Rome, Italy August 1, 2017
Dear Priests, Seminarians, Brothers, and Novices,
The miracle of the Transfiguration of our Lord which celebration we are approaching “reminds us of the specific end of our small Religious Family: to evangelize the culture – to transfigure it into Christ.”
However, it is this mystery—in addition to that of the Incarnation of the Word—which expresses “our ‘particular spirituality and apostolate’” and clearly defines “the identity and make up of our consecrated life as members of the Institute of the Incarnate Word, according to our proper character and our spiritual patrimony.”
Within our vocation as religious of the Incarnate Word—which is the same as saying, our vocation to live a transfigured life —there is also the implicit calling to “accentuate and re-present the one mystery of Christ, above all in the aspects of his emptying of self and his transfiguration.” By acting in this way, we seek to “be a concrete imprint that the Trinity leaves on history,” as we pray in our profession of vows.
It follows then, that if our imitation of God Incarnate by “being other Christs” is a central point of our spirituality,” then it is precisely from the mystery of the Transfiguration that we learn the special way of transfiguring ourselves into Christ according to our proper charism. And so, the solemn celebration of the Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord reminds us of what makes us and should distinguish us from among the diverse religious families within the Church.
From what has been said until now, we can draw the profound consequences that this mystery has in our life as consecrated men of the Institute of the Incarnate Word. Principally, the Transfiguration of the Lord, “illumines our spiritual attitude before the mystery of God made man,” and therefore, the specific and particular way in which we carry out our work of evangelizing culture, and our understanding of being religious missionaries, which leads us to go to all nations, giving the “splendid and striking testimony that the world cannot be transformed and offered to God without the spirit of the beatitudes.”
Therefore, in this circular letter, I would like to make reference to this unique aspect of our spirituality which so clearly distinguishes us in our dialogue with the world “to which Christ sends us as sheep in the midst of wolves – and of which Saint Paul admonishes: Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” It is a highly important topic, for, working so that Christ be the Lord of all is the essential, non-negotiable element that, if valued and empowered as it should be, will be a perennial source of supernatural fruitfulness for the Institute.
1. Contemplate and witness to the transfigured face of Christ
The Transfiguration of Christ in the presence of his apostles tells us that the specific end of our dear Institute is evangelization of culture, precisely because it was “not only the revelation of Christ’s glory but also a preparation for facing Christ’s Cross. It involves both ‘going up the mountain’ and ‘coming down the mountain’. The disciples who have enjoyed this intimacy with the Master…are immediately brought back to daily reality, where they see ‘Jesus only’, in the lowliness of his human nature, and are invited to return to the valley, to share with him the toil of God’s plan and to set off courageously on the way of the Cross.”
On the peak of Mount Tabor Jesus brings his Apostles to contemplate the glory of the Word. And so, we too, out of reverence for the divinity of Christ manifested in his Transfiguration, seek “to fervently practice the transcendent virtues and the urgency of prayer and incessant contemplation.” For this reason, it is a distinct mark of our spirituality to give primacy to that which is spiritual over that which is temporal. Therefore, we find in living “with great fidelity to liturgical and personal prayer, to the times dedicated to mental prayer and contemplation, and in Eucharistic adoration,” the opportunity to “to relive Peter’s experience at the Transfiguration: ‘It is well that we are here.’’
For we understand that, if our pastoral work is to be effective, we first need to contemplate the Incarnate Word under the Eucharistic species and unites ourselves to Him “actively participating in the Holy Sacrifice each day.” We cannot reproduce the Divine features in us, without contemplating Christ, without studying Him, without being nourished by his Spirit. Our consecrated life, as religious of the Incarnate Word, implies a transforming relationship with Christ.
