CHARISMA ACCORDING TO AN AMERICAN BISHOP ...
From the Magnifying Glass V.V… :
CHAPter B - our CHarisma –
The Community of the Little Friars and Sisters of Jesus and Mary denominated in Association << Green Fliers >>, be devoted - as a Bishop of America once said…- “ partly to the Prayer and to the Contemplation of God, withdrawn from the world ( ref F.F. 136.. ), and partly to the active life, evangelizing to the gust of the Holy Spirit. Periodically ( also ) helping the families to learn the recital of the ( Meditated ) Holy Rosary, evangelizing by means of fliers, speaking of God and of the Holy Catholic Church that be the unique “Space Ship” to go directly to Heaven, through the Sacraments, Sunday Mass, loving and helping the neighbour ( more or less this is what he’s experienced )… without aims of profit. Therefore not accepting money, because we live trusting totally in the Providence of God, accepting help materially from benefactors. When they go on travels, they go by two or by three, to announce the Good News to the lost sheep of Israel.”
Yes, as it said here this inspired and Excellent Bishop, our more particular Charisma of action is when we go from village to village in total Providence - without taking anything with us - nor bread, nor water, nor haversack, nor sandals to change, nor money nor etc. etc.. as has taught us Our Lord in the Gospel, like so when we are in need of anything, even the littlest thing, we have to ask for it, be it a refusal or be it a reception - it almost always ends up that one speaks of the Lord, of the Church and of the “ Knowledge of the Salvation that is in the Remission of the Sins ” ( ref Lk 1, 77 ). This happens in the privileged place of the cars of the lost sheep that meet us on the road and that offer us a lift ; after the greeting “ Peace to this car and to whom be within, ” and after they have rejoiced a little like St. Elizabeth visited by Mary ( for it be a long time that the words and with the life a proposition of Peace came by ), they exult with joy and begin to ask questions, on who are, if we are or not recognized, and why God does this or that etc… etc.., and often as differing to St. Elizabeth, they speak badly of the Church, of the Priests, at times of the Bishops or even at times of the Pope, this because as Jesus says “they don't know what they are doing,” but the fact remains, that after having spoken to them according to our simple formation V.V. ( ref Chap VIII°… of the Int. Rule ), based on the concrete life of the Gospel, all these, I say all except in some rare cases, change in the expression of their face, and from one phase of accusation, they pass to the phase of listening ; as for instance one whom at the beginning of the hitchhike talked badly of a Bishop and later having arrived to the tollgate - after the dialogue had with us – defended him from whom received the motorway toll. For then not to mention of one of the most important things, that is “ many ” of these people “ promise us that they will go to Confess themselves ” by a Catholic Priest and that they will strive to go every Sunday to the Holy Mass… and if for whomever these words seem blind, then let them come with us, or send someone they trust with us and if they be open to understand the reason for so many rapid conversions ; perhaps the Lord can make them understand that it be also written :
<< I have more sense of the elderly because “ I observe ” your precepts >> (Psalm 118, 100).
Therefore this be for when regarding our evangelization ; but firstly even still for when regards a little to our style of Contemplation, usually or almost always, to not say always, we put on the front of the door of the entry of both the masculine and feminine residences, and in the residences of the internal Cenacle V.V., the poor external poster, which indicates that there where we be, be places of very strict confinement and as far as possible, impassable, where there will be written the following… and that is :
“ For Love of Jesus and Mary, do not knock or do not distract us from the Prayer and from the Silence; we are retired here also for your Salvation… If one of you feels the need to converse with us or would like to donate us some provisions…, you may, but at the time of the Holy Mass, a little before or a little later ! ”
N.B. The prohibition is valid for all; except that for the Bishop, or for one of his delegates, without excluding the urgently needy, especially the Spiritually urgently needy… P.S. Who infringes this prohibition is begged then to check the Psalm [31], 9 !, And the rest be understood by it’s self… Thanks… !
Therefore our Charisma is not only that of being like the Carmelites, or like the Diocesan Priests, that are almost always stay fixed in a little town or city, a little like the first Disciples in Jerusalem in the highest level of Silence and of Prayer to receive abundantly the Holy Spirit, but be also that to go out and about the whole world - as Jesus imperatively told us : << Go out to “ all the world ” and preach the Gospel to every creature. Who ever believes and will be Baptized will be saved, but who does not believe will be condemned >> (Mk 16, 16) , to discount their sins ! And even more : << Go therefore and teach all the nations, baptize them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to “ observe ” - all - that I have commanded you ! >> ( Mt 28, 19-20 ).
