Charism
(ARTICLE 1)
THE CHARISM OF THE CONGREGATION
The Daughters of the Cross form an institute of apostolic life which has as its aim to understand and to proclaim to others that the love of God has been revealed to us in the most striking way in the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Their response to this love is to glorify and honour Christ by loving and serving him, above all in his weakest and most suffering members.
Spirituality of the Daughters of the Cross
The name “Daughters of the Cross” signifies a special call to live intensely the mystery of the Cross. “The Cross is at the very heart of our vocation” (Dir. 1). It summarises our faith, foundation of our hope and rule of our life. The two fold aim of the Congregation thereby becomes the aim of each member of the institute that is to 1) understand and to 2) proclaim to other the LOVE OF GOD revealed in the Paschal mystery i.e. in the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus (Cont. 1). Through daily contemplation of Jesus humble servant of redemptive love, we are lead to experience God’s tender love revealed in the mystery of the Cross. We contemplate him on Calvary in order to understand the language of the Cross which is foolishness to those who do not believe but to us, is seen as God’s power to save (Cont.2, 1Cor 1:18-25).
Love experience calls for a response. Having experienced the immensity of God’s love and forgiveness the second week of Spiritual Exercise of St. Ignatius begins with the sentiment of gratitude saying, what must I do for Christ? Love generates gratitude and moves towards intimacy. A grateful heart is energised with personal touch of love of God. It finds energy for action even to risk one’s life for the other in total commitment. God the Father of mercies tells us, if you wish to do something, “this is my beloved Son listen to him” (Mt 17:5). And Jesus the Incarnate Son tell us, “come follow me to be with me and to be sent out on a mission” (Mk 3:13-19). This invitation of our Lord calls us and offers infinite possibilities. This is the scope of our vocation and also the challenge. It brings before us the spirit of MAGIS to satisfy our search and longings. As a response to our call as Daughters of the Cross, the Crucified Lord urges us to serve him lovingly in the weakest and most suffering of our society (Const.1). “For us, the suffering Christ and humanity in its suffering are united in the same love” (Const 85,). In our apostolic service we need to bear in mind that “Daughters of the Cross never separate the love of God from the love of people. Like Jesus, in a service which is humble, generous and creative, they show that those who truly love God also love their neighbour” (Const 5, Ref. Const. 6, 8, 10 and 11). “Our gift of self in the service of the suffering, must be all-embracing in its totality. Love, contemplation and self-denying service, drawn together in a free acceptance of the circumstances of our lives, will lead us with Christ, to Calvary to the Resurrection and to the glory, which is final end of our Redemption” (Dir 3).
Mother Marie Therese our Foundress recognised the Cross of Jesus as the measure of humility revealed in his Obedience and Poverty and made this ‘humility’ the characteristic virtue of the Congregation. (Dir 3)The sisters strive to experience an ever growing joy in identifying themselves with Christ, “He emptied himself taking the form of a slave” …(Phil 2:7). Two models of the Congregation 1) Christ’s Obedience unto death on the Cross (Const 3) and 2) Mary standing at the foot of the Cross, in her total participation in the mystery of Redemption (Const 7) are placed before the sisters to imitate and endeavour to grow in their spiritual perfection.
Holy Cross of Jesus Christ is the standard of the Congregation of the Daughters of the Cross. This is the vital part of the spirituality of the institute. Mother Marie Therese desired that her daughters by embracing the Cross of Jesus would overcome egoism and build a more fraternal life fully impregnated with the love of God. They also strive to gain deep knowledge of God and understanding of the context of human being in the society so as to respond adequately through their apostolic mission.
Religious life cannot be sustained without a deep life of prayer, individual, communal, and liturgical. The religious who embraces concretely a life of total consecration is called to know the risen Lord by a warm, personal knowledge, and to know him as one with whom he or she is personally in communion: “This is eternal life: to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent” (Jn 17:3). Knowledge of him in faith brings love: “You did not see him, yet you love him; and still without seeing him you are already filled with a joy so glorious that it cannot be described” (I Pet 1:8). This joy of love and knowledge is brought about in many ways, but fundamentally, and as an essential and necessary means, through individual and community encounter with God in prayer. This is where the religious finds “the concentration of the heart on God” (CDm 1), which unifies the whole of life and mission.
