our forming an apostolic, missionary community and the most important principles flowing thereof.

We speak of the Constitutions of the Congregation of 1982, it means written after the 2^nd Vatican Council and considerably influenced by its ecclesial climate and documents, as one can see in the index (Engl. Ed. 235-237).

Constitutions: when you compare the former Constitutions, e.g. of 1936, you see that they breathe a different air, are of a different nature, very detailed, more aiming at obedience than at challenging idealism, more canonistic less spiritual. Whatever we may think of that question, when we speak of the CSsR Constitutions as a Manual for Spirituality we have in mind the 1982 Constitutions.

What the Constitutions are not (Schermann R1, 43): a summa theologica; they do not give a complete Christology, do not offer a systematic theology of redemption, are not even a compendium of the spiritual life but give only some emphases concerning the Redemptorist experience of religious life. It is important to notice this; otherwise we expect from the Constitutions things which they cannot give and do not want to give. They themselves refer back to the Gospel; cf. Const. 74.

8.   The Constitutions a normative document

The Constitutions are called a normative document, the law of the Congregation:

Const. 74. - Superiors and members then, united in community by the Holy Spirit, must observe constitutions, statutes and decrees legitimately promulgated, looking on them as the authentic means whereby individual confreres and communities show their constant fidelity to God's will. In this way they carry out the mission of Christ who said of himself: "I have come down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me" (John 6:38).

What do we mean by that? Though I think it is true that the Constitutions in a way are a law, yet I think they are not only a law and not in the first place a law. When we hear the word ’law’ first of all we think of something that imposes itself, that urges me to do something, even against my will. I would prefer to call the Constitutions a guideline, a help for my life. If we want to speak of law then that would be truer of our general statutes than of the Constitutions. – Certainly even in the Constitutions there are a number of things which are law, f.i. where they speak of the main structure of our worldwide community, the division in provinces, the organization of a general chapter, the way a general superior and his council are elected, administration of goods, these norms have force of law, but there are many other things which have much more the nature of spiritual guidelines, directives, meant to help us to live our life as Redemptorists fruitfully, so that we and others can be happy with it. Guidelines that can inspire us, can give us new impetus, new zeal, new courage in times of confusion. Therefore it is important that our spirituality is well founded, has strong and solid roots deep in the ground.

As I said: the Constitutions most time have the nature of spiritual guidelines, Therefore it will be important to – what I would like to call – actualize them every time. What I mean is this: life is changing permanently, and therefore what Constitutions mean in concreto hic et nunc has to be determined, has to be found out in the light of the actual circumstances. To give an example: Redemptorists are called to evangelize the poor, with the term poor we mean different people according to local circumstances; in New York it will be another category of people than in Johannesburg, although everywhere we have to bring the good news to the poor.

Raponi, who has studied the whole question thoroughly, says: the Constitutions should be considered not as something fixed since that would mean to fall back in a new literalism. The Constitutions have to be seen always in relation to the original idea of the Founder and the signs of the times (cf. below III, 2). Of the Constitutions can be said what Gregory the Great says of the Bible: it grows together with him who reads it. The Constitutions have to be interiorized to establish a process of osmosis with the reader and to get ever more new freshness[15].

J. O’Donnell: the Constitutions  have to be understood not in a static way but in confrontation with the reality in movement and therefore actualized; always however in a line of internal and dynamic coherence which makes it a living document[16].

9.   Pastoral orientation.

Fr Felix says: I would prefer if the orientation would be pastoral[17]. Pastoral is a frequently used term in the context of ecclesial activities. Felix explains it by saying: pastoral, that is, addressed to Superiors and Formators in order to give them some practical insights from history for their respective ministries. Our considerations should result in some practical insights, which can be of help for us in our daily work and practice. Pastor is he who helps the people of God to become always more ecclesia Dei; God’s beginning Kingdom in this world. – I think your own questions can help us to make our considerations as practical as useful as possible.

10.  A manual for Spirituality.

The Constitutions are called a manual for Spirituality. There are manuals for computers, they tell you exactly how to deal with these complicated machines; when we call the Constitutions a manual we intend something different. Spirituality is not a question of mechanics; it has to do with life. Therefore manual should be understood here at best as guideline, help. 

So far we proposed some general considerations that can help us to understand better the meaning of the theme that we are investigating and its limits. In the light of all this we ask ourselves: can our Constitutions serve as a Manual for Redemptorist spirituality? Therefore we will investigate the main topics of our Constitutions.

II.   Our Constitutions a Manual for Spirituality.

So let us now try to examine if our Constitutions are really a manual of spirituality for us Redemptorists. Therefore we should take not all but a number of them, analyze them asking our selves what they have to offer us in terms of spirituality.

We will try to underline the fundamental concepts. Raponi[18] gives the following key concepts: Apostolic life[19], Example of the Saviour[20], Evangelization of the poor[21], Mission of Christ[22]. Though I follow a somewhat different order substantially we touch the same subjects.

1. The Mission of Christ:[23]

The primary meaning of the word mission is: sending. In the biblical tradition it meant the sending of people by God to do his business in the world. First the prophets were sent to proclaim and to live God’s ways. Then Jesus continues and fulfils the mission of the Prophets. He is supremely the Sent One, ’the Apostle’ of God (Hebr 3,1). His mission is described in the familiar passage in the Gospel of Luke: the Spirit of the Lord has been given to me, for he has anointed me. He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and to the blind new sight, to set the downtrodden free, to proclaim the Lord’s year of favour; Lk 4,18-19. These words give some sense of the full range of mission. Its purpose is not only the proclamation of salvation, but its inauguration. It is a divine gift of liberation both spiritual and temporal.        

What is manifested in Jesus is the task of the Sent One:

1.   to proclaim the word of God;

2.   to enact God’s works, i.e. promote love and truth, peace and justice;

3.   to generate among people a fellowship which is in some way already the society of God. It is to be in some degree an experience of a real beginning of the freedom of God’s full Kingdom.

What Jesus offers therefore is not just religion in any narrow sense of the word, but an interpretation of human existence itself. It asserts who people are, both in relation to God and to each other, and why things are as they are. He not only proclaims it; he lives it. What God sends his people is not just a message; he sends his Son. In a real sense Jesus is his mission

All four Gospels conclude with passages indicating that the mission of Jesus is being handed on to his disciples, e.g. As the Father sent me, I send you Jn 20,21. Jesus however remains with his disciples until the end of time, and continues his mission in and through them. Their task, their mission is the same as his.

In the whole biblical tradition of mission the one sent undergoes a transformation, a change of personality almost, and is given a whole new life orientation. This feature is often highlighted by the fact that the one sent is given a change of name, e.g. from Simon to Peter, from Saul to Paul.

Christ missionary

Const. 48. In order to fulfil his mission, which is essentially the exercise of pastoral charity, Christ "emptied himself, taking the form of a servant" (Phil. 2:7) and submitted himself to the will of the Father in the work of redemption to which he dedicated his entire life.

The mission of Christ is considered to be the unifying principle of this (Redemptorist) life (Constitutions 52-54). The mission received from the Father embraces Jesus’ whole messianic existence. For Christ the mission is everything; it is to do the will of the Father. It is not an ascetical exercise but a mode of being. One can say that Christ is his mission. Like evangelization – even more so than evangelization – the mission thus emerges as the basic theological motivation of Redemptorist life, as the principle which makes the apostolic life intelligible[24].  

The missionary life finds in Christ the Redeemer the unifying center and the magnetic pole, since the mission of Christ is one and the same with the Person of Christ. The more the mission is undertaken in its all inclusive dimension, the more the Person of the Redeemer will be living and active. Mission of Christ and person of Christ refer to each other in turn and identify each other[25].

If one wants to establish a certain gradation among the various terms, one could say that, if

a.   the apostolic life affirms the unity of Redemptorist life, then

b.   evangelization expresses its dynamic vitality and

c.   mission or mission of Christ its deep root.