This is why our Constitutions say: “The Holy Mass is the liturgical act par excellence, and ‘the liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; at the same time, it is the font from which all her power flows.’ From it ‘grace is poured forth upon us; and the sanctification of men in Christ and the glorification of God, to which all other activities of the Church are directed as toward their end, is achieved in the most efficacious way possible..’” Consequently, it is a norm in all of our religious communities for our religious to dedicate time to Eucharistic Adoration and daily participation in the Holy Mass, for it is the “ ‘source and summit’ of all our activity in the Church.” “The importance which is given to the celebration of the Holy Mass and the emphasis given to the liturgical life of the Institute,” manifesting that in these acts we are adoring the one true Majesty, as well as a “notable Eucharistic devotion,” constitute, as you all know well, one of the non-negotiable elements of our charism. This brings clearly to sight the importance that the life of prayer must have for us. The same primacy and centrality which we give to the life of prayer, is the same one which we preach and exhort our faithful to achieve.
It is our personal contact with the Incarnate Word that deepens our ardent devotion which impels us to the mission and makes our apostolic work have genuine incorporation. For, we are convinced that our familiarity with the Incarnate Word, hidden in the Eucharist, known in the Sacred Scripture, and taught by the living Magisterium of the Church, is where one best achieves that “Christian common sense,” and which gives us a particular ‘sensibility’ to confront the mission and the grace to bring it to completion. It is only when we are impregnated with the Spirit of the Incarnate Word that we become capable of establishing a fruitful dialogue with the cultures we are called to evangelize.
However, as an expression of the primacy given to the life of prayer in the mission, and conscious that the Holy Spirit is the true protagonist of the mission, we associate with each and every one of our apostolates our contemplative religious. They have a role which is not secondary to our missions, but rather one that is key. That is why we affirm that “are on the front lines of all the Institute’s apostolic works.” In fact, we consider it necessary to establish monasteries in all new Churches. This is such, because we are genuinely convinced that without the grace of God which is implored by prayer and sacrifice, we can do little or nothing. So, we turn to our monks to ask them not only to pray “for the conversion of sinners, the intentions of the Holy Father, the increase in quality and quantity of vocations to the consecrated life, etc.,” but also, to pray “for ecumenism, for the life of the Church, for human development, and [all of] the other problems which are opposed to the carrying out of temporal order according to God and the instauration of the Kingdom of God in souls.” For this reason, our monks are definitively “the cornerstones of the apostolic endeavor of our Institute.”
The account of the Transfiguration continues with the Apostle Peter saying: Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. However, it is interesting to point out that the Evangelist goes on to write: But he did not know what he was saying. This makes evident the common temptation to want to make of that ‘feeling of momentary glory’ something permanent. It is the temptation to want a “priest without ignominious victimhood.” It is the temptation to think ‘why go out to preach missions,’ which is the same as saying ‘why go to Jerusalem to be crucified.’ It is the longing for a priesthood without suffering, without battle, without enemies. It is the tendency to place “such an emphasis on the primordial and primary necessity of temporal action, that the spiritual is lost within it.” For, it is in this same scenario in which Peter wants to capture this passing glory, when Christ speaks with Moses and Elijah of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem, and foretells his passion for the second time to his disciples: The Son of Man is to be handed over to men. In our life as religious missionaries, we learn that: “This is the resounding idea: to sacrifice oneself. This is the way history is directed, yet silently directed and in secret.” “Pastoral work is a cross for us, not an escape.”
Saint John Paul II, speaking on consecrated life, teaches that “the Transfiguration is not only the revelation of Christ’s glory but also a preparation for facing Christ’s Cross. It involves both ‘going up the mountain’ and ‘coming down the mountain’. The disciples who have enjoyed this intimacy with the Master, surrounded for a moment by the splendour of the Trinitarian life and of the communion of saints, and as it were caught up in the horizon of eternity, are immediately brought back to daily reality, where they see ‘Jesus only’, in the lowliness of his human nature, and are invited to return to the valley, to share with him the toil of God’s plan and to set off courageously on the way of the Cross.”
For this reason the mystery of the Transfiguration of our Lord “illumines as well our attitude before his humanity, and it moves us to ‘fervently practice the virtues of self-denial: humility, justice, sacrifice, poverty, suffering, obedience, and merciful love…; more succinctly, we simply want to take up our cross.’” This “leaves its imprint, in a particular way, in the practice of our vows.” And so we are convicted in saying that “our fidelity to the one Love is revealed and confirmed in the humility of a hidden life, in the acceptance of sufferings for the sake of completing in their own flesh what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions (Col 1:24), in silent sacrifice and abandonment to God’s holy will, and in serene fidelity even as their strength and personal authority wane.”
