inquiry and formation workbook - precious blood spirituality · be made up in extra sessions. move...

PRECIOUS BLOOD COMPANIONS

INQUIRYand

FORMATION

WORKBOOK

Lay Associates of the Precious BloodCincinnati and Kansas City Provinces

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PLEASE READ THIS FIRSTbefore turning the page

Welcome to the process of becoming a Precious BloodCompanion. This Inquiry - Formation Workbook is yours, foryour own use. Feel free to write in this book, underline orhighlight any parts of it.

It is designed to cover a two-year period (or more). It isrecommended that those in inquiry and formation meet monthlyover a two-year period. Every DELIBERATION and everySTUDY CHAPTER is to be covered. If any are missed they are tobe made up in extra sessions. Move through this material at yourown pace without rushing.

Each section is to be read prior to any discussion in the group.Adequate preparation for group sharing also includes respondingto the discussion starters prior to gathering with the others.

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TWO-YEAR PERIODOF PREPARATION

Becoming a Precious Blood Companion normally takes at leasttwo years. It involves the following steps:

INVITATION - attending an information night then severalCompanion gatherings

INQUIRY - exploring one’s intentions with the help of fourDELIBERATIONS

FORMATION - going through the STUDY CHAPTERS anddetermining one’s covenant relationship

COMPANIONSHIP - celebrating the Covenant Rite andcontinuing on-going formation within a small group setting

INVITATION

The first step toward becoming aCompanion is the Invitation.Persons are invited to attend aninformation night about becominga Companion, then sit in on theCompanion gatherings of thelocal group.

Who is invited?

If you received an invitation, it’sbecause someone – a Companionor a priest or brother who meetswith Companions – saw in you anopenness to Precious Bloodspirituality. This invitation is away for you to learn more aboutwhat may already be at work inyour life.

What are theprerequisites?

Inquirers with Companions desireinteraction with the Missionariesof the Precious Blood.

They are searching to enrich theirspiritual lives.

They want to gather with others toenhance their ministry throughstudy and sharing.

How long does theINVITATION period last?

After being with the group duringseveral gatherings those who havebeen invited then request to beginINQUIRY if they wish to do so.

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INQUIRY

INQUIRY offers an opportunityfor an individual to consider a callto become a Precious BloodCompanion. There are fourINQUIRY DELIBERATION ses-sions.

Inquirers go through theDELIBERATIONS with thesponsor and/or covenantedCompanion(s) apart from the restof the Companion group.

Inquirers continue someparticipation in the monthlyCompanion gatherings during theINQUIRY DELIBERATIONS.(Gathering with the Companiongroup prior to and/or after theINQUIRY session is encouraged.)

Inquirers are invited to pray forenlightenment during theirDELIBERATIONS and to prayvarious Precious Blood prayers,which the Convener and sponsorcan provide.

Inquirers continue works ofservice or some ministry in whichthey are already engaged. No newor additional ministry is expected.

Finally, with the help of the spon-sor and Convener, each Inquirermakes a decision about enteringCompanion FORMATION andinvestigating the STUDY CHAP-TERS.

FORMATION

FORMATION begins with awelcome rite.

During FORMATION thecandidates examine the STUDYCHAPTERS in this Workbook.

The sponsor and/or covenantedCompanion meets with those inFORMATION (normally monthly)to assist their study of and sharingin the STUDY CHAPTERS.Companions can also lead thesesessions.

STUDY CHAPTER sessions areheld separate from the regularCompanions’ gathering, i.e. inanother room, while the presentCompanions gather with theirown agenda. It is recommendedthat all come together for openingand closing while the inquirershave their study session apart forat least one hour. That allows theinquirers to get acquainted withthe regular Companion group.

An inquirer concludesFORMATION by writing a one-year COVENANT. The finalSTUDY CHAPTER is designedto assist in the writing of one’scovenant.

COMPANIONSHIP

COMPANIONSHIP begins withthe covenant rite (celebratedduring a provincial assemblywhen possible).

COMPANIONSHIP includes on-going formation, continuing inactive ministry, taking part in anannual retreat or day of reflection,and sharing in as manyCompanion gatherings andprovincial events as possiblegiven one’s state in life.

COMPANIONSHIP is groundedin Jesus’ commandment to loveand care for all, especially thosemost in need. Jesus said, “This Icommand you, to love one anoth-er” (John 15:17). This simplecommand is at the center of ourunderstanding of what it means tobe Companions of the PreciousBlood.

After first covenant allCompanions are equally part ofthe same group unless they decideto form more than one group.Each group is required to have itsown convener and sponsor.

After the first one-year covenant,covenants are renewed for threeyears.

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Precious Blood Companions

Inquiryand

Formation

CONTENTS

Inquiry

• First Deliberation ........................................8A THOUSAND TONGUES: C.PP.S.

Gaspar’s Missionaries of the Precious Blood

• Second Deliberation .................................14IN THE COMPANY OF FRIENDS: Spirituality

Transforming the Ordinary Into the Holy

• Third Deliberation.....................................18DARING TO TAKE RISKS: Mission

A Spirituality of Mission

• Fourth Deliberation...................................24UNIQUELY PRESENT: Community

Sacred Listening

Formation• Study Chapter One ...................................32

PRECIOUS BLOOD COMPANIONS: ASSOCIATES OF THE MISSIONARIESOF THE PRECIOUS BLOODBy “reading between the lines” we see Companioninvolvement in the Precious Blood charism

• Study Chapter Two ....................................37A MINGLING OF MEMORY AND MERCY:

SPIRITUALITY OF THE CUPFr. Joe Nassal helps find an adequate response to thequestion “Can you drink this cup?”

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• Study Chapter Three .....................................43ST. GASPAR: THE MAN, THE MISSION, THEDREAM

The meaningfulness of Gaspar’s adventurous life istold by Frs. Joe Nassal and Ray Cera.

• Study Chapter Four ...................................50BRINGING ALL PEOPLE NEAR:A SPIRITUALITY OF CROSS

Fr. Joe Nassal teaches the meaning of the “book ofthe crucifix.”

• Study Chapter Five ....................................56OUR PRECIOUS BLOOD FAMILY IN THE U.S.

Founders and foundresses share a spirituality of theblood calling us to be open to the new.

• Study Chapter Six......................................63FROM GENESIS TO REVELATIONS:A SPIRITUALITY OF COVENANT

Fr. Joe Nassal discusses the inclusivity of thecovenant in the Blood of Christ. We are to be aninclusive community of memory and hope.

• Study Chapter Seven .................................69IS THERE A PRECIOUS BLOOD WAY TO PRAY?

Reflections in this chapter call forth a creative spiritfor expressing a Precious Blood theme.

• Study Chapter Eight ..................................74THE COVENANT RELATIONSHIP

The outcome of this chapter is the writing of acovenant.

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- INQUIRY -

FirstDeliberationA THOUSAND

TONGUES:C.PP.S.

mpelled by the love ofChrist, manifestedespecially in the

shedding of his Blood, and awareof the needs of the Church,Gaspar del Bufalo, founder of theMissionaries of the PreciousBlood, longed to have “athousand tongues to move heartsto the Precious Blood of Christ.”He was an excellent preacher notonly in the pulpit but in theexample of his life. He attracted agroup of like-minded priests andbrothers, uniting them by a bondof charity. He involved the laity inhis missions.

In that number of the “thousandtongues” of his dream are today’sMissionaries of the PreciousBlood and Companions.

MISSIONARIES OFTHE PRECIOUS

BLOOD

In 1815, a Society of ApostolicLife was founded by Gaspar delBufalo under the title of thePrecious Blood. TheCongregation has evolved anddeveloped through the work of theHoly Spirit to its present structureand form. In this DELIBERA-TION we consider the currentstructures and government as wellas the role and place of the laity inthe life of the Missionaries of thePrecious Blood.

A Society OfApostolic Life

Moderator General,Fr. Barry Fischer, C.PP.S.

Our Moderator General, Fr. BarryFischer, C.PP.S. says we are not“diocesan” nor are we “religious.”“Perhaps the foremost identifyingaspect of our identity as a Societyof Apostolic Life,” he writes, “isthe ‘pastoral objective.’ Whenreflecting on spirituality, we mustalways keep in mind that it is aspirituality for mission. Whenspeaking of community life andwhat form that might take today,we do so keeping before usalways that we are in communityfor mission. Everything must beseen from this perspective.”

The new Code of Canon Lawnames three basic elements of aSociety of Apostolic Life: (a) theapostolic aim of the society(mission), (b) fraternal life incommunity (a communion ofrelationships in the bond ofcharity), and (c) the striving tolive a life of charity (thespirituality of the Blood ofChrist).

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C.PP.S.

The official title of our Society is

Congregatio Missionariorum

Pretiosissimi Sanguinis Domini

Nostri Jesu Christi. Its

abbreviation by custom is

C.PP.S. You may wonder how

this Latin translates into English.

Statute S1 of the Society’s

Constitution states that “Every

province is free to translate this

title according to the needs of its

culture and language.” The

Cincinnati Province uses the title

Missionaries of the Precious

Blood while the while the

Kansas City Province uses

Society of the Precious Blood.

Bond of Charity

The Missionaries of the PreciousBlood do not take vows as part oftheir membership in a Society ofApostolic Life. Instead, in accordwith the vision of the founder themembers live in a bond of charity.In the rite of definitiveIncorporation each membermakes a promise of fidelity to theSociety that is mutuallyreciprocated. The mutual bond ofcharity is also included in thecovenant rite made byCompanions.

Normative Texts

The government of the Society isdefined in the Normative Texts ofthe community. The NormativeTexts are the Constitution,General Statutes, and theProvincial Statutes. Thesedocuments outline a form ofgovernance that establishesauthority within the context of thebond of charity.

In the Normative Texts thespecifics, who has authority overwhat, are carefully spelled out.There is one basic form ofgovernment followed inprovinces and in vicariates. Ateach level, a director and acouncil is elected by those whoare to be governed. Additionally,provinces hold assemblies, orannual meetings, to discuss andvote on important issues.

The General Government

The supreme authority in theSociety is exercised while thegeneral assembly is in session. Ageneral aentatives from all theprovinces who meet in Rome tohandle the most importantbusiness of the Society and toelect the moderator general andhis council. A general assemblymay be called whenever the needarises, but ordinarily there is onecalled every six years, the lengthof the terms of those elected toserve in the general government.

The moderator general and hiscouncil are responsible formonitoring the overall state of theSociety worldwide and promotingits ongoing renewal andexpansion. They also conductnecessary business with theVatican. The moderator, alongwith some councilors, reside andwork at the generalate, theSociety’s house in Rome, makingregular visits to all the members.

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World-Wide Presence

For the sake of government andcommunal life, the Society isdivided into provinces. Todaythere are more than 500 membersin seven provinces serving inmore than a dozen countries. InEurope there are the Italian,Teutonic (Germany and Austria),Iberian (Spain and Portugal) andPolish (Poland and Croatia)Provinces. The Teutonic provincehas a vicariate in Brazil. TheItalian Province has vicariates inTanzania and India. There arethree provinces in North America.The Atlantic Province isheadquartered in Toronto. It wasformerly a vicariate of the ItalianProvince and continues to haveclose ties with that province.Members of the Kansas City andCincinnati Provinces minister inthe U.S. and in missions abroad.The Cincinnati Province hasestablished a vicariate in Chileand a mission in Peru. TheChilean Vicariate sponsors amission in Guatemala. Whilefalling under the sponsorship of aparticular province, each vicariateor mission is somewhatautonomous.

Districts

Some provinces are furtherdivided into districts. At districtmeetings, members discuss issuesfacing their province, and sharecommunity life. Districts do nothave any direct governmentalauthority.

Provincial Assemblies

Every definitively incorporatedmember is entitled to participatein, and vote during a provincialassembly (a meeting of all themembers of that province). Theaction of a provincial assembly isrequired to conduct the moreimportant business of theprovince.

Provincial Council

The provincial director (usuallyjust called the provincial) and hiscouncil are elected for a four-yearterm during an assembly. Theprovincial and his council (thenumber of councilors is

determined by each province)conduct the ordinary affairs of theprovince. They settle policyquestions and make personneldecisions. Each province, throughits provincial statutes, customizesits rule of life in accord with theNormative Texts.

Lay Associates

The Companion insignia (worn asa pin or pendant) is a cross, a cup,and a circle. (See front cover.)The circle is a symbol forcovenant. The insignia ispresented during the covenant riteand worn by Companions.

From its founding, the membersof the Society of the PreciousBlood have been closelyassociated with the laity withwhom they have worked andserved.

Lay associates today are calledPrecious Blood Companions.They respond to their baptismalcall to service through associationand collaboration with membersof the Society. This association isformalized in a covenant rite thatallows each Companion tocharacterize his or herrelationship with the Society in acovenant. Together theincorporated members andcovenanted Companions strive torediscover the call for PreciousBlood spirituality in our time andculture.

The symbol forthe Kansas Cityprovince is thecup, cross andcircle for thecovenant.

The symbol forthe Cincinnatiprovince is thecup and cross.

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Union of theBlood of Christ

The Union of the Blood of Christ(U.S.C.) is a canonicallyrecognized lay association of thefaithful. It has its own statutes,and the moderator general servesas its central director. Its mainpurpose is the spreading ofPrecious Blood devotion. TheUnion of the Blood of Christ ismost active in the Italian andAtlantic Provinces.

You have not only a glorious

history to remember and to

recount, but also a great his-

tory still to be accom-

plished! Look to the future

where the Spirit is sending

you in order to do even

greater things… (excerpt

from Vita Consecrata an

apostolic exhortation by

John Paul II in response to

the 1994 synod of bishops

on the consecrated life and

its mission in the Church

and in the world)

Conclusion

Since the Second VaticanCouncil, the world-wide C.PP.S.has sought fitting ways to befaithful to Gaspar’s charism in ourtime and in various cultures. Weare called to “faithful creativity,”a phrase coined by our moderator,

Fr. Barry Fischer. General andprovincial assemblies havefocused on this ongoing renewal.Much effort has gone into a studyof the charism of our founder andPrecious Blood spirituality. Wecontinually look to the signs ofthe time and seek to find our faith-ful place in the life of the Church.

Like other religious communitiesand societies of apostolic life, wehave experienced a significantdecline in our membership. Thishas not been easy to interpret.However, in the legacy of Gasparwe face each difficulty as anotheropportunity to find Christ with usand to be led by the Spirit. “Donot rupture our unity,” Gasparwrote to Don Innocenzo Betti,January 1831. “Give explanationsquietly and without agitation. Donot get aggravated when everyonedoes not think along the samelines as you… Look at yourself aswell as the Institute… Pray morethan ever.”

Currently, the areas of growth forthe Society are found in thedeveloping nations of the world.The majority of our candidatesare natives of Chile, Peru,Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala,Tanzania, Poland, India orVietnam. This brings a newrichness and diversity to theCommunity. Another significantsign of hope for the Society is itsrenewed association with thelaity. While in many ways it is theformalization of existingrelationships, Companions mark

one more step in the ongoingevolution of the life of theCommunity.

Finally, Fr. Fischer reminds usthat even though years of reflect-ing on our identity, studying ourspirituality, and the positivedescription of a Society ofApostolic Life offered by therevised Code of Canon Law,“there is still much need for fur-ther clarification. Our identitycontinues to call for attention anddiscernment, since it is a dynamicreality still in evolution.”

THE LARGER PRECIOUSBLOOD FAMILY

Our Precious BloodFamily

In addition to the men’s Society ofApostolic Life, there are variouscongregations of women religiousunder the title of Precious Blood.During the past decade growingties have brought together nineprovinces of our Precious Bloodfamily in the United States. Theseinclude the Sisters of the PreciousBlood (C.PP.S.) of Dayton, Ohio,founded by Mother MarieBrunner; the Sisters of the MostPrecious Blood (C.PP.S.) ofO’Fallon, Mo., founded by Sr.Theresa Weber; and the SistersAdorers of the Blood of Christ(ASC) founded by St. Maria deMattias, who have an Americanprovince.

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The Precious BloodLeadershipConference

The leadership of thewomen’s communities andthe provincials of the threeNorth American men’sprovinces meet at regularintervals to collaborate invarious projects and activitiessuch as Lent and Adventreflections and human rightsefforts. The vocation andformation directors from thevarious congregations alsogather annually. The PBLChas a web site with links to allparticipating congregationsand their associates:http://pblc.precious-blood.org

DISCUSSION STARTER

We hope that this section has helped you understand that the PreciousBlood priests, brothers and sisters whom you know are part of aworldwide family. Discuss the implications for a Community that isdealing with global issues – how can we help each other/reach out toeach other through the barriers of language and culture?

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Let us pray for our Congregation,for the superiors, members, andCompanions, and for an increaseof vocations:

Loving God, through theintercession of St. Gaspar and St.Maria de Mattias, bless ourPrecious Blood family. Grant usmore members and associateswho will serve the Congregationin humility, obedience, andcompassion, and in all thingscarry out your holy will.

Let us pray for our missions:

Loving God, you said,“The harvest indeed isgreat, but the laborers arefew.” Raise up among usmany generous vocationsfor service in your mis-sions and bless those nowserving your peoplethroughout the world.May the holy apostlesPeter and Paul and St.Francis Xavier, and all the holymissionaries help them and pro-tect them.

Let us pray that we might see andfulfill our mission in the worldtoday:

Loving God, make us aware ofour ever-changing tasks. Help usto discern and to understand thesigns of our times so that ourwork may bear fruit for thesalvation of all and for your glory.

Let us pray for our sick:

O merciful Jesus, graciously lookupon your servants who are sick.Comfort and strengthen them.Accept our prayers on theirbehalf, and may they accept theirpresent suffering in the samespirit that you accepted the crossfor our redemption.

Let us pray for our benefactors:

Loving God, in your kindnessreward with life everlasting allthose who have been good to usfor your name’s sake.

Let us pray for thegrace of a happydeath:

O Jesus, King ofeternal glory, grantthat we may leavethis world in yourlove and bebrought into your

holy light and peace. May St.Joseph, patron of the dying, prayfor us.

Let us pray for those who havedied, especially our deceasedmembers and benefactors:

Eternal rest grant unto them,Loving God. And let perpetuallight shine upon them.

May they rest in peace.Amen.

PSALMOF THEEDGE

Spirit of Gaspar,take us to the edge.With a gentle push,send us forth to flybeyond the confinementsof our mindsto the heart of mystery.You preached the visionof a new heavenand a new earth.

This vision has its timeand will not disappoint.Etch the visionin our imaginationsTo help us see the time is now.Give us courageto find our homeon the edgewhere heaven meets earthand hope is born.

Fr. Joe Nassal, C.PP.S.

PRAYER FOR THECONGREGATION

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- INQUIRY -

SecondDeliberation

IN THE COMPANYOF FRIENDS:

Spirituality

The Starting Point

hen the hourcame, Jesus tookhis place at table

with the apostles. He said to them,‘I have eagerly desired to eat thisPassover with you before Isuffer’” (Luke 22:14b-15). Thegathering place for Companionsis around the table – in thecompany of friends. It is thestarting point and space to whichwe return. There we eagerlydesire to sharestories of livespoured out inloving service.

