This Video is about the four ways Xaverian Missionaries live out their Charism. First, by living the spirituality which places Christ at the center (Christocentric). Second, by living in community which is in itself a new family, based not on blood and flesh, but on the love of Christ. Third, by practicing dialogue and inculturation as the main way of living the Charism of preaching the Gospel to non-Christians. Finally, by imitating the way Christ lived in solidarity with the people.
Spirituality:
“Christ is everything and is in everything” (Col 3:11)
As Xaverians we live a Spirituality in which Christ is always at the center of everything. This is a spirituality handed over to us by our founder St. Guido Maria Conforti from his personal spiritual experience with the Crucifix. In the Crucifix we contemplate the personal and universal love of the Father, the total gift of self to the mission and the urgency of making God’s love know to all. (RMX 25) That is why we are “Active Contemplative”, It means that after making a personal and profound experience with Christ in prayer, in contemplation, we have to go out, and bear witness to that experience of God and dedicate ourselves totally to the service of others.
Community:
“My mother and my brothers are those who hear the Word of God and put it into practice” (Lk 8:21)
Community is our new family based not on flesh and blood but on the love of Christ. We cultivate a spirit of intense love for our religious family that we look upon as a mother and all its members as brothers. Since our moto is to make the world a single family in Christ, we try to live this spirit of family in our small international communities. We try to live out the love of Christ beyond natural affection.
Dialogue and Inculturation:
“Each one heard them speaking in his own language”. (Ac 2:6)
Dialogue is the main characteristic of our Charism. As missionaries sent to non-Christians, we recognize that all human beings are created in the image and likeness of God; therefore, they all must enjoy the same dignity. We commit ourselves to promote the culture of Dialogue, which once again we try to live starting from our communities where we always have people from different countries and different cultural backgrounds.
Incarnation and Solidarity
“He saw a large crowd and took pity on them” (Mk 6:34)
As missionaries “we follow the way of Christ in being in solidarity with people”. About this our founder St. Guido Maria Conforti said that we cannot use any means for founding the Kingdom other than the ones adopted by Christ himself. Just like Jesus we try to live in communion with the people, sharing their destiny, making our own “the joys and hopes, the grief and anxieties of all men especially the poor”.
We make solidarity our life style by using humble means for our mission and paying attention to everyone with tenderness, compassion, hospitality, availability and taking active interest in people’s problems. In the same line we also commit ourselves to the cause of justice, peace, human rights and the defense of the integrity of creation.
