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The CanossianCharism

A formative approach

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I thank the Lord with my whole heart for the precious giftthat He is bestowing on our Canossian Family, at the beginningof the third millennium in history; that of having in our handsa text that contains, in a descriptive form, the immense treasureof the Canossian charism bestowed by the Spirit to the Church.

My heartfelt thanks go to the Priests and Sisters who have con-tributed their services generously – mind, heart, time and passion– to come up with this highly formative working paper. May theLord Jesus reward each one of them in the way He knows best.

This text is intended as a working paper at the service ofdialogue among Sisters, Brothers, Laity and various organismsin the Institute, in order to encourage the deepening of thecharism received from the Lord through St. Magdalene ofCanossa, at a time when its fruitfulness is calling us to a deeperincarnation in the different realities and cultures where we arecalled to be present and to serve.

According to the directives of the Chapter Resolutions, thisworking paper must provide a “synthesis and a theological basisfor the charism in its fundamental elements, in relation to ourfaith and ministries”, so as to help the Institute live up to the“unity of the charism in the variety of its incarnations”1 to whichit is called.

As a document, it does not claim to be exhaustive in itsapproach. The Institute has already made available, besides theRule of Life, a series of documents which deal with differentaspects of the charism and some fundamental implications.

1 Cfr. XIV GENERAL CHAPTER, Chapter Resolution, p. 4.

Presentation

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Among the most recent are the following: The Plan of Forma-tion of the Canossian Daughters of Charity (1996), BasicGuidelines for the Ministries of Charity of the CanossianDaughters of Charity (1996), Canossian International Volun-tary Service (1996), Basic Guidelines for Canossian Youth Min-istry (2000), Interministeriality in the Canossian Community:visible sign of Charity (2002), Basic Guidelines for Canossianpastoral and vocational Animation(2002).

In addition to these documents of the Institute, various pub-lished or unpublished studies have been carried out by Sisters,Brothers and Lay Canossians on the person of St. Magdalene,her charismatic intuitions and their implementation.

The specific feature of this working paper lies in the use of asynthesised genetic perspectivefrom which the charism is pre-sented. This implies that the charism is presented following alogical sequence which highlights the central nucleus, aroundwhich all its elements converge and in the light of which theyare understood. As a working paper, it is not meant to be com-prehensive. It presupposes a return to the sources, as well as thestudy of other texts of the Institute mentioned earlier. As a syn-thesis of the charism beginning from its origin, it could help us,in the study of its various parts, not to lose sight of its totality,but to be able to fit each element into the overall picture.

To reach this goal, the text has been divided into three parts:� The first part , which is an introduction, defines the charism

within the Christian faith and the life of the Church. By virtueof the gift of the Spirit, every charism is always the develop-ment and living out of the faith, and finds, in faith, the source ofits fundamental growth.

� The second part, also the most extensive, presents, in a seriesof ten points, the profile of the charism, showing how itssource, which is also its centre, outlines a specific model ofChristian, religious and apostolic life.

� The third part looks at the way the charism is being nurturedby the life of the Church. It offers its unique contribution so that

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the Church may be for the people, especially the poorest, signand instrument of the Lord’s love, in such a way that everyone,especially the most needy, may have a place and a voice withinthe Church.

Given that the text is a synthesis,the footnotes will be par-ticularly significant. They contain clarifications and referencesto the sources, calling for a close, attentive reading so as to gaina correct understanding of the text itself and its background.

The purpose of this working paper makes it, by its very nature,an open textaccompanying us on our spiritual journey. Its use-fulness and effectiveness will be largely connected to the journeyto be carried out within our own communities. We are actuallydealing with a “formative text”, which can be made use of in anumber of different ways, allowing each Province or Organism ofthe Institute the freedom to outline in creative and constructiveways, within its own cultural context, programmes for furtherstudy, research on and inculturation of the charism itself.

As a simple example, a basic outline has been suggestedbelow. For each aspect (or a few aspects together), a series offive steps may be followed:

� an exchange of lived experiences or of answers to ques-tions raised on the charism,

� a study of one or more passages of the recommendedsource texts (the footnote references would be veryhelpful here),

� the deepening of biblical foundation (and eventually anunderstanding of the theological perspective and theteachings of the Church),

� the implementation of the charism in the Rule of Lifeor in the recent documents of the Institute,

� comparing the way this is currently being practised inour communities and identifying further steps towardsa better understanding and inculturation.

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As a working paper for dialogue, this text also awaits aresponse which will lead to an eventual evaluation with sug-gestions for more productive and practical ways of using it. Itwill be in the hands of all, at the service of dialogue and thebuilding of fraternal relationships.

I am convinced that the personal and group study of thisvaluable working paper will bring about further reflections,valid deepening and new discoveries which will become, inturn, resources for all and fruitfulness for the Kingdom.

Unity in the charism, set against the diversity of culturesand the span of time, remains always our common patrimony,our family treasure and the guarantee of communion. For allthis, let us thank the Holy Spirit who continues to bless our “lit-tle Institute”.