In short – the ultimate purpose of a vocabulary which digs down into the biblical soil is to restore vigor and sparkle to the mission of the Congregation in the Church.[26]

2.   Our mission: to follow Him in His mission.[27]

We want to follow Him in His mission. Remember Const. 1: The Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, founded by Saint Alphonsus, is a clerical missionary religious Institute of pontifical right, … Its purpose is to follow the example of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, by preaching the word of God to the poor, as he declared of himself: 'He sent me to preach the Good News to the poor'.

Const. 23 Since the members are called to continue the presence of Christ and his mission of redemption in the world, they choose the person of Christ as the centre of their life, and strive day by day to enter ever more intimately into personal union with him. Thus, at the heart of the community, to form it and sustain it, is the Redeemer himself and his Spirit of love. And the closer their union with Christ, the stronger will become their union with each other.

Const. 25. They will be docile to the Holy Spirit who works without ceasing to conform them to Christ, so that they learn to view all things as Christ does (cf. Phil. 2:5ff), and be of one mind with him (cf. 1 Cor. 2:16). This same Spirit moves them interiorly through a variety of ministries for the work of the apostolate.

For the gifts of the members and of communities vary "according to the measure of Christ's giving" (cf. Eph. 4:7), "but the Spirit is one and the same (cf. 1 Cor. 12:14).

Const. 74. "Since the fundamental norm of the religious life is the following of Christ as presented in the Gospel, this must be considered as the supreme rule" (PC, 2a) in our Congregation.

Against the background of ideas such as these, the Constitutions present mission as the unifying principle in the life of Redemptorists, as it was the unifying principle in the life of the Prophets and of Jesus himself in whose mission they share. Following his profession the Redemptorist signs CSSR after his name, which in its own modest way signifies a new life orientation, a new destiny, a new mode of participation in the mission of Christ; and a participation:

Const. 52. Apostolic charity, through which the members share in the mission of Christ the Redeemer, is the principle that unifies their entire life. For it identifies them in a certain sense with Christ, who continues to fulfil the will of his Father by carrying on the redemption through them.

Jesus is presented not as an external exemplar, but as one with whom Redemptorists enter into a personal relationship by participating in his mission. Contact with him comes about … through participating with him in his activity of bringing the Kingdom of God into being. Jesus continues to search for and to do the Father’s will. But now he does so in and through the Congregation. It is through participating in the saving mission of Jesus that Redemptorists become identified with him precisely as Redeemer.

Our mission and the Church, the Church and our mission.

Participating as it does in the mission of Jesus, and therefore of the Church, everything said about the Church is to be said about the Redemptorists in a derived way. The Congregation is a sent Congregation; every Redemptorist community is a sent community; every Redemptorist is a sent man. These features are part of our identity as individuals or as communities.[28]

The purpose of our very existence is to do God’s business in the world. It is for this we are sent. We are not only to proclaim the arrival of the kingdom, but to promote its coming. The life of the Congregation is to be characterized by proclamation of the message of salvation, offering people Jesus’ own interpretation of human existence, by service which will promote the political and social liberation of the poor, and by the cultivation of such fellowship among themselves and others as will reveal the transforming power of the Spirit of God.

It is not enough to say the Congregation has a mission … The Congregation is at the service of people for the glory of God. Thus Const. 53:

Const. 53 Since the glory of God and the salvation of the world are one, and since love for God and love for people are the same, the members live their union with God in the form of apostolic charity and, through missionary charity, seek his glory.

The Congregation’s mission therefore is not something the Congregation does, one of its activities. The Congregation is God’s mission to his people. Redemptorists are, in Jesus, the word of God enfleshed at this period of history. Every aspect of their lives derives from mission and is directed to mission.

Const. 54. In this way pastoral charity gives soul and unity to the life of the members. Community life is really at the service of the apostolate. Continual conversion, the result of their total surrender to God, increases their availability for the service of others. Indeed the very religious bonds, by which the members dedicate themselves to God, necessarily involve commitment to the apostolate and strengthen that commitment.

Religious profession, therefore, becomes the definitive act of the whole missionary life of Redemptorists.

Formula of our perpetual profession:

Eternal God, who established the mystery of salvation in your Son, and made human beings share in the work of redemption in the Church, I, N.N.... guided by your Holy Spirit, resolve to dedicate myself entirely to you, by following closely Christ, the Saviour of the world. For this purpose I now freely choose the Christian life sealed by the evangelical counsels, by making for life the vows of chastity, of poverty, and of obedience, together with the vow and oath of perseverance, according to the spirit and way of life proper to the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. And so I bind myself to live faithfully a life of brotherly love, imbued with apostolic charity in this same Congregation, founded by Saint Alphonsus especially for preaching the Gospel to the poor. May your grace, the help of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of the whole Church, and the co-operation of my confreres be constantly with me.

Const. 55 All are Missionaries. This profession makes all Redemptorists truly missionaries, whether they are engaged in different activities of the apostolic ministry or hindered from working at all, whether they are occupied with various services on behalf of the Congregation or the confreres, or are advanced in age, sick, or incapable of external work or whether, above all, they are suffering and dying for the salvation of the world.

Const. 78. The aim of formation for both candidates and members is to lead them to such a degree of human and Christian maturity that, with the help of God's grace, they will be able to dedicate themselves intelligently, willingly and wholeheartedly to the service of the missionary Church in Redemptorist community life, in order to preach the Gospel to the poor]

They should learn progressively what the following of Christ demands of them, required as it is by baptismal consecration and confirmed by religious profession, and thus become true missionaries.

Redemptorists do not work on their own[29]. No man is an island. As I said above we form a community, our missionary commitment should be in community. That is true of our local community but also in a broader context; our activity should be in connection, in unity with the local and the universal Church. There has been in the past century a certain trend of working more or less independently; the principle under it was more or less: we are exempt, we have our own charism, we have the freedom of the Spirit and therefore we do not have too much to do with the hierarchical Church, Pope and bishops. Pope John Paul insisted several times on the unity of the Church, the charisms are there not to fight one another but to support, inspire and help one another. I think that is also the meaning of our Const. 18.

Const. 18 Because of the particular nature of their pastoral charity, communities and individual members shall do all in their power to harmonize their own work with the enterprises of the universal and local Church. For the task the Congregation has assumed in the Church is in the service of Christ, and as a consequence, must necessarily also be in the service of his Church. Because their ministry is directed towards the good of the universal Church, the members are primarily subject to the Supreme Pontiff, even by virtue of the vow of obedience.

Nevertheless, according to the principles of exemption, they are also subject to the local ordinary in what relates to their particular ministry in the local church. In working out and maintaining fraternal co-operation, the members shall keep in view both the pastoral programme of the territory they work in and the charism proper to the Congregation. With a sincere desire to be of service, and a generous availability, they shall fit in with the missionary works and structures which the diocese or the region has established to meet the more urgent needs of the Church and the times.

Note: this text can be read as a law and it is a law but then in its deeper and more original sense of guideline, orientation, help on our way, which we should follow not only externally but accept also in our hearts.

Pope John Paul in his letter to Fr Lasso at the 2^nd centenary of the death of S.Alfonsus wrote: He had the sensus Ecclesiae in a high degree; so much so that in a sense he was the voice of the Church. So it is no wonder that he had the highest esteem for the Roman Pontiff[30].

Laity

Here the laity should not be forgotten. More than in the past we see the importance of collaboration with the laity for various reasons. Though the need to work together with them may have become more evident through the diminishing numbers of our Congregation, the main reason is not that need but the fact that we form all together one church, one family of God. Everyone has his and her own charism, we can and should support one another. In various provinces interesting initiatives have been started. The General Chapter 1991 accepted a postulatum: the General Chapter encourages our communities to open themselves to the laity so that those may have a bigger part in our the experiences of our life, our work and our spirituality[31].