This mystery of the life of Christ allows us to see that “the divinity of Jesus is united to the Cross; and it is only in this interrelation that we correctly recognize Jesus.” We have assumed this so profoundly, that the mystery of the Transfiguration becomes for us—according to the words of the Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen—“the perfect example of how religion should interact with the world.”
As the Word, after letting himself be contemplated by Peter, James, and John, makes them descend to the valley, to serve the Church represented by the Father of a demoniac, so, we may not conceive the priesthood which lives ‘detached’ from the human realities, contained within the sacristy of a parish, or the security of a classroom, nor accept the commodities hidden therein, rather than challenging, with the gospel truth, those who oppose Christ and his Church with falsehoods.
Nor, do we agree with those who dialectally oppose religious life with apostolic works, or even, ridicule it and even place obstacles to any type of enterprise so as to hide their lack of zeal or protect their comforts. To those who think in this way, we respond with the words of Saint John Paul II: “Faith is strengthened when it is given to others!”
The Second Vatican Council said: “They are mistaken who, knowing that we have here no abiding city but seek one which is to come, think that they may therefore shirk their earthly responsibilities. For they are forgetting that by the faith itself they are more obliged than ever to measure up to these duties, each according to his proper vocation. Nor, on the contrary, are they any less wide of the mark who think that religion consists in acts of worship alone and in the discharge of certain moral obligations, and who imagine they can plunge themselves into earthly affairs in such a way as to imply that these are altogether divorced from the religious life. This split between the faith which many profess and their daily lives deserves to be counted among the more serious errors of our age.”
Bishop Alejandro Staccioli, O.M.I, Secretary of the Pontifical Missionary Union: “Now is no longer the time, although it never has been, to merely conserve the faith. It is a time of Mission: to go out of the tent, outside the walls, to be adventurous, and be a humble and valiant present of Christ Redeemer to all of humanity.”
This can only lead us to open wide the doors of our soul to that fervent desire to “not be evasive to the missionary adventure” may only open more broadly. Therefore, without losing sight of Jesus alone and without fearing to spend and be utterly spent for souls, it is proper of us to go forward with great impetus to the mission of evangelization.
The great and living love for Jesus Christ, which we make great efforts to cultivate, does not only nourish our spiritual life, but it also “serves as a model for the generous exercise of ministry.” “We must go into the world in order to convert it and not to imitate it; to enter cultures not to convert ourselves into these cultures, but to heal them and to elevate them with the strength of the Gospel, doing as Christ did: ‘The Son took away the devil’s nature, assumed human nature, and conferred the divine nature.’”
To do this, it is necessary to know how to discover and discern everything within a culture that is authentically human, all that is true, noble, beautiful, all that, ultimately, can be assumed because it is a preparation for the gospel, a ‘seed of the Word.’ For that semina Verbi reclaims and tends towards the complete revelation of the same Word, that is, it is directed by its very nature towards the fullness of truth. It is a starting point in the vast work of evangelization and of authentic dialogue with cultures, dialogue which finds its theological role most properly in the Church’s mission of evangelization.
In this sense the Chapter Fathers warned in 2007: “If we always have before us the mystery of the Incarnation we will know how to avoid dialectics and assume that which is authentically human…For, as every Christological heresy starts from the erroneous conception of the mystery of the Incarnation, it may happen in our life and our apostolate.”
From the understanding of the divinity and pre-existence of the Word, which takes on a complete and perfect human nature, uniting it to his Divine person through assumption springs forth: “the fervor to bring the grace of Redemption to all reality: to man, to the whole man and to all men, to married couples and family, to the culture, to political, economic and social life, to the international life of peoples – especially to the problem of peace; in summary, to all the great contemporary problems.”