Jesus includedthe phrase“before I suf-fer…” PaulaRipple writes,“The man wholeft that table tocry out to hisFather, in the gar-den and laterfrom the cross,does not claim tolead us to somesecure harbor where we can hideand live untroubled lives.”

Companions leave that table asthe starting point for lives:

• poured out in service of thereign of God;

• bonded in love with all,especially those on themargins of society;

• caught up in a commonvision shared with theMissionaries of thePrecious Blood.

Transformation:Letting Go

Our founder, St. Gaspar delBufalo, certainly did not live anuntroubled life nor claim to leadthe men in his Institute to somesecure harbor where they couldhide. Our current moderator gen-eral, Fr. Barry Fischer, continuesin Gaspar’s spirit, saying, “to hearthe cry of the blood is unsettling.

It disturbs ourpeace.”

Gaspar encoun-tered enemiesand troublesometimes, yet hefaced difficultieswith unshakablefaith. “God willnot fail to assistus,” he wrote to amember in 1820.“The more hope-less humanmeans appear tous, so much moredoes confidence

in God increase. God will takecare of things.” Trials for Gasparwere occasions inviting him tochange.

He taught that “excessiveattachment to our own opinions,views and desires” is an obstaclethat keeps us from “walking in theways of Christ.” Following Jesusin fidelity to the Gospels oftenrequires a major change in ouropinions, views and desires.Letting go is never easy, as the

You are a chosen race,

a royal priesthood, a

holy nation, God’s own

people, in order that

you may proclaim the

mighty acts of God who

called you out of

darkness into God’s

marvelous light.

(1 Pt 2:9)

“W

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late Joseph Cardinal Bernardinwrote in The Gift of Peace: “Byletting go I mean the ability torelease from our grasp thosethings that inhibit us fromdeveloping an intimaterelationship with the Lord Jesus.”Gaspar would have us know thathardship offers us occasions fordeepening our relationship withJesus.

We let go so we can have emptyhands for what God wants to giveus. Fr. Barry Fischer calls thisstance “faithful creativity.”Benedictine monk GodfreyDiekmann writes: “Weacknowledge that Christ, ofcourse, is the true Son of God. Butwe are also true sons anddaughters of God, not by naturebut by gift, and this is actuallysharing the life of God.” As eachoffertory reminds us: “by themystery of this water and winemay we come to share in thedivinity of Christ, who humbledhimself to share in our humanity.”

How do we share in the divinityof Christ? It is in and through theBlood of Jesus that we have beenbrought near. Pope John Paul IIwrites in his apostolic exhortationThe Lay Members of Christ’sFaithful People that the baptizedparticipate in the mission ofChrist. We are all holy, he writes,“we are all ‘anointed’ and in himare all ‘christs,’ that is, ‘anointedones.’ Through baptism the layfaithful are made one body withChrist and are established among

the people of God. They are intheir own way made sharers in thepriestly, prophetic and kinglyoffice of Christ.”

In Romans 12:1 we read that theoffering of our daily activitiesunites us to Jesus’ offering ofhimself on the cross. We continuethe transforming power of theEucharist in our commonordinary actions.

Transforming theOrdinary Into the Holy

During their gatherings throughthe course of one year, theCompanions of Rensselaer, Ind.,were reading Fr. Joe Nassal’sbook Passionate Pilgrims. Inday 5, early evening of his book,Fr. Nassal refers to transformingthe ordinary into the sacred. Hewrites, “This covenant causes usto be changed, to be transformed,to be agents of transformation. Weare challenged at each and everyEucharist to be messengers andmidwives of the reign of God inour world today” (p. 64).

In their discussion at onegathering, the Companions wereasked, “do you see yourself actingto transform the ordinary into theholy as a priest transforms thebread and wine? In what ways?”

The questions were framed withinthe context of a discussion onEucharist. At Mass, the celebranttransforms bread and wine,

common artifacts, into somethingprecious and holy. Afterparticipating in the banquet, weordinary people are transformedinto the body of Christ, somethingprecious and holy. We then goforth into the world. It is there inthe world that we ourselvesperform the priestly function oftransforming the ordinary into theholy, thus being midwives of thereign of God. This idea wasillustrated beautifully whenCompanion Mary EllenKreilkamp told this story.

For years Mary Ellen had been inthe habit of going to daily Mass.Then she took a job as a librarianin an elementary school inRensselaer that conflicted withthe Mass schedule. She wasunable to attend. This was asource of sadness for her. But, inplace of Mass, God had chosen touse Mary Ellen in the priestlywork of transforming the ordinaryinto the holy. Mary Ellen wascompletely unaware of this until itemerged as a result of thediscussion at that Companionsgathering.

As a librarian, Mary Ellen had toshelve an enormous number ofbooks every day. When some ofthe children volunteered to helpher, she allowed them to take thebooks to the proper section andlay them on top of the shelveswhere she would eventuallyproperly order the books. Thisproved to be a great help to MaryEllen, but what it did for the kids

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who helped her was surprising.These children, many of whomwere challenged by non-supportive and dysfunctionalhome environments, found thatthey were needed by an adult theyliked and trusted. Because theyliked being needed, more andmore of them volunteered to helpher. As the kids shelved the books,they became interested in the

books and began to reserve themfor when it was their turn to go tothe library and take out books.Soon, an entire bottom shelf ofMary Ellen’s desk was filled withthese reserved books.

Even though Mary Ellen had togive up going to daily Massbecause of her job in the library,what she did for those kids waspriestly work. She transformedthose kids from the ordinary to theholy. She transformed them from“just kids” to kids who werewanted, needed, and valuable,who could perform a ministry forsomeone and be appreciated for it.As a bonus, they becameinterested in books.

Fr. Mark Peres, C.PP.S., pointedout that when he consecrates thebread and wine at Mass, it looksthe same after the consecration asit did before. He went on toobserve that often, transformingthe ordinary into the holy issimply a matter of transformingour perception. We come to seethat what we thought wasordinary was really holy all along.It is our perception of the thing orof the person that has changed.

So the work of transforming theordinary into the holy ofteninvolves transforming ourperceptions, our observations andour understanding of people andevents.

For Companions Rose Lansdown,Mary Lou Potts and GeraldineDill, work in the RCIA and thechildren’s Catechumenate ofteninvolves taking catechumens whosee themselves as ordinary orcommon, and transforming theirperceptions till they seethemselves as the holy peoplethey have always been, called byname to be children of God. In awonderful way, this is whatconversion is: seeing the holy inwhat seems ordinary.

As Companions, we no longer seethose who have been redeemed bythe Blood as ordinary, ascommon, as marginalized. In apriestly act, we transform theminto the holy. This often involvesa transformation of our visionfrom old perceptions to new ones.Where we once saw onlybrokenness, we now see selfsacrifice. Where we once sawslavery, we now see freedom.Where we once saw death anddying, we now see rising and newlife. Where we once saw only sin,we now see forgiveness. Wherewe once saw only duty, we nowsee privilege. Where we onceperceived shabbiness and squalor,we now see simplicity and beauty.

Where we once saw only a man inpoor-man’s clothes, we now seethe body of Christ. We see seedsand think flowers. We seecaterpillars and think butterflies.

ven though Mary

Ellen had to give up

going to daily Mass

because of her job in

the library, what she

did for those kids was

priestly work. She

transformed them

from the ordinary to

the holy.

E

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DISCUSSION STARTER

Give illustrations of how you had to let go of your our ownopinions, views and desires and how this has transformed yourlife.

How would you respond to the question posed to the Companionsof Rensselaer: “do you see yourself acting to transform theordinary into the holy as a priest transforms the bread and wine? Inwhat ways?”

PRAYER OFCOMPANIONS

Jesus our Brother, in the company of yourfriends on the night beforeyou died, you broke bread,poured wine, washed feet,and celebrated the hope alivein your heart.

May the bread we break inthe company of our friends

continue to nourish the hunger in ourhearts.

May the cup of blessing we sharewith each other quench our thirst forjustice, love, and peace.

The Precious Blood you shed foryour people stains our hearts, ourhands, our lives.

Motivated by the memory of yourlove and the reality of your presencewith us, may our lives be poured out in loving service of our brothers andsisters.

Jesus our friend, you have brought us togetherthrough the blood of your cross.

May we be ministers of your healinglove, reservoirs of reconciliation,harbors of hope.

Jesus, our Companion, inspire us to be a leaven of your love in our world. May there be nostrangers among us, only friends,who welcome each other withwarmth and hospitality. Seal yourSpirit upon our hearts as we gatherin your name.

Amen.


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- INQUIRY –

ThirdDeliberation

DARING TO TAKERISKS: Mission

The lay faithful “carry out

their own part in the mission

of the whole Christian people

with respect to the Church

and the world.” Lumen Gentium, #31

THE ROLE OF THELAITY IN THE

CHURCH

Being Church

tanding before the ten-foot wide and ten-foothigh door that gives

entrance to the ASC sisters’chapel in Wichita, Kansas, is anawesome experience. This hugeceremonial door with a stainedglass abstraction of Mary as OurLady of the New Covenant is atestimonial to liturgical changesfollowing the Second VaticanCouncil.

But we know that the doors thathave opened since Vatican IIexpose us to more than liturgicaltransformation. We are eachpersonally and as a people of faithcalled to transformation. As“people of God,” we enter into anew-sprung understanding of howwe are Church. This stimulatingperception of Church is bothyouthful and rich with biblicaland historical traditions. Thepeople of God, whether ordainedor vowed or lay, are allaccountable for the mission of theChurch.

Pope Pius XII said it well: “Thelay faithful find themselves on thefront lines of the Church’s life;they in particular, ought to havean ever-clearer consciousness notonly of belonging to the Church,but of being the Church.”

Being Missionary

Being a Precious BloodCompanion is finding oneselfimmersed in mission. How does amissionary go about one’s life?Fr. Tom Hemm, C.PP.S., during aCompanion retreat said: “yourprofession, job, ministry, yourfamily life has to be in service ofthe reign of God; then you arebeing missionaries in that veryplace.”

For Precious Blood people it isbeing attentive, wherever one is,to the cry of the blood. “Ouridentity and mission is centered inthe cry of the blood and ourresponse to it,” says Fr. BarryFischer, our moderator general.“We are living an awakening ofthe consciousness that we are allmissionaries, and not only thosewho go or are sent to missions inforeign lands. We need torediscover our missionarycharism as a core part of ouridentity.”

“To discover what it means to bea missionary in every aspect oflife, we need more than ever towork together and shareintimately in this discovery,” Fr.Hemm suggests. “We need to becompanions to one another tohelp us see how we can reach outto people today in a new way.”

Living the gospel imperative ofpeace and justice and addressingsocial ills that oppress those who

S

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live on the fringes of our societyis particularly challenging. It willmore than likely lead us to facesome difficult decisions. “Whenwe dare to take the risksinvolved,” Fr. Fischer said, “andshare the gifts we have, we will beblessed and enriched and thefuture will open up before us.”

A Spirituality of Mission

“Spirituality pulls us down to getour feet on the earth and not let usjust be up in the clouds,” says Fr.Hemm. “It is not just prayer anddevotion. What we do withmaterial things: our money, ourresources, our possessions showsus where our soul is, and tells usall about our spiritual life” (Mt6:21).

At the transfiguration, hecontinues,“Simon Peter wantedJesus to get back on the cloudswhere he belongs. But spiritualityisn’t what happens on themountain of transfiguration; it’swhat happens in town, in thosesituations where persecution takesplace. Peter would have likedJesus to forget about the cross.But Jesus is talking about reality,offering a very real, materialunderstanding.

“At the last supper Jesus had toshow the apostles that he wasspeaking about reality when hewashed their feet. Again it wasPeter who objected as if to say,you’re not going to tell me that

this is about spirituality! Thereality didn’t dawn on Peter atfirst, and Jesus has to explain themeaning of a spirituality ofservice.

“In this business of the reign ofGod, the spirituality of mission isabout forgiving (Mt 18:22). Not adevotion, but something as real asleaving the altar to first bereconciled. Learning to face theissues, the material realities of ourdaily lives, discloses ourspirituality.”

The call of the laity to be involvedin the mission of the Church is acall from God to be involved withmaterial realities. There are weedsamong the wheat that Jesus sayswill grow together. Ourresponsibilities do not allow us tobury our talents. As Pope JohnPaul II writes in The LayMembers of Christ’s FaithfulPeople, we are “called to take anactive, conscientious, andresponsible part in the mission ofthe Church in this great momentin history, made especiallydramatic by occurring on thethreshold of the ThirdMillennium.”

Call to Holiness

Because a spirituality of service isnecessarily involved in temporalaffairs, it is the responsibility ofmissionaries to behave “in such away that they may always startout, develop and persist according

to Christ’s mind, to the praise ofthe Creator and the Redeemer”(Lumen Gentium, #31). To persistaccording to the mind of Christwhose Precious Blood was shedfor all “demands the conversionin us of everything this worldholds most dear,” Sr. JoanChittister, OSB, writes. Themissionary, according to Fr. BarryFischer, “is one who has to plantroots only in God … in the heartof a pilgrim God.” Being aCompanion, in the words of ourfounder, St. Gaspar Del Bufalo, is“fulfilling the will of God andbecoming holy along that paththrough which God is pleased tolead us.”

We cannot change

people by our

convictions, advice,

and proposals, but we

can offer a space where

people are encouraged

to disarm themselves…

to listen with attention

and care to the voices

speaking in their

own center.

– Henri Nouwen, ReachingOut, (Garden City, NY:Doubleday & Co. 1975)

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People of the Spirit

In his writings, St. Gasparcontinually used Scripture textsreferring to the Holy Spirit andnamed his followers “people ofthe Spirit.” To follow the Spirit isto know when to let go of oldways when necessary to respondto changing times and newchallenges to our faith.

To follow the Spirit is to becomeliterate in the ways of the Spirit.Human nature likes to havesomething to lean on, a pattern torepeat that seems more secure.But security is not a sign ofCompanion life. We do notconsider something sacredbecause it seems safe. Rather theholy thing to be done can often befrightening and unsure. It is bygoing through it that weencounter the holy, not by doingan end run around our lifesituations. Going through itreveals our weakness, and as Paulreminds us: “when I am weak,then I am strong” (2 Cor 12:10). Itis trusting in the power of theblood, letting go of our owndevices, that we are able to beholda God who is creating “newheavens and a new earth” (Isaiah65:17).

Missionary Truth

The missionary must be preparedfor division and confrontation.Joseph Cardinal Bernardin wasn’tafraid to face conflict in his life;he received objections from hisfellow bishops, among other

things, for his Common Groundproposal. The Missionaries of thePrecious Blood in Chile, Peru,Guatemala and Vietnam havesuffered opposition living in astate of persecution andoppression. St. Gaspar had amuch deeper suffering. Whomade Gaspar suffer most deeply?Four popes. Gaspar’s exampleteaches us important lessonsabout missionary truth:

• Because he was compas-sionate, he defended

Sonnino against the decreesigned by the pope.

• Through meeting with thepope on various occasionshe saved the congregationfrom enemies in thechurch. Though deeplygrieved, he met thesepopes in humility and love.

• Even with Pius VII whohad given authorizationand funds for the society,Gaspar didn’t run from bat-tle and had to speak thetruth, pointing out how thepope he was wronglyadvised.

• Because he was out withthe people, Gaspar hadinformation that the popesdidn’t have.

If saints run away from the battle,they leave the battlefield wideopen for those who fight withoutlove. Those of us who love theChurch but also have our feet onthe ground say the Church has tobe missionary, it has to bereformed, it has to grow. Ourspirituality of the Blood is aspirituality that does not run fromconflict even within the Church.Loyal to the Church and loyal tothe missionary gospel, preachingthe gospel truth as Jesus did.

• We can’t cover updivisions but need to speakopenly and lovingly on thestands we take.

• We have a powerful tool inthe spirituality of the Bloodfor dealing with conflict,not running from it, norignoring it.

“I shall adhere to this

method: Pray, explain,

communicate ideas…

Even when I was in

disagreement … I

nevertheless accepted

the plurality of opinions

expressed and I still

went forward. …The

communication of ideas

is very important.”

St. Gaspar 1828

21

• What was Gaspar’s stayingpower? He didn’t fight thebattles on his own butcame to the Community forstrength and guidance.

• We are especially gifted inour companionship, bothclerical and lay; we needcompanions to help us getour feet on the ground. Tosupport is to be truthfulwith one another.

• Companions are not “yes-brother-,” “yes-father-,”“yes-sister-,” people, butrather associates who helpall to grow in themissionary truth evenwhen it hurts.

Gaspar’s problems brought him tothe cross; there at the “book of thecrucifix,” he found strength. Inthe conflicts we face today, in ourdeepest pain we find the truth atthe book of the crucifix.

Conclusion

Sr. Joan Chittister suggests thatconversion is a “process ofcoming to see the worlddifferently than culture andcomfort and the desire to controlentice us into seeing it.” Isn’t thathow Gaspar could stand in thetruth? He wrote: “Let us surrenderour own will in all things and weshall have died to ourselves.”With nothing but God in view, asGaspar proposes, we can befaithful to our call to bemissionary and stand in the truth.Let us companion one another by

speaking only the truth in everysituation.

As one Companion put it:“Through the closer associationwith the Precious BloodMissionaries and Companions, itbegins to seem possible, quotingSt. Gaspar, to ‘fulfill the will ofthe Lord and become holy alongthat path through which the Lordis pleased to lead us.’”

When men (and

women) are animated

by the charity of Christ,

they feel UNITED —

and the needs,

sufferings, and joys of

others are felt as

their own.

– Pope John XXIII

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DISCUSSION STARTER

How do I describe what a missionaryis from my own lived example?

How can we companion one another to be missionaries of truth?

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In union with Christ Jesus, whoshed his blood on the cross for thesalvation of the world, and who inthe Eucharist, renews the offeringand sacrifice that glorify you,Loving God, we pray:We offer you, Loving God, theBlood of Jesus!

For the glory of your holy name,for the coming of your reign, andfor the salva-tion of all:We offer you,Loving God,the Blood ofJesus!

For thegrowth ofthe Church:for the pope, bishops, priests,religious, Companions, and forthe sanctification of all yourpeople:We offer you, Loving God, theBlood of Jesus!

For the salvation of sinners, for anunconditional fidelity to yourword, and for the unity of allChristians:We offer you, Loving God, theBlood of Jesus!

For civil governments, formorality in public life, and forpeace and justice among allnations:We offer you, Loving God, theBlood of Jesus!

For the consecration of our world,for those who suffer, for the poor,the sick, the abandoned, and thetroubled:

We offeryou, LovingGod, theBlood ofJesus!

For ourspiritual andt e m p o r a lneeds, for

those of our relatives and friends,and for our enemies:We offer you, Loving God, theBlood of Jesus!

For those who will be born toeternal life today, and for all whohave died, so that one day all maybe reunited in heaven in the gloryof the Lamb:We offer you, Loving God, theBlood of Jesus!

CompassionateCreator

Compassionate Creator,

Eternal God,

we offer you the Precious Blood

of Jesus Christ.

May its almighty power

free us of our sins,

lead our departed sisters and

brothers to eternal joy,

and immerse your Church

in love and unity.

Amen.

SEVEN OFFERINGSOF THE BLOOD OF CHRIST

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- INQUIRY -

FourthDeliberation

UNIQUELYPRESENT:Community

“In those areas of life, in

which the laity are uniquely

present … they are the

extension of the Church’s

redeeming presence in the

world.”