3. Missionary work of the Congregation. Mission – unifying principle of their whole life[32].

The heart of the message of the Constitutions is to be found in ch I. entitled The Missionary Work of the Congregation. We are here at the very heart of our vocation, the most basic and fundamental aspect of our mission in the Church.  Therefore I think it is necessary to analyze it.

We speak of a mission. It is interesting to see how the word mission is used in language of our days. In the past it was a typical religious term, used to indicate the foreign missions or also our own domestic missions; periods of spiritual renewal of one or more parishes; a kind of community retreat for a whole parish. Nowadays it is often used in the context of so called mission statements; so a political party can have a mission statement, and even an oil company. When our Constitutions speak of the mission of the Congregation they use it in its profound theological meaning. We believe that our founder(s) were sent by the Lord for a work of the Spirit; remember the words that Alfonso heard leaving the hospital for the Incurables at Naples: leave the world and give yourself to me, remember the influence of Maria Celeste who in her visions heard the Lord speaking of an institute of men whose task it would be to bring the good news to the most abandoned.

Const. 1 says: Its (the Congregation’s) purpose is to follow the example of Jesus Christ the Redeemer, by preaching the word of God to the poor, as he declared of himself: He sent me to preach the Good news to the poor.  – We have heard this a thousand times but we can never hear it enough since it is the very essence of our vocation and the criterion par excellence for (our missionary activities and) our spirituality. Every word counts.

The Const. continues: ’in this way the Congregation shares the mandate given to the Church which since it is the universal sacrament of salvation, is missionary of its very nature’.

The Redemptorist Congregation truly follows the example of Christ in his apostolic life, which comprises at one and the same time a life specially dedicated to God and a life of missionary work. – Here the Const. makes a very important point which is fundamental to understand the life, the spirituality of our Congregation. You remember that in the past often Redemptorist life was characterized as missionary outside, Carthusians at home. - I think the term apostolic life as described in our 1^st Const. is better.

Perhaps you know that after some discussion it was introduced in our Constitutions in the chapter of 1969 by Fr Kraxner, then provincial of the Vienna province. The question was: are we a contemplative institute or an active one? The answer given was: we are not a monastic order like Benedictines, so we are not contemplatives, right. So we are active, was the conclusion, but that was one step too far. Active congregations are those who do all kind of social work e.g. most Sisters Congregations, who teach, who work in health care and so on.

Our work is not in the first place social, though sometimes we do social work but then it is always in a missionary context → to prepare the ground for the proclaiming of the Word of God. In apostolic life the contemplative element and the active one are integrated, they form one reality; St Thomas called this the vita mixta, contemplari et contemplata aliis tradere (Dominicans): to contemplate and pass on to others the fruits of our contemplation. Or like the Jesuits formulate: contemplativus in actione: contemplatives in action. To use a comparison: it is like the seashore, where high and low tide hang together and call for one another, no high tide without low tide and vice versa. So in our life, to say it in a simple way: prayer nourishes our apostolic commitment and apostolic activity stimulates our prayer life, makes us ever more aware of the necessity to underpin our work with union with God or to say the same with other words: our work has to come from the heart, that is full of the Holy Spirit.

Raponi[33] says: the expression apostolic life (AL) according to Const. 1 embraces simultaneously the consecrated life and the missionary work of the Redemptorists. The choice of the expression AL aims pragmatically at underlining the unity of Redemptorist life. The choice is intended to avert, at the level of theological-spiritual formulation, a separation or dichotomy among the components of the missionary life. Work and prayer, preaching and community life, ministry and study are inseparable aspects, in simbiosis. Not juxtaposition therefore; still less separation; rather interdependence and interpenetration on the example of Christ the Redeemer and of the Apostles. … The term is moreover very close to the alphonsian formula homo apostolicus. The specific connotation of the term AL explains also why there never appears in the texts the expression religious life; except in Const. 74 where a Conciliar document is being cited Perfectae Caritatis 2a.

So far we spoke about the central idea of our Constitutions: we as Redemptorist Congregation want to be an apostolic missionary institute. What does that say about the nature of the Constitutions and Statutes of the Congregation. Are they a normative document – are they the "law" of the Congregation? I refer to I, 8.

4. Sent as helpers, companions and ministers of Jesus Christ (Const. 2).

Const. 2: "Sent as helpers, companions and ministers of Jesus Christ in the great work of redemption:" to preach the word of salvation to the poor (Chapter I), they build up an apostolic community (Chapter II), especially dedicated to the Lord (Chapter III).

Sent as helpers, companions, ministers. The Gospel is not ours, the Church is not our property, we are only helpers, as the bishop told us the day of our ordination; we got the sacerdotium secundi meriti. We are the servi inutiles mentioned by the Lord himself in the Gospel of Lc 17,10: we are only servants. One is our master. At the same time He says: I do not call you any more servants, I call you friends: Jo 15,15.  

"Sent as helpers of Jesus Christ in the great work of redemption”. Helpers in the great work of redemption. We should not forget that the Lord redeemed the world not by his miracles, not at Mount Thabor but at Calvary, giving up his life though he did not have to do so; dying out of love for the world, for us, for all. It implies that our part in this work of redeeming the world is not only a question of following Him in preaching his Word but also in taking part in his passion and death. We think of Alphonsus himself, suffering for his Congregation, going through the deception of the regolamento that put him in a way outside his Congregation. We think of St Clement and the troubles he had before the Congregation could be established in Austria, of Peter Donders and not to forget our Ukrainian and Czech martyrs. They helped the Lord in the great work of redemption not only by their word but also and even more so by their lives and their death.

Our Constitutions explicitly recognise the value of this preaching the Gospel not with words but with the testimony of our lives. In that sense are speaking our Constitutions 8-10, where they say:

Const. 8. According to the situations in which they find themselves, they will eagerly try to discover what they should do or say: whether to proclaim Christ explicitly, or confine themselves to the silent witness of brotherly presence.

Const. 9. Should circumstances make it impossible for them at times to proclaim the
Gospel directly and immediately or to preach it fully, then the missionaries, with patience and prudence, but at the same time with great confidence, must give witness to the charity of Christ and do all in their power to make themselves neighbours to everybody. This charity will show itself in prayer, in genuine service to others and in witness of life whatever form it may take. This form of evangelization gradually prepares the ways of the Lord, and is a true exercise of the Redemptorist missionary vocation.

Const. 10. Witness of life and charity opens the way to the testimony of the word (cf. Rom. 10:17), according to actual circumstances and the capabilities of each. Indeed Redemptorists have as their special mission in the Church the explicit proclamation of the word of God to bring about fundamental conversion.

When the opportune time comes, and the Lord opens the door to them for the preaching of the word (cf. Col. 4:9), the members are always ready to give witness to the hope that is in them (cf. 1 Pet. 3:15). They bring to completion the silent witness of their brotherly presence by preaching the mystery of Christ with confidence and constancy (cf. Acts 4:13, 29, 31).

They will never grow weary of invoking the Holy Spirit, so that they may always be able to co-operate more wholeheartedly in bringing the mystery of redemption in Christ to full effect. For the Spirit has command of every situation, puts the appropriate word on the lips of the preacher and opens hearts to receive it.

Note: these texts could give the impression that preaching is more important than the silent testimony. It is true that the explicit preaching of the word of God belongs to the task of our Congregation. However that does not take away by any means that the word we preach should come from the heart; if it does not come from the heart it is void, empty, and useless. For our spirituality it means: if we want to bring the word of God to our sisters and brother, first of all it should become flesh and blood lived reality in or own lives.

Hebr 13,8 says Christus heri hodie ipse et in saecula: Christ is the same yesterday, today, for all eternity. He is the cornerstone of the Church; he therefore is also the cornerstone of that small ’ecclesia’ that is called Redemptorist Congregation. It is good to look a moment closely to the text of this Constitution.