As with Jesus for whom prayer as a distinct act held a large and essential place in life, the religious needs to pray as a deepening of union with God (cf. Lk 5:16). Prayer is also a necessary condition for proclaiming the Gospel (cf. Mk 1:35-38). It is the context of all important decisions and events (cf. Lk 6:12-13). As with Jesus, too, the habit of prayer is necessary if the religious is to have that contemplative vision of things by which God is revealed in faith in the ordinary events of life (cf. CDm 1). This is the contemplative dimension which the Church and the world have the right to expect of religious by the fact of their consecration. It must be strengthened by prolonged moments of time apart for exclusive adoration of the Father, love of him and listening in silence before him. For this reason, Paul VI insisted: “Faithfulness to daily prayer always remains for each religious a basic necessity. Prayer must have a primary place in your constitutions and in your lives” (ET 45).
By saying “in your constitutions,” Paul VI gave a reminder that for the religious prayer is not only a personal turning in love to God but also a community response of adoration, intercession, praise, and thanksgiving that needs to be provided for in a stable way (cf. ET 43). This does not happen by chance. Concrete provisions at the level of each institute and of each province and local community are necessary if prayer is to deepen and thrive in religious life individually and communally. Yet only through prayer is the religious ultimately able to respond to his or her consecration. Community prayer has an important role in giving this necessary spiritual support. Each religious has a right to be assisted by the presence and example of other members of the community at prayer. Each has the privilege and duty of praying with the others and of participating with them in the liturgy which is the unifying centre of their life. Such mutual help encourages the effort to live the life of union with the Lord to which religious are called. “People have to feel that through you someone else is at work. To the extent that you live your total consecration to the Lord, you communicate something of him and, ultimately, it is he for whom the human heart is longing” (Pope John Paul II, Altotting).
Prayer Life
Religious life cannot be sustained without a deep life of prayer, individual, communal, and liturgical. The religious who embraces concretely a life of total consecration is called to know the risen Lord by a warm, personal knowledge, and to know him as one with whom he or she is personally in communion: “This is eternal life: to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent” (Jn 17:3). Knowledge of him in faith brings love: “You did not see him, yet you love him; and still without seeing him you are already filled with a joy so glorious that it cannot be described” (I Pet 1:8). This joy of love and knowledge is brought about in many ways, but fundamentally, and as an essential and necessary means, through individual and community encounter with God in prayer. This is where the religious finds “the concentration of the heart on God” (CDm 1), which unifies the whole of life and mission.
As with Jesus for whom prayer as a distinct act held a large and essential place in life, the religious needs to pray as a deepening of union with God (cf. Lk 5:16). Prayer is also a necessary condition for proclaiming the Gospel (cf. Mk 1:35-38). It is the context of all important decisions and events (cf. Lk 6:12-13). As with Jesus, too, the habit of prayer is necessary if the religious is to have that contemplative vision of things by which God is revealed in faith in the ordinary events of life (cf. CDm 1). This is the contemplative dimension which the Church and the world have the right to expect of religious by the fact of their consecration. It must be strengthened by prolonged moments of time apart for exclusive adoration of the Father, love of him and listening in silence before him. For this reason, Paul VI insisted: “Faithfulness to daily prayer always remains for each religious a basic necessity. Prayer must have a primary place in your constitutions and in your lives” (ET 45).
By saying “in your constitutions,” Paul VI gave a reminder that for the religious prayer is not only a personal turning in love to God but also a community response of adoration, intercession, praise, and thanksgiving that needs to be provided for in a stable way (cf. ET 43). This does not happen by chance. Concrete provisions at the level of each institute and of each province and local community are necessary if prayer is to deepen and thrive in religious life individually and communally. Yet only through prayer is the religious ultimately able to respond to his or her consecration. Community prayer has an important role in giving this necessary spiritual support. Each religious has a right to be assisted by the presence and example of other members of the community at prayer. Each has the privilege and duty of praying with the others and of participating with them in the liturgy which is the unifying centre of their life. Such mutual help encourages the effort to live the life of union with the Lord to which religious are called. “People have to feel that through you someone else is at work. To the extent that you live your total consecration to the Lord, you communicate something of him and, ultimately, it is he for whom the human heart is longing” (Pope John Paul II, Altotting).