(U.S. Bishops)

Conversation inCommunity

ne of the threefoundational pillars of aSociety of Apostolic Life

is community. And there can beno community without on-goingconversations. Sharing is part ofeverything that takes place duringeach Companion gathering. Inconversation we offerencouragement to one anotherand discover how God is workingin our lives. We observe that thereare challenges as well asconsolations in the gospels. Wespeak from the heart, and listenwith our whole hearts. Sharingpresumes confidentiality. Being inthe company of friends bringshealing, comfort, focus, andchallenge. Sharing happens bestwhen we are good at listening toone another. Listening andsharing are two skills that can beacquired or further developed.

When we learn how to listen andshare more appropriately, wediscover that speaking about holythings can be the same asspeaking about the daily andordinary experiences of life as welisten, even to ourselves, withcontemplative ears.

SACRED LISTENING

We are constantly buffeted withsounds from radios, TVs, andstereos; and sometime all three atonce. Is any part of our day silent?And yet what do we hear? What

are you hearing right now? Isthere a particular sound that goesunheard? Listen.

It would be simple at this point tosay, we often don’t listen to Godspeaking to us daily throughnature, in the voice of a friend oreven in the cry of the poor. But wedon’t have to go to that extreme.Often we don’t listen to oneanother.

“Many times in the course of aconversation, we are not reallyLISTENING to what the otherperson is saying – we’reformulating our reply in ourminds,” said Sr. Jean Sonnenberg,ACBS, a member of the NorthAmerican Conference ofAssociates and Religious. “Thathas about as much alchemicaleffect as two ping pong ballsbumping into each other. The pingpong balls are slightly altered inthe direction their bounces take,but they go away from theencounter unchanged.”

As we come together in ourCompanion groups, we need tolisten to one another – toreverence each one’s story. In ourgatherings we share in confidencethe stories of what has been goingon in our lives. These need to beheard. “Deepening ourrelationship with God and withone another in the context of afaith community happens only tothe degree that we bring alistening heart to the experience,”according to Sr. Jean. “I call the

O

25

listening sacred. It is a form ofspiritual discipline.”

“We get healed when we tell ourstory” is a statement Sr. Jeancredits to a professor she had atthe Washington TheologicalUnion. He used to say that at leasttwice a week, she said. “If hedidn’t say that, he would say, ‘it’sour secrets that make us sick.’”

Sr. Jean continues: “Sacredlistening requires attentivenessand a willingness to attend deeplyto the experience of anotherwithout judgment, and oftenwithout comment. We learn tolisten with the heart and acceptthe other just as she or he is. Thisis healing, deeply healing.

“How does healing happen in thecontext of faith sharing? It allowsone to speak of one’s deepestfears and deepest failures and stillbe accepted. If that happens, weno longer have to invest hugeglobs of emotional energy intomaintaining a persona that wethink will make us acceptable toothers – whether it be the personaof the hard worker, the generousone, the giver, the washer-upperafter the pancake dinner, orwhatever. We’re freed, yes freed,to be our authentic selves.

“The spiritual journey is a journeyfrom slavery to freedom. But it’srisky. As Maria Rieckelman said,‘You can take the people out ofEgypt, but you can’t always takethe Egypt out of the people.’

“Some of us are addicted to theimage of ourselves as successful,as thoughtful, as kind, and can’trisk speaking of any experiencethat might give people theimpression we are anything lessthan that. Who are we kidding?

“We find it relatively easy tospeak of what we are grateful for.We sometimes find it difficult, ifnot impossible, to speak of thechallenges that come into ourlives through a spouse, (a sibling),a teenage child who may beexperimenting with drugs or sexor alcohol, a harsh employer orperhaps an internal challengesuch as an inability to stand up forourselves, compulsive busyness,rescuing, or addiction. But God isspeaking to us through all thecircumstances of our lives.

“What might God be inviting usto through these challenges?When we speak the truth of ourlives and find ourselves not beingjudged for it, but rather, received,accepted, and heard, we cantangibly experience that Godloves us, not for what we do, notfor how good we are, but justbecause we are. That heals thewounds that come from theexpectation that we must besomeone other than who we are.That frees us to become who wewere created to be. And that’ssalvation, healing, wholeness,grace, Spirit.”

A MINI WORKSHOPON LISTENING

SKILLS

There are three stages oflistening: attending, followingand responding.

Attending

Attending means paying closeattention.

Maintain a relaxed, open bodylanguage

Look at the other’s face or eyes

Rest your mind, allowing yousenses and instincts to “listen”

Following

Following means walkingalongside another, allowing theother to lead you.

Do not interrupt, divert, imposeyour opinions, or press to haveyour own views heardprematurely

Remain genuinely interested

Encourage by:

(a) your movements: nod,smile, maintain eye contact

(b) brief, sincere comments:“Me too;” “Wow!” “And?”

(c) descriptions of the person’s“body language,” e.g. “Youhave a smile that goes fromear to ear.”

Responding

Responding with understandingflows naturally from sincerity,

26

empathy and compassion.Respond without advice-giving,making snap comments orjudging what the other personhas said

Affirm the other’s feelings:“How frustrating that was foryou!”

Paraphrase what the speakeremphasized before introducing anew topic: “You did everythingyou could to get the promotionand they chose somebody lessqualified.”

Remember: The only constant inlife is change. Life is a process ofbecoming, of learning, and ofevolving into our truest, highestselves. The goal is awareness,even if looking at our behavior isdifficult, as we observe, it hasalready past!

We cannot change the past. But,once we are aware, we can makeconscious, more life-affirmingchoices. We can choose thedirection of our growth intowholeness, i.e. holiness. It’s atrajectory. A massive leap ofchange is unnecessary, evenslight changes are all it takes tobegin to move into a more life-giving direction

TAKE AN HONEST INVENTORY

How much do I talk? Too much? Too Little?

How frequently do I interrupt when others are talking?

What does my body posture say to people?

What do my facial expressions say? Am I conscious of what

my face is saying when I am with others?

Do I welcome feedback? How do I react when I get it?

How do I let others know what my needs are? Am I dependent?

Manipulative? Possessive? Controlling? Warm? Caring?

Available?

How do I act when I am angry? Jealous? Lonely? Insecure?

Threatened? Frustrated? Happy? Excited?

Do I always have to be right? Have the last word?

Are my feelings and my behavior congruent? Does what I feel

inside match or fit what I say on the outside?

Do I experience a real relationship between my religious

beliefs and values and my treatment of people?

27

When I ask you to listen to meand you start giving meadvice… You have not done what I asked

When I ask you to listen to me and you begin to tell me why Ishouldn’t feel that way… You are trampling on myfeelings.

When I ask you to listen to me and you feel you have to dosomething to solve myproblem… You have failed me, strange asthat may seem.

Listen! All I ask is that youlisten, not talk or do …just hearme.

I can do for myself. I’m nothelpless; maybe discouragedand faltering, but not helpless.

But when you accept as a singlefact that I do feel what I feel, nomatter how irrational, then I can quit trying toconvince you and get about this business ofunderstanding what’s behindthis irrational feeling. When that’s clear, the answersare obvious and I don’t needadvice.

Irrational feelings make sensewhen we understand what’sbehind them.

Perhaps that’s why prayerworks… because God is muteand doesn’t need to give adviceor try to fix things.

God just listens and lets youwork it out for yourself.

So please. . .listen and just hearme.

And if you want to talk, wait aminute for your turn. . .and I willlisten to you.

Anonymous Author

LISTEN!

28

Make some notes about yourlife by responding to thefollowing reflections:

What were significant events inyour life?

Who are the people who havehad an influence on you?

What have been your successesand failures?

What have been meaningfulfaith events in your life?

What interests you inbecoming a Companion of theMissionaries of the PreciousBlood?

DISCUSSION STARTERSharing Your Story

All may share their stories from the notes from the questions tothe left. Each shares only what he or she wants to, allowingeveryone an opportunity to share.

Let us all listen with reverence, and hold in confidence what wehear.

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Breathe into us...the breath of lifeIn your breath is peace...redeem us, O ChristIn your breath is memory...remember us, O ChristIn your breath is life...re-create us, O Christ

Your blood is precious...redeem us, O ChristYour blood is promise...remember us, O ChristYour blood is pregnant with life...re-create us, O Christ

Your blood is compassion...have mercy on usYour blood is contentment...Your blood is confrontation...

Your blood waters the earth...bring us to lifeYour blood soaks the soil...Your blood refreshes the soul...

The blood of the poor...is precious to youThe blood of the martyrs...The blood of the unborn...The blood of the accused...The blood of the innocent...The blood of the enemy...The blood of the lost...The blood of the lonely...The blood of the old...The blood of the young...The blood of the hopeless...The blood of the oppressed...The blood of the victim...The blood of the prisoner...The blood of the dying...

Cup of suffering...redeem usCross of commitment...Covenant of love...Altar of sacrifice...Chalice of reconciliation...

Blood of Christ...remember usBlood of our ancestors...Blood of those bound unjustly...Blood of Gaspar and Maria...Blood of our Community...

Your blood is a fountain of faith...re-create usYour blood is a stream of mercy...Your blood is a river of life...

We raise our hands in prayer...stain us with your BloodWe drink the cup of suffering...We embrace the cross of victory...We renew our covenant of love...We live the liberation won forus...

We have washed our robes in yourblood...rend our heartsWe have washed our hands inyour blood...We have washed our hopes inyour blood...

You have redeemed us, O Christ,with your Blood...by your wounds we are healed

By your wounds...we are healed

- Fr. Joe Nassal, C.PP.S.

LITANY OF REDEMPTION

30

FORMATIONAfter completing the previous four

DELIBERATIONS, you are ready now

to examine the eight STUDY

CHAPTERS. You are again reminded

to write notes, underline, highlight in

this Workbook.

FORMATION begins with a welcome

rite (see next page).

The Process for Formation

The sponsor and/or covenanted Companion meets with those inFORMATION (normally monthly) to assist their study of andsharing in the STUDY CHAPTERS.

STUDY CHAPTER sessions are held separate from the regularCompanions’ gathering. It is recommended that all cometogether for opening and closing while the inquirers have theirstudy session apart for at least one hour. That allows theinquirers to get acquainted and to pray with the Companiongroup.

An inquirer concludes FORMATION by writing a one-yearCOVENANT. The final STUDY CHAPTER is designed toassist in the writing of one’s covenant.

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COMPANION WELCOME RITEwhen celebrated in the local Companion group

This ceremony is to be embellished with prayer, intercessions, and song when possible.

Convener of the local group:The following have completed the inquiry deliberations.

[…names…] Each responds with “present” as his or her name is called.

It is their intention to enter formation, continuing their journey towardbecoming a Precious Blood Companion.

Provincial director or his representative:I, [name], representing the provincial director of the - name- Province ofthe Missionaries of the Precious Blood, extend to each of you an officialwelcome.

In the words of our founder, St. Gaspar: “Let us, indeed, becomestrengthened through the Blood of Jesus Christ.” May your reflections on thestudy chapters and your continuing journey with Companions and theincorporated members of our Society of Apostolic Life bring you to a clearerdiscernment of your call so that you may respond in faithful creativity.

Be assured of the prayerful assistance of all the Companions andincorporated missionaries of the Precious Blood. Welcome!

Approval is expressed through applause.

32


- Formation -Study Chapter

1PRECIOUS BLOOD

COMPANIONS:

ASSOCIATES OFTHE MISSIONARIES

OF THEPRECIOUS BLOOD

CompanionSummit Statement

July, 1997

hen Companions andmembers of theMissionaries of the

Precious Blood gathered for asummit meeting in 1997 at St.Charles in Carthagena, Ohio, thestatement that they wrote togethercame from the heart. It had beenbuilt, word by word, like a towerclimbing toward God.

The SummitStatement reads:

Companions and incorporatedmembers are called by God to livea life of faith through thespirituality of the Precious Bloodand St. Gaspar. We live the bondof charity with each other,carrying that charity with us to theworld according to our vocationand gifts. As missionaries, weshare and proclaim the spirit ofthe Community: reconciliation,prayer, hospitality and justice.

Bringing It To Life

But like any definitive statementthat is meant to be all-inclusive, itfalls short of the three-dimensional reality. To bring itswords to life, the statement has tobe laid like a template over thelives of the Companions itdescribes. (See Reading Betweenthe Lines on the facing page.)

An uncharteddirection

Being a Companion of theMissionaries of the PreciousBlood has always been a state ofmind, not a plan of action.Companions have no officialministry. That can be liberating,but at the same time it is a conceptmost Companions initially foundforeign and difficult to grasp.Most of them are so active in theirrespective parishes that they havecome to expect any call from thepastor to end with the question,“So, will you head up thecommittee?” When they receivedan invitation to become aCompanion, most naturallywaited to be assigned a chore togo with it.

The chore actually came frominside: becoming a Companioncan mean looking off into a newdirection, opening your mind tonew thoughts, listening harder forGod’s call. Companions continueon in any and all ministries theyhad before they made theircovenant, and often add newones. But being a Companion,they often find, provides anunderlying support for the workthey are already doing.Companion gatherings become aplace where they can be affirmedas missionaries and evangelizers,a place where they can gatherstrength for the work to whichthey will soon return.

W

(Continued on page 34)

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Reading Between the Lines

Companions and incorporated membersPeggy Doherty of Vallejo, Calif., chairs a vocation awareness committee

are called by God to live a life of faithPaul Armbruster of Cleveland volunteers at a hospice for indigent people illness

through the spirituality ofRalph and Claire Ann Wheeler of Seneca, S.D., dedicated their lodge to the Precious Blood of Jesus

the Precious Blood and St. Gaspar.Wynone Wildeman of Warrensburg, Mo., formed a support group for single mothers

We live the bond of charity with each other,Don and Mary Ellen Krielkamp of Rensselaer, Ind., ministered in Tanzania

carrying that charity with us to the world, Jackie Maddy of Albia, Iowa, journeys in faith with youth and adults of St. Marys Church

according to our vocation and gifts. Ray Cron of Celina, Ohio, delivers medications to hospice patients

As missionaries, we share and proclaimDon Ollier coordinates and serves at St. Marys food kitchen at St. James Church in Liberty, Mo.

the spirit of the Community:Arlene Pelzer of Lake Mary, Fla., built houses for families in need in the Dominican Republic

reconciliation, prayer, hospitality and justice.

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CompanionGatherings

Companion groups gather,usually monthly, in a spirit ofhospitality. From Old Testamenttimes hospitality has beenregarded as a sign of God’spresence. As a cup holds all that ispoured into it, we hold withreverence the lives of all whogather. An unconditionalacceptance and welcome arehallmarks of hospitality.

Companion gatherings also offertime for prayer in community.Praying with others is differentfrom praying alone; and prayingin a Precious Blood manner ismore than saying prayers. Anopenness to various forms ofprayer invites the community intoa fresh relationship with God.Reconciliation is at the heart of apraying community.

Theological reflection duringCompanion gatherings ties themessiness of life to the presenceof God, the joys of life with thereign of God, and the socialinjustices in life with thechallenges of the Good News.The cross with its intersecting ofthe vertical and the horizontal is agood symbol of contemplationand theological reflection. Gasparcalled it “the book of the cross.”

An element of Companiongatherings called study is whatwe are doing right now. Study can

mean reading and sharing anarticle, or a chapter of a book, orwatching a video followed by adiscussion. Occasionally there isan issue of Fresh Bread,reflections issued by theCompanions office, for on-goingformation. Each province’snewsletter and other C.PP.S.publications are always availablefor sharing and discussing.

These elements of hospitality(which at times should include ameal together), study, prayer, andtheological reflection, can be veryintertwined. While separate timeneed not be set aside for each, allthese elements should be includedin each gathering.

A final sharing that happensduring many gatherings is thebusiness. Conveners use this timeto share information on upcomingevents and other businessimportant to the group.

The goal of Companiongatherings is to enrich ourspiritual lives, to deepen our bondof charity in community, and tostrengthen us for our variedministries. The hope is thatthrough gatherings Companionsmay become more aware of theirgifts more apprised of theirresponsibilities in today’s Church.

The Provincial MissionStatements

Companions have chosen toweave their lives into those of

Precious Blood priests andbrothers. The Cincinnati Provinceand the Kansas City Provinceeach has its own missionstatement.

The Cincinnati Provincemission statement reads

as follows:

We, the Cincinnati Province of theMissionaries of the PreciousBlood, are an apostoliccommunity founded in 1815 by St.Gaspar del Bufalo.We are united by a bond of charity and rooted in the spirituality ofthe Blood of Jesus.We are called toparticipate in theon-going renewalof the Church andthe realization of the Presence ofGod among ourselves and thepeople we serve.In our willingness to be flexibleand responsive to changingneeds, we fulfill our missionthrough:- supporting and nurturing one

another - embracing a life of prayer - calling forth the gifts of the laity

and working in collaborationwith them

- preaching and witnessing to theWord of God

- promoting conversion andreconciliation

- pursuing justice ever mindful ofthe poor and marginalized.

Its words echo the words andactions of Companions as they

(Continued from page 32)

35

collaborate with priests andbrothers to bring forth theKingdom of God. Companionslive out concrete examples of thevalues that the mission statementdelineates.

In the Kansas City province,Companions live out the valuesand priorities defined by themembers there.

The Kansas City Provincemission statement reads

as follows:

The Society of the Precious Blood is a fraternal community ofpriests and brothers founded bySt. Gaspar in 1815. Bonded through charity by apromise of fidelity, we areprayerfully motivated by the

spirituality of thePrecious Blood ofJesus Christ to servethe needs of theChurch as discerned

through the signs of the times andin light of the Gospel.The Kansas City Province, unitedin prayer, service, and mutualsupport, characterized by thetradition of its North Americanpredecessors, are missionaries ofthese times with diverse gifts whowork in a variety of ministries.In a spirit of joy, together withPrecious Blood Companions, westrive to serve all people -especially the poor - with careand compassion, hope andhospitality.

Personal Invitations

Many Companions areimpassioned dreamers with bigdreams. Others lead more quietlives of faith, helping people oneby one. The Spirit issues personalinvitations, not blanketconscription, and each is called tohis or her own ministry, whateverthat may be.

No one will respect that more thanother Companions, who are quickto offer praise and affirmation,love and support. ManyCompanions express theirappreciation for monthlygatherings as a time when theycan recharge, relax and reconnectwith people who understand andaccept them.

That kind of closeness brings lifeto all who share it, said ValerieMillus of Rome City, Ind.,especially as Companions cometogether to speak of their love ofthe Lord and their work in God’sname. Companion gatheringsleave her “bubbling over,” shesaid. “I think that is the greatestfaith-builder there is peoplesharing their stories about howGod moves in their lives. Thatreally revives your faith in theworld.”

A Mosaic

During the 1998 Assembly of theKansas City province, Sr. DianneBergant, CSA, urged the gathered

priests, brothers and Companionsto move from a “melting pot to amosaic” mindset. It was a verystriking image for Marilyn Beckof St. Joseph, Mo. She recalls,“Each person’s gifts in a grouphelp to enrich and expand thedimension of the group, just aseach piece of a mosaic, thoughdistinct in color, shape, andtexture, fits together to create onebeautiful image. Jumbled up,these pieces would still be distinctbut not complementing the othersto help make each other a part ofthe whole picture. As Sr. Diannesaid, ‘inclusivity is not just anoble venture but necessary,’ forthat mosaic to be complete. Weneed to help each other find ourright space in the mosaic of ourcommunity and our society.”

