MISSIONARIES Circular Letter of our Superior General

MISSIONARIES Main points from the CIRCULAR LETTER OF Fr. Joseph M. Abella, CMF SUPERIOR GENERAL Presented by Xavier E. Manavath, CMF Director Sanyasa: Institute of Consecrated Life

1. Situating the Circular 2. An Overview OUTLINE OF THE PRESENTATION PART I

1. THE MISSION, A FUNDAMENTAL TOPIC II.NEW HORIZONS FOR THE MISSION III. OUR CLARETIAN MISSION TODAY IV. MISSIONARY’S CALL TO HOLINESS OUTLINE OF THE PRESENTATION PART II

 Need to re-vision our mission in the midst of the changing realities  Convocation of the XIII Synod 50 th anniversary of the opening of the II Vatican Council 20 th anniversary of the Publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church Declaration of the Year of Faith by Pope Benedict XVI 1. SITUATING THE CIRCULAR IN THE BROADER CONTEXT

 Church sensing the urgency of new evangelization  Without a renewal of faith, there cannot be New Proclamation  We, as Claretian missionaries cannot stand back  Call of the Last Chapter to live our missionary vocation today  So the effort of Fr. General to show us the way

His main concern: to assist us as we struggle with the questions: How can we live our missionary vocation today? How do we live our vocation taking into account the characteristics of the historical moment as well as the plurality of cultural situations present in the congregational reality? What new resonances do we discover? The purpose of this letter is to “en-courage everyone to walk down a path that will lead us to a bolder and more generous commitment to proclaim Jesus Christ and to steadfastly collaborate in the building of the Kingdom of God” (p. 23).

I. THE MISSION, A FUNDAMENTAL TOPIC 1. POINTS OF REFERENCE WHEN IT COMES TO CONSIDERING OUR MISSION TODAY 1.1 Father Founder 1.2 Guidance from the ecclesial Magisterium 1.3 Other important reference 2. THE NEW QUESTIONS THAT TROUBLE US 2. AN OVERVIEW OF THE DOCUMENT

II. NEW HORIZONS FOR THE MISSION OF CONSECRATED LIFE 1. CHALLENGES TO THE MISSION IN THIS PERIOD OF HISTORY 1.1 Globalization 1.2 Cultural and religious pluralism 1.3 The challenge of secularism 1.4 In search of true harmony 2. SEARCHING FOR PATHS TO THE FUTURE 2.1 Our first contribution to the mission: to deepen the spiritual dimension of our life 2.2 Dialogue as the Place of Mission 2.3 The Option for the Poor and the Excluded and the Commitment for Justice 2.4 Rethinking the Role and Location of our Activities 2.5 Gaining ground in Intercongregational Collaboration and Shared Mission

III. OUR CLARETIAN MISSION TODAY 1 SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CLARETIAN MISSION TODAY 1.1 Shared mission 1.2 Mission in dialogue 1.3 Jointly shared mission 1.4 Mission with a vocational thrust 2 PASTORAL PRIORITIES FOR THIS SEXENNIUM 3 APOSTOLIC STRUCTURES AND ACTIVITES IV. THE MISSIONARY’S CALL TO HOLINESS CONCLUSION

PART II MAIN POINTS FOR REFLECTION CHAPTER 1. THE MISSION, A FUNDAMENTAL TOPIC (p.7-24) Focus: to bring out the points of reference and the questions that confront us

1. POINTS OF REFERENCE FOR THE MISSION 1.1. Father Founder  Obviously it must begin with the experience of our Founder. Following could be the Claretian traits that help us define our motivation and sustain our missionary commitment  Ability to listen and analyse the historical reality of his time  Listening to the call which he discovered with great force in his meditation on the Word of God  Allowing himself to be challenged by both, the reality and the Word and responding  His missionary zeal, being the axis around which the various dimensions of his personality, and the projects of life as priest and bishop revolved.  His apostolic Prayer, “the stimulus that moved him to mission:” Oh My God and my Father... (Auto 233).  His “definition of the missionary” as “men on fire with love.”  His innovativeness calls us to be innovative in a world different from his times

1.2.Guidance from the Magisterium 1. The positives forces generated by the Second Vatican Council 2. New ecclesiology of communion of different but mutually inter- related charisms and ministries 3. Mission calls for a sense of openness to the world and attentive listening to the questions of journeying humanity 4. Urgent need to deepen and accelerate the path of ecumenism and dialogue with people of other religious traditions and all persons of good will 5. Guidelines coming from the Continental Churches, especially for us the Church in Asia which has emphasized the three-fold dialogue (with the cultures, religious traditions and the poor) as the proper place for evangelization 6. The Council continues to offer us a perspective from which we can address the various questions that arise from the reality of the world.