The members are called to continue the presence of Christ and his mission of redemption in the world. Alfonsus wanting to illustrate Jesus’ task and mission frequently quotes John 3,16: sic Deus dilexit mundum ut unigenitum suum daret ut omnis qui credit in eum non pereat sed habeat vitam aeternam = So much God loved the world that He gave his only Son and everyone who believes in Him will not perish but reach eternal life.

The Spirit of Christ animates us and so we, like He, are called to redeem the world, to continue the work that he began living his life here on earth, through his passion death and resurrection. – Here we are at the very centre of our spirituality.

[Moral Theology: not as an intellectual exercise but as a help for missionary commitment].

              He is sent (He is missionary), we are missionaries, we are sent, we participate in his being sent. Being sent, we want to follow Christ, the missionary. The mission encompasses the whole life until the total gift of self to God and the brethren. So our life too is redemptive mission[34].

5.   Sent to the poor.

Alfonsus founded his Congregation to evangelize the poor. As you know for a long time until our days there has been discussion about the meaning of the word ’poor’ in this context. Who are the poor, where are the poor? Fr Raponi, in his Introduction to the study of the renewed Constitutions and Statutes of the CSSR[35], says: It is necessary to keep clearly in mind the criteria which must guide an accurate interpretation of our charism: the most abandoned and the choice in favour of the poor. Constitutions 3 and 5 present these criteria with sufficient clarity, yet the application of these criteria needs to be continually verified to avoid distortions and confusion. Between the two criteria there is a close connection, but there is also subordination and dependence.  The criteria are inseparable but not to be confused with each other[36].

The primary and distinctive element is the ’spiritual abandonment’ according to a criteriology going back to the very origins of the Institute. Const. 3 deals specifically with this aspect (those groups of people who are more in need of spiritual help). This orientation which characterizes our missionary activity is called to take on flesh in a precise social context: the poor. It is clear that we are dealing here with a preference in choice, not a paralyzing exclusivism. Const. 4 and, in part, Const. 5 speak of this.

He goes on: It follows from what has been said that the choice in favour of the poor is related to the spiritual abandonment and subordinate to it. In fact, unless duly watched, the emphasis on the ’poor’ could lead to a reversing of positions, misplacing attention on the social context to the detriment of the specific message. Our involvement must remain eminently ’salvific’, in an evangelical and ecclesial sense and cannot be reduced to social action or to political-economic liberation. If human advancement forms an integral part of evangelization, the latter nevertheless surpasses and contains the former[37]. What does this mean for our spirituality, for our attitude, our mentality, our habitus mentis et cordis? Much. It means, as Fr Raponi, said that our activity ought to expound the principles of the Gospel on the basis of which the faithful themselves can make mature choices in the corresponding social and political context.

If we reflect further on this point I think what we said is the natural consequence of the fact that what we want to do as a missionary body is to follow Jesus in his pastoral missionary commitment. His concern is evangelizare pauperibus, to bring the good news of Gods loving presence, of Gods redemption to the little ones, the anawim of the OT. – So here I think we have one very important element of our spirituality: we should be apostolic men, missionaries the way Jesus was and is missionary. He came not for any political purpose; he came to bring the Kingdom of God, reign of justice and peace, of love and charity.

If we want to evangelize the poor it is not sufficient to say: we want to evangelize the poor  in general, we have to ask ourselves: who are they, where are they, how do we reach them and what does that mean for our spirituality?

6.   Where do we find the poor to be evangelized?

Who are those more in need of spiritual help? It will vary from country to country, from time to time. In the time of St Alphonsus they were the shepherds in the mountains around Scala, the so-called lazzaroni and other outcasts. For St Gerard they were the poor people who came to the gate of our convent at Materdomini, St. Clement found himself in a totally different situation, he knew that the spiritually abandoned were found in the universities, among politicians. Peter Donders saw them in the lepers, the Indians and Negroes of Surinam. So every one of our great missionaries was inspired by the same spirit but the concrete object, if I may say so, of his apostolic zeal was every time different. Fr Schermann presenting St Alphonsus writing to his brethren of the Vienna province at the occasion of the 2^nd centenary of his death says: the people of your time are not wiser not more faithful than in my days; many have no idea at all of God and do not know that there is with him plentiful redemption. Your apostolic service therefore is most needed[38]. 

For our missionary activity and our spirituality it means being prepared to adapt our missionary activities and approach again and again, we have no stabilitas loci and no stabilitas operis. Some time ago at the beginning of the province of St Clement an overview was presented in Matran of the history of the Cologne province. A thing that struck me very much was following.

The Cologne province from its beginning (2nd half 19th cent.) had many houses which were abandoned; in a first moment hearing this I wondered: how does that come? The reason was simple and a very good one. Our aim is not to keep houses but to evangelize the poor and that can mean that again and again we have to move; it is like St Paul says in Hebr 13, 14, we do not have here a permanent home. So in a sense it is a good sign when we do not have always the same houses.

It means for our spirituality that we should not settle down as if we were parochi inamovibiles: they do not exist anymore but in the past a number of parish priests could not be displaced by their bishops unless they committed a crime. That mentality would be totally in opposition to our missionary orientation.

It has some very practical application in our days. In many provinces we have to give up activities and houses. It is easier to open a house than to close one; closing a house is more than closing a door. It means for ourselves often closing, finishing a period of our lives. It has to do something with death. That can make us sad and even sometimes a bit pessimistic. If we see things only from their natural and human side. But there is more to say about it. If we really want to follow Christ the Missionary, then we know that his word about the grain of wheat that dying produces fruit is true. It is true also for our lives and our works and the beginning and end of our works and activities. Sometimes and particularly our generation are forced by circumstances, diminished manpower, to leave certain activities, I think here of our beautiful house at Nijmegen where I my self am living, it is hard to be forced to leave it but the Lord has his intentions in this case too. And ipse providebit. Like in the case of Abraham and Isaac. Isaac asked his father when they were climbing the mountain: where is the animal you want to offer. Abraham did not know the answer, he only obeyed the voice of Jahwe but he answered to the little boy the Lord will foresee.

So far we collected a few elements that have to do with our spirituality. We are missionaries; we want to bring the good news of Gods loving presence to all, particularly to the most abandoned and among those most abandoned to the poor. In that way we want to follow Jesus Christ, who did the same.

7. The young.

A special word about youth. Speaking of the poor, there is I think a category of people who should be mentioned particularly where we speak of the poor, being the first destinies of our mission. I mean the young. I remember a conference of the major superiors of Central America in Mexico around 1980. There much importance was given to this topic. If we want to bring the good news to the poor we should not forget that the poorest among the poor are the young poor or the poor who at the same time are young. So easily as we all know they land in misery, poverty, criminality and the world of drugs and so on. So though in our Constitutions they are mentioned only rarely we should pay particular attention to them.

GS 014d. The members will show affection and give special attention to young people, who exert a very powerful influence in modern society. They will do so especially where they exercise the parochial ministry, so that the young may become genuinely new persons who will mould a new humanity. The members should inspire and cultivate missionary fervour in them, so that future preachers of the Gospel may come from among them.

8. Community.

8.1. We work as a community.

In this context it is very important to remark that in our ’new’ Constitutions of 1982 the community has got a prominent place.

Const. 2 In carrying out its mission in the Church the Congregation unites members who live together and form one missionary body.

Const. 21. To fulfil their mission in the Church, Redemptorists perform their missionary work as a community. For apostolic life in common paves the way most effectively for the life of pastoral charity. Therefore, an essential law of life for the members is this: that they live in community and carry out their apostolic work through community. For this reason the community aspect must always be kept in mind when any missionary work is being accepted. Community does not truly exist when members merely live together; it requires as well genuine sharing on the human and spiritual level.