All of you will remember that which, in accordance with the Magisterium of the Church, we have been taught: “The correct understanding of the adorable mystery of the Incarnation of the Word is also the key to understanding and to construct the entire human temporal order, as well as culture and civilization. Confessing the authentic and integral human condition of Jesus, assumed by the eternal Word of God, allows us to ‘reestablish the divine dimension in the whole earthly reality.’ As John Paul II reminds us that as Christ assumed in his humanity all that was authentically human, ‘no human activity is foreign to the Gospel.’ That is why the call to subject all that which is human to our Lord is something inescapable: because he is the one to communicate men with God, ‘ it is necessary that the whole of human culture be steeped in the Gospel.’”
If understood well, this will lead each of us—from his own place and based on his own capacities—to seek to help redemption reach to the whole of the authentically human reality, in such a way that “the entire social and public life of nations be subjected to God as the final end.” Not to seek temporal kingdoms, or anything of the sort, but because Christ himself ordered it of us, and common sense tells us of it, in addition to the philosophical, theological, and historical teachings which we could cite. All of this while not confusing the proper fields which correspond to the State and the Church in the service of man.
May we be distant from getting wrapped up in the social aspect while forgetting about the primacy of the spiritual order. For, although it is true that our priesthood is not one which only lives at the peak of Mount Tabor, nor is it a priesthood which lives always caught up in the valley. Rather, ours is that of contemplating the transfigured face of Christ, to give witness to it. This demands conversion and holiness of a transfigured life, so that acting this way we may bring souls to God.
We do not put the emphasis on “this world”—presenting a message which is actually “a mix of the supernatural with the natural” which only produces Christians “who kneel before this world”—but rather, our emphasis is—in word and in deed—on the future world, on eternal life. Nor do we believe in the backwards presentation that some make: “man, instead of God…love of neighbor rather than love of God…a social message instead of a message of salvation…openness to the world in the place of the Cross…the truth of the times rather than absolute truth.”
Rather, faithful to the Incarnate Word, who established the two laws of love of God and love of neighbor, as inseparable, we work towards a true civilization. As our proper law so beautifully expresses: “if in life one completely omits attention towards one’s neighbor, looking to only be ‘pious’ and fulfill one’s ‘religious duties,’ the relationship with God will also wither away. It would be a ‘correct’ relationship, but one without love. Only the disposition to help our neighbor, to show him our love, makes us sensitive before God as well. It is only service towards our neighbor which opens our eyes to all that God does for us and how much he loves us.” In this sense, “the works of mercy are an apt instrument for the fulfillment of the specific end of our Institute, for they allow us to evangelize through the witness of life and they allow for a great movement of following the doctrine of Christ.”
It’s not our style to give “technical solutions,” but to evangelize by promoting the development of persons, not in just any way, but by the forming of consciences. We should live with the same preoccupation as the Incarnate Word: to save man. Our priestly ministry will remain void of content if, in our pastoral contact with men, we forget the Christian soteriological dimension (as unfortunately happens in the minimalist forms of carrying out the priestly ministry which seem to simply treat it as a human, social, or psychological assistance). On the other hand, we recognize ourselves as being sent to men to assist them in discovering their vocation as sons of God, to awake in them the unrest for the supernatural and eternal life; to exhort towards the conversion of heart, educating the moral conscience and reconciling men with God through the sacrament of confession.
And although there is still much to be done, we must admit, with humility and gratitude towards God, that there is a noteworthy effort which our religious make so that “an authentic sense of man prevails in the world, not enclosed in a strict anthropocentrism, but open to God.”
Although there are numerous examples we could name, I want to mention here, as illustrative examples, the most important intellectual apostolate done by those who work in the Cornelio Fabro Cultural Project. Also, all of the intellectual work which is silently carried out to lay out Catholic understanding, so greatly lacking in our society, by the preaching which denounces the spirit of the world, through publications, or by teachings imparted in our seminaries and houses of formation, as well as many other initiatives. The genuinely Ignatian Spiritual Exercises preached with great fruits throughout the world (to the point that a month does not go by in which our priests are preaching Exercises in some part of the world). In addition, there is the work of human promotion which many of our members carry out in the diverse homes and residences of the Institute in places of great need. Other works which are praiseworthy are the initiatives taken on to win over and to promote culture through art, such as music or painting, teaching man the “via pulchritudinis” which allows one to ascend towards God.
