Letter
of Convocation of the 45th General Chapter
My dear brothers,
While we are still immersed in the mystery of Christmas in which we contemplate God within the “sign” of a child (Lk 2:12), I fraternally greet all the religious of the Congregation, the women religious and the laity of the Passionist Family and, at the beginning of this New Year, I wish you new life, courage and fruitful charity.
The
year 2006 will also be the year of the Chapter and therefore according to the
directive of No. 76 of the General Regulations, I hereby convoke the XLV General Chapter of our Congregation. It will take place in
The
Constitutions remind us that the General Chapter is “the supreme authority in the Congregation…” (#126); “The General Chapter meets to carry out its
task of making laws and holding elections.
It has to promote the faithfulness of the Congregation to the ideals of
community and service of the Church. Its
primary responsibilities, therefore, are as follows:
(a)
to discern the workings of the Holy Spirit in the events of life, and thus to
be a powerful force in the task of continual adaptation and renewal;
(b)
to nourish the growth and development of the authentic Passionist spirit, so
that it will be manifestly embodied in every member of the Congregation, no
matter where he lives;
(c)
to consider closely the state of the Congregation, and to clarify its common
goals of community life and apostolic activity;
(d)
to foster solidarity, and to maintain unity without insisting on uniformity;
(e)
to evaluate how the General Government has operated, and the extent to which
the planning of the previous Chapter and of the General Synods has been
implemented. It will avoid, however,
specifying administrative procedures that depend on the Superior General and
his staff;
(f) to elect the Superior General and his Council.” (#127)
In conjunction with these tasks, the Chapter will consider Restructuring as it central and fundamental topic, as was decided at the General Synod at the end of November 2004 and, since that date, we have already begun the process in which we have encouraged our religious to participate as thoroughly as possible.
The date of this announcement of the Chapter is today, 01 January 2006, the feast of Mary, the Mother of God and the world day of Peace. These are two events that emphatically speak of life: the maternity of Mary who conceived and gave birth to Jesus, the Son of God and her Son who took flesh; and one of the Beatitudes that was proclaimed by Jesus on the mount: “Blessed are the peace-makers, for they will be called children of God.” (Mt. 5:9).
“The Passion of Jesus, the passion for life” was the theme of the previous General Chapter that took place in Itaicí, Brazil in the year 2000 and which gave to the Congregation and to the Passionist Family a document by the same title, “The Passion of Jesus, the passion for life” and which has inspired the life of the Congregation during these last six years: it is the folly of the Passion of Jesus that culminates in his death, but which would bring forth life and victory over death itself and over sin through the paternal mercy of God.
“Nothing will be impossible for God”, the Archangel Gabriel says to Mary in the verse of the gospel of the Annunciation (Lk. 1: 26-38). For many years I read this line of the Gospel and I always understood the dialogue between the angel and Mary within the context of the mystery of the incarnation and as if it only referred to this. “´You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus…He will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end.” But Mary said to the angel: ‘How can this be…?’ And the angel said to her in reply: ‘Nothing will be impossible for God.’” It is a sensitive and sublime story, the humility of Mary and the presence and grace of God, and it is a story that is almost finalized at Christmas; but I believe that we need to go further, deeper, because all the elements of the Passion are also present. Mary accepts that the Word of God be fulfilled in her and she is disposed to become the “realization” of God.
“Be it done to me according to your word.” She assumes the plan of God in her life; she supports it; she collaborates with it. The angel that was sent to her sets forth the plan of God for her; he communicates it, explains it, and enables her to know it. Today the Holy Spirit speaks to us silently; but it is necessary to know how to hear and understand him in the signs of the times, in the Magisterium. It may be perplexing and frightening to us, but he enables us to know how to accept the will of God. With the “yes” of Mary that begins the incarnation, it is she who allows God to work and accept and accomplish her mission of being the Mother of God which we contemplate during these days: the child that will also be the Crucified and Risen One.
The
Angel announces to her that the child that she will conceive will be called
“the Son of God”. The angels will sing
it at
“The Lord God will give him the throne of David…” the angel announces to Mary. “So, then, you are a king?” Pilate will ask him. “I am, but mine is not a kingdom of this world…” “Crucify him!” the crowd will shout. The soldiers mocked him: “Hail king of the Jews” and they slapped him in the face. And the crowd: “If you set him free you are no friend of Caesar’s; anyone who makes himself a king is defying Caesar!” and human power is used to oppose God. “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” they will persist. And Pilate: “Shall I crucify your king?” But the battle is lost; hate is stronger than justice. The blind who had regained their sight were far away; the lepers that were healed; the women who shouted “blessed are the breasts that nursed you”, as well as so many others. Yes, they are far away and absent: “he handed him over to them to be crucified.” The son of David, whose reign would have no end, the Son of God the Most High, Emmanuel, would be crucified naked, insulted and humiliated.