One might ask: why is it that the Constitutions put so much emphasis on community life; a question which is the more understandable while in the past community life as it is understood nowadays, was not the most characterizing aspect of our life. It is true that our superiors when they took office made an oath on the vita communis, but that had more to do with poverty than with, what we call today, community life. So the question comes back why so much stress on community life? – The Const. is very explicit on it: To fulfil their mission in the Church, Redemptorists perform their missionary work as a community. The idea behind it seems to be: no one is an island, no one works on his own, he is supported by his brethren. His own inspiration, pastoral attitude, apostolic zeal is fruit and expression of the inspiration of the whole community (local/provincial/ worldwide).

It is therefore that recently our superiors general have underlined several times that our first apostolate is not our word, our activity but our being community. To put it very simply: a good community, where brethren work and pray together and support one another is our first  apostolate because it shows to the world that it is possible to live together in spite of all kind of differences, to live together as brethren. To illustrate this: in international politics often people speak of united nations, mutual help, all kind of nice ideals with as underground: alle Menschen werden Brüder, all humans become brethren. Often it is nothing else than lip service. Sincere and lived community life can give and gives the world a touchable example of the possibility of forming a community, that it is possible that people with totally different backgrounds of race, colour, culture form a community of understanding, love and peace. That is more eloquent than many clamorous manifests.

And the Const. gives the reason: For apostolic life in common paves the way most effectively for the life of pastoral charity. If we have to preach, to bring the good news of God’s charity to the poor, we should have experienced it in our own day to day life. Otherwise it is nice theory and people feel that.

The Constitution says this in other words:

Const. 22. The whole purpose of community life is to have members, like the apostles (cf. Mark 3:14; Acts 2:42-45; 4:32), in a spirit of genuine brotherly union, combine their prayers and deliberations, their labours and sufferings, their successes and failures, and their material goods as well, for the service of the Gospel.

We remember how Jesus too sent his apostles out two by two; Lk 10,1.  Such concrete forms of this community life are to be set up as will meet the demands of evangelization and the requirements of brotherly love, bearing in mind that the term "community" can refer to the whole Congregation, to the (vice)province, or to a local or personal community.

Community: in Northern Ireland which as a whole rejected the use of alcohol to give support to some of their members who had a problem with alcohol.

8.2. The presence of Christ in the community.

Constitutions: a manual of spirituality; is our subject. So far we saw various parts of the house that can be called ’our spirituality’. Now we come to the very heart of it; it is described in art. 2, Const. 23: the presence of Christ in the community.

Const. 23. Since the members are called to continue the presence of Christ and his mission of redemption in the world, they choose the person of Christ as the centre of their life, and strive day by day to enter ever more intimately into personal union with him. Thus, at the heart of the community, to form it and sustain it, is the Redeemer himself and his Spirit of love. And the closer their union with Christ, the stronger will become their union with each other.

Const. 24. So as to share truly in the love of the Son for his Father and for people, they will cultivate the spirit of contemplation which deepens and strengthens their faith. 

This will enable them to see God in the people and in the events of everyday life. They will see his plan of salvation in its true light, and be able to distinguish between what is real and what is illusory.

Const. 25. They will be docile to the Holy Spirit who works without ceasing to conform them to Christ, so that they learn to view all things as Christ does (cf. Phil. 2:5ff), and be of one mind with him (cf. 1 Cor. 2:16). This same Spirit moves them interiorly through a variety of ministries for the work of the apostolate.

For the gifts of the members and of communities vary "according to the measure of Christ's giving" (cf. Eph. 4:7), "but the Spirit is one and the same" (cf. 1 Cor. 12:14).

8.3. Community of conversion

Const. 41. 1° The members must give all their attention to putting on the new self, created in the image of Christ crucified and risen from the dead, so as to purify their motives in judging and acting. For conversion of heart and continual renewal of mind should characterize their whole daily life. 

This effort entails continual self-denial, which eliminates egoism, and opens the heart to others generously and fully, in accordance with the demands of the apostolic calling. Spending themselves for others in this way for the sake of Christ (cf. 2 Cor. 4:10ff), they will acquire that interior freedom which brings unity and harmony into their whole life.

Durrwell[39] says: the ministry of preaching itself helps to transform the apostle into the mystery which he is announcing.

8. 4. Docile to the Holy Spirit

Const. 25. They will be docile to the Holy Spirit who works without ceasing to conform them to Christ, so that they learn to view all things as Christ does (cf. Phil. 2:5ff), and be of one mind with him (cf. 1 Cor. 2:16). This same Spirit moves them interiorly through a variety of ministries for the work of the apostolate..

For the gifts of the members and of communities vary "according to the measure of Christ's giving" (cf. Eph. 4:7), "but the Spirit is one and the same" (cf. 1 Cor. 12:14).

8.5 Community of prayer.

Const. 26. Let the members ever take to themselves the exhortation of Christ the Redeemer: "they ought always to pray and not lose heart" (Luke 18:1). Let them imitate the disciples of the first community in the Church: "they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers," (Acts 2:42) "all these with one accord devoted themselves to prayer, together with Mary the mother of Jesus" (Acts 1:14).

Indeed, they will make every effort to have Saint Alphonsus' spirit of prayer in their own lives.

Const. 27. They will find Christ especially in the principal signs of salvation. For this reason their community life must be nourished by the teaching of the Gospel and the sacred liturgy, particularly the Eucharist.

Const. 28. The word of God gives support and energy to the Church, strengthens the faith of her children, nourishes the soul and is the pure and never-failing wellspring of the spiritual life. Therefore, as ministers of the revelation of Christ's mystery among people, the members shall often have recourse to his living and life-giving word and steep themselves in it, both by constant reading of the Scriptures and by community celebrations of the word of God. With faith enlivened in this way, they become more effective apostles in every good work (cf. 2 Tim. 3:17).

Const. 29. In the liturgy they discover and live the mystery of Christ and of salvation. This is true in a special way of the Eucharist, which they recognize as the summit and source of their whole apostolic life, and the sign of their missionary solidarity. 

Consequently, priests will give first place to the daily celebration of the Eucharistic sacrifice. Other members who are not priests will participate every day in the Eucharistic sacrifice, taking account of the circumstances of life and work in their own community.  

Hans Schermann (Vienna prov.) wrote 20 years ago a very special letter, a letter of St Alfonsus to his brethren of the Vienna province of the end of the 20^th century. It is a beautiful letter, worth to be read since it presents what according to Schermann St Alphonsus would have written nowadays to his brethren. Among other things he says: celebrate the Eucharist with great commitment and dignity[40].

Here we should mention also the meaning of the visits to the Bl. Sacrament. who belong very much to a constant tradition of our Congregation. They maintain the fire. In his recent postsynodal adhortation Pope Benedict encourages us also to visit the Blessed Sacrament regularly.

Const. 30. Since the members must live and work in community, they will come together for prayer in common. Each community will discover forms of community prayer, to be approved by the competent superior, which will give expression to the unity of the members and foster their missionary zeal.

In addition to the celebration of the liturgy, that is of the Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours, the members have the right and duty to devote at least one hour every day to prayer. This prayer can be made either in private or in common.

      Community prayer should not only be prayer in common but truly communitarian prayer.  

The general statutes, however, will decide how often the members must come together to pray in common each day, and the arrangement will be included in the order of the day for each community.

Const. 31. In order to participate more deeply and fruitfully in the most holy mystery of the Eucharist and the liturgical life, and to nourish more abundantly their entire spiritual life, the members, both in the religious house and outside, will attach the greatest importance to mental prayer (cf. Matt. 6:6). They will direct it principally to the contemplation of the mysteries of redemption.

 Cf  Shepherd, Gen Chapter 1973.

9. The vows: anthropology, theology[41].

History. – In the beginning St Alphonsus had not thought of founding a religious Congregation. In any case the times were not particularly propitious for such a venture. Following the example of the congregations of missionary priests already in Naples, he thought of establishing a work group bound by fairly flexible obligations, along the lines of the Oratory. It was only little by little, and in order to ensure the stability of the missionary work, that the religious life was considered. At first the vow of perseverance and later the simple vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. … The vows were in the eyes of St Alphonsus both a sign of consecration to the Lord and to the missionary work[42].

