Formation 2003-2004 - Holiness and Mission

 

 

Pro Sanctity Mission Statement

The Pro Sanctity Movement is a Catholic-based organization dedicated to promoting the universal call to holiness.  It seeks to address the mind with theology, the heart with spirituality, and the hands with ministry.  It is open to all; especially those who wish to deepen their commitment to God and share with others the message of holiness.

 

 

Objective of Issue 2:  To encourage me to consider ways in which I can provide for the spiritual and temporal needs of my less-fortunate brothers and sisters in Christ.

 

 

Prayer to the Holy Spirit    

“Holy Spirit, Divine Spirit, we implore you, listen to our prayer.

Holy Spirit, you are the Trinitarian love that unites the Father with the Word.

You are the expression of the missionary love of the Father in search of his children.

You were the author of the eternal Word who took flesh in the womb of Mary.

You sanctified the Church at Pentecost. You called us all to holiness; 

You gave us this apostolic mission of holiness in the world.

Do not forget that we wish to listen to your Word, to your murmuring;

That we want to follow you on this journey toward holiness and wish to spend

ourselves so that our brothers and sisters may follow us on the same path.

Holy Spirit, Divine Spirit, we implore You, listen to our prayer.”

Bishop William Giaquinta – Prayers – p 42

 

 

The Origin and Purpose of the Mission of the Catholic Church IS the Mission of the Pro Sanctity Movement

“The Lord’s missionary mandate is ultimately grounded in the eternal love of the Most Holy Trinity: ‘The Church on earth is by her nature missionary since, according to the plan of the Father, she has as her origin the mission of the Son and the Holy Spirit.’ (Ad gentes)  The ultimate purpose of mission is none other than to make men share in communion between the Father and the Son in their Spirit of love.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church - #850

 

A Duty for Pro Sanctity Members and All Christians

Christians have the duty to care for God’s people all over the world.  They are called upon to become involved through their financial assistance and sometimes by their own service.  Christians should consider it an honor as well as a duty to make a return to God for what they themselves have received.

Documents of Vatican II 

Adapted from Decree on the Apostolate of Lay People – Chapter III - # 10

 

 

Going Out In Mission to the Least of Our Brothers and Sisters

“He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.  Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father.  Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’  Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?  When did we see you ill or in prison and visit you?’  And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’”                                          

Matthew 25: 33-40

 

 

Pro Sanctity Must Spread the Message of God’s Love

“We must help people meet Christ through spreading the Gospel, meeting the needs of our brothers and sisters and showing them what a maximum response to maximum love is.  It is fostering experiences that will help others meet Christ, such as organizing meetings in which the Person of Christ is introduced to people, helping people to meet Christ through organized visits to hospitals, prisons, poverty-stricken areas and anywhere people in need can be found.”

Rev. Michael F. Murphy - Dialectic of the Maximum – p 69

 

 

The Nature of This Love for “Our Brothers and Sisters [who] are Spiritually Hungry – Starving!”

“It is an illusion to think of Jesus as just a great benefactor of humanity or as a wise man who came to teach beautiful things.  Jesus is the Word of God who came to reconcile us with his Father. By making us the sharers in the divine nature of the life of grace, he recalled us to our supreme vocation of holiness as children of God.  This is the essential core of redemption, and because it is, spiritual values, salvation, and holiness for our brethren must be our first interests, with everything else oriented towards these supernatural needs.

 

Certainly we have to provide for the material needs of others.  Charity requires us to give food and water to those who hunger and thirst, to clothe the naked, and assist the sick and imprisoned.  Yet this is only one dimension of our duty to love. ‘What good does it do a man to gain the whole world if he suffer the loss of his own soul?’ (Matthew 16: 26) If we cared for others without also helping them fulfill God’s will for them, we would be depriving them of the essential, supplying only the incidentals that even non-believers could give”.

Bishop William Giaquinta – Formation and Apostolate – pp 10-11

 

 

 

 

Prayer Must Be At the Heart of Everything We Do

“Prayer is not the least, but the most we can do for another human being.”

Anonymous – Pro Sanctity Inspirations: Prayer

 

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 For Reflection:

 

1. Do I sometimes avoid helping the poor meet Christ because I have a feeling of reluctance for working in soup kitchens, homeless shelters or poverty-stricken areas?  How can doing these things as part of a group (such as other Pro Sanctity members) help me to overcome this feeling?  How can prayer help me see the face of Christ in these “least brothers and sisters of his?”

 

2. When I meditate on the entire scriptural quotation (Matthew 25: 31-46) partially cited above, where do I place myself – with the sheep or the goats?  Where do I think the Lord would place me?

 

3. At times when I cannot go out “in mission,” do I pray for my brothers and sisters in need?

 

4. Besides a body, people have souls to save and the goal of holiness to reach.  What practical things have I done for them so far?  Am I concerned about the spiritual welfare of my brothers and sisters?

 

5.      Shouldn’t I begin to think of a specific program for a spiritual apostolate?