M. Marie RemediosSuperior General

Rome, 8 December 2002Feast of the Immaculate Conception

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Index

Presentation

0 Introduction

1 The charism within the Christian faith

2 The charism of Magdalene of Canossa

• The love of Jesus Crucified – source of the charism of Magdalene

• The love of Jesus Crucified – the fulfillment of Magdalene’s search

• The fullness of the love of Jesus Crucified

• The twofold commandment of love

• The Eucharist as the place where Jesus Crucified reveals his love in the Church

• Mary at the foot of the Cross, Mother of Charity and “Foundress” of the works ofMagdalene

• Charity according to the mind of Jesus Crucified shapes the fraternity of thecommunity

• The ministerial nature of universal and integral charity

• The charism of Magdalene: practice of the contemplation of the charity of JesusCrucified

• “Daughters of Charity – Servants of the Poor”

3 Charism and Spirit of the Institute

• The charism in the life of the Church

• The charism in the life of the Institute

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Abbreviations

Ps Book of Psalms

Mt Gospel of Matthew

Mk Gospel of Mark

Jn Gospel of John

1 Cor 1st Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians

Heb Letter to the Hebrews

Rev Book of Revelations of St. John the Apostle

UR Unabridged Rule, Magdalene of Canossa,Milanese manuscript, Rome 1981 (Englishedition)

Rol Rule of Life of the Canossian Daughters ofCharity, Rome 1991

M Memoirs, Magdalene of Canossa, edited byE. Pollonara, Milan 1988

Ep Epistolario, Letters of Magdalene of Canossa,edited by E. Dossi, Rome 1967-1983

R.s.s. Magdalene of Canossa, rules and spiritualwritings, edited by E. Dossi, Rome 1984-85

P Plans, Magdalene of Canossa, in Ep II/2

LG Lumen Gentium, Vatican Council II, 1967

PC Perfectae Caritatis, Decree on the Renewalof Religious Life, Vatican Council II, 1965

ET Evangelii Testificatio. Apostolic Exhorta-tion of Paul VI, Rome 1971

VC Vita Consecrata, Apostolic Exhortation ofJohn Paul II, Rome 1996

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Introduction

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The description of a charism1 can bemade from many viewpoints:

a) its biographical origin: Through thestages in the life of the founder/foundress,and his/her experiences, the charismaticinsights are progressively revealed, clari-fied and stabilised, until they are sharedand become operational as a “work”/ aninstitute.

b) analytic-synthesised (or documentation):The various expressions and aspects ofthe charism that emerge in differentmoments and the documents in which it isformulated are analysed. (In the case ofMagdalene, the documents are: the Let-ters of Don Libera, the Plans, the Mem-oirs, the Unabridged Rule, the Letters(Epistolario), the Catechesis. In addition,a different emphasis is given for the foun-dation of individual houses…). At a laterstage, the constant factors are highlightedand a synthesis is made, distinguishingthe basic constitutive elements from thosethat are variable and related to particularcircumstances.

1 Charism is a term which is notunambiguous in meaning. Al-ready in the N.T. (used 17 times,16 of which are found in Paul),the term is used with a generalmeaning: free and unconditionalgift, grace given to all, and with aspecific gift which manifests thepluriform grace of God shown indiverse ways in individual Chris-tians, different members of theone body of Christ, which is theChurch. (1 Cor. 12; Rom 12; Eph4). It is the source of a service, aresponsibility, a way of beingand working which serves to de-velop Christian life and the life ofthe Church. Vatican Council IIdoes not describe religious lifedirectly as “charism”, but ispointing to this direction when itdescribes religious life as a giftof the Holy Spirit, as the diversi-ty of gifts giving rise to stableforms of life, which the Churchrecognises and which con-tribute to the up-building of theChurch and her mission. (LG 43-44; PC 1).Paul VI in Evangelii Testificatio(1971) speaks of “the charism ofthe founder/foundress” in thesense that he/she has been in-spired by God. With regard toreligious life, charism refers tothe gift of religious life to an in-stitute and its identity and mis-

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c) Synthesised in a genetic-formative way:This approach presupposes, to a certainextent, the first two approaches and aimsto identify the central life-giving nucleusof the charism discovered by thefounder/foundress and around whicheverything has been re-interpreted. In thelight of this centre seen as foundation andfuture direction, the degree of coherencein its application, such as the style of lifeand specific services, are reviewed, andthe implications for formation willemerge. The choice of this thirdapproach, without rendering the other twosuperfluous but rather necessary, is due tothe need of using a brief and open presen-tation of the charism as a point of conver-gence and of dialogue. It also offers aformative approach to deepen and updatethe charism in the diversity of cultures inwhich the Institute is rooted and alive.2

sion (ET 11). John Paul II, in thepost-synodal apostolic exhorta-tion Vita Consecrata (1996),speaks of the religious life as aspecific gift of the Holy Spirit,which deepens and developsour baptismal consecration andcontributes towards the holi-ness and mission of the Church(31-32). In short, according tocurrent usage, we can takecharism to mean a specific wayof living the following of Christ,moved by the Spirit and recog-nised by the Church, contribut-ing to the up-building of theChurch and her mission.