In conformity with the Church’s teaching, we understand that the nature of the kingdom of Christ “is twofold: personal and social.” As regards to it being personal, it is our decisive intention to make Christ reign: “over all intelligence because He is the Truth, over all will because He is Goodness, over all hearts because He is Love.” And he also reigns in the social realm, for from this point of view ““there is no difference in this matter between the individual and the family or the State; for all men, whether collectively or individually, are under the dominion of Christ. In him is the salvation of the individual, in him is the salvation of society,” as our proper law explicitly states. Although it not be necessary to say this, for these things to happen, it is necessary that he first reign within each of us.
Already, decades ago, Pope Pius XII warned: “The enemy has prepared himself and continues to prepare himself so that Christ may be a foreigner in universities, in schools, in families, in the administration of justice, in legislative activity, in the minds of the peoples, there where peace and war are decided.”
“Therefore, we want ‘to leave no stone unturned so that the love of Christ may have the highest supremacy in the Church and society.’” And “All missionary and apostolic work is based on the conviction that Christ must reign.” Our desire “that the whole of human culture be steeped in the Gospel” becomes uncontainable, for, “no human activity is foreign to the Gospel.” For this reason, mission for us is synonymous with “reestablishing the divine dimension in the whole earthly reality.”
2. Transform with the strength of the Gospel
This notion of missionary work with the pronounced and honorable spirituality which distinguishes us as a Religious Family leads us to approach our work of evangelization of cultures in a specific way as well.
Our Directory of Spirituality clearly teaches: “Thanks to the teaching of Christ, we know that there is a humanity that opposes faith and the gift of grace, called the ‘world’ by the Lord Himself …However, this difference from the ‘world’ does not mean that we are afraid of the ‘world,’ or contemptuous of it, since if one is conscious of what the Lord wants, the duty of evangelization and the urgency of the mission become apparent. Therefore, a merely conservative attitude is not enough, but rather the diffusion and the announcement of the deposit of the faith are necessary, according to the command of Christ. Dialogue is the name we give to ‘this internal drive of charity which seeks expression in the external gift of charity.’”
This dialogue requires particular virtues, as Blessed Paul VI teaches in the Encyclical Letter Ecclesiam Suam, summarized in our Directory of Spirituality: “Clarity before all else; the dialogue demands that what is said should be intelligible. We can think of it as a kind of thought transfusion… affability… It would indeed be a disgrace if our dialogue were marked by arrogance, the use of harsh words or offensive bitterness. What gives it authority is the fact that it affirms the truth, shares with others the gifts of charity, is itself an example of virtue, avoids peremptory language, makes no demands… Confidence is also necessary, confidence not only in the power of one’s own words, but also in the good will of both parties to dialogue. Hence dialogue promotes intimacy and friendship on both sides… Prudence of a teacher who is most careful to make allowances for the psychological and moral circumstances of his listener… The person who speaks always takes pains to learn the sensitivities of his audience, and if reason demands it, he adapts himself and the manner of his presentation to the susceptibilities and the degree of intelligence of his listeners.” “Moreover, the very fact that he engages in a dialogue of this sort is proof of his consideration and esteem for others, his understanding and his kindness. He detests bigotry and prejudice, malicious and indiscriminate hostility, and empty, boastful speech… True dialogue respects a man’s freedom and dignity… we nevertheless try to help him and to prepare him for a fuller sharing of ideas and convictions… Our dialogue, therefore, presupposes that we have a state of mind… that is characteristic of the man who realizes the seriousness of the apostolic mission…”.
And so, “our small Religious Family must never be closed off,” but rather open “to missionary and ecumenical dynamics; she has been sent to announce and to testify, to enact and to extend the mystery of the communion that is constitutive of her; to gather all and everything in Christ.” My dear brothers, this is the non-negotiable element: working so that Christ may reign in all that is authentically human.