And nobody – until we teach the Truth according to the Catholic norms- can prevent us from obeying God according to our calling, whoever they be, because as says the Lord ( who is the Superior of all ) : << any one who welcomes one of these children in my name, welcomes me. But to any one who scandalizes one of these little ones that believe in me, it would be better for him to be thrown into the abysses of the sea with a great donkey’s millstone hung from his neck ! >> ( Mt 18, 5 - 6 ). Therefore…
- OUR CHARISMA - being principally, that of be often withdrawn in the most silent places possible, as Jesus “ often ” did ( ref Jn 18, 2 ) in the garden of olives, where he saw, understood and accepted the Will of the Father ; and also being that of going in voyage, from country to country, to explain the sense of the scripture to so many lost sheep in a simple way as Jesus did with the Disciples of Emmaus, right up to conducting them to the Divine Dinner of the Eucharistic Banquet. And let nobody come to me to tell me that one requires a degree or a diploma to do this, because so says the Lord:
<< I bless you, oh Father, Lord of heaven and of the earth, because you have held hidden these things to the wise and the intelligent and you have revealed them to the little >> ( Mt 11, 25 ).
Certainly, a simple formation - is necessary ( ref Si 51, 23-27), since also the Apostles stayed to the sequence of Jesus but no more than, what flows into complications or even into sterilism, because if the Lord comes and finds us without fruit, as says Saint Anthony of Padua, “ he will curse us as that fig tree that be found all full of leaves but without fruit,” that be all words but with out facts ! Therefore our Charisma be “ above all ” through - the simplicity -, if we want to have and to give a “ clear and fruitful vision ” on the mysterious Reign of God !
This discourse is not only valid for the non-clergy, but also for the clergy !
Therefore recapitulating, this our Charisma, contemplative as Jesus in Gethsemane, and activate as Jesus on the walk of Emmaus, and - simple - teachers as the Mother of Jesus, that teaches to meditate the Story of Salvation through the Meditated Holy Rosary, or even more, as Mary – with the Example of life, who conceived and gave birth – teaching all the Word of God recapitulated in Christ, since like so says the Lord : << Who ever infringes even one of the least of these commandments, and teaches mankind to do as much, will be considered least in the Kingdom of Heaven. Who instead will observe them and teach them to mankind, will be considered Great in the Kingdom of heaven ! >> ( Mt 5, 19 ). Amen !
Our Charisma, is not as much to only be the Heart in the Body of Christ that be the Church as St. Théresé of Lisieux hat rightly be placed at the centre of the Body according to her simple calling, but even more precisely is that of being “ the Blood ”, that circulates to all the cells of the Body, to give life to every one of it’s Members as the Spirit that gives life, that no one knows where it came from nor where it where goes, but when it comes it makes heard its clear voice, from the earth life is born, the poor are spellbound, the gifts arrive, the hearts be illuminated , the consolation shines perfectly, the souls mellow, the relief arrives, the fatigue turns into rejoicing, the suffering covered by the repair of joy, the weeping becomes consoled, receiving the comfort of the future Resurrection !...
This must be the Blessed Light that will enter the heart of every person that will listen to us, if we preach well… according to our formation V.V., that be also that of becoming wealthy of the other peoples testimony listened to along the voyages, so to then use elsewhere to the necessity of the need as Jesus did telling the parables or stories of characters that returned to the House of the Father that be the Church. Like so, also we with this simple and real pedagogy, as Jesus, can send the souls back to the House of the Father and into the arms of the Father that be the many Priests of the world through which they receive the embrace of forgiveness. They, from once being lost will be found again and from being dead by sin ( ref Eph 2, 5A), re-finding again life, and not
Only through means of the Arms, but especially by means of the Blood, that if not circulating well through the Body, the Arm can not move and the mouth can no longer pronounce the Absolution, for this Jesus says : << what is easier, to say : your sins are forgiven, or to say : Get up and walk ? >> ( Lk 5, 23 ). Certainly it’s much more difficult to send a soul to Confession, than to say “ and I Acquit you from your sins…,” but is also true that the Blood without the Arm could not circulate, and neither the Arm without the Blood could live ! Therefore “ who comes, respects ” << the Unity in the Diversity >> given that in speaking of Charismas, like so says the Apostle : << There are many different Charismas, but only one is the Spirit, there are many different ways of Serving, but only one be the Lord ; there are many different forms of activity, but only one is the God
Who works in them all ! >> ( 1 Cor 12, 4-6 ), and even still : << As the body though being one, has many members and all the members, though being many, are one whole body, so be also Christ ! >> ( 1 Cor 12, 12-13 ).
our Charisma in recapitulation is this : through the example of Mary, of all the Saints and -particularly through those 4 Saints ( ref Pg 4 A. - 5… ), be proposed to conduct us up to reaching the Perfection of our Celestial Father that is resplendent in Christ his Son and our Model for Excellence, that was not only Contemplative, or only Active ; but both two together ;
who was not only Mild and Humble of heart, but also Authoritarian,
who did not only speak of Salvation, but also of Condemnation,
who did not only speak of the Heaven, but also of hell,
who did not only speak of the Beatitudes, but also of ills,
who did not only heal, or make Miracles, but sent souls to the Priests,
who did not die in Cross on an Egyptian Altar of, but on an Roman Altar,
who did not only die but, but above all Resuscitated, and
who did not cling to women, because he had not yet risen into heaven !...