Religious profession[43]: The first thing to be noted about the approach of the Constitutions to the vows of religious profession is that they are seen entirely in the context of our mission which is a share in the mission of Jesus Christ. This is in contrast to an understanding of the vows which saw them rather as acts of personal asceticism whereby the individual entered into a special relationship with God, and undertook certain obligations over and above those of the ordinary Christian. In our Constitutions however they are placed firmly and squarely in the context of mission; their purpose is mission[44]; cf. Const. 46.

Const. 47 follows Perfectae Caritatis in placing religious profession in the context also of baptismal consecration: 

Const. 47. Profession is deeply rooted in baptismal consecration, and is a fuller expression of it. Consequently, by this act, the members are incorporated in a particular way into the mission of Christ as ministers of the Gospel, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Through this total dedication to the mission of Christ the members share the self-renunciation of their crucified Lord, the virginal freedom of his heart and his wholehearted offering of himself for the life of the world.  So they become signs and witnesses before people of the power of his Resurrection, proclaiming the new and eternal life[45].

In order to be true, effective signs and witnesses Redemptorists must never forget that, to begin with, they themselves share in and enjoy God’s gift of Redemption in Christ (cf. Const. 20)

The vows. Fundamental to all true Christian spirituality is the belief that Christians do not give in order to receive; they give because they have already received. In fact the basis for moral behaviour both in the Old Testament and the New is the idea of response to the goodness and love of God already revealed and experienced. It is founded on a faith experience of God’s love, on the belief that he has first loved us: ’This is the love I mean: not our love for God, but God’s love for us when he sent his Son (1 Jn 4, 10). The Christian chooses a manner of living which he or she considers an appropriate response to such love. The Redemptorist response is to choose to live the Apostolic Life in chastity, poverty and obedience[46].

Through the vows of chastity poverty and obedience as well as the vow and oath of perseverance we enter into the death and resurrection of Christ in a special way. They die not only to sin but to some of the best things human life has to offer. Correspondingly they share in and proclaim the risen life of Christ in a special way[47].

Obedience should be active and responsible, open to dialogue and ready to act as soon as decisions are taken. Chastity is seen in positive perspective and as a gift in confrontation with marriage. Poverty is seen in constant relationship with the poor to be evangelized, with sharing, values indivisibly connected with authentic evangelization.

10. Our Lady.

Const. 32. Let them take the Blessed Virgin Mary as their model and helper. For she went on her pilgrim way in faith, and embraced with her whole heart the saving will of God. She dedicated herself completely as a handmaid of the Lord to the person of her Son and to his work, and thus served the mystery of redemption. Indeed she still serves it, as the perpetual help of God's people in Christ. Therefore, let them relate to her as a mother with all the love and veneration they owe her as sons.

Let them be generous in fostering devotion, especially of a liturgical nature, to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and celebrate her feasts with special fervour.

All the confreres will honour the Blessed Virgin Mary every day, following the tradition of Saint Alphonsus. To all is recommended the recitation of the holy rosary, so that with grateful hearts they may reflect upon and imitate the mysteries of Christ in which Mary had a share.

11. St Alphonsus.

Const. 33. They will try to reproduce in their lives the apostolic zeal of their founder in ways that are accommodated to the needs of our times. They will have very much at heart the development in their own lives of his way of thinking with the Church, for this is a sound criterion of their missionary service. To achieve this, let them carefully study his life, and make frequent use of his writings.

St Alfonsus Maria: S. Maria della Mercede, Mater boni consilii, Our Lady of Perpetual Help[48].

12. Apostolic virtues

Though the 12 virtues as system of spirituality have disappeared their content of course is as important as it was, if not more.

a. faith:

Const. 81 The candidates must be animated also by unwavering faith if they are to be adequately prepared for the trial of loneliness and for the uncertainties which accompany the apostolic ministry. This faith will also lead them to seek a life of brotherly union, in order to hasten the coming of God's kingdom in which Christ desires to unite all.

Const. 10 The members are always ready to give witness to the hope that is in them (cf. 1 Pet. 3:15).

Const. 81 Becoming imitators of the apostle Paul, as he was of Christ (1 Cor. 4:16), and nourished by his teaching, they will be rooted in an inexhaustible and radiant hope which never deceives, for it is founded on charity (Rom. 5:5)[49].

b. Apostolic zeal

Raponi. There are many similar expressions. Const. 20: burning with charity; apostolic charity, pastoral charity, open to new initiatives: Constitutions 15-16:

Const. 15. The mission of the Congregation, then, demands of the members that they be free and unimpeded in their choice of the peoples to be evangelized and the means to be employed in the mission of salvation.

Since they are always obliged to seek new apostolic initiatives under the guidance of legitimate authority, they cannot allow themselves to settle down in surroundings and structures in which their work would no longer be missionary. On the contrary, they will diligently pioneer new ways of preaching the Gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15).

Const. 16. For this reason they hold in high esteem the different forms of missionary activity born of the missionary zeal of the members in the past, in their efforts to meet the needs of various places. Likewise, in time to come the Congregation will adopt any new form which, in its judgment, corresponds to its pastoral charity

Hence the importance of listening to the signs of the times, cf Const. 2, 43, 73, 83. (cf below n. III, 2)

Const. 24. So as to share truly in the love of the Son for his Father and for people, they will cultivate the spirit of contemplation which deepens and strengthens their faith. This will enable them to see God in the people and in the events of everyday life. They will see his plan of salvation in its true light, and be able to distinguish between what is real and what is illusory; (discernment).

Our churches were in a continual state of mission[50].

c. Simplicity of life and word[51].

We should remember the words of Paul VI to the Chapter 1973: after the official speech to the General Chapter he said spontaneously in Italian: this nearness to the people … try hard to strengthen it. If we want to save the world, we have to instruct, we have to give good example, we have to pray, but we also have to unite ourselves to the people by being in the midst of them.

We have to come as close as possible, even personally, to the classes which today are as it were the most ’distrustful’ of religion. They are the most numerous and they are the most powerful, because by reason of modern democracy they have in their hands the governing of the lives of the peoples.  Be among the people, get as close to the people as you can[52].

Card Canestri de Genova to Fr Tito Furlan, former provincial of the roman province: I know your confreres. I can tell you that among the religious living in our diocese they are the closest to the people.  I have tried to be always present at their missions: if possible at the closing of the mission or at least at some other important celebration. The people like to hear them because they are well prepared and at the same time simple. And they do not have pretensions. I do not use useless words. What I say is true I think[53].

Durrwell,: Il Redentorista predica il Vangelo con i sentimenti del cuore di Cristo.[54].

d. Closeness to the people.

John Paul II to Fr Lasso at the 2^nd centenary of the death of S. Alphonsus, 1987, 10[55]: S. Alphonsus was much befriended to the people, particularly those who lived in the poorest parts of Naples, which was then the capital of the Kingdom of Naples. Cf. also what Pope Paul VI above said to the Capitulars of 1973.[56]

e. Humility.

Const. 6 All Redemptorists, ever following the magisterium of the Church, must be humble and courageous servants among people of the Gospel of Christ, the Redeemer and Lord, who is the head and model of the new humanity. This message has for its special object plentiful redemption; it proclaims the love of God the Father "who first loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins" (1 John 4:10) and through the Holy Spirit gives life to all who believe in him.

This redemption affects the entire person. It brings to perfection and transforms all human values, so as to unite all things in Christ (cf. Eph. 1:10; 1 Cor. 3:23), and thus lead them to their completion in a new earth and a new heaven (cf. Rev. 21:1).

f. Selfdenial in its relationship to Christ crucified and risen or to the paschal mystery[57].

Const. 41,1: The members must give all their attention to putting on the new self, created in the image of Christ crucified and risen from the dead, so as to purify their motives in judging and acting. For conversion of heart and continual renewal of mind should characterize their whole daily life.

