“Put On The Spirit Of Jesus Christ”:
for the 400th anniversary of CM
Father Cleber Teodósio, CM
Tomaž Mavrič, CM, invited us all, as “members of the Congregation, to embark with hope on this new stage of our journey towards Jesus”, encouraging us to let the Spirit “be upon us” in the process of revitalising the spirit of Jesus in our Little Company. And the paradigm for this could only be to return to the Gospel, so that we may find in it the strength to rekindle the spirit of prophecy and synodality for mission.
The fact that we are a community means to be our own, to walk together, so that openness to others, care and the call for new vocations are the order of the day. That is why, in the same reflection, Fr. Mavrič reminds us not to stop asking the Lord for new and holy vocations, for the Congregation and his Church, and “may our feet never tire of going out, of walking, of being a prophetic, synodal and missionary witness that invites and motivates us to put on the spirit of Jesus”.
Indeed, “putting on the spirit of Jesus Christ” is the motto chosen for all the activities of this celebration that we will prepare for three years (from 17 April 2023 to 17 April 2025). We are aware that this is a very lofty goal, we would not achieve it alone, but with God’s help and hand in hand, we will reach the goal. The motto takes us back to our roots. It is by looking at ourselves, at the history of our Congregation, that we can stand firm in today and take sure steps towards the future. The examination of conscience launched by the General Curia and the reflections published monthly on the cmglobal.org website help us in this process.
When he lived through the first events that would culminate in the foundation of the Congregation of the Mission, Vincent de Paul set his eyes on Jesus, not just any Christ, but on “Jesus Christ, Evangeliser of the Poor”. St. Vincent’s conversion to Christ, based on this specific aspect of his life, reflects well what the Saint intended for the Society. That is why today, in order to be Vincentian Missionaries, as St. Vincent de Paul idealised and lived, we need to resemble him, to approach and convert ourselves to this Christ, clothing ourselves in his spirit (RC 1,3), this being the best way to acquire a holiness suited to our vocation (RC XII, 13). This is why we are bound, always and at every stage of our life, to strip ourselves of ourselves and clothe ourselves with Christ Jesus (RC XII, 13).
The Examination of Conscience that the Superior General gave us in April 2023 reminds us that “the paradigm of the Evangelisation of the Poor impels us to a continuous daily reconstruction of our vocation”, and that “we cannot take the precious gift that God offers to the poor, without being filled and animated by this spirit of Jesus Christ”. And to be clothed with the Spirit of Christ, we must try with all our strength to live like Him “in the evangelical doctrine, in his poverty, chastity and obedience, in charity towards the sick, in his modesty, in his way of living and acting, which he prescribed to his Disciples, in conversation, in the daily exercises of piety, in the missions and other offices which he carried out for the people” (CCEE Chap. I §3º).
Thus, moved by the joy of being protagonists of the celebration of these 400 years of our Congregation, since “God called us and from all eternity destined us to be Missionaries, making us to be born neither a hundred years before, nor a hundred years after”, but precisely now at this moment” (SVP, COSTE XI, 107), let us commit ourselves to live it with enthusiasm, charity and mission, clothed in the spirit of Jesus Christ, servant and evangeliser of the poor.
ATTACHED
Action Plan for celebration: CM400anos in the Brazilian Province of the Congregation of the Mission – PBCM (Rio de Janeiro – RJ, Brazil)
In response to the invitation of the Superior General to celebrate the IV Centenary of the foundation of the Congregation of the Mission, the PBCM and the other provinces of Brazil:
- Provincial and National Commissions have been created to plan their own activities to live the jubilee of the Congregation.
- Action plans were created for the Congregation’s jubilee activities.
Below we share some details of these creations:
Provincial Commission (PBCM) of the 4th centenary of the foundation of the CM
- Journalist Sacha Leite
- Father Allan Ferreira
- Father Adalberto Costa
- Father Francisco Ermelindo
- Co-ordinator: Father Cleber Teodósio
National Commission (Brazil) for the 4th centenary of the foundation of the CM
- Father Simão Valenga, Father Edson Friedrichsen and Deacon Alisson Medeiros for the Congregation of the Mission Southern Province (CMPS);
- Assis Rocha, Fr. Jair Soares and Fr. Samuel Victor for the Province of Fortaleza of the Congregation of the Mission (PFCM), and
- Father Eli, Chaves, Brother Adriano Ferreira and Father Cleber Teodósio for the Brazilian Province of the Congregation of the Mission (PBCM).
*Father Eli left the commission in November, when he finished his mandate as visitator, and was replaced by Father Vandeir Oliveira. This commission is also coordinated by Fr Cleber.