It is true, “nothing will be impossible for God”, nothing is impossible for so great a heart: to be life and to accept death; to die so as to give life. It is within this faith perspective that we should prepare ourselves to experience the event of the General Chapter and within it the Process of the Restructuring of the Congregation which is its main theme.
We will speak among ourselves trying to understand the ways of God and we will converse with the Lord. We will have to leave Jerusalem, perhaps disconsolate and sad as were the disciples of Emmaus; but the Lord will speak to us and along the road our hearts will burn within us and he will open our eyes to recognize him.
It will be our task to discern “the plan and the divine will”, today, and reflect on our lives from within our present, globalized world as well to understand efficacy of our mission within it. We are already aware that the challenge of Restructuring tests our consecration to the Passion of Jesus at its very roots. We cannot close our hearts and minds thinking that thus we will preserve ourselves. It is necessary to go forward with courage in order to be yeast in a changed world.
The
efficacy of our mission is our life itself.
We are alive if we accomplish our
The episode of the visit of the Lord to Abram may serve to enlighten us “at the oak of Mamre, while he was sitting by the entrance of the tent during the hottest part of the day.” (Gen. 18:1). Abram dedicated himself to offering hospitality to the Lord: “If I find favor with you, please do not pass your servant by”: he enlists the help of Sarah and her servants. “…While he remained standing near them under the tree…they asked him, ‘Where is your wife Sarah?’ ‘She is in the tent’, he replied. One of them said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah will then have a son." Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, just behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years… So Sarah laughed to herself… But the LORD said to Abraham: "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Shall I really bear a child, old as I am?' Is anything too marvelous for the LORD to do? At the appointed time, about this time next year, I will return to you, and Sarah will have a son." Because she was afraid, Sarah dissembled, saying, "I didn't laugh." But he said, "Yes you did." (Gen. 18:9-15).
Like Sarah we must overcome the resistance and fears within our heart and be trusting: “Is anything too marvelous for the LORD to do?” the Lord says to Abram and the Angel Gabriel at the Annunciation: “Nothing will be impossible for God”. And of Abram and Sarah, “old, advanced in years” Isaac was born, from whom would come the multitude of people promised to Abram; and of Mary: ‘How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” is born Jesus, the Savior.
Such are the ways of God and his ways and his plans are mysterious. But He, as Jesus says: “is the way, the truth and the life.” Our task is to understand it, accept it and make it the plan of life for us personally and for the Congregation, especially on the occasion of the General Chapter: Lord, “if I find favor with you, please do not pass your servant by.”
No
one may consider himself exempt from participating; all are part of the common
charism of the Passion of Jesus given by the Holy Spirit to
The young in initial formation—the postulants, novices, students-- who will persevere: many of our ideas and projects will be shouldered by them with their energy. They will develop and bring to conclusion the present initiatives, some of which are already germinating, and they will attain the goals and objectives that are being planned today. Life is passed on from hand to hand, from religious to religious for the fulfillment of the global design of God and for his Reign.
It may occur that the older religious feel that they are alienated from the dynamic and hopes of the Chapter and from the Process of Restructuring as if the evening or sunset were not an integral part of a day. There are beautiful evenings and sunsets, rich in color, warmth and tenderness: such are the elderly and infirm religious who place their difficulties and limitations within the context of faith and prayer. Consequently, they should no longer feel excluded. In fact, evening is still part of a day and as a poet says, “the evening is not the day that is dying, but the night that is a child.” And it may contain lifetime surprises as was the case of Abram and Sarah. The example of God who appeared at Christmas in the guise of a fragile Child may serve to encourage us. He was completely entrusted to the Mary and Joseph, he, the omnipotent One. He assumed weakness out of love, and the weakness will bear life abundantly.
I am convinced that the elderly and the sick of the Congregation and of the Passionist Family possess a special mission for the General Chapter and for the Process of Restructuring: as far as they are able, to collaborate with the process and especially to raise up to God their prayer and to accept the sacrifices and limitations of their advanced age, of their illness and of their dependency on others.
In
this respect I want to recall a particularly meaningful verse of Exodus: “At
Rephidim, Amalek came and waged war against
May a sense of responsibility for the Congregation and its mission in the world, to which we have been called by God, grow within each of us.
In preparation for the General Chapter we will offer special prayers throughout the Congregation beginning six months prior to the Chapter, i.e. next April 1st. In meetings between the General Council and the Commission for Restructuring there was a sense that this time period needs to be lived as an extended retreat for the entire Congregation.
In the attachment, that is an integral part
of this present document, several items of the Constitutions and General
Regulations are cited as reminders concerning the General Chapter and
preparation for the same. Furthermore,
there are norms for participation at the Chapter that were approved at the last
General Synod in
My dear
brothers, let us trustingly prepare ourselves for the Chapter. Let us place the Congregation and the
Passionist Family beneath the protection of May and Joseph, the guardians of
the Holy Family at
Happy New Year and a Good Journey!
Retreat of
Fr. Ottaviano
D’Egidio, C.P.
Superior General