36

DISCUSSION STARTER

Review the mission statement of your province. Give examples of how you see that mission statementis being lived out in the Precious Blood Community.

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2By Fr. Joe Nassal, C.PP.S.

A MINGLING OFMEMORY AND

MERCY:SPIRITUALITY

OF THE CUP

lood,” ArchbishopOscar Romeroonce said, “is the

most eloquent of words.” In thischapter we will explore what wesee when we look into the chalicefilled to the brim with the Bloodof Christ. When we see this winewhich celebrates our identity asCompanions of the Blood ofChrist, do we see how this mostmeaningful of words, blood, callsus to an eloquent witness?

Several years ago I was polishingthe chalice my family gave me onmy ordination. The silver on theoutside of the cuphad becometarnished over theyears. As I wassitting holding thechalice, the versefrom the first letterof Peter came tomind: “Realize thatyou were deliveredfrom your futileway of life not byany diminishablesum of silver or gold...but byChrist’s blood beyond all price”(1 Peter 1:18-19). When myfamily gave me the chalice, Idoubt they had Peter’s principle inmind. But as I sat there thatmorning, polishing the silver onthe outside of the chalice andseeing the gold on the inside,Peter’s words seemed to apply.The glitter of the gold will fade;the sterling silver will tarnish; butthe Blood of Christ poured intothis chalice will continue toredeem.

In this chapter, then, we areinvited to look closely at thecontents of the cup. Can we seethe reflection of our own faces? Itis in seeing our own reflection inthe Blood of Christ that we willfind mingled there the meaning,the memory, and the mercycontained in the spirituality of thecup.

The Meaning: Can WeDrink This Cup?

As we look into the cup, we hearthe echoes of the question Jesusonce posed to his disciples, “Can

you drink thiscup?” (Matthew20:22) This is thequestion facingthose who aspire tolive as Compan-ions of the Bloodof Christ. It is thequestion Jesusasked James andJohn after theirmother pleads ontheir behalf that

Jesus find them a high place atheaven’s table. The questionseems so simple and straight-forward. Can you drink this cup?As we look at the chalice filledwith wine, we might be temptedto blurt out as James and John did,“Well, yes, of course we can!”

But when we look at this cup,really look at it, we might pauseand ponder the meaning of thequestion. When we look at thiscup and see how this cup hascaught our tears from sorrows we

“B

38

can barely name, from pain wecan barely claim, from woundswe want to forget, can we drinkthis cup?

When we see how this cup hascaught our fear of loving withoutcounting the cost, or our fear ofchanges that come too quickly ortoo slowly, or the shame weembrace or the guilt so pervasivethat forgiveness seems out ofreach, can we drink this cup?

When we see how this cup hascaught our indifference atanother’s suffering, or ourblindness to the look of regret inanother’s eyes, or our silence inthe face of injustice, can we drinkthis cup?

When we see how this cup hascaught the words another spokethat hurt us to the core, or theanger that simmers on our soul’sback burner, or the lack ofappreciation we feel or the wantof encouragement we need, or thebusyness that consumes our daysor the loneliness that lingersthrough the night, can we drinkthis cup?

When we see how the cup holdsthe courage to speak our truththough we know we’ll be op-posed, lose a few friends, distancea few relatives, rattle a few cages,see a few hands close into a fist,can we drink this cup?

Can we drink this cup when weknow the vintage wine it holdswill make us bold in living and

maybe even dying for what webelieve? Dying not for ideas orideology; or even for causes nomatter how just, but for people,real people, holy, human beings.Can we drink this cup?

Can we drink this cup when asingle sip takes us on a tripthrough killing fields marked withcrosses, landscapes littered withlosses, until we arrive at a lonelyhill where we will be stripped andshamed, beaten and blamed, withnothing left to pray except,“Why? Why, God? Why haveyour forsaken me?”

Can we drink this cup aftersmelling its bitter bouquet? Butrather than bristling at the stewardfor serving a vintage more likevinegar than wine, we know thisone will have to do. Because thisone, this vintage, contains all oursuffering and all our sorrow, allour tears and all our fears, all ourregrets and all our remorse, all ourshame and all our blame. Yes, thisone will do. Can we drink thiscup?

Missing the Meaning

In the Gospel story when thisquestion was first raised, Jamesand John say they can drink thiscup. But do they understand?Jesus had just told them of hisdestination and his destiny:Jerusalem and Calvary. We seethe failure of the disciples soclearly here: after just being toldthat the destiny of discipleship iscrucifixion, they ask for a

promotion. At least, that is howthe other disciples interpret thequestion. John and James wanthigh places in the company. Butin the company of disciples, in thecompany of true friends, there isno higher place, there is only thelowest place. There is no one towait on them for they are to waiton God as they serve each other.Though they have experiencedleaders who lust for power, privi-lege, and position, Jesus tells hisdisciples, “It cannot be that waywith you” (Matt 20:26).Discipleship is not about self-promotion but self-denial — ademotion that places the other’sneed before one’s own ambition.

In the context of ourcompanionship at the table ofEucharist, we can drink this cup ifwe know that the contents are notan elixir that erases our woundsbut rather causes us to experiencethem more deeply.

We can drink this cup if we knowthat in this chalice the Divine Onewe call messiah is mingled withthe mayhem and mangledpromises of every person; thecrushed hopes and shreddeddreams of every generation.

We can drink this cup if we knowthat this cup holds the vintagewine of victory that causescourage to swell shrunken souls,passion to pulse throughparalyzed limbs, and commitmentto warm cold hands, hearts, andfeet.

39

We can drink this cup if werealize the risks we take with asingle sip: that we will becomeintoxicated with redemption. Andonce we are inebriated witheternity, we will take the lowestplace, pick up the heaviest cross,endure the most grievous loss.

We can drink this cup if we knowthat in this company ofcompanions there are no slaves,only friends. And in this companyof friends, all are equal, all areone. We are one in our desire tolook out for the other’s interests.We are one in our desire to serve.

Can we drink this cup? Can welook into the chalice red withwine and see the reflection of ourlives being poured out in love forothers? Can we see not only ourown faces but the faces of thosewith whom we stand and so seekto give others a glimpse of God’sglory even amid the gloom oftheir lives? When we look intothis cup, can we see the faces ofthe poor ones, the broken ones,the bruised and battered ones?This is the challenge of ourcompanionship in the blood ofChrist: to look into the chalice andsee the reflection of who we areand who we might become whenwe live the memory of the cup wedrink.

The Memory: Do This inRemembrance of Me

For many years I had an ceramicimage of St. Gaspar hanging onthe wall in my office. One autumn

afternoon, a strong draft of windslammed the door of my officecausing the image of Gaspar tofall and to shatter on the concretefloor. When I picked up thepieces, the two largest pieces thatremained intact were the face ofthe founder and the chalice heheld in his hand.

When suffering slamsthe door on our lives andcauses our images ofGod to shatter, PreciousBlood spiritualityreflects that these twoimages will remain: theface of God that isstained with tearsbecause God knows whatwe suffer; and the handof God holding a chaliceto collect all the pain andsuffering of the worldinto this cup. In thischalice God gathers thepain and suffering ofevery human being, liftsit up, and drinks it in.

“How well chosen wine was,” thepoet Luci Shaw writes, “to stainour souls with remembrance. Ashocking red, unforgettable asblood, a rich brew in the cup, abitter burning in the throat, awarmth within, chosen well toetch our lintels with the paradoxesof a high priest bound to his altar,death as a tool of love and bloodas a bleach.”

This is the memory the cup holds:the death of Jesus is the “tool oflove” that redeems the world.

Through his Blood, the Blood thatstains our memory, colors ourconscience, gives us pause, andcause to hope again, is the Bloodof life.

Like that image of Gaspar holdingthe cup, we all have our images ofGod. Though these images are nota substitute for experiencing the

real presence of God, our imageshelp us to articulate how we haveexperienced the presence of God.We have these images, thesepictures of God etched in oursouls: a red sky at night mightremind us of God’s real presence;the face of a child or of ourbeloved might illuminate for usthe face of God; the shoulder of afriend when we are sad or broken-hearted might remind us of God’sshoulder that catches our tears;the laughter of companions whosecompany we keep might capture

Can we drink this cup? Can we

look into the chalice red with

wine and see the reflection of our

lives being poured out in love for

others?

40

for us God’s joy. Though we havenot seen God, we have seenglimpses of God’s presence invery real and affirming ways.These glimpses, these benevolentglances, are so important tosustain our faith in the DivinePresence.

But sometimes our images of Godbecome too small, too specific,and too precise. Like that pictureof our founder hanging on thewall that falls to the floor andcracks when a door slams or theearth trembles, our images of Godare sometimes smashed when theground beneath our feet quakesbecause of suffering we cannotexplain and loss we can barelyname. We try to pick up the piecesof our picture of God in thesetimes of incredible tragedy, butour images are never quite thesame.

We Do This inMemory of Jesus

While giving a retreat at a parishin Kansas City a few years ago, Ispent a day visiting some of thecontemplatives of thecongregation — the people oftenreferred to as “the shut-ins.” I meta husband and wife, Joe andMargaret, who have been marriedfifty-two years. Margaret wassuffering from Alzheimer’sdisease, the insidious disease thatstole her memory. She could notremember her husband’s name.Margaret looked at Joe with avacant stare. Joe cared for herwith great compassion and love. I

saw his tears as we prayed withMargaret and anointed her.

Afterwards, in the living room, Isaw the picture taken on their 50thwedding anniversary before thedisease began to take its toll.Their smiles told a story ofcommitment and gratitude. It is apicture that Joe obviouslytreasured. He remembered thegood times even as he struggledthrough very difficult times. Foron the other side of the wall wherethis picture hung, Margaret couldnot remember his name.

I met another woman, Theresa,about my age, who was apediatric nurse. Theresa loved herwork. Every day she heldnewborn children in her arms. Isthere a more profound image ofGod, of life, than this? But in herlate twenties she began to developthe symptoms of multiplesclerosis. Eventually she wasbeen confined to a bed, her bodyis frail and useless. She cannotuse those arms which once heldcountless children to feed herselfnow. The disease affected herspeech. She can barely talk abovea whisper. After we celebrated theanointing of the sick and shereceived communion, Theresaasked me, “Has God forgottenme?”

I tried to assure Theresa that Godhas not forgotten her. But whatevidence did I have? What imagesof God did I possess to give suchan assurance? I held her hand andshe smiled. I knew she wasn’t

expecting an answer. But it was aquestion she had to ask. And aswe held hands in silence, I saw abeauty in her eyes I had not seenbefore because I was toodistracted by the image of thiswoman in her early forties whosebody betrayed her. Held in thesacredness of that moment, heldin the gaze of her eyes, I knewthat Theresa already had theanswer to her question: God hadnot forgotten. God does notforget.

When I left Theresa’s room andwalked back into the living room,I saw the pictures of Theresabefore the illness began to makeher body a hostage. How beautifulshe was before this illness impris-oned her. How beautiful she isnow, though her body is twistedand tortured. I saw the beauty inher eyes which reflects her faith.It won’t be the glamorous pictureof Theresa I will remember butthe picture of Theresa in that bed,stretched out upon her cross, thatholds my attention and focusesmy fragile faith. It is not aglamorous picture but a gloriouspicture of one woman’s faithshining through inexplicablesuffering.

I heard in the echoes of Theresa’squestion, “Has God forgottenme?” another question, raised byanother whose body was twistedand tortured, “My God, my God,why have you abandoned me?”And in both questions there is animage of God that in a strange yetsacred way gives me strength.

41

At his last supper in the companyof his friends, Jesus raised the cupof blessing and said, “Do this inmemory of me.” When we takethis cup that contains both theblessing and the suffering of ourlives, we remember Jesus. Buteven more, through Jesus’identification with the contents ofthis cup, “This is my blood,” Godremembers us.

The Mercy of God

When we are in situations ofextreme suffering or intolerableloss, the question “Why” is anappropriate question. In askingthe question, “has God forgottenme?” Theresa was struggling tomake some sense of her suffering.She had every right to ask thequestion. But her question wasn’tsuggesting that God somehowcaused this disease to infiltrateher body. Instead, like Jesus’question on the cross, “My God,My God, why have you forsakenme?”, which is, of course, theopening verse from Psalm 22, itwas an anguished cry ofaffirmation that somehow,someway, God is present in themidst of her suffering. WhenJesus shouts those opening linesof Psalm 22 from the cross, he iscapturing the truth of the entirepsalm which reflects the passagefrom doubt and fear to faith andhope.

In raising the question, “Whyhave you forsaken me?” Jesusvoices his affirmation in the everpresent mercy of God.

From a Precious Bloodperspective, images of God thatare too small, too human, toonarrow, too limited, too controlledby divine cause and effect arefalse images than can restrict ourunderstanding and acceptance ofGod’s mercy. These images canbe as dangerous and destructiveas the false idols our ancestors infaith constructed in the desert ontheir journey to the promisedland. Precious Blood spiritualitysuggests that we replace thoseimages of God with ones that willstrengthen not sever our faith inGod when suffering threatens tofray the sacred connection.

In the image of a tear-stained faceof God who holds a cup in thedivine hand, the mercy of Godmingles with our own memory ofwhat Jesus did on the night he wasbetrayed. Remember what Jesussaid when he invited the disciplesto drink from the cup: “This is myblood of the covenant, which ispoured out for many for theforgiveness of sins.” That phrase,“for many,” implies that Jesus,instead of drawing in theboundaries of God’s love,expands them even more bymoving to the margins where thepoor, the unclean, the sinful maketheir home.

In the words of a poet, ChristineLore Weber, “All prayerultimately hollows our lives into acup to collect the blood of a tornworld and transform it into thewine of Justice.” This is whatJesus did that night he was

betrayed; this is what he does forus each time we drink from thecup: he hollows out our lives sothat we can hold all the bloodshed in anger and violence,murder and mayhem in thechalice of our hearts. This blood,poured out for all, calls us tobecome vessels of blessing, con-tainers of compassion, receptaclesof redemption for all the world.

Because we have the courage todrink from this cup which holdsGod’s mercy, we believe thischoice wine will fill our hollowlives with the Blood of Christ andcause this chalice of our hearts tooverflow with love. As Rumi, theSufi poet, prophet, and mysticwrote, “When grapes turn towine, they long for our ability tochange,” so when we drink of thiscup, like grapes that becomewine, like wine that becomesblood, God calls forth from us ourwillingness to be changed. Thisblood, precious and bold,merciful and memorable, pulseswith passion from our hearts andraces through our veins to bringus life and liberation.

Fr. Joe Nassal, C.PP.S., is anauthor, preacher, and consultantto the Companion movement.

42

DISCUSSION STARTER

Fr. Nassal states that those who aspire to live as Companions of theBlood of Christ face this question: “Can you drink this cup?” Howdo you respond?

Prayer of theChalice from theSufi Tradition

O Divine One,

to Thee I raise my whole being,

a vessel emptied of self.

Accept, O gracious God,

this my emptiness,

and so fill me with Thyself —

Thy Light, Thy Love, Thy Life —

that these Thy precious Gifts

may radiate through me

and overflow the chalice

of my heart

into the hearts of all with whom

I come in contact this day —

revealing unto them the beauty

of Thy Joy and Wholeness

and the serenity of Thy peace

which nothing can destroy. +

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3ST. GASPAR:

THE MAN, THEMISSION, THE DREAM

od has a dream for eachof us. Sometimes ourdreams are small,

touching only our families and afew close friends. At other timesthey grow larger than life itself,stretching beyond ourimaginations to touch countlessgenerations who come after us.Such was the dream God had forone man, Gaspar del Bufalo,founder of the Missionaries of thePrecious Blood.

The seeds of suchdreams are sownin our hearts byour parents,grandparents, andancestors whohave inspired usby their lives offaith and lovingservice. Certainlythe same can besaid for theparents of St.Gaspar.

His father, Antonio del Bufalo,was a servant in the family of aprince. He was a pious man offirm faith who was a staunchdefender of the Holy Father.Gaspar’s mother, AnnunziataQuartieroni, was one of thosequiet and saintly women whoseemed to model her life and faithafter the holy women of Scripture.She realized early in Gaspar’s lifethat God had great things in storefor him. She regularly inspiredhim with readings from the sacredScriptures, especially passagesfrom the passion of Christ,

readying the soil for God to plantwithin Gaspar a deep and abidingdevotion to the Precious Blood.

The ManGaspar del Bufalo was born inRome on January 6, 1786. Beforehis 23rd birthday he was ordaineda priest, July 31, 1808. Sevenyears later, on August 15, 1815,

Gaspar foundedthe Missionariesof the PreciousBlood. And hewas not yet 52when he died onDecember 28,1837. Themedical reportcalled him a“victim ofcharity” becauseeven though hewas in ill health

himself, hecontinued to minister to thevictims of the cholera epidemicthat broke out in Rome. Gasparwas beatified in 1904 and nameda saint on June 12, 1954.

Signs of Compassion

It was a very trying time, justthree years before the outbreak ofthe French Revolution whenGaspar was born. Napoleon hadalready begun to trample on everyhuman right as well and the rightsof the Church. By the time Gasparwas eleven, Napoleon had forcedPope Pius VI into exile and tookover the government of Rome.

G

Gaspar del Bufalo

44

As a youngster Gaspar gave shortsermons to his family and friendsand showed a great concern forthe poor and sick. Perhapsbecause he came from a family ofmeager means and because hehimself had been a sickly child(almost dying at the age of two,only to be cured through theintercession of St. FrancisXavier), Gaspar ‘s compassion forthe poor and outcasts consumedhim. He spent his summervacations as a youth visitinghospitals and bringing meals tothe hungry.

When Gaspar was 18, desiring toimitate St. Francis Xavier, hebegan organizing for action onbehalf of the “people on thefringe,” one of his greatest gifts.He frequented the marketplacewhere he would minister to themarginalized: offering religiousinstruction to peasants from ruralareas who came to Rome to selltheir hay, providing catechism fororphans and children of the poor,and setting up a night shelter forthe homeless.

Gaspar’s Companions

Gaspar continued what becamehis life’s work of ministering tothe outcast and speaking words ofcomfort to all. But he did not dothese things alone: his finest traitwas his ability to draw others tohimself as co-workers. What drewthem to him was his intellectualability, his good will, and hisholiness. When givinginstructions at the Basilica of San

Marco the Canons there gave himthe nickname “the little apostle”(apostoletto).

Courage of Conscience

While engaged with hiscompanions in the apostolic workof evangelizing the cart drivers(barrozari) and farmers from thecountryside who came into theRoman Forum, Gaspar met Fr.Francesco Albertini, the canon ofS. Nicola. Albertini became hisspiritual advisor and had aprofound influence on Gaspar,teaching him a deep love andappreciation for the blood ofChrist. Gaspar often referred toAlbertini as the founder of ourCommunity. Together theyfounded the Pious Union of theMost Precious Blood in 1808.