Yes, this is our Charisma for Excellence, “ Christ to imitate ”, “God's Word incarnate ” or to be even more clear “ Gods Word Practiced ” - all of it- !, as Jesus says: << Go therefore and teach all the nations… teaching them to observe, - all - that I have commanded you ! >> ( Mt 28, 19 - 20 )
Yes, all of this that we have been commanded we must first try to do and then teach, especially from the Announcement of the Angel up unto the little cloud that made Jesus Ascend into Heaven, such is our Charisma to the gust of the Spirit, the wind it blows and the little cloud goes, to bring the water of the Spirit to the arid earth of the good hearts, thirsty of Truth and no rule of this world can prevent the little cloud from stirring according to the Spirit of Truth clearly described in the Rule of the Holy Gospel; because as so says the Lord : << “The people will have to make count for every unfounded word on the day judgement; because in base of your words will you be justified and in base of your words will you be condemned ! >> ( Mt 12, 36 – 37 )
And not only, if this isn’t enough : << The Cardinal John of St. Paul Bishop of Sabina, a person worthy of veneration, lover of every Holiness and support – in regards to the poors of Christ -, inflamed by the Holy Spirit of God, told the Supreme Pontiff and his Cardinals :
“ This poor man, in reality asks us only that to him a form of Evangelical Life is approved. If therefore we reject his request, as too difficult and strange, we aught to be careful that we don’t happen to insult the Gospel. If in fact one says, that in the observance of the Evangelical Perfection and in the vows to practise it, there be something strange or irrational or even impossible, one becomes guilty of cursing against the Gospel ! ” (Mc 3, 28-29). Put in front of these reasons, the Successor of Peter turned to the poor man of Christ and told him : “ Pray to Christ, o son, so that through you, be shown us His Will ! ” >> ( F.F. 1062 ).
In poor words, if the Lord has created us as like the plant of grapes, nobody can persistently ask us to produce the thorny chestnuts or dry figs !, also for this it is written : << For the fig tree is not to blossom, nor the vines give fruit, the harvest of olives will cease, the fields will yield no food, the sheep will vanish from the folds, and the stalls will remain empty.. >> ( ref Hab 3, 15-19 ).
Asking for anything else of us would mean that the Lord would want the wine moved to another place before it turns bad, or even worse becoming vinegar, give that there nor grapes could grow !, for this says the Lord ( the maestro for excellence – through the maestro of the table - to he who marries the correct Charisma of life ) : << “ Every one serves the good wine first and the worse wine after the guests are well wined, but you have kept the best wine until now ! “ Like so Jesus began his miracles… and his Disciples believed in Him. After these facts he went down to Capernaum together with his Mother.. and with his Disciples, were they there stayed..! ”>> ( ref Jn 2, 10-12 ).
So then also we, after having taken with the agreements to respect our Charisma ( that is also that of the – Marian Missions – as described in this magnification ), let's go down into the dioceses of this world where the Lord wants us engaged, or more technically ( for the Priests ) << incardinated >>, according to the correct norms of the Canon law, so to always recapitulate in the life of Christ ! and that of his Saints !
Therefore this the Charisma that the Lord asks us to develop “ always ” in “ obedience ” to our Holy Mother Catholic Apostolic Church and Roman of Latin Rite. For the Greatest Glory of God and for the Salvation of the most number of souls possible, “ Aiming this and the Eternal Crown ”, of our Faith. ( ref 1 Pt 1, 9 ) Amen !
Therefore, not only poor in spirit, but also poor in substance, and up to the point that we never call anything : ours ( ref F.F. 645; 1689 ),* because so says the Lord : << Whoever does not renounce all their possessions, cannot be my Disciple >> ( Lk 14, 33 ), and again turning to his Disciples saying : << Blessed are you poor, because yours is the Kingdom of God…! >> ( Lk 6, 20 ). Amen !
P.S. in poor, poor words, the heart of our charisma for excellence, is in brief that which in this page can be seen coloured in red. Yes in red, like the colour of the Blood of Jesus, that gives life where ever it passes, if being accepted – and being recognised – that of which he truly gives ! Amen !
Who can understand understands – says he who here writes –