This effort entails continual self-denial, which eliminates egoism, and opens the heart to others generously and fully, in accordance with the demands of the apostolic calling. Spending themselves for others in this way for the sake of Christ (cf. 2 Cor. 4:10ff), they will acquire that interior freedom which brings unity and harmony into their whole life. 

g. Freedom and joy are themes which permeate all our Constitutions-Statutes.

Const. 59. Those to whom the Father has given this gift of grace, are so captivated by what the kingdom of God offers them, that only by choosing this religious chastity can they respond personally and fully to God's love for them.

To arrive at a more perfect understanding of the mystery of chastity and live it in freedom and joy, the members will pray with earnestness and humility in union with the Church, and they should constantly use suitable means of fostering it.

h. Mercy.

In his letter to Fr General Lasso Pope John Paul wrote in 1987: too much severity in confession spoils the souls as well as too much mercy. Therefore he (St Alphonsus) rejects rigidity since it would lead to destruction and not build up. With sinners one has to use charity and mildness the way the Lord did. Therefore if we want to win souls for Christ we should not imitate Jansenius but Jesus Christ example for all missionaries[58]. 

i. Confidence

Const. 9. Should circumstances make it impossible for them at times to proclaim the Gospel directly and immediately or to preach it fully, then the missionaries, with patience and prudence, but at the same time with great confidence, must give witness to the charity of Christ and do all in their power to make themselves neighbours to everybody.

This charity will show itself in prayer, in genuine service to others and in witness of life whatever form it may take.

This form of evangelization gradually prepares the ways of the Lord, and is a true exercise of the Redemptorist missionary vocation.

Const. 10. Witness of life and charity opens the way to the testimony of the word (cf. Rom. 10:17), according to actual circumstances and the capabilities of each. They bring to completion the silent witness of their brotherly presence by preaching the mystery of Christ with confidence and constancy (cf. Acts 4:13, 29, 31).

j. Their joy should be contagious

Const. 43. For the members, the religious community is their first and basic community. Nevertheless, it must be open to the world in such a way that, through contact with people, it may learn to understand the signs of the times and of places, and adapt itself more fittingly to the demands of evangelization (cf. Const. 19). For, in a certain sense, the members belong to other communities also, above all to the groups among whom they work. (cf below n. 13)

This does not mean that they withdraw from their own religious community, but that they really share with all the joy the Gospel has brought into their lives. Thus they become like a leaven in the world and are a living witness of hope.

During the 17^th General Chapter Fr Joao Werner said: these are the characteristic virtues which our Founder passed on to us: missionary commitment, apostolic zeal regarding founding the church, simplicity of evangelical workers, spirit of prayer, abnegation, love of the cross, to live together in sincere charity and friendship, love for our Lady, love for the poor.[59] Quoad substantiam they are the same as mentioned above.

k. Fraternal correction and friendship: 032. 

l. Prayer life

-      Liturgical prayer Const. 27, 29. 

Const. 29. In the liturgy they discover and live the mystery of Christ and of salvation. This is true in a special way of the Eucharist, which they recognize as the summit and source of their whole apostolic life, and the sign of their missionary solidarity.

-      Personal prayer: spirit of contemplation: concentrated around the mysteries of redemption             with at their centre the paschal mystery[60].. Those who pray will be saved;

Const. 24. So as to share truly in the love of the Son for his Father and for people, they will cultivate the spirit of contemplation which deepens and strengthens their faith. This will enable them to see God in the people and in the events of everyday life. They will see his plan of salvation in its true light, and be able to distinguish between what is real and what is illusory[61].

m. Devotions:

Raponi 365;

the Word of God, C28,

the Eucharist C29,

the founder C33,

our saints and beati 05,

our Lady C32: cf above II, 10;

13 Government[62].

The structures of government are to adapt themselves to the consecrated evangelizing community, i.e. to the apostolic life. To this end one can never meditate enough on the General Principles of Government’ (Constitutions 91-96) whose application produces the spirit which must animate every structure.

 Const. 91. The general principles embodied in the constitutions must inspire the entire government of the Congregation. It is these principles which should give true human and apostolic value to the norms ratified in the constitutions and statutes.

Const. 92. All members and communities must, in their own way, play an active and responsible role in the government of the Congregation in its different parts, making use of the various instruments of government with which it is provided. To each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the sake of the common good (cf. 1 Cor. 12:7; cf. Const. 72).

Const. 93. For this reason approved norms of decentralization shall be followed. In other words, each section, under the leadership of the general government, conducts its own affairs, whether by making laws and decrees and applying them, or by coordinating the life of the members, in communion with the other parts of the Institute, with the local church and with civil society of which it is part.

Const. 94. Furthermore, by virtue of the principle of subsidiarity, all the structures of government must serve to promote the responsibility of the members and communities. This is achieved when all the members and structures at lower level take their part in deciding matters which relate to themselves, and which they can implement with the means at their own disposal. When the occasion arises, higher-ranking structures must come to the assistance of those of lower rank in matters where the latter need their help.

Const. 95. The principle of solidarity, which ensures real co-operation between institutions of the same level and between the members themselves, should also be maintained. Let superiors make every effort to establish the best possible conditions for fostering the apostolic life of all the members.

Const. 96. Finally, the Congregation must adapt its own structure and institutions to its apostolic needs, and adjust them properly to the different character of each particular mission, always of course, in fidelity to the charism of the Congregation. 

How authority has to be exercised[63]

The texts insist equally forcefully on the manner in which this authority is to be exercised, speaking frequently of a collegial spirit (Const. 100) of authority as service and the like. In particular, referring to the Superior General (Const. 115b), Provincial (Const. 126) and the local superior (Const. 139) the Constitutions speak of of the superior’s task of animating and coordinating and exhort them to be pastors first and then administrators. The figure of the superior is restored to its original charism of spiritual paternity which must take precedence over every other function of an administrative nature. The superior must acquire the mentality more of a spiritual director than a functionary or a simple juridical representative. Hence the importance of the formation of superiors as a condition essential for authentically implementing the requirements of renewal called for by the Constitutions.

Superiors

Basic principle:

Const. 72: Superiors should be docile to God's will in the exercise of their office, realizing that they will have to give an account of the souls entrusted to them (cf. Heb. 13:17). They should use their authority in a spirit of service for their brothers, so that they show forth how God loves them.

They should govern their brothers as sons of God and with respect for the human person, and thus lead them to a submission that is truly voluntary.

They should lead the members in such a way that they will co-operate with an active and responsible obedience in applying themselves to their duties and to the activities they undertake.

Accordingly, let them willingly listen to the members and win their co-operation for the good of the Institute and the Church, and thus help them to activate their missionary zeal.

Const. 73.1: All the members are co-responsible and mutually dependent with superiors in carrying out the apostolic mission of the Congregation. The Holy Spirit gives life to the communities and inspires the members with a readiness to serve God in the Church and the world. Under his influence, let superiors and members engage in dialogue and fraternal discussion, in order that together they may discover God's will and devote themselves to its implementation. For he speaks through the voices of people and the signs of the times (cf. Constitutions  37, 38). (cf below n. III, 2)

2° Although all contribute to the making of decisions through means of community discussion, nevertheless the superior retains the authority to make the decision and order what is to be done, unless particular law states otherwise.

3° Lawful superiors can impose formal precepts of obedience on the members of their community concerning matters contained in the constitutions and statutes. Ordinarily, however, they should not use this power unless there is a grave reason and with the consent of their consultors.

The members, because of the obedience they have professed before God, are bound to obey such precepts willingly and promptly.

Const. 74: "Since the fundamental norm of the religious life is the following of Christ as presented in the Gospel, this must be considered as the supreme rule" (PC, 2a) in our Congregation.