In the meantime, Napoleon andhis forces began to put pressureon the new pope, Pius VII, takinghim prisoner and exiling himfrom the papal states in May of1809. As the French took over thecountry, fear and corruption held

sway. Gaspar witnessed it all witha torn heart and doubled hisefforts and preaching.

Then on June 13, 1810, Gasparwas brought before the magistrateto take an oath of allegiance to theemperor. In words that echo theGospel of John when Jesus said“the truth will set you free,”Gaspar told the magistrate: “Iwould rather die or suffer evilthan take such an oath. I cannot. Imust not. I will not.” For thecourage of his conviction, Gasparwas sentenced to prison. But eventhough his body was incarcerated,the truth had set his spirit free.While in prison, his health onceagain began to deteriorate, but hismind and heart continued toexpand. A dream was about to beborn.

Years of Exile

While exiled, Gaspar continued topreach and teach whenever hecould. Though he had performedworks of mercy for most of hisyoung life, now in the silence ofhis cell this work was clearlydefined by the Precious Blood ofChrist. In the solitude of exile, hisvision became clear: to continuethe works of mercy andevangelization in the context ofcommunity. He and Albertiniprepared the basis for thecongregation of missionariesGaspar established in 1815 inGiano, Italy, after he was releasedfrom prison, and drew upfundamental articles for theinstitute of the Sisters of the Most

His finest

trait was his

ability to

draw others to

himself as

co-workers.

45

Precious Blood. He would joinforces with other men and womenunited in the bond of charity totouch others with the redeeminggrace of the blood of Christ.

Enemies

We cannot speak about Gasparwithout noting his courage in theface of his enemies. Even withinthe Church there were priests,bishops, and even popes whoopposed Gaspar. He was painfullyaware and often humiliated thathe was the subject of false rumorsand accusations.

Gaspar’s enemies filled Pope LeoXII’s ears with rumors aboutGaspar being a “false reformer,”alleging that the Society wasillegal, that its members wereinterested only in eating anddrinking. In an audience with LeoXII on Aug. 15, 1826, Gasparfinally had the chance to offer adefense. At the end of theaudience the pope embraced themissionary and said, “You havemany enemies, but fear not. LeoXII is now on your side.”

Gregory XVI, brought the mostpain to Gaspar by threatening tosuppress his congregation. Gasparboldly battled back, convincedthat his congregation was theopera di Dio (God’s work). “LetGod do whatever he wishes withmy life and my reputation, as wellas my honor,” he wrote. “If I amto be rejected, let it serve for hisglory. . .I have total trust that theSociety, which is entirely God’s,

will go forward.” Fr. InnocenzoBetti, one of Gaspar’s firstfollowers, wrote: “I see the poorCanon, afflicted and torn, despiteall of his virtues, as he watchesthe axe being wielded at the plantfor which he sacrificed so muchof himself up to now.” Ultimately,Gregory XVI became convincedof Gaspar’s true character. It washe who gave the society its firstofficial house in Rome and gavehis approval to the initiation of theprocesses for Gaspar’sbeatification and canonization.

The MissionTo Renew and Reconcile

Napoleon was defeated inJanuary, 1814 and Gaspar was

free to return to Rome to begin hismission as an apostle of thePrecious Blood. He had spent fouryears in exile and imprisonment,but his enthusiasm had not waned.He came back to a city that was inchaos. In the aftermath ofNapoleon’s occupation, thechurch in Rome was experiencinggreat turmoil. Pope Pius VIIpraised Gaspar for the work hewas doing, and appointed him topreach missions throughout thecity and surrounding countrysidefor the spiritual renewal of thepeople, and especially for theclergy who had compromisedunder Napoleon. Gaspar quicklyaccepted the assignment as thepath he was to pursue for the restof his life. In responding to theHoly Father’s request, Gaspardrew upon the rich resources oftwo of his mentors, Frs. Albertiniand Bonnani, to begin an Societyof Apostolic Life. From that pointon, he closed his many letterswith the identification, “ApostolicMissionary.”

Gaspar’s priests and brothers didan amazing job of rechristianizingthe Papal States and surroundingareas. But it was not easy work.The people were sometimesrough and uneducated, opposed toreligion and to clerics. Uprisingswere frequent. When Gaspar’smissionaries were sent to the cityof Benevento the papal delegatecalled it “a jungle of untamedbeasts.” But after 15 days ofmission work by the society, thecity was transformed through thereconciling Word of God.

“I would rather die

or suffer evil

than take

such an oath.

I cannot.

I must not.

I will not.”

46

Gaspar’s Companions

In the course of his missionarylife, there were several attemptsnot only to prevent Gaspar and hiscompanions from entering certaincities but even assaults on his life.One failed attempt was to poisonhim. Gaspar’s defense was hissecure confidence in God’s will:“in all things, whatever Godwishes.” On another occasion, asa member of the “Carbonari”approached Gaspar to stab him,the man was suddenly disarmed,not physically, but by Gaspar’swords: “Brother, do you wish togo to confession?”

St. Gaspar brought devotion to theBlood of Christ out of thesanctuary and into the streets. Hispreaching was rooted in thesaving act of Christ on the crossand so he carried the crucifixclose to his heart. Indeed, themission cross became the symbolof the newly-formedMissionaries.

Gaspar’s words and witnessbecame the wings to lift theburden of sin from the hearts ofhis listeners. He called people toreconciliation, to restore that rightrelationship with God and others.

Among the Outlaws

The power of Gaspar’s presenceand preaching was found mostdramatically in his work with thegangs of outlaws that wereterrorizing the papal states at thetime. These bandits were holding

up carriages and robbing andbeating travelers. Fear pervadedthe city of Rome and thesurrounding areas. Though thegovernment sent special militaryunits into the hills to capture theoutlaws, still the terror continued.

Confronted with this persistentand painful problem, Gaspar saidthe answer lay not in force andpunishment but in love andreligious instruction. Armed withthe crucifix as his only defense,Gaspar personally sought out thebandits, talked with them, andgradually won their trust andconfidence.

His success continues to becelebrated to this day by thepeople living in the city ofSonnino. After the government ofthe Papal States had issued adecree for the destruction of thiscity of uncontrollable banditry,Gaspar wrote to Pope Pius VII,offering a plan to reform it thatincluded building permanentmission houses to minister to thepeople there. Gaspar managed to

draw sizeable numbers of outlawsinto his retreats. In time, Gasparand his men restored the feelingof trust in Sonnino.

In his 23 years as a missionary,Gaspar preached endlessly inmissions, retreats and conferencesto every group imaginable:priests, sisters, lawyers, artists,prisoners. He was a giftedpreacher. Our third moderatorgeneral, Venerable John Merlini,said of his preaching that “hisvery appearance on the podiummoved people, especially when hetook hold of the Crucifix. Hewould work his way into thehearts of his listeners. . .Both thelearned and the unlearned wouldflock to hear him.”

Gaspar and his missionariesvisited city after city. “I wish thatI could have a thousand tongues,”he wrote at this time, “to endearevery heart to the Precious Bloodof Jesus.”

The DreamThe Dream

Becomes Reality

On one occasion Gaspar hadgiven a mission in the little townof Giano in Umbria, where therewas an abandoned monastery, SanFelice. Gaspar saw that oldstructure, in need of repair, as aplace to take up residence. So itwas at San Felice near Giano,Italy, on August 15, 1815, thatGaspar founded the Missionariesof the Precious Blood.

“I wish that I could

have a thousand

tongues to endear

every heart to the

Precious Blood

of Jesus.”

47

It was Gaspar’s vision to wed thespirituality of the Precious Bloodwith the concept of a communityfor apostolic works of mercy. Thissacred union gave birth to aSociety of Apostolic Life thatwould “proclaim peace throughthe blood of the cross.”

Fr. Joe Nassal writes: “A fewyears ago I had the privilege ofvisiting the birthplace of ourSociety, Giano, a beautiful spotwhich sits on a hill near Rome.With vineyards draping thelandscape, this historic and holyshrine is now a retreat houseoperated by the Italian Provinceof the Missionaries. I couldimagine Gaspar sitting in thissacred place. In this solitude, Godgave shape to his dream of anapostolic society bearing thename of the Precious Blood. Acommunity that would become abeacon of hope and reconciliationfor a wounded world. With thepromise Jesus gave to hisdisciples, ‘I will be with youalways, even to the ends of theearth,’ sealed upon his heart,Gaspar set out from San Felice toheal and to reconcile.

“We celebrated Eucharist theafternoon we were there. As wegathered around the altar andcircled the sanctuary, the vision ofGaspar became real. And thepromise of the ‘ends of the earth’was enfleshed. Gathered aroundthat altar were members of theMissionaries of the PreciousBlood from Italy and Austria,Germany and Poland, Spain and

Portugal, India and Tanzania,Chile and Peru, Guatemala andBrazil, the United States andCanada. Though we were fromdifferent countries and cultures,spoke different languages andlived different lifestyles, still wewere one in Gaspar’s vision.Amid our diversity, wediscovered our unity: the bond ofthe blood of Christ.”

Companions Today

Gaspar’s gift of attracting andinviting others into his work,continues today in the PreciousBlood Companions. Gasparinvolved the laity in the missionshe preached and in the groups heestablished to carry on after themissions. In that same spiritCompanions are responding to acall to be involved in the work ofthe Missionaries of the PreciousBlood, ministering to those on thefringes of society and reconcilingall through the power of thesaving Blood of Christ.

Maria de Mattias

One of the greatest consolationsto Gaspar was a mission he gavein the town of Vallecorsa in 1822.The town had seen horrible strifein 1814 as factions battled for itscontrol; eighteen people had beenmassacred in the church, and onewoman stabbed directly in frontof the main altar. Since that timethe town had been stricken withfear and hatred, and a spirit ofrevenge. St. Gaspar arrived thereas a messenger of peace and

reconciliation. Among hislisteners was a 17-year-old girlnamed Maria de Mattias. She wasattracted to the crucifix thatGaspar held as he preached.Between the saint and Maria therewas an almost immediate silentcommunication, an invitationwithout words. Several yearslater, Fr. John Merlini, as herspiritual director, wasinstrumental in advising Maria asshe founded a congregation ofwomen affiliated with theMissionaries of the PreciousBlood, the Sisters Adorers of thePrecious Blood (ASC).

Keeping the Dream Alive

The spirit of St. Gaspar stillanimates the priests, brothers andCompanions of the PreciousBlood. His spirit calls us tocompassion for the poor andoutcasts; inspires us to confrontunjust and oppressive structures;encourages us to seek communionwith all creation. We are, in thewords of St. Paul, “ambassadorsof reconciliation” who strive tolive the spirituality of the Bloodof Christ in our world today. ThisPrecious Blood stains our hands,our hearts, our imaginations andleads us to pursue peace and seekjustice for all God’s people.

St. Gaspar risked his life so thatothers might experience peace.He refused to compromise hisfaith, choosing to obey God ratherthan the state in matters ofconscience. He preached with thepower of his convictions and

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Pope John Paul II from his address to theXV General Assembly of the

Society of the Precious Blood,in Rome, October 19, 1989

The spirituality of St. Gaspar ... is truly at the heart of the Christianlife. The Most Precious Blood of our Lord has always been theobject of a special attention on the part of all the saints: it is theschool of sanctity, of justice, of love ... Never cease ... to delvedeeply into this mystery of justice and of love: diffuse it into thewhole world.

In the General Assembly which your are celebrating, you havestudied the specific topic of the mission of your Congregation,making an analysis of the situation in the various places where youwork in order to meet present challenges according to the charismof your Congregation. This charism, in fact, is the ministry of the -word of God, as stated in the Constitution of your Congregation. Ina society which too often ignores the signs of the presence of God,you must be the word that knocks at the door of every human heart,so that it may open to receive the Savior. In a society which oftenfails to uphold human dignity, especially the dignity of the poor,you must awaken the voice of conscience that sustains the primacyof truth and love.

My dear brothers, I fervently hope that the teachings which we havelearned from the life of your founder — contemplation of themystery of the Blood of Christ and commitment to the ministry ofthe word — will be an inspiration for your personal andcommunitarian renewal, so that you may present yourselves to thepeople of God, not only as teachers of the word, but also asconvinced witnesses to Christ, who loved us and gave his Blood forus (cf. Gal 2:20).

touched others with thecompassion of Jesus. His life isour life; his mission is ourchallenge; his dream is ourdestiny.

This article was co-authored byFr. Joe Nassal, C.PP.S., and Fr.Ray Cera, C.PP.S.

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DISCUSSION STARTER

Gaspar heard the cry of the blood among the poor and sick and those with needs.How does my life of companionship respond to those in need?

Where do I hear the cry of the blood in my parish or community and what is my response?

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4BRINGING ALLPEOPLE NEAR:A SPIRITUALITY

OF CROSS

By Fr. Joe Nassal, C.PP.S.

recious Blood peoplehave their eyes fixedon the cross of Jesus

Christ. We find our footing at thefoot of the cross. In this chapterwe will explore how thespirituality of the cross reflectsGod’s desires to bring all peoplesnear through the Blood of Christ.We will examine the crosses wecarry in our own lives and try tosee them as invitations to a holycommunion with a God whosuffers with us and a planet sooften plagued with pain. Thespirituality of the cross engagesour memory by asking us to recallhow God chose to stand with us inthe person of Jesus. When westand at the foot of the cross, wedo not stand alone.

At the Foot of the Cross:Holy Ground

Like long-distance runners aboutto embark on this cross-countrycourse, the first thing we do is tocheck our feet.

On a retreat several years ago, apriest told me about one of hisfirst assignments in the inner cityof Chicago. The neighborhoodbore the scars of urban blight anddecay. He went to the grocerystore one day, walking overcountless broken bottles on thesidewalks and streets. As he stoodat check-out line, a young boyfrom the parish greeted him. Thepriest noticed that the youngsterwasn’t wearing any shoes. Bobasked him where his shoes were.The boy said, “At home.” He told

the priest that he preferred to walkbarefoot. “Of course, my feet getbloody sometimes because I stepon broken glass.” The priestsummed up the story by saying, “Iwant to go to heaven with myshoes off.”

In a sense, this is what PreciousBlood people do: we walkthrough the streets with no shoes.Nothing between our feet and theground. With bloody feet frombroken glass and broken dreams,we find ourselves standing onholy ground. The spirituality ofthe cross suggests we stand wherethe blood of the poor, the accused,the condemned has seeped intothe soil beneath our feet. This isholy ground.

When we stand with others underthe weight of their crosses, westand in the same place Jesus did.It is a place of condemnation,accusation, and rejection. It is aplace that resembles a lonely hilloutside the city of Jerusalemwhere tears are shed and hopesare shattered. This is the placewhere we will hear the call ofcompanionship.

Where do we stand? Too often weanswer that question from thestandpoint of ideology: we say weare liberal or conservative,progressive or traditional. But asCompanions of the Blood ofChrist, we answer that questionnot from the viewpoint ofideology but from the vantagepoint of our spirituality. When westand close to the cross, we will

P

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see that the water and blood flowlike a stream from the side ofJesus make us a community. Inthis water and blood, we arewashed and redeemed: “It is inChrist and through his Blood thatwe have been redeemed and oursins forgiven” (Eph 1:7). In waterand in blood, we are brought near:“But now in Christ Jesus you whoonce were far off have beenbrought near through the blood ofChrist” (Eph 2:13). It is the powerof this water and blood flowingfrom the cross of Christ “who isour peace,” that breaks “down thebarrier of hostility that kept usapart” (Eph 2:14).

In the water and in the blood thatsoaks the holy ground on whichwe stand, we find “peace throughthe Blood of his cross” (Col 1:20).

Cross Examination

Those who have stood under theweight of cross; those who viewthe world from the perspective ofPrecious Blood spirituality, knowthe meaning of that phrase fromthe Apostles’ Creed when we say,“Christ descended in to hell.”They know because they’ve beenthere too. They have the scars ontheir souls, the wounds on theirhearts, and the ashes on theirpsyches to prove it. But this hastaught them to keep seeking, inPaul’s words, to “know Christ andthe power flowing from hisresurrection; likewise to knowhow to share in his sufferings bybeing formed into the pattern ofhis death” (Phil 3:10).

People who are prepared to be“cross examined” for their faith“give no thought to what liesbehind but push on to what isahead” (Phil 3:13). Like Paul,their “entire attention is on thefinish line” (Phil 3:14). They seethe cross not as a hurdle on thisracetrack of redemption but ratheras the way one must follow inorder to reach the finish line.

This is the call to companionshipcaptured in the cross of Jesus. AsCompanions, we walk togethernot knowing exactly where thefinish line is. Remember whatPaul writes, “It is not that I havealready finished my course; but Iam racing to grasp the prize ifpossible” (Phil 3:12). This is “theprize to which God calls us — lifeon high in Christ Jesus” (Phil3:14). We run this race, we pursuethis prize, when we have thecourage to examine those crossesof our own lives. We run this race,we pursue this prize when we arecrushed by the crosses of our livesbut have the courage to get backup again and continue on thiscross country course. And wepursue this prize when we stopalong the way to stand withanother in his her pain andsuffering.

The Obstructionof the Cross

For many of us, however, whenwe follow this way of the crosswe sense this central symbol ofour faith not as an opportunity oran invitation but rather as an

obstacle, as something we want toavoid. Most of the time many ofus view the cross not in terms oftriumph but in terms of tragedy.

A few years ago on September 14,the feast of the Triumph of theCross, we placed a large crossbetween the altar and thecongregation. Preaching that day,I had to look through the cross tosee the people. The cross was inthe way. We placed the cross inthe most visible place we couldfind. We could not deny itspresence, just as we can’t denythe presence of those crosses inour own lives.

Or can we? We can move thecross off to the side. We can standit against the wall. We can get itout of the way of our worship.Isn’t that what we often do withthe cross in our lives: we movethe cross out of our way. We hangthe cross on the walls so that noone will trip or stumble or fall. Weplace it on steeples that risetoward the skies, putting the crossout of our reach.

In most places where I preach, Ihave my back to the cross. But forthat one Sunday morning, thecross was in the way. Whatever Isaid that day had to pass firstthrough the cross. Which is, ofcourse, the point and the paradoxof the cross. When the cross is inthe center of our lives, it is morethan a distraction, it is anobstruction. The cross we placedat the center of our worshipobstructed our view — my view

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of the congregation, their view ofme and of the altar.

The cross was in the way. Butisn’t that how we often view thecross in our lives: not so much asthe way of the cross but the crossas in the way? Don’t we view theconstruction of the crosses in ourlives more as obstructions thanopportunities? Don’t the crossesof our lives weigh us down ratherthan lift us up? Don’t we claimour crosses as tragedies nottriumphs?

The Language of theCross

Think about how we speak ofthose crosses we carry. Don’t weoften talk about them in thelanguage of loss? When we suffera setback, or are engaged in astruggle, or endure a relationshipthat is difficult, we say of theexperience, the event, the person,“I guess it is a cross I have tobear.” We speak of it as something— or someone — that tries ourpatience. Sometimes a heavycross, an incredible loss, weighsus down, pushes us to the ground.

Reflect for a moment on how weuse the word “cross” in ourlanguage. A parent says to a childafter the child talks back: “Donget cross with me.” A boss comesinto work in a foul mood and thewhispers in the office warn: “He’scross today.” Or, “Better not crosshim.”