Dialogue as well as proclamation are considered essential and authentically formal elements in the one mission of evangelization of the Church, and both are directed towards the transmission of the salvific truth. And as Saint John Paul II wisely noted “it is not about choosing one and ignoring or rejecting the other.” Both are intimately united, but they are not interchangeable.
By proclamation, we understand “a clear proclamation that Jesus Christ offers salvation to all men.” “For this reason ‘there is no true evangelization if the name, the teaching, the life, the promises, the Kingdom and the mystery of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God are not proclaimed.’”
At the same time, if we are convinced of the faith which we proclaim, we should be open to dialogue, being capable of introducing topics to those who are not convinced, or who have other convictions, even about the very truth of revelation. This is so deeply rooted within us, that indifference is incompatible with our work of evangelization. Rather, “with all due respect for the human person and his conscience, a respect which is necessarily united with the sense of responsibility to truth itself and the duty of a sincere truth for truth on the part of both sides, we should reach out to all men.” For true dialogue makes faith come alive and is enlivened by love.
We have “an urgent necessity for apostolic endeavors in the so-called ‘modern Areopagi’” among which I would like to mention the foremost importance of “the vast Areopago of culture, of universities, of scientific investigation, international relations which favor dialogue and lead towards new life projects.”
All of this certainly has various practical consequences for us. I would like to mention only a few:
– The imperative necessity for a solid formation which does not give into “the temptation to water down the Gospel message, presenting it without its salvific particularity.” For as it is written in our proper law: “[evangelization] would lose its reason for existence if it were to diverge from the religious axis that guides it: the kingdom of God, before anything else, in its fully theological meaning.” For this reason, we seek to prepare and form ourselves working for a universal missionary dimension, with a doctrinal formation which encompasses the universality of the Church and the diversity of all peoples, impressing on our religious a disposition to serve the whole Church, banishing all geographical and cultural limits, even one’s own rite. We must also match this with a spiritual and moral formation which molds within us the necessary priestly temper which makes us capable of carrying out great deeds for the glory of God, unfaltering in the face of difficulties.
If we are faithful to our spirituality, rather than ranting and criticizing the social problems and crisis we are faced with, we will see within it a great need and with intrepid faith we will put ourselves to working towards giving every situation a positive, Gospel based solution.
– The presentation of a message with a clear Catholic identity, faithful to the transmission of the teaching received from Christ and preserved within the Church. “This fidelity is the central axis of evangelization.” The work of evangelization is a profoundly ecclesial act and only by being faithful to the living Magisterium of the Church will we be useful to the Master of the house. Therefore, our proclamation of Christ and his doctrine must be “clear and unequivocal.” Such presentation of the Gospel message will frequently require a prudent, serious, and competent adaptation so that “evangelization be carried out in a language that men can understand.”
From what has been said, it becomes “indispensable” to prepare oneself and to prepare well the message which should be passed on, especially homilies; we must always be attentive to the ‘signs of the times’ so as to enlighten souls in the time and moment that they need it. This requires us to “keep up to date with regard to information about temporal reality, the contemporary Magisterium, especially the Pope, and the proclamations made by him in the face of current problems.”
What satisfaction that we see before the noteworthy effort of so many of our missionaries to learn the languages of their places of mission, and imbuing the Gospel and the spirit of the Institute in each one of the cultures where they are found to be missioning.
– Our proclamation should be humble and respectful, while not being timid, shameful, careless, and even less prepotent or priggish. For, “the proclamation of Jesus Christ is not arrogance, but rather a work of justice and of charity.” If, from the Transfiguration of the Lord we are to learn the way of transfiguring the world, then “we must endeavor to fully live the radicalism of Christ’s self-denial and his condition as slave.” The way we evangelize must have nothing to do with an attitude of superiority—which may manifest itself on a cultural level—which makes people see the proclamation of the Gospel as something imposed, or worse, as if the mission of evangelization were “the destruction of their religion and culture.” On the contrary!