1.3. Other Important References Attention to reality: an open and cordial relationship with the people around so as to capture their hopes and fears, their joys and suffering; seeing them as a fundamental part of our lives; attention also to the wider layers or horizons that condition them. Contributions from theological and pastoral reflections, along with the evolution of today’s thinking and other cultural manifestations (literature, art music etc.) Witness of people whether Christian or not which stirs up hope (Romero, Mother Teresa, Gandhi, Nyerere etc) The Discernment of the community with different sensitivities and interculturality supported by prayer and community dialogue

2. OTHER QUESTIONS THAT TROUBLE US 1. In a world where exclusion is an increasingly common phenomenon, how can we become credible signs of God’s love to the poor and excluded? 2. Exposed to other religious traditions and the cultural wealth of other nations, we ask: What does it mean to proclaim the Gospel to people who have already had a deep relationship with God through other mediations? 3. In the midst of secularization and religious indifference, how do we evangelize by becoming friends with those who do not share our vision of human kind at the same time, keeping ourselves faithful to the mission which has been entrusted to us? 4. The scientific progress questions many certainties we had in the past and many things we have been saying for a while. How do we purify and offer “new wine into new wine-skins” so that we have access to the heart of the new generations?

5. Maintaining our own Christian and religious identity, how do we join with others to build a more fraternal and commonly shared world that is more respectful towards nature? 6. What direction should our pastoral work now take? Do we give our attention generously to those involved in the parish or Christian community so as to empower their potential as evangelizers? 7. How can we make the liturgy we celebrate be a reflection of the living experience, and that life be an expression of what we celebrate? 8. Through our pastoral structures, do we really get to those who need us? Do these structures let the values of the Gospel shine through? 9. In the midst of ecclesial situations far removed from the true values of the Gospel, how do we work together to restore the credibility of the Church? 10. In all our ministries, do we really live the core of evangelization, namely to be instruments of the people’s encounter with Jesus, the Good News of God to humanity? Or are our loyalties misplaced?

Chapter II. NEW HORIZONS FOR THE MISSION OF CONSECRATED LIFE (p.25-52) Having analysed the points of reference in our search for the mission today, the Circular goes on to explore the new horizons for the mission of consecrated Life. The main focus of this Chapter is : to bring out some of the most important challenges to the mission of Consecrated and to offer guidelines so as to enable us to consolidate a truly missionary answer. Both the challenges and responses are analysed from the perspective of CL as characterised by “a passion for Christ and a passion for humanity,” as reflected in the Congress in 2004.

1. CHALLENGES TO THE MISSION  These challenges and responses must be seen as en effort to create a “dynamic harmony between contemplative mercy and committed contemplation” (p.28)  «Change «is an inevitable reality today—a world of increasing changes-- in terms of values, in terms of relationships and in terms of institutions and systems  A time in which this change has been accelerated and that its consequences are beginning to be felt very strongly in the life our people, congregations and their evangelizing mission.  First of all, there are these social and cultural changes that are profoundly affecting our perception of the self, the world and consequently, our personal way of believing in God.  The underlying causes of these socio-cultural changes that we witness today are complex. There is a conglomeration of factors.  The first step can only be to look at the word around us and try to identify some of the most important manifestations of this change.

1.1. Globalization has overcome distances and brought individuals and people closer together capable of staring activities and movements of diverse character that rapidly overcome national and cultural frontiers. It brings about and ambiguous reality, with great potential for the creation of powerful networks of solidarity, but with the real threat of being manipulated by those who hold power with the aim of consolidating and increasing it. The global consciousness that is emerging is also the one created by the media, controlled by those in power and driven by their own interests. Added to this is the phenomenon of great migration which is causing an increasing number of people to leave their own places of origin and live in urban settings resulting in a meeting and mixing of cultures. We are becoming more aware of Church and Congregations which are increasingly multicultural and multi centric. Even though we claim to live “catholicity”, in our history, we know there have been impositions and exclusions. Building communion that respects and integrates many differences is one of the great challenges of our communities..