We use the word when there’s a

mix-up of communication: “Shecrossed me up.” Or, “Our lettersmust have crossed in the mail.”We use it to write people off: “Icrossed her name off the list.” Insome relationships with people,the cross is multiplied: thefamiliar double-cross.

In body language, we cross ourarms, cross our legs, crossourselves, and each gestureconveys a certain meaning:distance, a lack of interest, adefensive posture, a blessing, orthe beginning of a prayer.

We cross the street to get to theother side. We come upon a hillwith a yellow sign that has a blackcross in the center and we slowdown because just over the hillthere’s a cross road. And we don’twant to cross paths with anoncoming car to cause a crash.

We cross stitch, cross examine,cross over, cross country. Thereare cross winds, cross beams,cross walks, cross words. It’spuzzling.

Have I crossed you up? Or is itdown?

The Direction of the Cross

According to Paul’s famous hymnin his letter to the Philippians(2:5-11), the movement of thecross is both up and down. That’sthe direction of the cross. It takesus higher and deeper. But it alsotakes us to the east and to thewest. In the darkness of our night,

we look to the northern skies andsee the northern cross; turn to thesouth and see the southern cross.This is what the cross does: itpoints to the north, pushes us tothe south.

This is the direction of the cross:it is the way that leads to life. Thissense of direction is captured inthe Philippians hymn which por-trays a downward movement asJesus did not claim equality withGod as something to be exploitedbut rather emptied himself, takingthe form of a slave. God camedown to earth. Jesus humbledhimself and became obedient tothe point of death — even deathon a cross. But because of thisdownward movement of theDivine One, “God highly exaltedhim.”

The cross goes both ways. Thecross goes all ways. The cross isthe way. Except for many of us, inthe language of our lives, thecross is too often in the way.

Looking at the Cross

When we look at our own livesand see the crosses we’ve carried,the experiences of sufferingwe’ve endured, and maybe eventhe people we’ve encounteredwhose personalities or ideologieshave tried our patience, we begin

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to sense how these crosses haveallowed us to go deeper into themystery of suffering, the mysteryof life. We look at thoseexperiences of how we survivednot by our own strength or talentor gifts, but because of an innerstrength we never knew we haduntil our world came crashing inand the cross grew so large wethought we’d be crushed under itsweight. We often say in momentslike these: “I never would havemade it through without myfaith.”

This is the quality of redemptivesuffering that is traced upon thecross. Redemptive sufferingbrings people together; it does notdivide. A powerful example ofthis occurred a few years agowhen a frail, fragile little womanin India, Mother Teresa, died.There was an extraordinaryoutpouring of emotion from allparts of the world upon learningof her death. At her funeral, thetrue measure of what it means tobe Catholic was in evidence aspeople from all faith traditionsgathered to pay their respects andvoiced prayers of gratitude to thissmall woman who carried largecrosses. It was her ability to seethe tragic consequences of thecross — the poverty, the home-less, the hungry, the leprosy —and her ability to respond in faiththat the world regarded her life asa triumph. Mother Teresa claimedthe cross as her triumph and thiswas seen clearly at her funeral asnational boundaries and religiousbarriers were crossed in paying

tribute to a woman who consis-tently refused to be labeled as asaint and instead clung to thewords, “as I have done, so youmust do.”

As Mother Teresa has done, so wecan do. Unfortunately, for most ofus, we are content to make peoplelike Mother Teresa saints and letourselves off the hook. But whenwe don’t look away and see thecross for what it is, we see it is ourlife. As painful as our lives are attimes, there is the ultimatepromise being spoken throughthis cross. As difficult as it is tobear at times, this cross will lift usfree. As tragic as our lives becomeat times, God’s faith in us, God’slove for us, God’s hope in us,makes it possible to claim ourlittle lives as a triumph of thecross.

Conversationwith the Cross

When we place the cross at thecenter of our lives, we begin tounderstand that life is not aboutcomparing losses — as when wehear about people whose crossesare so large that ours seem toshrink into insignificance. No, itis not making comparisons butmaking conversation with ourown crosses. It’s about feeling theweight of our own crosses,measuring the depth of our ownlosses, and beginning to see themnot as obstructions but asopportunities for God’s ultimatetriumph in our lives. For when weare in the depths, we cannot rely

on our own resources. We can relyonly on the One whose gracecomes down from heaven andlifts us up again.

When we are emptied by thesuffering we have endured, wecan only rely on the redemptionwon for us on the cross to fill uswith hope again.

When we are weighed down bytragedy, it is the cross that isetched upon our lives at baptismthat claims us for Christ. With thisgift of faith growing in our hearts,we claim our cross-laden, blood-stained lives as a triumph of hope.

When we heed the conversationof this cross, we hear the wisdomof the wood — a wisdom theworld deems as foolish. Theseplanks of wood, once living, arecut down and tied together to holdthe body of another living being.From this wood, the voice of thedying gives life to the living.From this wood, the suffering ofthe innocent gives forgiveness tothe guilty. From this wood, theblood of the Lamb gives courageto the lost. From this wood, thecompassion of the crucified givescomfort to the grieving.

At times in our lives thisconversation with the cross isgiven voice in the witness ofsomeone who knows the languageof the cross. A friend of mine wasvery ill from cancer. For almosttwo years, Nancy had to receiveweekly intravenous treatments.Somewhere in the middle of this

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exhausting process to restore herhealth, Nancy lost her courage.She wanted to run from the tree ofthe cross for she found no shade,no comfort. In describing thisexperience, she wrote, “It is hardto say which collapsed first, mysoul or my veins, but collapsethey both did. One day the searchfor a healthy vein became toopainful. I pushed the needle awayand cried.”

In telling this story, Nancy recallsthat the nurse left the room butreturned a short while laterholding the hand of a little girl.This ten-year-old girl had battledcancer for most of her life. Thechild smiled at Nancy and said,“You should have got one ofthese.” Lifting her T-shirt, sheshowed Nancy the hole that hadbeen cut into her abdomen so thatshe could receive her treatmentsthrough a permanent plastic port.Then this little girl put her hand,so small and so soft, on Nancy’shand and said, “You can take it.”And Nancy did.

Through her own suffering, underthe shade of her own cross, thislittle girl smiled. And in her smileand in the touch of her hand,Nancy found the courage to restawhile longer under the shade ofher own cross.

The little girl’s words to Nancy,“you can take it,” reflects Jesus’invitation to his disciples:“Whoever wishes to be myfollower must deny one’s veryself, take up one’s cross each day,

and follow in my steps” (Luke9:23). There was a certain senseof authority in the little girl’swords because of the sufferingshe had known in the ten shortyears of her life. When someonecomes to me when I am sittingunder the tree of the cross andsays, “I know what you’re goingthrough,” my first reaction is,“How dare you! How can youpossibly know what I’m goingthrough? How can you possiblyknow my suffering or my pain?”But when that person shows mehis or her wounds, as the little girlshowed Nancy, when I know alittle of the story of what the otherhas suffered, I find the invitationto sit for a spell with the otherunder the shade of the tree of thecross. And I find, as Nancy did,that I can take it. I can take up thiscross and follow. I can find thecourage to go on.

This is what Jesus is saying to us:“I know what you’re goingthrough.” And when God knowswhat we’re going through, we canfind the courage to continue.

Brought Near through theBlood of the Cross

The spirituality of the crossreminds us how we find our homeas people of faith, as children ofpromise, as companions in theBlood of Christ in the brokenheart of God. It is here whereevery suffering and every death;where every torture and everyterror; where every pain andevery passion of every human

being comes together at the samesacred place: in the broken heartof God.

We stand close together at the footof the cross. This One who hangsfrom the wood of the cross drawsus near. We stand at the cross andlisten to the wisdom of the wood:we are not alone. Our suffering isunited with the very suffering ofGod. Our pain is etched in thegrains of this wood. Our deathdares to be incorporated into thedeath of Jesus.

In coming together, in walkingthis way of the cross, in standingclose to each other at the foot ofthe cross, we find a soul mate forour suffering; a companion forour journey to death; and saviorfor ourselves and our world.

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DISCUSSION STARTER

What has the “book of the crucifix” taught you?

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5OUR PRECIOUS

BLOOD FAMILY INTHE U.S.

Founders and Foundresses sharea spirituality of the Blood,

calling us to be open to the new.

FATHER BRUNNER:Relevant for Today?

By Dominic Gerlach, C.PP.S.,edited by Joe Nassal, C.PP.S.

r. Francis de SalesBrunner became amember of the

Society of the Precious Blood onSeptember 27, 1838. He built up acommunity ofCPPS in hisn a t i v eS w i t z e r l a n d .Five years laterhe wouldrespond to anurgent requestfrom BishopJohn Purcell ofCincinnati, tominister to theG e r m a nimmigrants inhis new state.Accompaniedby seven priestsand sevens e m i n a r i a n sand brothers Brunner voyaged tothe United States arriving inCincinnati in December of 1843.He established eight missionstations in northwestern Ohio andone in Indiana during the nextfifteen years. Fr. Brunner was thefounder of the American province,which now are the provinces ofCincinnati and Kansas City andalso included the former Provinceof the Pacific.

The Venerable John Merlini heldFr. Brunner in very high esteem.

He exhorted the Americansuperiors immediately afterBrunner’s death to cultivate hismemory by saving his writingsand publishing his biography.

However, there was noimmediate, unified enthusiasm forBrunner in the United States. Hisrule had irritated some memberswhose animosity continued after

his death. Thesame iron willand single-minded passionthat helped himestablish thePrecious BloodCongregation inthis countryagainst all oddswere seen asobstinacy andw r o n g -headedness byhis detractors.However, bythe 1890’s theatmosphere hadchanged and the

admirers of Brunner won out.

By the early 1900s, still verymuch under the influence of thelate Fr. Brunner’s rule, the Societywas experiencing an era of rapidgrowth and recognition. Thenumber of vocations to theSociety grew, stimulated partly bythe opening of Saint Joseph’sCollege in 1891 and theexpansion of St. CharlesSeminary in Carthagena, Ohio,especially with the new buildingin 1922.

F

Fr. Brunner’sachievements may not

have been as dramatic asGaspar’s, but they were

parallel, equally solid, andcertainly lasting.

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The beatification of Gaspar delBufalo in 1904 aroused littleexcitement in the United States.But it was Brunner who continuedto inspire the province duringthese years, which is reflected inthe fact that as late as 1931 thenew minor seminary at Canton,Ohio, was named Brunnerdale inhonor of Brunner, not Gaspar. Itwas still Brunner who wasperceived as having given theAmerican Province the formulathat made it prosper.

By the late 1940’s and the early1950’s, a reversal had set in.Several reasons suggestthemselves. At a time when literalconformity to canon law cameinto its own, Brunner’s work wasperceived as somewhat irregular.Also, at this time, a new,definitive historical study ofBrunner was launched. It let thefacts speak for themselves,unfortunately not in the context ofBrunner’s time, but in the contextof the 1940’s and 1950’s. In the1950’s there were signs that wewere going to become a fullycanonical religious order, whetherit fit our needs or not.

However, I would venture to saythat there was a deeper reason forabandoning Brunner’s cult, areason that was all the strongerbecause it was subconscious. TheAmerican Province in its originshad been associated with poor,humble immigrants. It was fromthe same poor (either in Europe orlater on in America) that thevocations to the Society were

drawn. Yet, as the descendants ofimmigrants approached thefulfillment of the AmericanDream, the C.PP.S. kept closepace with them, until by the endof World War II they had togetherreached what we might callmiddle class affluence. Then therigorous moral and pioustraditions associated with Brunnerbegan to feel uncomfortable. APrecious Blood priest who joineda country club could no longerimagine that Brunner was stillsmiling down on him fromheaven.

I recall most vividly anexperience that occurred in theearly 1950’s. I was sent out on arecruiting journey for SaintJoseph’s College. Since this was anew venture for me, I asked aseasoned confrere how I mightmake the college attractive to ahigh school senior. He told me tobe sure to stress the fact that witha college degree the graduate canexpect to make $300,000 more inhis lifetime than a person whodoesn’t go to college. Afterhaving been nurtured on Brunnerspirituality for twelve years, thisshocked me!

Later on, I learned thatrecruitment propaganda forBrunnerdale had taken a similardirection, one that stressed the“middle class” advantages of theschool in terms of varsity sports,swimming pool, superioracademic standards and otherbenefits. In effect, Brunner wasrapidly disappearing from

“Brunner”dale also.

All of this may lead us to ask if Fr.Brunner’s influence is relevant forus today. If we limit ourconsideration to externals, such asthe pious image of Brunner thatlooks down on visitors in the St.Charles Center corridor, hismonastic inclinations, his time-conditioned governance andeconomizing, then my answerwould be yes, Brunner isirrelevant. But in all fairness wemust look beyond the externals towhat was basic in Brunner’s life. Ihave in mind specifically hisapostolate to the humble, poorelements among the GermanCatholic population. Hisachievements may not have beenas dramatic as Gaspar’s were withthe gangs of bandits, but theywere parallel, equally solid, andcertainly lasting. His deepreligious convictions kept astruggling Society together in amission territory with no materialhelp from the home base in Rome.And he garnered many vocations— precisely from the kind ofpeople he served. He was held inhigh regard among the poor andhumble.

What then makes Brunnerrelevant for us today? There werefirst of all the solid, Gospel-inspired values of prayer (aconviction that life is God-dependent), self-denial (withoutwhich life is empty), andcommunity (one can scarcelyteach others community when onedoes not practice it himself).

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These are perennial values, oftenlisted as prayer, fasting, andalmsgiving respectively.However, there was a fourth valuethat he exemplified, one that wasBrunner’s forte, one that demandsour attention, and that isadaptability.

In 1839, Brunner had been sent byhis Italian brethren to bring theSociety to German-speakingEurope. However, to succeed, hehad to adapt to circumstances.Because the political-ecclesiastical establishment therewas stacked up against him heturned toward the apostolate tothe poor, untutored classes, bothmen and women, who thensupported themselves by laborand begging.

His great opportunity came,however, with ArchbishopPurcell’s invitation to come toOhio. Here again, he wasassigned to the poor in theremotest regions of the diocese.He served the immigrants inAmerica, which invariablyincluded the poorest of the poor,namely, the orphans. Onememorable example of the latterwas the future Bishop JosephDwenger. To accept religiousvocations of poor youngsters andsupport them all the way throughhigh school, college, and theseminary eventually became oneof Brunner’s most glorioustraditions. Many Precious Bloodpriests can still remember andattest to the fact that what enabledthem to become priests was this

generous policy of the Society.

To accomplish all this, Brunnerhad to make adaptations, not tothe spirit of Gaspar’s Rule, but tothe letter. Specifically, in thesenew conditions Brunner departedfrom the letter of Gaspar’s Ruleby committing his men to workchiefly in the parochial ministry.(Gaspar never intended for hismissionaries to be parish priests.)Establishing parishes was theneed of the Church in Ohio, yetBrunner kept to Gaspar’s spirit byinsisting on the term“missionaries” and on residencein community. He also insisted onfinancial accountability to theSociety and to a strong bond orpromise of fidelity to the Society.

The term “adaptability” impliesthat we cannot expect to followBrunner’s example literally anymore than Brunner followedGaspar’s example literally. Theworld keeps changing, and we, asmissionaries, are flexible.

The poor are the ones to whomJesus asked us to spread the GoodNews. They are now foundlargely in cities, people whosecondition (or rejection) has ledthem into the pit of despair, withall the problems that follow:alienation, violence, drugs,unemployment, lack of education,AIDS, etc. These are really not allthat much different from theproblems Brunner met among theimmigrants of his time. Thecommon denominator is despair,the remedy for which is the

“Good News” with muscle in it.

What keeps clouding our vision isthat we have come to view theworld through middle-classglasses. The fields are indeed asripe for the harvest as ever, andthe workers will not be lackingbecause vocations will be drawnfrom the people served. No,Father Brunner is not at allirrelevant except in the eyes ofthose who want it so.

(Fr. Dominic Gerlach, C.PP.S.,taught for many years and is nowretired at Saint Joseph’s College,Rensselaer, Ind.)

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MARIA ANNAPROBST BRUNNER

1764 - 1836Foundress of the Sister of

the Precious Blood(Dayton C.PP.S.)

The Sisters of the Precious Bloodwere founded by a creative Swisswoman, Maria Anna ProbstBrunner. She was a widowedmother of six. Maria Anna had adeep love for the Eucharist andfor the poor, especially orphans.

In 1833, while in Rome with herson, Fr. Francis De Sales Brunner,Mother Brunner enrolled in theArchconfraternity of the PreciousBlood. In the Church of St.Nicholas she listened to thepreaching of Canon Gaspar delBufalo. After her husband diedand her children becameindependent, Maria Anna realizedher life work was still notcompleted. At age 68 sheexperienced an unusual callingfrom God and dared to say yes.Women were attracted to her lifeof adoration of the Eucharist,reconciliation, simplicity, andoutreach to the poor. These

women joined her in that totaldedication to the Precious Blood.

Mother Brunner died in 1836, butshe had begun a second familyand the work of this family was tocontinue and spread. In 1844several sisters came to Americaand from that beginning theCongregation of the Sisters of thePrecious Blood has spread. Themotherhouse is in Dayton, Ohio.

You can learn more about thiscongregation at its website,www.bright.net/~cppsnews/

ST. MARIA DEMATTIAS1805 - 1866

Canonized in 2003Foundress of the Adorers ofthe Blood of Christ (ASC)

“Happy will we be,” she wrote,“if we can give our lives and allour blood for the faith, in order tosave even one person.”

By Maureen Lahiff

Maria de Mattias was born andbaptized on February 4, 1805 inVallecorsa, Italy. She was borninto a period of constant politicalturmoil; since her family hadproperty and wealth, it was notsafe for Maria and her brothers toplay outside. Though Maria was alively and restless child, her lifewas boring. Her father did notthink his daughters should betaught to read and write, yetMaria soon began devouring thefamily’s many spiritual books.

In Lent of 1822, a Precious Bloodmission team came to Vallecorsa,led by Gaspar del Bufalo. Forthree weeks, the whole town wascaught up in the drama of aPrecious Blood mission. Gaspar’spreaching on the love of God,who sent his Son to pour out hisBlood that all might be saved,touched Maria. She heardGaspar’s invitation to imitateJesus by giving our lives for ourbrothers and sisters as addresseddirectly to her.

In 1824, Giovanni Merlinipreached the Lenten mission.Maria’s conversations withMerlini were the beginning of arelationship that lasted for the restof her life. From the time he mether, Merlini wondered if Mariacould be the person to found thecommunity of women that wouldcomplete the work planned byGaspar and Francesco Albertiniduring their exile.

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Merlini put Maria in charge of theDaughters of Mary, the associationfor girls. Maria began to invite theyoung women of Vallecorsa intoher home on Sunday afternoons forprayer and devotions. SometimesMaria would speak from her heartas well as leading them in prayerand adoration. Soon, older womenof the town began coming as well.Gaspar supported Merlini’s workwith Maria, and delegated him tobe her spiritual director and mentor.

It was a long wait for companionsand a suitable place to found acommunity and school. Finally,near the end of 1833, the placeand conditions were right, inAcuto. Maria’s plans for Acutoincluded far more than a school.Drawing on Albertini’s writings,the Fundamental Articles, sheenvisioned a complete program ofdevotions, spiritual formation,and retreats, educating womenand girls in the faith and itspractice—a mission house forwomen directed by women. Theschool opened on March 4, 1834.The people of Acuto wereenthusiastic and responsive.

