In 2006 the Passionists held their 45^th General Chapter. A General Chapter is a worldwide gathering of the Catholic Religious Community to set direction and elect its own international government. In the Catholic Church many international religious communities have organized themselves in this way from the moment that they are founded in order to develop a governing structure for the spiritual mission of these communities.

Like other Catholic religious communities, the Passionists take the opportunity during these gatherings to reflect on the state of their mission and spirituality in light of our ever changing world. This has been especially true after Vatican II when the document on religious life requested that religious communities reflect on the spirit of their founder or foundation in light of the contemporary reality. During this recent gathering the Community offered a single decree that proposes a reconfiguration of the international community on the basis of globalization and the social and spiritual issues of our time. Along with this decree, 10 recommendations were listed as priorities for this new reconfiguration. The fifth priority included the following statement:

Another priority is that of commitment to justice, peace and the integrity of creation.  This commitment is profoundly rooted in our charism.  Our Constitutions express our desire “to share in the distress of all, especially those who are poor and neglected…” (Const.#3).  We believe that the power of the Cross offers us the strength to discern and to alleviate the burden of suffering experienced by the poor and the marginalized of our world.  The preferential option for the poor has a central role in the process of Restructuring, guiding us to channel and utilize our resources. Furthermore, the ecological crisis of the world in which we live invites us to be concerned about the safeguarding and the protection of creation.

Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) is identified by the Passionist and by a number of other Christian religious communities and organizations as the lens through which many Christian communities are re-interpreting the social mission of the Gospel. There is a holistic and spiritual quality to this acronym that goes beyond the more secular term of social justice. Justice and peace are identifiable values within our Sacred Scripture and Christian tradition. The Integrity of Creation places us in relationship to a larger sacred reality: The reality of God’s natural revelation which we identify as Creation. Integrity of Creation also reminds us that the values of justice and peace can only be realized when we affirm a deep relationship with God and all of creation. It reminds us of the dignity that all creation shares including both humanity and the environment.

During the General Chapter the Passionist reflected on JPIC from their unique spirituality. Passionist spirituality is based on the memory of Christ’s Passion. Our devotion to this sacred historical moment reminds us of the redemptive power of suffering. We recall that Jesus suffered a truly unjust death at the hands of the social powers of his day. We also recall also how God redeemed the world through Jesus. In the Resurrection our early Christian forbearers witnessed two things: the reality of who Jesus was as the incarnation of God and humanity, and the redemption of our humanity from the power of sin. Passionists are attentive to the power of sin that continues to cause social suffering, similar to that which Jesus suffered. This spirituality is described under article 65 of the Passionist Constitutions:

His Passion and death are no mere historical events. They are ever-present realities to people in the world of today, “crucified” as they are by injustice, by the lack of a deep respect for human life, and by a hungry yearning for peace, truth, and the fullness of human existence.

Thoughts for your Consideration: by Fr. Phil Paxton, CP

One night this past week I was watching a TV program. It was entitled “2100,” and aired on ABC. It was basically a program that tried to shed light on what would happen to the world for the rest of this century, based on the choices made by individuals, communities, and nations. On the program there were many opinions and projections given by various scientists. But what I found most engaging was the approach used to tie all these forecasts together. The program used the form of a narrative, following the life of a fictional character named Lucy, born in 2009. Not surprisingly, there was no mention of God or faith or spirituality in Lucy’s story.

Is there a faith dimension when discussing ecological issues? Yes! In fact, there are many theologians and spiritual writers who have dedicated themselves to these very issues for many years. One of them is Tom berry, a passionist, who just recently died. He had written much on the Passion suffered by the world. As you may remember last month, there was an announcement about the U.S. Catholic Bishops encouraging people to take the “St. Francis Pledge” with regards to climate change and its effects on the world, especially the poor.

I am neither a scientific expert nor a theologian on ecology, but it seems to me that the mystery of the Trinity has much to say about these issues. When we think about God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we are led to the conclusion that God is a God of love and relationships. This is how God chose to reveal the Divine Self to us. When we look at our Scripture readings for today, we see that out of love, God chooses to be in relationship with us.

In our first reading from Deuteronomy, Moses reminds the people of all that God has done for them, leading them out of slavery in Egypt. In our second reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, St. Paul reminds his fellow Christians that in the Spirit they can cry out to God just as Jesus did: “Abba, Father!” He also tells them that they are children of God, “heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.” And in our Gospel reading from Matthew, Jesus sends out His disciples to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Jesus also promises them (and us) that he will be with them always, “until the end of the age,”

As one of my professors in the seminary said to us, if we believe that God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and that we are made in the image and likeness of God, we are meant to live in community. He could have said that we are meant to live in relationship. In fact, we are created that way; created in relationship with God, with each other, and with all of creation. It is in recognizing our connectedness to God and to all of creation that we can be willing to make the necessary choices for peace and justice and the sustainability of our environment. And it is in the love of Christ for us that we can be willing to make the sacrifices necessary for the good of all. For sacrifices will need to be made.

The doctrine of the Trinity, like all the tenets of our faith, calls us outside of ourselves to love God and the world. As we recognize more and more our connectedness in Christ, we will find ourselves more and more willing to forego the ways of violence and exploitation. Instead, we will seek the ways of the Gospel: peace, justice, reconciliation and cooperation.

 
Questions for Reflection in your Faith Sharing Group:

• How do you see relationships that are “out of whack” or unhealthy in our global world?  
• What needs to be renewed?
• Paul in Romans reminds us that we are children of God and heirs with Jesus Christ.  What experience has helped you to realize that we are all children of God?  What experience has shown you that we still have things to do to make sure that everyone is treated as a child of God?
• How has God’s Spirit called you into being part of a community?  
• How does the Spirit of God help you to live in community with others?  
• How is your community called to connect to other communities?