1.2. Cultural, Linguistic and Religious Pluralism As missionaries living in the Asian Continent, we do not need a lecture on this On the other hand, the tendency to level out, inherent in the globalizing process, has produced, at the same time, some reactive moments, even with a fundamentalist bias, The inter-cultural and inter-religious dialogue is as passionate as it is difficult. The awareness of this pluralism arouses questions that will make us uneasy Dialogue with these paradigms leads us to discover new ways of posing the fundamental questions of meaning and allows us to contemplate the beauty of the responses provided progressively throughout history We need to be accompanied by Jesus, as we recognize the love of the Father in the ‘words’ that are found in the journey of so many of our sisters and brothers—special sensibility to capture the signs of His presence The merciful face of the Father invites us to broaden our vision and enables us to know Him more deeply for what He really is: Father/Mother of all humanity.

1.3. The Challenge of Secularism Many positive aspects visible to all  Implies the acknowledgement of the liberty, dignity and autonomy of humankind and their rights  Provides great opportunity for purification of the image of God and the purpose of the religious  purifies the religious of the social, political and ideological manipulation  situates the sacred and the holy there where the Gospel and the experience of Je-sus placed them.

However the changes brought out by secularization has its own repercussions: “ troubling loss of the sense of the sacred particularly in the West, a wide spread disorientation leading us to form a mistrust of all that has been passed down and a certain unwillingness to surrender to what has been revealed as the profound truths of our being. We could call it “a certain detachment from faith,” a way “to live as if God did not exist.” Secularism, not only a pastoral problem, also existential because it enters into us through the air we breath. Its effects recoil on us Secularization, especially in its subdued tone, with its charm and seductive character, has invaded people’s daily lives--a mentality in which God is effectively absent, in whole or in part in human consciousness

CL related to the world in different ways Fuga mundi Recreate the world Conquer the world Serve the world Face the world Be in it in a Christ like way.

Relationship with the world is an important element in CL. To engage the world is not to give into secularism. To be able to provoke the question of God, we must be able to manifest him it in a way that is intelligible to the men and women of a secularized society. We need to teach people to relate to God not only in sacred spaces, but also where God is incarnate. Invites us to find a language capable of communicating the richness of the Gospel message in the secularizing culture and in the different cultural environemnts that we live in.

1.4. In Search of Harmony confronted with fragmentation in this particular historical moment simply means that certainties which kept together firmly the different dimensions of personality or group, community or family are shaking Also see the harmony of the human family broken by escalating and scandalous inequalities and by the selfishness and greed of some mighty ones. Need to respond to this search for harmony in the heart of individuals, in relations between persons and people, in the joyful experience of living in a universe where everything is inter-relational We need to listen and incorporate in our thoughts and in our missionary outreach the integrity of the lives of individuals and people, paying special attention to those who suffer exclusion, violence and injustice.

2. SEARCHING FOR THE PATHS TO THE FUTURE  Brings us closer to essence of human persons, their cries, express sympathy for their search and appreciate the answers they find  Compels us to approach the poor and the excluded, become their travel companions  Awakens in us a new ecologic and cosmic awareness, leads us to be in solidarity with the whole of creation  Fine tunes our sensitivity and enables us to capture his presence in the lives and cultures  The only force that is capable of arousing hope in spite of the many difficulties  Makes us sympathize with the doubts and searches of others and invites us to share with them our own experience of God 2.1.Our First Contribution : to deepen the spiritual dimension of our life

2.2. Dialogue as the Place of Mission Dialogue is not a method of mission but the place of mission; place people and their situations at the center of our concerns as we immerse ourselves into the questions and search together It involves a careful consideration of reality, analysis and reflection Requires preparation, openness to other sciences and schools of thought Calls for great sense of humility as the goal is not to increase our sphere of power Comes as a consequence of a concrete experience of encounter with Christ Urges us to reach out to those who belong to other religious traditions and different ways of living demands creativity as we come with the heritage of many centuries of experience with proclaiming the Gospel, and therefore aware of the need for a new language that can convey be able to speak about ourselves in a new way that is comprehensible and with a language capable of touching their lives.