What characterized thecommunity from the beginningwas its distinctive combination ofadoration and apostleship. Gasparcommented that the lifestyle ofthe sisters should not be austere,because of their heavy apostolicwork.

Word of what Maria was doingspread throughout the villagesand towns of central Italy. Maria

made arduous journeys to visit thesmall communities scatteredthroughout the mountains. Manyof these places had no residentpriests, so instructions anddevotions led by the sisters werethe only regular source ofspiritual life. Maria describes hervisit to Vallerotonda in 1860:“giving instructions to the girlsand married women; in theevening there are about ahundred, but on Sundays there arearound three hundred, notcounting the men who standoutside.” Maria preached frombalconies and standing on tablesin town squares. In her letters toMerlini, Maria expressed doubtsabout speaking in public, but shealso reported her satisfaction atthe number of people seekingconfession and communion inresponse.

In his letters, Merlini often urgedMaria to take care of herself.Maria struggled against illness allher life. She suffered fromasthma, and often succumbed tofevers. Even when she wasphysically exhausted, Maria wasfull of energy for the work and thetravels it required. The rapidgrowth of the community, thescarcity of resources, and thepress of the people’s needs oftenresulted in friction and disputesthat Maria had to resolve.

When Maria died on August 20,1866, in Rome, she was 61 yearsold. The community had overfifty schools in Italy, and hadspread to Austria, Germany and

England. Maria was declaredblessed on October 1, 1950 byPope Pius XII, and was canonizedon May 18, 2003 by Pope JohnPaul II. Her feast is celebrated onthe day of her birth and baptism,February 4.

Eventually the Sisters Adorers ofthe Blood of Christ (A.S.C.) wereestablished in the U.S. They havewelcomed lay associates to sharein their spirituality andministries.You can learn moreabout their Community on theirwebsite, http://www.adorers.org/

Maria’s Legacy To Us

Maria implemented Albertini’svision of the universal call toholiness and mission. She washighly creative, adapting theChurch calendar and thedevotions of the people inpractical ways, fostering thespiritual life of busy people.Maria saw women’s potential forbeing active agents ofevangelization, salt, light, andleaven in their homes. Maria sawthat the call to adoration andmission was extended to all. Thiswas concretely expressed byinviting lay auxiliaries to adoreand pray alongside the sisters.Her vision of church and theparticipation of the laityanticipate Vatican II; indeed, wemight say that Albertini, Gaspar,and Maria helped fashion achurch capable of conceivingwhat was born at Vatican II.

Maria’s devotion to the blood of

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Christ, in an era when she couldnot receive the Precious Blood,calls those of us who have theprivilege of sharing in the cup to adeeper appreciation of ourcommunion in the Blood ofChrist.

Maureen Lahiff is a Companionof Alameda, Calif.

MOTHER THERESAWEBER

1822-1848Foundress of the Sisters ofthe Most Precious Blood,

of O’Fallon, Mo.

The congregation began in 1845in Steinerberg, Switzerland, whena small group of young womenjoined together to live a life ofprayer and sacrifice. MotherTheresa Weber was electedsuperior. With a strong and activedevotion to the Precious Blood ofJesus, the first sisters worshippedbefore the Blessed Sacrament andprayed for the reparation of sinsthrough the power of Christ’sredeeming Blood. Immediateneeds led them also to the field of

education and soon afterwards tothe making of church vestments.

God guided the sisters fromSwitzerland to the French Alsace,then to Germany and finally to theUnited States in 1870. Theirmotherhouse was established inO’Fallon, Mo., in 1875. Sincethen the missionary efforts of thesisters have returned to Europeand carried them to SouthAmerica.

The congregation’s mission isbeing carried out in partnershipwith lay men and womenassociates, called Partners.

You can learn more about thesisters at their website,www.cpps-ofallon.org

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DISCUSSION STARTER

Do you see a common thread in the life of St. Gaspar, Fr. Brunner, St. Maria de Matthias, MotherBrunner and Theresa Weber?

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6FROM GENESIS TO

REVELATIONS:A SPIRITUALITYOF COVENANT

By Fr. Joe Nassal, C.PP.S.

ompanionship in theCongregation of thePrecious Blood is about

making covenant. In this chapterwe will explore the nature of ourcovenantal relationship with Godand with one another by reflectingon the covenant God made withour ancestors in faith as it isexpressed in the Hebrew andChristian Testaments. We willtrace some of the key momentsand rituals that reflect ourunderstanding of covenant thatwas initiated by God; broken byinfidelity; reclaimed through thevoices of the prophets; and madenew, signed, sealed and deliveredin the Blood of Christ.

Early Signs of theCovenant

In the first book of the Bible, thebook of Genesis, God says, “It isnot good for the human to bealone.” So God decides to live ineach one of us and in all ofcreation, thereby insuring anexperience of community for aslong as God lives. God’s breath inthe form of a mighty windseparated the land from the sea.God’s breath in the form of agentle kiss brought life to thehuman. The story says we carrywithin us the very spirit of God.We are God’s beloved from thebeginning of creation.

But we know what happens next.The time of transition beginswhen Adam and Eve are notcontent with who they are inrelationship with God; they want

to be God. Because of theirbreach of covenant, they areescorted to a new home outsidethe garden of Eden. We’ve beentrying to make our way back toEden ever since.

Certain mile markers in journeyback to the Garden of Eden areworth noting. For example, thestory of Noah and his crew ofancient mariners is the firstevidence of the covenant Godmakes with the people. The signof the covenant is seen in a rain-bow creasing the stormy sky. Ipromise, God says, I will neverseek to destroy the earth again.The covenant is signed and tiedwith a bow.

Later, God chooses Abraham andSarah, the couple with no childrenand seemingly no future, toreconnect with a community ofbelievers. With Abraham andSarah, God once again writes thedivine signature reflecting thepromise of the covenant in thesky, this time in the stars. But Godalso authorized the writing of thecovenant on the body.Circumcision became a sign ofthe covenantal relationship withGod. Abraham’s story suggeststhat God’s covenant is so person-al and intimate, it is engraved onone’s body. (As we know, thisritual expression of the covenantbecame a source of conflict muchlater after Jesus inaugurated theNew Covenant and then ascendedinto heaven. The early Christiancommunity got into the famousfamily feud regarding whether or

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not the new converts had to becircumcised.)

After a series of breakdowns onthe part of the people in living thecovenant that God made withAbraham and Sarah, and break-ups in the covenantal relationshipthat must have caused God a fewsleepless nights and more than afew heavy sighs, God hears thescreams of a certain group ofslaves and decides it’s time to tryagain. This time God chooses ashepherd with a charismaticpersonality, a hot temper, andlatent leadership skills. Moseswill lead the people out of Egypton a desert sojourn toward apromised land.

The Exodus stories give us a newway in which God signs thecovenant with the people. In boththe Passover story when thehomes of the chosen ones weremarked with the blood of lambs tosignify their special relationshipwith God; and later, in the messyritual of Moses sprinkling half ofthe blood of slaughtered animalson the altar and sprinkling thepeople with the other half, thecovenant is now signed in blood.Because blood is the life forcewithin us, this symbol becomesfor the people the sign of theirfreedom from their oppressorsand the favor they enjoy in God’seyes. They are God’s people; theyshare the bloodlines that makethem a new family of faith.

Because these two stories fromExodus are so central to our

understanding of covenant in thecontext of Precious Bloodspirituality, we pause our journeyback to Eden by rememberingthese stories in more detail.

A Passover Ritual andA Sprinkling Rite

In the story of the Passover fromExodus, God advises Moses totell the people to observe thisritual as a “perpetual ordinance”(Exodus 12:14). This story of thefirst Passover shapes and sustainsour understanding of PreciousBlood spirituality. The Israelitesare huddled in their houses. Thespace is crowded with family andfriends who have been told not tospend this night alone. In thiscrowded space, standing shoulderto shoulder, our ancestors in faithmake it through this night ofdanger and destruction because ofthe blood that stains the doorpostsof their houses. This bloodbecomes the sign of theirdeliverance from the death anddestruction that whirls about theirhouses that night. This bloodbecomes the symbol of theirliberation to live God’s newdream and new identity for them.They are no longer slaves in astrange land, but pilgrims whowould soon be on the move to apromised land. But in their mov-ing, God advises them, do notforget this night. Do not forgetthis story. That is why they are tocelebrate this ritual as a“perpetual ordinance.”

In the second story from Exodus,

we read: “Moses took half of theblood and put it in large bowls.”(Exodus 24:6). These are thecontainers that hold the blood ofthe covenant. In this remarkableritual, Moses takes half the bloodand splashes it on the altar. Then,after the people have heard theWord of God and reply, “All thatGod has said we will heed anddo,” Moses sprinkles the peoplewith the blood from the bowls.This sprinkling rite seals thecovenant which God has madewith the people.

This is the blood that stains thepeople with an identity: they areGod’s people. These large bowlsof blood hold the sign of life, thesymbol of relationship. In theaction of the ritual, the people areinvited to believe that they arenow in a unique and holyrelationship with their Creator, arelationship sealed by a sacredbond that is stronger than death.Now they are God’s specialpeople and are to live in a newway because of the love God hasshared with them. The peoplethemselves become the containersof God’s compassion; the vesselswhich hold this life force capturedin this “blood of the covenant.”

But this unique and intimaterelationship with God becomestoo much for the people. Thedesert is too much for them. Evenfreedom becomes too much forthem. On their long trek acrossthe desert, they begin to lose hopeand lose touch with God. Thisshould not surprise us. When the

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people are out in the desert, thereis no place to hide. Since there isno security, they have to relycompletely on God. Theycomplain to Moses that eventhough they were in slavery inEgypt, at least they had enough toeat. Again, this is a naturalreaction since to be freed fromslavery is frightening. They hadbecome familiar with what toexpect as an oppressed people.Now this sense of freedom theyare experiencing is somethingcompletely new. They have tobecome entirely new people!

Again they complain to Moses.Moses meets with God to discernthe next step in this evolvingrelationship. At times, God getsfrustrated and threatens to destroythese complaining nomadicchildren. But Moses intervenesand convinces God to give themjust a little more time. After all,what would God look like in theeyes of the Egyptians if God ledthe people out of slavery withsigns and wonders only to destroythem in the desert? God’sreputation is at stake here. So Godgives in to Moses and puts thecovenant down in writing, ontablets, etched in stone, “writtenwith the finger of God” (Exodus31:18).

Prophets:The New Covenant

After the people reach thepromised land and settle down for

awhile, their “favored nationstatus” becomes too much forthem. They want to be like all theother nations. They want a king.They want a temple instead of atent in which to worship theirGod. Again they are forsaking thecovenant which is based on theprinciple that God alone is theirruler. But once again God gives into their demands.

In wanting to be like all the othernations; in denying their specialplace in God’s heart, they losesight of the original vision of thecovenant. They lose their land andbecome exiles once again. In theirmost dire and desperatepredicament, the prophets comealong to call the people back tocovenantal relationship.

What is important for us toremember here is that prophetsdon’t create community so muchas remember community byremembering the covenant.Prophets seek to transform thecommunity to which they belongby drawing upon ancient sources,stories, and symbols thatrecapture for the people theirunique relationship with God.

One of these prophets, Jeremiah,introduces the concept of the newcovenant that is no longer writtenon tablets or carved in stone but isnow etched upon the heart of thepeople [Jeremiah 31]. But thenewness of this covenant isactually imbedded in the very oldidea outlined in Deuteronomy,

chapter 6, when Moses outlinesthe first covenant to the people.Namely, “you shall love your Godwith all your heart, with all yoursoul, and with all your might. Andthese words which I commandyou this day shall be upon yourheart” (verse 5).

That passage from Deuteronomywhich Jeremiah resurrectsrefreshes the peoples’ memory.The words of the covenant are tobe taught to the children; are to betalked about in the homes; are tobe the subject of conversation asthey walk along the way; are to bethe first words they think aboutwhen they get up in the morningand the last words they rememberas they go to sleep at night. “Andyou shall bind them as a sign uponyour hand; and you shall writethem on the doorpost of yourhouse and on your gates” (Deut.6:8-9). Again, the implication ofthis passage is that the covenantalrelationship between God and thepeople is so personal, so intimate,that the words of the covenant arewritten on the palms of theirhands, splashed on their frontporches and the gates of theirhomes.

Jeremiah traces the divineinitiative and inspiration of theMosaic covenant that Godchooses a particular people to beGod’s very own. The prophetreminds the people that thiscovenant must now be written noton the body but in the body: onone’s heart.

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The Spacious Vision: A New Covenant in the

Blood of Christ

Jesus takes this notion of the newcovenant that is written uponone’s heart and draws upon thesymbolism of the story about theblood of lambs splashed onporches to identify himself as theLamb of God whose blood ushersin a new age of relationship withGod. He remembers andreverences the story of the firstcovenant even as he creates thisnew covenant that is signed in hisown blood.

The spaciousness of this covenantis reflected in the story of Jesus’own Passover. On that day beforehe died, Jesus advises his disci-ples to go into town to prepare aplace for the Passover meal theywould celebrate that night. Thedisciples are shown an “upstairsroom, spacious, furnished, and allin order.” Notice, that this room is“spacious.” Unlike the crowdedhouses of the Israelites on the firstnight of Passover, Jesus wouldcelebrate his Passover in aspacious room, furnished, and allin order. Even as the chaos of hisown death and destruction islurking in the shadows of thatvery night, Jesus finds a room thatis spacious. Jesus, the high priest,enters this spacious sanctuary notwith the kind of blood hisancestors used to sprinkle thedoorpost of their crowded houses,

but with his own blood.

How spacious is this room?Consider the fact that Jesus entersthis sanctuary where a newcovenant is born, a new creationis conceived, in the company ofhis friends, one of whom wouldbetray him, another of whomwould later that night deny evenknowing him. Like his ancestors,this Blood of Christ will becomethe means of deliverance from allthat seeks to destroy humanity.Whatever sin seeks to keeppeople apart, whatever betrayalsand denials threaten to constrictpeoples’ hearts, the Blood ofChrist becomes the means ofliberation to live God’s newdreams.

The spirituality of covenant in theBlood of Christ offers a spaciousvision where all are welcome,where all find a place at the table,where all find room to breathe, tomove, and to be truly human andholy. As Companions in the Bloodof Christ, we seek to create acommunity that resembles thatupper room where Jesuscelebrated the Passover meal withhis disciples. We fill this housewith rituals that celebrate ouridentity as blood brothers andsisters: we break bread, pourwine, wash feet, dream peace.This house of the new covenant isfurnished with forgiveness forthose who may betray or deny usand our dreams, or are fearful of

trusting in God’s dream for them.In this spacious, inclusive house,there is room for all.

The spaciousness of this sacredchallenge is summed up by Jesusin his new commandment: “This Icommand you, to love oneanother” (John 15:17). Ourrelationship with God, ourfriendship with Jesus, and ourcompanionship with one anotheris grounded in this commandmentto be inclusive: to love oneanother. This simple commandreflects the biblical notion ofcovenant. It is at the center of ourunderstanding of what it means tobe Companions of the PreciousBlood.

An Inclusive Community: God Shows No Partiality

Precious Blood spirituality isabout becoming new — newcommunity, new covenant, newcreation. The primary symptom ofthe Spirit who makes all thingsnew is that a people of faith paysattention to those who are outsidethe boundaries of community life.

The spirituality of covenant in theBlood of Christ is inclusive: weare to be an inclusive communityof memory and hope. We are opento all peoples, all faith traditions,all ways of life, orientations,political and ecclesial views, andeconomic circumstances.Through the resurrection of Jesus,

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the world was given a new leaseon life. This new life, this newcovenant, is characterizedespecially by concern for thosewho are outside the walls of our“uncommon” life.

One of the primary stories inScriptures that reflects thisexperience is the story ofCornelius (Acts 10:1-11,18). Theconversion of Cornelius signalsthe beginning of a new era.Cornelius is at prayer when hereceives a vision. He instructs twoof his servants to go to Peter whois staying with Simon the tanner.By profession, Simon was consid-ered an outcast. Already, then, theinclusivity of the new covenant isseen in Peter as he follows whatJesus would have done: stayed atthe home of an outcast.

As the story unfolds, Peter ispraying on the roof of the house.His stomach growling withhunger, Peter receives a vision ofsomething like a picnic blanketdescending from heaven that isfilled with all kinds of non-kosherfood. Because of his religiousbeliefs, Peter says he will not eatthis “common” food. But he hearsa voice that says, “What God hascleansed, you must not call com-mon.” The Scripture says thatPeter was “inwardly perplexed asto what the vision which he hadseen might mean.”

Later, when Peter arrives at thehome of Cornelius, he says, “Youyourselves know how unlawful itis for a Jew to associate with or to

visit any one of another nation;but God has shown me that Ishould not call any one commonor unclean.” This is a majorbreakthrough in Peter’s thinking.He moves from the precepts of thelaw to the person, focusing hisattention on Cornelius and thepeople who have gathered in hishome.

Cornelius shares his vision withPeter as to why he sent for him.And then Peter says, “Truly Iperceive that God shows nopartiality, but in every nation anyone who fears God and does whatis right is acceptable to God.”Then Peter goes on to tell thestory of Jesus and while he wasspeaking, “the Holy Spirit fell onall who heard the word. And thebelievers from among thecircumcised who came with Peterwere amazed, because the gift ofthe Holy Spirit had been pouredout even on the Gentiles.”

This is the vision that guides theCompanion process in theCongregation of the PreciousBlood: “God shows no partiality.”To paraphrase something thatDietrich Bonhoeffer wrote byplacing it in the context of ourcompanionship in the Blood ofChrist, we might say that “to be aCompanion does not meanfollowing a certain set of rules butto be the person that the Blood ofChrist creates in us.”

By making covenant with theCongregation, we acknowledgeand affirm the person that the

Blood of Christ is creating withinus. By living this covenant that issigned, sealed, and delivered inthe Blood of Christ, we call othersto the inclusive and expansivecovenant of relationship that isfound in the Blood of Christ.

As people who have washed ourrobes, our hopes, our dreams inthe blood of the Lamb, weembrace this image of Jesus as theLamb of God who takes away thesins of the world — all that seeksto divide us or keep us separatefrom one another. Jesus, whospent his life looking for andsearching out those who werelost, so identifies with the lostsheep of the flock that he becomesthe lamb. He is the lamb led to theslaughter. He is the lamb silentbefore his shearers. The finalstage of our journey back to Edenoccurs in the book of Revelationswhen Jesus is seen as the lamb ofGod who sits in judgment aspeoples of all tribes and nations,races and creeds, orientations andways of life, come before thelamb who was slain. Here in thisplace, in this holy city withoutwalls or limits, everyone finds aplace at the table, a place to callhome.

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DISCUSSION STARTER

Fr. Joe Nassal writes, “The spirituality of covenant in the Blood of Christ is inclusive: we are to be aninclusive community of memory and hope. We are open to all peoples, all faith traditions, all ways oflife, orientations, political and ecclesial views, and economic circumstances. … especially … those whoare outside the walls.” Tell of times when you have found it difficult to be inclusive, when you havefound the Precious Blood invitation to care for all very difficult to live out. Tell of times when PreciousBlood spirituality has helped us see others with new eyes, and accept them in our circle, and ways thatthis has enriched us all.

