After the events that occurred in 1617 in Gannes-Felleville and Châtillon, the first four members of the Congregation began their journey through the French countryside and were animated by an apostolic zeal in bringing salvation to the poor country people.
Vincent de Paul and his three tireless companions were not disturbed by the number of members of this new institution. Rather, they were concerned about catechizing the inhabitants of the French countryside. In fact, as is well known, the saint of charity did not become concerned about praying to God for vocations until several decades after the establishment of the new congregation (CCD:V:468-469).
As is well-known, in the above referenced letter written to M. Étienne Blatiron, Vincent stated that he had not prayed for the spread of the Company because he viewed its establishment as a work of God and therefore, Divine Providence would provide the necessary human resources (CCD:XI:377-378; XII:256-257). Nevertheless, Vincent realized the importance of the words of the gospel: Ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest (Luke 10:2; Matthew 9:37-38).
Truly, the Congregation of the Mission is a gift for the church and for the world (CCD:XII:7-8) … a gift that was offered through means of Vincent de Paul. The zeal of those first members attracted many others to the Congregation. So now the members of the Congregation, at this time of the twenty-first century, are responsible for transmitting this gift of Vincentian spirituality to others who, in turn, will feel attracted to the Congregation through the interior discovery of “the call” that God might be inspiring in them. Therefore, our challenge is not only to be faithful to following Christ evangelizing the poor but also to search for ways in which others might experience the desire to continue transmitting the Good News of Jesus to those men and women who are marginalized. Without members, there is no mission and without mission, there is no Congregation of the Mission.
One of the great desires of the present superior general, Father Tomaž Mavrič, CM is the establishment of a lively and dynamic vocational promotional process in our houses and ministries, a process in which the present members welcome and accompany possible candidates to our missionary way of life. Yet, on so many occasions and in so many places throughout the world, we do not know how to engage in that task. That reality should not, however, discourage us in our perseverance to continue to minister and transmit the gift that Christ has bestowed upon us.
In light of the dreams and the hopes of Father Mavrič, we continue to pray on a daily basis the words of the beautiful prayer, Expectatio Israel … a prayer that was given to us by Father Antoine Fiat, CM during the turbulent times of the beginning of the twentieth century … a difficult time for both the Congregation of the Mission and the Company of the Daughters of Charity.
In addition to daily prayer, we also seek those tools and resources that might create a spark in the life of young men and lead them to encounter the Evangelizer of the poor. In that way the apostolic ministry of the “Little Company” can continue to develop.
The prayers that we raise up to God are more than a request for strength, encouragement and hope to continue the ministry of vocational promotion in our lives. They are also prayers in which we entrust all that we are to the God of history and the God of the poor (Pope Francis, Gaudete et Exultate, #154), prayers in which we express our desire to preserve our missionary joy and enthusiasm so that others might also come to know what it means to be in a state of mission.
These prayers for the Congregation of the Mission are to be seen as gifts that are intended to call upon and to ask God to preserve and care for this institute; they are to be seen as gifts that will lead us to a future that is filled with hope (cf. Jeremiah 29:11).
By: José Luis Cañavate Martínez, CM
Province of Zaragoza (Spain)
Translated:
Charles T. Plock, CM
Eastern Province, USA
____________________________
[1] The names of the first members of the Congregation are: Vincent de Paul, Antoine Portail (1622; cf. note #2 CCD:I:38), François du Coudray (March 1626; cf. note #3, CCD:I:28) and Jean de la Salle (April 1626; cf. note #1, CCD:I:30). Vincent de Paul, Correspondence, Conference, Documents, translators: Helen Marie Law, DC (Vol. 1), Marie Poole, DC (Vol. 1-14), James King, CM (Vol. 1-2), Francis Germovnik, CM (Vol. 1-8, 13a-13b [Latin]), Esther Cavanagh, DC (Vol. 2), Ann Mary Dougherty, DC (Vol. 12); Evelyne Franc, DC (Vol. 13a-13b), Thomas Davitt, CM (Vol. 13a-13b [Latin]), Glennon E. Figge, CM (Vol. 13a-13b [Latin]), John G. Nugent, CM (Vol. 13a-13b [Latin]), Andrew Spellman, CM (Vol. 13a-13b [Latin]); edited: Jacqueline Kilar, DC (Vol. 1-2), Marie Poole, DC (Vol. 2-13b), Julia Denton, DC [editor-in-chief] (Vol. 3-10, 13a-13b), Paule Freeburg, DC (Vol. 3), Mirian Hamway, DC (Vol. 3), Elinor Hartman, DC (Vol. 4-10, 13a-13b), Ellen Van Zandt, DC (Vol. 9-13b), Ann Mary Dougherty (Vol. 11-12 and 14); annotated: John W. Carven, CM (Vol. 1-13b); New City Press, Brooklyn and Hyde Park, 1985-2014. Future references to this work will be inserted into the text using the initials [CCD] followed by the volume number, followed by the page number.
[2] Cf. Foundation Contract, CCD:XIIIa:213-218.
[3] Cf. Corpus Juan Delgado Rubio, CM, “Expectatio Israel, oración por las vocaciones en la hora de la prueba” [Expectatio Iarael, a prayer for vocations during a time of trial], Anales, Volume 97, #1 (1989), p. 15-31.
[4] Circular Letters of the Superior General, Volume V, p. 711-780 (that is the reference of the Spanish edition, in the archives of the Eastern Province there is one 750 page volume that contains all the circular letters of Fiat (all written in French) but I do not know what letters are being reference here.
