Formation 2003-2004 - Holiness and Mission

 

Issue 6 – How Am I Involved in the Holiness and

Mission of The Church?

 

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 6:  To stimulate me to become, or continue to be, an active member of my parish as a means of spreading the call to holiness.

 

Many Members Form One Body

“There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different kinds of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone.  To each individual the manifestation is given for some benefit.  To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom; to another the expression of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another mighty deeds; to another prophecy; to another discernment of spirits; to another, varieties of tongues; to another interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing them to each person as he wishes.”

1 Corinthians 12: 4-11

 

The Light of Christ Shines From the Church

 It is the mission and duty of the Church to lead its members to unity with Christ through the proclamation of his Gospel.

Documents of Vatican II

Adapted from Lumen Gentium – Chapter I - # 1

 

Moral Life and Missionary Witness

“The fidelity of the baptized is a primordial condition for the proclamation of the Gospel and for the Church’s mission in the world.  In order that the message of salvation can show the power of its truth and radiance before men, it must be authenticated by the witness of the life of Christians.  ‘The witness of a Christian life and good works done in a supernatural spirit have great power to draw men to the faith and to God.’ (Apostolicam acuositatem 6 § 2)”

 

Catechism of the Catholic Church - # 2044

 May the Holy Church be a Source of Grace for Us

“May the Holy Church, Bride of the Lamb, and our Mother, be for us a living source of transforming grace which we draw abundantly from the sacraments given to us by the Apostles, your ministers.  Grant that in her we may pursue our call to holiness and become light for all people.”

Pro Sanctity Creed – Article 4

 

What One Saint Can Do

“People have no idea what one saint can do: for sanctity is stronger than the whole of hell.  The saints are full of Christ in the plentitude of his Kingly and Divine power: and they are conscious of it, and they give themselves to him, that he may exercise his power through their smallest and seemingly most insignificant acts, for the salvation of the world.”

Thomas Merton – The Seven Storey Mountain –  pp 233-234

 

Structure of Mission: Communion with God

Christ is one with the Father and we, in turn, must be one with Christ.  As he himself says: “Remain in me as I remain in you.  Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.  I am the vine, you are the branches.  Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.” (John 15: 4-5)

Adapted from Renato Perino, S.S.P.

Call to Holiness: New Frontiers in Holiness for Today’s Religious – pp 44-45

 

Holiness Is in Christ the Lord

We receive, or have received, the announcement of the Gospel from someone.  The Holy Spirit allows us to draw near to Christ, to his life, to his Word, not as a dead word or past history or something that is simply human, but as the fuller way that God reveals himself and allows us to know him.

 

For the Christian, holiness is made concrete in one person – Christ the Lord. In today’s world there is a tremendous need for the truth, for guidelines to live by.  To make ourselves missionaries of the Gospel, to bring to others the light and joy of Christ is a duty of service and witness for every Christian.

Pro Sanctity Prayer Sheet (Italy)

 

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For Reflection:

 

  1. In the area where I live, am I afraid to witness my faith?  Do I participate in the activities of my parish church?  Do I consider them a means to spread the call to holiness?

 

  1. Think back upon the Theme for 2001-2002, Holiness in Everyday Life.  We spoke about small, everyday actions.  Are these the same actions that, according to Thomas Merton, can save the world?

 

  1. What are the spiritual gifts I have received from the Holy Spirit?  How do I use them to help carry out the mission of the Church? In prayer before the Eucharistic Jesus, ask him for the gift of his Spirit, to understand more thoroughly his Word and the desires of his heart. 

 

  1. Do I feel the responsibility to lead others to communion with Jesus Christ, to first live that communion myself, and to frequently invoke the Holy Spirit to guide me in this service?

 

  1. Am I ready to use every occasion to speak with others of the infinite love of God?

 

  1. Do I give witness by my behavior the joy of following Christ?

 

  1. Review the words of the hymn, We Are the Light of the World.  In what way am I or am I not reflecting the light of Christ that shines on me through the Church?