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7IS THERE A PRECIOUSBLOOD WAY TO PRAY?


s the disciplesapproached Jesusasking him to teach

them how to pray, I waswondering if there is a PreciousBlood way to pray? What spiritualexercises might we consider tostretch our hearts to be moreinclusive? Beyond particularprayers — as we know from theGospel, Jesus didn’t teach thedisciples a prayer so much as anattitude, a way to pray — howmight people who claim thespirituality of the blood of Christpray?

I offer a few tentative reflectionsbased on three major images ofPrecious Blood spirituality:covenant, cross, and chalice.

COVENANT PRAYER

Since Precious Blood spiritualityreflects the new covenant writtenupon our hearts in the life, death,and resurrection of Jesus, wemight consider a symbol ofcovenant as an ever-expandingsacred circle. In silence, we closeour eyes and open our hearts. Wepicture first those who are closestto us — family members, friends,community members,Companions — who form ourmost intimate circle of friends. Aswe picture each face as slidesprojected on a blank wall, we holdthe picture in our soul’s eyes forjust a moment before moving onto the next one.

Next, picture those we find easyto like but with whom we have no

particular depth of relationship.Here again are some Communitymembers, neighbors, coworkers,acquaintances whose companywe enjoy but with whom wewould not share the deepestsecrets of our hearts. Hold thesefaces in memory as they flashupon the soul’s screen. Rememberespecially those who you areaware are in need of some specialgrace from God because ofillness, loss, transition, tragedy, orsuffering of any sort. Rememberalso in a spirit of gratitudeparticular blessings received: thejoy of new birth, new job, newhome, new love.

As the circle of the covenantprayer grows larger, include allthose in our place of ministry, orin the neighborhood, or place ofemployment. If you drive towork, follow the route you takeand include all you pass along theway. Now, as the circle growslarger, include all in the citywhere you live. Allow the circleto stretch even more as youinclude all in the state, in thecountry, in the world, and beyond.And in this great beyond, slowdown the slides that flash in yoursoul’s screen to hold the faces ofthose who have died and are nowas stars shining in the night sky.

But this covenant prayer is notquite complete. The circle hasgrown so large that one can nolonger detect any boundaries. Butjust to be sure, remember thoseyou find most difficult to love.Picture in this circle of covenant

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those who have broken promiseswith you; those who havebetrayed you. Hold them there aslong as you can. As tempting as itis to skip past these faces quickly,hold them close and sense howthe circle is so large you can nolonger grasp any edges. If one ortwo are clinging by a thread to theedge of your circle, lend a hand tobring them closer to the center.Granted, they may never be partof your inner sacred circle. Theimportant thing is don’t leavethem outside. For if we do, thecovenant will so shrink as to makeit impossible to pray.

BLOOD OF THECROSS PRAYER

The second major symbol of ourspirituality is the cross.Specifically, how the blood of thecross has redeemed us, reconciledus, brought us near to one another.Here, the meditation focuses onthe suffering of our own lives anduniting our sufferings with thoseof Christ. In our prayer, we imageourselves standing at the foot ofthe cross. Like Mary, Woman ofthe New Covenant, we find thecourage to trace our own scarsand sense we are not alone.

The intimacy of this prayer isfound in the ritual we celebrate onGood Friday: the veneration ofthe cross. We kiss the cross. Inthis holy kiss, we unite all that weare with the One who knows ourpain. But more than personal orprivate devotion or a practice of

piety, this prayer also unites uswith the suffering ones of ourplanet. We place here at the footof the cross those intentions, thosepeople, those places in our worldtoday where violence reigns,where death is epidemic, wherechaos becomes the order of theday.

The prayer of the blood of thecross is a prayer of solidarity. Westand with those who like Jesusare experiencing their owncrucifixion. We can stand therebecause we remember our ownexperiences of crucifixion. Weplead on behalf of those who aredying or in dangerous situations.

When we pray before the cross,we come to know that the answerto our prayer is found in ourunwavering belief that we are notalone.

CHALICE PRAYER

Finally, the prayer of the chalicegives us a visual reminder of howour very human lives mingle withthe very holiness of God. Again,we image placing in this cup allthat we are or all that we hope tobe. We fill the chalice withchoice, red wine. We see this wineas the fruit of our labors and ourlove. It is the cup of suffering butalso the cup of blessing. Place inthe cup our friends, our memoriesof joy, our hope for the future.

As we do, we say simply: “Blood of Jesus, refresh me”; “Blood of Jesus, redeem me”;

“Blood of Jesus, remind me”; “Blood of Jesus, reconcile me”; “Blood of Jesus, inebriate me”

It doesn’t matter so much whatwords we say as we look into thecup. Choose a phrase that mostadequately reflects what you areexperiencing in your heart as youbegin your time of prayer. Say itslowly, reflectively. Say it overand over, until you no longer arethinking about the words.Personally, I like that last one:Blood of Christ, inebriate me.This mantra reminds me that weare to be intoxicated with theBlood of Christ; drunk with thedream of eternity.

When we come to the end of ourtime of prayer, drink deeply of thelove God has for us. And thenpass the cup of blessing around.

As Precious Blood people, maywe always include in our prayerour deep yearning forreconciliation among all peoplesand a deep desire for our ongoingrenewal in the blood of Christ.

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RECONCILIATION PRAYER

Reconciliation lies at the very heart of the spirituality of the blood (Col1:19-20). Fr. Barry Fischer asks us to think of reconciliation as“bringing people and things into their proper relationships.” We mightthink of reconciliation in this sense on several levels:• personal, in which we are put into proper relation with God;• communal, in which we reestablish the proper relationship with one

another;• social, in which we develop the proper relationship among peoples,

races, societies;• environmental, by returning to a respectful and proper relationship

with our mother earth.”

A prayer of reconciliation reflecting on Colossians 1:19-24:Loving God, call me to that peace which comes only through the Blood

of the cross. In the Blood of Christ alone we are reconciled.In the Blood of Christ all who once were alienated you have now made

whole.In the Blood of Christ all who once were hostile in mind because of evil

deeds you have now appeased.In the Blood of Christ you were pleased to win over to yourself all

things on earth or in heaven. In the Blood of Christ we are presented holy, without blemish, and

irreproachable before you.In the Blood of Christ we are able to persevere in the faith, firmly

grounded and stable.In the Blood of Christ we do not stray from the hope of the gospel that

we heard.we preach good news to every creature under heaven as ministers of

reconciliation.In the Blood of Christ we now rejoice in our sufferings for the sake of

our brothers and sisters. In the Blood of Christ we are filling up whatis lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which isthe Church.

In and through the blood of Christ we… continue to reflect and pray with 2 Corinthians 5:18-21, Ephesians

2:13-16, Romans 5:8-11, and 1 Peter 1:18-19.

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OUR LIFE IS A PRAYER

As Fr. Harold Diller, C.PP.S.,neared the end of his long life, hewas earthbound. An active, happypriest for most of his more than 90years, in his later years he neededa nap after to give him strengthfor the end of the day. Hiseyesight faded and he relied onfriends to guide him wherever hewalked.

All of these things he acceptedwith good grace. Beingearthbound is part of the humancondition. Fr. Diller learned that.But he has also learned thatthroughout his circumscribed day,his mind and his heart could stillsoar.

Throughout his life as a priest, heserved as a pastor, a teacher, anactivist, an administrator, achaplain and always a missionary,and he tried to adapt to each rolewith a thankful heart. He was agreat and constant friend of thelay associate movement. Retiredin his final years at St. CharlesCenter in Carthagena, Ohio, hefound himself in one of his mostchallenging roles: as a personwho prays. The holy man was in

constant pursuit of more perfectprayer, and it required, he said,two things above all others: trustand surrender.

“I ask people, ‘Do you know whatlove is?’ We must be lifted abovethe sacrilege of calling loveanything other than completesurrender and trust. You tell Jesus,‘I want that kind of relationshipwith you.’ If you say it to Jesusoften enough, your prayerbecomes the kind of prayer thatJohn wrote about when he said,‘Love is of God.’” Steadfast andsoaring love was a theme of Fr.Diller’s because he saw it as thecornerstone of all creation.

“God’s being creator doesn’tmean almighty power. It meansthe ultimate love,” he said. “Godcreated us and stepped back to letus be humans while knowing thatwe could say no to God. Andthat’s why I say being creatordidn’t take power. It took love.”Love is one thing people can giveback to their creator, he said.“Love isn’t a feeling, it’s adecision,”

True love casts out fear, he said;before humans can be free to prayopenly and expansively, theymust free themselves from thewithering force of fear. “Weshouldn’t be afraid of anything.And yet, fear is built into us wecan’t get rid of it. But you canmake it leave when you say toJesus, ‘I love you.’ Then you areletting the power and energy ofJesus grow in you,” he said.

“Every angel who appeared to aprophet, every angel whoappeared to the shepherds, said,‘Don’t be afraid.’ And remember,when Jesus was awakened in theboat in the midst of the storm,because the men very afraid. Hequieted the storm. And he said tothem, ‘Fear is useless. What isneeded is trust.’

“To dispel fear, we must tell Jesusso frequently, so intimately, sotrustingly, ‘I want to love you somuch, you will live in me. Live inme so much I can’t help myself. Iam going to respond to your lovelike the birds and the flowers, bythe energy you put in me bychoosing me to feel yourintangible presence.’”

“I dreaded retirement. To retiremeant to die, I thought. But once Icame here and started to live it, Ifound that St. Gaspar was rightwhen he wrote the most importantquality is humility. St. Gasparbelieved that humility is thequality which will show you howto deal successfully with theundirected longings of humannature.”

In his years of retirement, Fr.Diller spent his hourscontemplating, leading others inprayer, striving for that perfectcommunion and union with hiscreator.

“This is my work now,” he said in2002, just a year before he died.“When we begin to see ourselvesas God had in mind for our being

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— that our being who we are,aware of the source of ourbeing, and the Jesus who livesin us, then our life is a prayer,because then we show that byour actions we are constantlyaware of the fact of thatrevealing love. That is thereason God had for letting usbe: all creation, stars, birds,flowers, each one revealsGod’s love.”

DISCUSSION STARTER

Write a prayer or a poem, or in another way create your own expressionof one of the Precious Blood themes of cross, cup, covenant, orreconciliation; and share it with the group.

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8THE COVENANTRELATIONSHIP:REFLECTIONS ON

ASSOCIATECOMMITMENT

ommitment - to beresponsible for; toentrust; consign; to place

officially in custody orconfinement; to pledge oneself toa position. Commitment issomething with whichcontemporary Americans are notalways comfortable - it’sconfining, limiting. We like tokeep our options open, or at leasthave our eye on an escape route.A m e r i c a n sdon’t like to bestuck, to feelboxed in.

Yet commitmentis at the veryheart of the lifeof a laya s s o c i a t e .Nearly everyr e l i g i o u scommunity with associatesrequires them to make acommitment, covenant, orcontract after an initial period ofdiscernment (for Companions atwo-year period of formation).Associates of the Sisters of BonSecours make a promise to thatcommunity for two years. TheBenedictine Associates of St.Walberg’s Monastery pledge to“seek God through dailyconversion, openness, andobedience to the creative changeswhich the Holy Spirit calls forth”in their one-year covenants.Associates of the Congregation ofthe Sisters of Charity of theIncarnate Word write individualcovenants, as do Companions.The Associates of the Sisters of

Charity of New York writeindividual contracts forcommitment. While they areusually three years in length, theassociates can ask for longer orshorter times of commitment.

Time-LimitedCommitment

What sorts of things have youcommitted yourself to in life? A

spouse? Achild? A job? Adegree pro-gram? ThePTA? An exer-cise program?Buying ahouse?

S o m ecommitmentsare very

serious; some, like thecommitment to exercise, may lastfor some people only until thefirst rainy day. It is the nature ofsome commitments that you don’tun-commit. When you commit tohaving a child, you make acommitment for life.

Some commitments are timelimited, like the commitment tobe president of the PTA, or toexercise until we reach a certaingoal weight.

Associate commitment is time-limited because people’s lifecircumstances change.

Associate commitment is acommitment to live a certain way

We are promising

fidelity to the voice

of the blood which

is calling us.

Fr. Barry Fischer, CPPS

C

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of life –• oriented to God• giving witness to Gospel values• in collaboration with a particular

religious congregation.

It seems that when an associatereaches the point of wanting tomake a commitment as anassociate, it is likely to reveal anorientation to life that is not likelyto change. It is unlikely that aperson who lives life oriented toGod and giving witness to Gospelvalues is one day going to reversethat. But it happens that peoplemove, get married, or changejobs, and are no longer able tocollaborate in the missionand ministry of a particularreligious congregationbecause of great changes inone’s primary obligations.

Some Companions haveasked if they can make a once-and-for-all lifetime covenantwith the Community. At thistime there is no provision for sucha relationship. Re-examiningone’s relationship with theCommunity and recommittingoneself with a renewed covenantis a good exercise in spiritualgrowth.

Mutuality

The relationship betweenCompanions and the Communityis mutual. During a covenant rite,Companions make a pledge tocommit themselves to theCommunity, and the Communityreturns the pledge. At each

covenant rite, a member of theCommunity is present to acceptthe covenants (the provincialdirector, a member of hisleadership team, or an officiallydesignated representative of theprovince) to signify that therelationship is between theCompanion and the Community,not just among Companions.During this rite, Companions andCommunity members expresstheir willingness to support eachother, and to travel together ontheir faith journeys.

The commitment to be aCompanion involves acommitment to live prayerfully,and to consciously apply thespirituality of the Precious Bloodto our everyday words andactions. With our familymembers, at work and out in theworld, our Precious Bloodsensibilities come with us, and webring to the world the vision of

reconciliation that pours out ofthe Community to which we havepledged ourselves.

THE COVENANT FORPRECIOUS BLOOD

COMPANIONS

Each Companion puts in writing acommitment, which is a personalpledge or promise. This writtenstatement, presented individuallyto the provincial director or hisrepresentative, is shared withothers only if the Companion sochooses. It is presented duringthe Covenant Rite, a publicceremony, as a dedication of one’slife; however, it is only morallybinding. Companions normallypresent their covenants duringtheir province’s assembly. Firstcovenants are made for a one-yearterm. Covenant renewals aremade for a three-year period.

The covenant includes theintention for fulfilling one’sministry, for continuing to deepenone’s spiritual life and forstrengthening one’s ties withother Companions and with theincorporated members of thecongregation. In this covenantalrelationship Companions areassured of the fidelity and care ofthe congregation in the mutualbond of charity.

May the Holy Spirit, author andmover of this Companion process,lead you in our presentdiscernment with creative powersenabling you to participate in the

The COVENANT is a

written statement of

one’s pledge or

commitment about:

a) one’s area of ministry

or mission

b) one’s spiritual life

and growth in

spirituality

c) one’s community life

in relationship with

the congregation and

Companions.

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new things that Lord is doingamong God’s people. For ourGod and Savior has saved usthrough the baptism of new birthin the blood of Christ and renewalby the holy Spirit (Titus 3:5).

Writing a Covenant

“Our common life and spiritualitygive direction to our apostolate,”says Fr. Mark Miller, C.PP.S.,paraphrasing Gaspar, “and ourapostolate gives reflectivematerial to bring back to ourspirituality and common life.” Itis your ministry that will givedirection for writing yourcovenant; and living yourcovenant will lead you back toprayer. “The responsibility of amissionary is great,” Gasparreminds us, “and hence it requiressanctity and knowledge.”

A Quick Review

Before going any farther it wouldbe good to do a quick review ofthe study chapters by revisitingyour responses to the discussionstarters. What notes have youwritten? What have youhighlighted or underlined in thisbooklet? Your responses arematerial for beginning toformulate your covenant asexpressions of things that matterto you. To quote Emerson: “Whatlies behind us and what lies beforeus are small matters compared towhat lies within us.”

For example, did you resonatewith Fr. Joe Nassal’s: “to be a

Companion does not meanfollowing a certain set of rules butto be the person that the blood ofChrist creates in us.” Our “rules”come from deep within ourselves;our “commitments” come fromour firm convictions.

Writing a Covenant

Sit down with pen in hand andstart writing notes as you readbelow. Once you get started youwill find it easier to overcome the“writer’s block” that is a commonexperience for all who try to writea covenant. Some of the questionsand suggestions below may not befor you. Just respond to whatresonates with you.

1. In your covenant mentionyour ministry:review study chapters 1 and 3 andthe fourth deliberation…• Looking back at “Reading

Between the Lines,” where doyou put yourself?

• How is your ministry as anexpression of the province’smission statement?

• Do you see your ministry inyour parish or community asyour response to the cry of theblood?

• In what way do you relate tothose “outside the walls”?

2. In your covenant explain howyou hope to develop yourgrowth in spirituality:review chapters 2, 4, and 6 andthe second and thirddeliberations… • How do you face the question in

chapter 2: “Can you drink thiscup?”

• Maybe the “book of thecrucifix” (chapter 4) has set youon a new path toward deepercommitment on your spiritualjourney.

• How might inclusivity beincluded in your covenant?

• Though your ministry may seem“ordinary” can you believe it is“transforming”?

• How does “missionary”describe who you are?

• Where are you in yourrelationship with God?

3. In your covenantacknowledge your relationshipwith the incorporatedmembers:review chapter 5 and the firstdeliberation…• Are you praying in a Precious

Blood manner …and for theC.PP.S. and Companions?

• Tell how you see yourassociation or evencollaboration with the C.PP.S. aspart of your commitment.

• Are you living in “faithfulcreativity” to the Precious Bloodcharism?

• Where are you in yourrelationship with the C.PP.S. andother Companions?

After you have written yourcovenant, you are invited to shareit with your sponsor, yourconvener or others in your groupif you choose.

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COVENANT FORM

You will receive a form from yoursponsor or convener for the finaldraft of your covenant. Please usethe form provided and, ifpossible, type your covenant.Using the form:• print your name on the top line• check the correct box for one

year for first covenant• fill in your covenant statement• sign your name at the bottom.

Later, after the ceremony, yourProvincial will sign and date yourcovenant, keep a photocopy in theProvincial Office and return theoriginal to you.

Companion InsigniaCompanions receive an

insignia when making

first covenant. It images

a cross, a cup, and a

circle which

symbolizes covenant.

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DISCUSSION STARTER

How has the process of writing your covenant helped you define your relationship with thisCommunity?

COMPANIONSHIP

COMPANIONSHIP begins with the Covenant Rite (celebratedduring a Provincial Assembly when possible).

COMPANIONSHIP includes • on-going formation• continuing in active ministry • taking part in an annual retreat or day of reflection• and sharing in as many Companion gatherings and provincial

events as possible given one’s state in life.

COMPANIONSHIP is grounded in Jesus’ commandment to beinclusive: “This I command you, to love one another” (John15:17). This simple command is at the center of our under-standing of what it means to be Companions of the PreciousBlood.

After first covenant all Companions are equally part of thesame group unless they decide to form more than one group.Each group is required to have its own convener and sponsor.

Covenant renewals after the first one-year covenant are forthree-year periods.

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