A Providential Vision of Life
In a world that is anxious about surrounding itself with human securities, that strives to flee from suffering and only pursues pleasures, that explores the sciences because of the promise that they will guarantee it a tomorrow, that conceives of life and of happiness itself as the product of its hands…
We, the members of the Institute of the Incarnate Word, believe that God walks along with man.[1]
That is, “God … as an omnipotent and wise Father, is present and acts in the world, in the story of each one of his creatures, so that each creature, and specifically man, his image, may carry out his life as a path guided by truth and love toward the goal of eternal life with Him.”[2] To believe in God and to believe in his Providence are inseparable acts.[3]
In this sense, we, the members the of the Institute of the Incarnate Word, have “a particular way of giving glory to God [and that] is by infinitely trusting in His Providence, based upon His design of salvation, that manifests itself most eminently in the Incarnation. We must learn to look at everything as having come from The One who doesn’t even forget a sparrow… and who has even counted the hairs on our head.[4] For that reason Saint Paul teaches that all things work for good for those who love God (Rom 8:28).”[5]
And “when he says ‘everything,’ he leaves nothing out. This includes every situation, whether prosperous or adverse; whether concerning the good of the soul, goods of fortune or reputation. This ‘everything’ further includes all conditions of human life (family, study, talents, etc.), all interior states we experience (joys, happiness, deprivations, dryness, displeasures, tediousness, temptations, etc.), even faults and sins. It includes everything, absolutely everything.”[6]
And “when Saint Paul says ‘works for good,’ it is understood that everything cooperates, contributes, and happens for our spiritual good. We must have this vision, and not that of the flesh or the world. We must see everything in light of the loving designs of God’s Providence that are only discovered by the spiritual man: The spiritual man judges all things (1 Cor 2:15). We must believe with unyielding steadfastness that even the most adverse events, those most opposed to our natural view, are arranged by God for our own good, even though we don’t understand His designs, and we ignore the end that He wants to bring us to.”[7]
Furthermore, it is certain that “for this to happen, we must fulfill a condition on our end, and this is why he adds ‘those that love Him’: those whose will is united and submissive to God’s, those who strive above all for the interests and glory of God, who are willing to sacrifice everything without reservation and are convinced that nothing is as advantageous as abandoning themselves into the hands of God, in anything He may deign to order, as Jesus showed us: If any one serves me, the Father will honor him (Jn 12:26). He alone knows everything, including our souls, our feelings, our characters, the hidden desires that must be changed in order to bring us to heaven, and He knows the effects that this or that will cause in us, and He has all the means at His disposal. If we love God, it is impossible for anything in the world not to coincide with, or contribute to, our own good.”[8] By living in this way, we want our very lives to be a worship of Divine Providence.[9]
Unshakably supported by Divine Providence, our task is to carry out missionary work anywhere in the world, especially in “the most difficult places”[10] and in the most adverse conditions. This is simply because “God is infinitely great; God is infinitely powerful, and He is everywhere. And his Providence is manifested in Heaven, on earth, and in every place. And there is no place on earth in which the loving Providence of God is not working.”[11]
Consequently, since all of our works are founded on Divine Providence, begging for alms is part of the program. It is the spirit that has been passed on to us, and this is how we want to continue doing it due to the important apostolic value that the testimony of poverty entails. And we have to say, with all sincerity, that we unceasingly experience that God does not let himself be outdone in generosity.
Therefore, this providential vision on life, which we members of the Institute of the Incarnate Word strive to live, is a non-negotiable element adjoined to our charism.
[1] Cf. Saint John Paul II, “General Audience” (6/11/1986), 6.
[2] Saint John Paul II, “General Audience” (4/30/1986), 1.
[3] Catechism of the Catholic Church, 308.
[4] Lk 12:6-7.
[5] Directory of Spirituality, 67.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Ibid.
[8] Ibid.
[9] Cf. Constitutions, 63.
[10] Directory of Spirituality, 86.
[11] Fr. C. Buela, IVE, “Homily in the Seminary ‘María, Madre del Verbo Encarnado’” (10/11/1998); our translation.