2.3. The Option for the Poor and the Excluded and the Commitment for Justice Such an option has become part of the praxis and theological reflection of CL Implies, first of all, being ready to constantly review their life choices, their use of goods and style of their relationships Calls for apostolic action that go to the very root of dominion and oppression and to create a truly inclusive world Current economic crisis: a moment to pose fundamental questions about the values and structures that prevail in our societies and call for fairer and more inclusive models of relations Renewing the above option and being committed to restoring justice are prerequisites to fulfill the mission of CL Important is also the support for projects and policies and collaborate with persons and groups who are similarly committed.

2.4. Rethinking the Role and Location of our Activities Establishing “where to be” and “how to be there” is a difficult discernment exercise. Deepening our reflection on the identity of consecrated life within the context of an ecclesiology of communion will help us better define the traits that characterize the specific contribution of the charism It will also foster attitudes of complementarity and reciprocity which will allow for a harmonious growth As we review our positions, it is better to ask: Have we come to be where we are due to the lack of creativity needed to give new expressions to the charism of the Institute? Are we ready to enter the new areopagi of the mission, called for by John Paul II? What does it mean for us to be at the frontline of the mission? Where do we find the greatest difficulties when considering new roles and locations?

2.5. Gaining Ground in Intercongregational Collaboration and Shared Mission Ours is a time of synergies as a product of globalization--the time to enter a new phase of inter congregational collaboration Calls for new organizational models of community and new structures of government Fosters communion and, at the same time, consolidation of the identity of each institute Preparation for it in the initial and ongoing formation processes Clarity with regard to the creation of projects with discernment that respects the sensitivity of each institute Look also for the important space for collaborative ministry or “shared mission” with the laity, especially with those in our charismatic family Collaboration process: an opportunity to learn the language of inclusiveness

CHAPTER III OUR CLARETIAN MISSION TODAY (p.53-84) Begins with a brief reflection on “all means possible;” can open up a wide horizon of possibilities but also the cause for major dispersion in the missionary project “should be seen as a seed of an ever present prophecy that the Founder has left sown in the heart of the congregation call to be ever vigilant to the signs of the time so that our word (also in form of a gesture, action, book, presence etc) has prophetic substance demands that we be wide open to the Word of God and allow his light to be the guide in our understanding of reality and in the ways we find of communicating the Gospel Focus on the four characteristics that should mark the missionary work of the Congregation and point us in the direction where we should invest our resources

1.1. Shared Mission (p.57-65) Mission, by its very nature, means collaboration, and so, shared mission Need to grow in a vision of the Church where charisms, ministries and ways of life they generate and complementary Areas of Shared Mission: Globa l: a dynamic partnership with all those who are working for a more just and united world—calls for change of attitudes as we may not be the main protagonists (CC.46) Church : Under two dimensions: the Universal and the Particular—working together with the Bishops, ordained ministers, members of the Institutes of Consecrated Life and with the laity—available to serve the universal Church, but always engaged in the journey of a particular Church Our Own Charismatic famil y: with our own congregation and with other religious families or lay groups who feel inspired by the charism transmitted through our Founder— calls for organization of life and mission (prayer, planning of the apostolic activities, of economy, routine of life within the community 1. SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CLARETIAN MISSION TODAY

1.1.2 Three Models of Shared Mission in a Charismatic Family First Model that integrates both religious and lay members into a single community: This requires a serious period of formation, some community dynamics and careful development of the mission project Second Model: a jointly shared participation in the same activity or apostolic project: parish, social work or apostolic project, publishing, school, youth ministry team etc. –should integrate three elements: A joint planning of the activity Creation of a co-ordinating team Care for the unity of the team and the charism that has given life to it Third Model: temporary collaboration in a project or in a particular activity, but without explicit link to the charismatic family: a commitment to participate, bringing to the project one’s own particular strength;

1.2. Mission in Dialogue (p.65-71) Based on MFL 58.2: “We will take as a criterion and key to all our ministries ‘the dialogue of life’ which always take others into account and does not exclude anyone-women or men, one Christian denomination or another, one religion or another, one culture or another.”