The evangelizing work carried out by our Institute, is founded on and has as a model of inculturation the mystery of the Incarnation of the Word of God. For “as the Word assumed the human nature in the unique Divine person—maintaining the human nature of Christ integral but elevating it to the dignity of being the human nature of the Divine person of the Word—so, in an analogical way, the Gospel assumes the cultures which need to be evangelized, which remain integral in their own cultural values, and at the same time, are consolidated, renewed, and perfected with the riches of the grace of Christ and the Good News of the Gospel.”
As such, “the Gospel, through enculturation, enters into a deep communion with culture, by means of a reciprocal relation. Without confusing what regards their respective autonomy, [the Gospel] assumes and transforms with divine strength all of the authentically human values present in a culture. In this way, a unique bond and a vital synthesis is achieved which enriches and perfects the cultures as well as the Church, through new cultural expression of the same Gospel message”.
Therefore, we hold that all that has dignity or necessity, all that is authentically human, must be assumed. It follows then that sin, error, and all that are derived from it, are not assumable. There cannot be unity at the cost of truth. There is no holiness without cleanness of soul. Nor, can that which is inhumane, antihuman, or subhuman, be assumed. That which is irrational, absurd, etc. is cannot be assumed.
This assuming of that which is human must not only be apparent, but real, and it is real when the human is truly transformed in Christ, elevating it, dignifying it, perfecting it. Something which is a distinctive note of our Institute.
Here, what we said in our last Circular letter holds true, that which is clearly taught in the Tradition of the Church, from Saint Irenaeus to the Second Vatican Council, and in the magisterium of the last Pontiffs, as well as in our proper law: “that which is not assumed, is not redeemed.” This is analogous with the august mystery of the Incarnation of the Word, because the Word assumed a complete and perfect human nature.
I remember one time when a Cardinal in the United States said to me: “That is what is wonderful about the IVE: They take a parish that is about to close, that nobody else wants to take because it’s a really difficult place, the people are poor…and they transform it into something wonderful! They make it flourish for God. They embellish the Church, open its doors, there are many confessions, many sacraments…what a marvel!”
– One aspect that is of no less importance is understanding that the mission is an occasion to give witness. In the Sacred Scriptures, witness is equivalent to martyrdom. Even when martyrdom does not mean the pouring out of blood, it always means separation from the world. For one cannot give witness opposed to that with which one is identified.
For us, “Apostolic dialogue begins from faith and presupposes a firm Christian identity.” Acting in any other way would be incoherent and a grave error. For one cannot be faithful to Jesus Christ and faithful to the world. They are two irreconcilable fidelities which are incompatible. The Incarnate Word himself has said: No one can serve two masters…
We desire to carry out all of our works according to the Spirit of Christ, in such a way that those who see them, are led to God. We joyfully march on to the missions, for faithful to the mandate of Christ to be salt of the earth and light of the world, we are disposed even for martyrdom to give “public testimony of our detachment from the world.”For “‘Being in the world’ only makes sense when it depends on ‘not being of the world.’ This is the only way to be truly salt of the earth and light of the world; otherwise, we would become tasteless salt, and light under a bushel basket.”
* * * *
Dear brothers: may our objective always be to achieve a happy synthesis between the proclamation of the Gospel and our dialogue with the culture of the people we are evangelizing. May we be distinguished in each mission house by the equilibrium between doctrinal clarity and prudent pastoral action. Let us make great efforts not only to learn the language well, but also concerning the assumption of the style of life and the customs of the cultures which we evangelize.
We implore all of this from the Incarnate Word, through the intercession of his Most Holy Mother, under whose example we want to “transfigure the world” for God.
Finally, I want to make special mention, and entrust to the prayers of all, the elevated task of our missionaries in countries with a Catholic minority, or in places where the faith is persecuted. For they remind us that “the greatest witness that we can give as missionaries will be the gift of our own life, until accepting death to give witness to our faith in Jesus Christ and our love for neighbor.”
Happy Feast Day of the Transfiguration!
I greet you in Christ, the Incarnate Word, and his Mother, Virgin Most Holy,
Fr. Gustavo Nieto, IVE
General Superior