Superiors and members then, united in community by the Holy Spirit, must observe constitutions, statutes and decrees legitimately promulgated, looking on them as the authentic means whereby individual confreres and communities show their constant fidelity to God's will. In this way they carry out the mission of Christ who said of himself: "I have come down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me" (John 6:38).

Revision of life:

Const. 103:

-      Superiors should periodically ask themselves if they have a right understanding of their office, and if they exercise it in the proper way.

-      For this purpose they should take counsel together and, as far as possible, take part in seminars for the formation of superiors.

-      It will also be very profitable to hold meetings with superiors of other Institutes concerning this matter.

Superiors should: know that they are servi servorum[64]; be humble, guide more by their example than by their word, far fare (Lasso), delegate, listen to what the confreres say and do not say, open to criticism, should be men of prayer, obey their superiors. Some of them wish to be obeyed but they do what they like to do.

III. Conclusions.

1 Meaning of: the Constitutions can be called a manual for Redemptorist spirituality.

1. The Constitutions are an important source, though not the only one, of Redemptorist spirituality. For many years there was a tendency to see Redemptorist spirituality as something over and above the Constitutions. A discussion went on in the Congregation for a long time about the need for a DRS (Directory of Redemptorist Spirituality). Quite a number of documents and papers were produced under the general title ’Towards a DRS’. The idea would have made sense at a time when the written Rules and Constitutions were almost entirely  a legal document, quite devoid of spiritual or theological content. At that time an attempt was made to meet the need for guidance in Redemptorist spirituality by having recourse to the writings of St Alphonsus and those of other Redemptorists such as Fr Colin and Fr Mouton. The new Constitutions of 1982 however are quite different. Responding to the requirements of Ecclesiae Sanctae they contain the essential evangelical and theological principles concerning religious life and its incorporation in the Church, as well as an apt and accurate formulation in which the spirit and the aims of our Founder are clearly recognized and faithfully preserved. Thus, the Constitutions now contain the main principles of our Redemptorist spirituality. What this means in practice is that the Constitutions have now become our ’DRS’. They may of course be expanded and expounded but they are to be regarded as an essential source of our spirituality.

2. The Constitutions are a channel of God’s will for Redemptorists. Const. 74 f.i. affirms that the fundamental norm for all religious is, of course, the Gospel which is to be regarded as the supreme rule. It then goes on to say:

Superiors and members then, united in community by the Holy Spirit, must observe constitutions, statutes and decrees legitimately promulgated, looking on them as the authentic means whereby individual confreres and communities show their constant fidelity to God's will. In this way they carry out the mission of Christ who said of himself: "I have come down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me" (John 6:38).

The Constitutions should always therefore be a reference point in all our discussions, deliberations and planning

3. The Constitutions represent an ideal. They do not describe the reality of our lives. If they are compared with the 1936 edition of the Rules and Constitutions, for example, one could say that the latter practically described Redemptorist life as it was lived day to day. Whereas, no Redemptorist community and no individual Redemptorist ever actually measures up to the letter of what is written in the new Constitutions. These represent rather a vision, an ideal, a direction in which we are going rather than a state in which we are. To recall a proverb: ideals are like the stars, we never reach them but we chart our course by them.

4. The Constitutions are not the final word on Redemptorist life. They were born out of the experience of Redemptorist life at a particular stage in history. The fact that our Rule has been reformulated once means that it can be reformulated again. That must be ongoing dialogue, as it were, between the written text and the life as it is lived. Each modifies, corrects and casts light on the other. The text needs to be regularly validated in terms of its relevance to life experience. New initiatives should be tested by the criteria of the Constitutions[65].

2. Relevance for today.

What do we mean when we say: today? Which are the signs of the times[66].  As we all know the age of St Alphonsus was very different from ours. Not only that of St Alfonsus, but also that of Clement, of S.Gerard, Neumann, Sarnelli, Donders, Stanggassinger, Seelos, and even 1960. What are the differences? Many in every respect. Political, socio-economic, global. We live in a global village-world. As far as regards Christianity: until not long ago our western world was or seemed to be more or less Christian. The era of the societas Christiana belongs to the past. Now people live regarding their religion in a market situation, everyone composes his/her own package of beliefs. More and more we see the truth of what K. Rahner said 25 years ago: the Christian of tomorrow will be a mystic or he will be not at all Christian.

In that world we live as individuals and as CSsR. Once we were 9000, now 6000. We are present in 77 countries, we do much good. Are we still relevant for the world and the Church of today and tomorrow? I think so: the ideal of S St Alphonsus: evangelizare pauperibus has still its meaning. Not without reason Pope John Paul II insisted again and again on new evangelization. And as far as regards the poor, in the sense primarily intended by St Alphonsus, they are everywhere in the world. Our task will be – to put it in few words – to bring the message of Christ through our lives and our preaching to the world of today in a language which is understandable[67].

I asked: are we still relevant? I think so, I believe it. As long as we earnestly strive to follow the original inspiration of St Alphonsus, as it was lived by our saints and by so many convinced confreres of the past and of our days. Perhaps it is good to remind us of the well known word of Alphonsus: if a Redemptorist wishes to save himself without becoming a saint, I doubt if he will succeed in saving himself[68].

As long as at the same time we try to listen to what is happening in the world of today, as we try to understand the heart and soul of people particularly young people of today and tomorrow.

In that context our Constitutions, as formulated in their recent version can be of real help. It therefore is worthwhile to read them, to meditate upon them, to share our experiences with them, to enrich one another with our own experiences.

All Constitutions could be quoted they contain so many good suggestions. It means it is worthwhile to use the book of our Constitutions and St as a meditation book as a guideline for our spirituality. That is perhaps the big difference wit the 1936 rule which with all due respect and acknowledging their value was less inspiring not so challenging at least of less theological depth. May the new Constitutions 1982 go on guiding inspiring encouraging us.

3. Not exclusive. I have tried to show you that our Constitutions can serve as a manual of spirituality. Not in an exclusive sense. It can help us to deepen our Redemptorist mentality, attitude, way of life, to interiorize ever more what it means to follow Jesus Christ Redeemer. It can serve for personal meditation, for common reflection and so help us to become more familiar with the charism of the Congregation. It could also be used as a kind of exam of conscience. May it contribute to intensify our missionary commitment so that the Good News will be brought more effectively more fruitfully to the poor, of whatever kind they may be.

4. Comparison of the basic terms. If one wants to establish a certain gradation among the various terms, one could say that, if the apostolic life affirms the unity of Redemptorist life, then evangelization expresses its dynamic finality and mission or mission of Christ its deep root. In short – the ultimate purpose of a vocabulary which digs down into the biblical soil is to restore vigor and sparkle to the mission of the Congregation in the Church[69].

5. Compendium. – An excellent compendium of our spirituality is found in Const. 20, which we should know by heart and which could be written in stone on the façade of every one of our houses and even better in our hearts, since it is a whole program of life for every individual and every community, province, for the whole Congregation.

The Redemptorist Missionary

Strong in faith, rejoicing in hope, burning with charity, on fire with zeal, in humility of heart and persevering in prayer, Redemptorists as apostolic men and genuine disciples of Saint Alphonsus follow Christ the Redeemer with hearts full of joy; denying themselves and always ready to undertake what is demanding, they share in the mystery of Christ and proclaim it in Gospel simplicity of life and language, that they may bring to people plentiful redemption.

Litt.:

-                     Raponi,

-                     Durrwel,

-                     O’Donnell

-                     Londoño,

-                     Schermann,

-                     Ioannis Pauli II Litterae apostolicae ad dilectum filium Ioannem M. Lasso de la Vega y Miranda moderatorem generalem congregationis sanctissimi Redemptoris bis centenaria memoria incidente ab obitu S. Alfonsi Mariae de Ligorio, Libreria Editrice Vaticana 1987.

DRS = Directory of Redemptorist Spirituality;

CapGen 16 63; 17 67/69; 18 73; 19 79; 20 85; 21 91; 22 97; 23 03; 24 09;