Dialogue is where evangelization really happens, possibly a triple dialogue (with cultures, with religions and with the poor in the Asian Context): Certain attitudes are necessary: Listening Skills: Discernment: Creativity: Educational apostolate, An Important Forum: Opportunity for dialogue with young people, families, teachers etc. Are we really open? How do we foster the missionary character in these centers?

1.3. Jointly Shared Mission (p.71-76) MFL “We reaffirm, the priority of the Congregation for prophetic solidarity with the impoverished, marginalized and those whose right to life is threatened in such a way that this repercussions in our personal and community life style, apostolic mission and in our institutions.”

If our lives and ministry does not reflect God’s passion for the poor, we are a long way from the missionary mandate laid down by Jesus For a decided action in favour of the poor, it may be necessary to have some direct contact with the reality of the poor and the oppressed. Examine our tendency towards institution building with economic motives along with life styles that distance us from the reality of the poor. Need a stronger commitment to areas of urban exclusion Urgent also our participation in world forums (UNO-JPIC) whose decisions will have impact on billions of people—need for resonance in the communities and apostolic activities.

1.4 Mission with a Vocational Thrust (p ) Must be understood in a broader sense, not just with young people but with all, fostering vocations of service to the Church and society “Vocational thrust:” a pastoral action which seeks contact with, and a relationship with the person and tries to promote a choice in life that is filled with meaning and hope, which encourages in drawing out all the good that is inside, making it to serve a worthwhile cause Helping young people to live a deeper life, to feel loved and to be aware that they have an important mission to accomplish—help maturing in faith and responsible integration into a Christian community Accompanying people in their journey to make a mature choice for Christ and for the Kingdom Requires from us the willingness to listen and process people’s life journey, revision of our preaching and catechesis for teenagers, young and adults and developing new strategies and methods for the “new evangelization” needed for our times. Addressing also the issue of vocations to the congregation--Those who love their own vocation cannot but share--still requires a more solid commitment on the part of every Claretian

a)Biblical Ministry: Two levels (Columbia- Venezuela) Activities that help deepen the understanding of and contact with the Bible Biblical input in all our pastoral activities as the source and inspiration for our missionary commitment b)Evangelization through New communication technologies (Brazil) c)New Generations and family (children, adolescents, young people and family) d)Consolidation of work in the area of JPIC 2. PASTORAL PRIORITIES FOR THIS SEXENNIUM (p.79-81)

Explicates the criteria to be followed in the review of positions and re-organization of the Major Organisms The need to embody the four characteristics and integrate them harmoniously in all our apostolic structures and positions; one may be emphasized more than others, but all of them need to be evident on all our apostolic positions. Sometimes we may have to give up one in order to empower another or to create a new one which is viewed as more urgent. 3. APOSTOLIC STRUCTURES AND ACTIVITES (p.81-84)

CHAPTER IV. THE MISSIONARY’S CALL TO HOLINESS (p.85-89) Reinforces the fundamental truth that dynamism of our missionary life is impossible without a deep “experience of God and the recovery of the mystical dimension of our vocation (MFL.54) And, therefore, the urgent need to “rekindle the fire” that gives meaning to our life and dynamism to our apostolic commitment, something so evident in the spiritual and missionary experience of the Founder: The unifying and dynamic centre of his life was his relationship with Christ; Jesus was his absolute point of reference, his central passion. If he lived his mission with such intensity, it was because he lived the experience of being loved by God with such intensity. His describes his experience with words and expressions which, today, perhaps may not motivate us, but we need to be in touch with the depth of experience that lies behind the words, which indeed, will touch our hearts

Remembering Claret inspires us to assume the joyful task of proclaiming the Kingdom with a determined and generous attitude If we were able to look at the reality with the same compassion of Jesus, a compassion that also filled the heart of Claret, the overwhelming desire to do something would be born in us Our spirituality is missionary and our response to holiness comes through our missionary commitment. Fr. General concludes the letter with a reference to the Magnificat and re-reads it in the context of our call to be “Missionaries.”

THANKS TO YOU ALL! Let us go ahead and place our reflections in the context of these inspirations from Fr. General