2 The brevity of the text is nec-essary because of its syntheticnature. As a matter of fact, theInstitute, in addition to its Con-stitutions – Rule of Life, alreadyhas a number of documents de-veloped in response to the needfor deepening and updating, forformation and for the explana-tion of its ministries in thechanging socio-contexts. Itsopen nature responds to the aimto be of service in the midst ofcultural pluralism in the parts ofthe world where the Institute ispresent. It also allows dialogueand exchange so as to recogniseand maintain its charismaticidentity in diverse situations,and to promote the understand-ing of how the same charismaticrichness can be expressed in dif-ferent ways. This calls for un-derstanding the need to inter-pret the charism as a conditionfor living it faithfully in changinghistorical conditions. To inter-pret means to recognise that thecharism does not coincide withthe way it has been expressed

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historically. To understand thecharism means going throughthe process that led to its differ-ent expressions according tochanging circumstances inwhich it finds itself. VaticanCouncil II has reminded us thatthe proper renewal of religiouslife “involves a constant returnto the sources of all forms ofChristian life and to the originalspirit of the institutes, and at thesame time, the adaptation ofthese institutes to the changedconditions of the times” (Perfec-tae Caritatis 2). Among the cri-teria used by the Council text, af-ter the reminder on the funda-mental following of Christ, twocriteria seem to be particularlyuseful: the understanding of thespirit and aim of thefounders/foundresses and theknowledge of the conditions ofthe times, of persons and of theneeds of the Church. Anotherrelevant reminder is that renew-al and updating are a duty for allmembers of the institutes (PC 4)and that this calls for a great at-tention to be given to formation(PC 18). It actually means to en-courage the encounter betweenthe intelligence of the past,where the charism first tookshape and became “tradition”,with the intelligence of the pres-ent, where the charism is calledto serve the Reign of God in theChurch and as Church, accord-ing to its specific nature. Theprotagonist of this intelligenceis, first and foremost, the pro-tagonist of the charism, that is,the individual communities intowhich the Institute is groupedand through which it finds its liv-ing expression.

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The charismwithin theChristianfaith

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The understanding of a charism takesplace in the understanding of faith and

of its structure, that is, of faith as a choice, asa consequence and as an attitude. The Chris-tian faith is a personal choice of adherence tothe Gospel, an act of free will in receivingthe Good News of Jesus. This Good Newshas as its consequence the privilege of know-ing God as our Father and Mother, in thehumanity of Jesus who, in becoming one ofus, works in us and among us through the giftof his Spirit given to everyone. This faithpossesses, at the same time, personal, com-munitarian (ecclesial) and practical features.To understand the charism in relation to itsfoundation of faith and its place within it,some essential points must be considered.

Faith as encounter

The basic image of Christian faith is thatof the encounter1 resulting from an eventand proclaimed by the witnesses of thisevent. It is the encounter with Jesus ofNazareth, prophet of the Reign of God,dead and risen, Son of God and Lord ofall, believed in, celebrated, witnessed andproclaimed by the Church.

1 It may be noted, first of all,that even from the anthropolog-ical point of view, the encounter(not merely as a physical act,but as an intentional one) takesplace in life itself. In fact, it giveseach one the experience of see-ing one’s own value recognised(besides the satisfaction ofone’s needs), and the possibilityof discovering, in the form ofwitnessing, promotional valuesthat are worthy of being pur-sued. In that way, one finds thepossibility of giving direction toone’s own life, of structuringone’s own resources adequate-ly, and gratefully receiving whatis being shared, while taking in-to account the inevitable diffi-culties and moments of soli-tude. This is because we arecommitting ourselves to some-thing worthwhile but which hasnot yet fully become our ownidentity.

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Invitation

This encounter is seen as an invitation ofthe availability of God’s love expressedin human terms in his Son Jesus. It hasthe potential to become in us a resourceof life which is filial and fraternal, thanksto his Spirit.

Decision

This invitation which, for us is an unend-ing discovery, enables each one of us toarrive at a decision, a choice that addsvalue to our life, and to commit our per-sonal and cultural resources towardsattaining its fulfillment.

Deepening

This decision of faith continues to be nur-tured by the benefits of the encounterwhich first initiated it, according to theforms used by the Lord Jesus and whichthe Church has adopted: the Word, thesacraments and the ministry, in theunceasing creativity of the Spirit. Thedecision of faith is modelled on its foun-dation, the Lord Jesus, and onthe relationship with him, through whichwe come to a gradual understanding ofwhat it implies.

Attitudes

The decision of faith and its conse-quences call for and nurture coherent atti-tudes like listening, internalising theWord, the understanding of signs, the cor-

dial and humble acceptance of fraternalservice. These attitudes make it possiblefor the decision of faith to become fideli-ty, perseverance and trustful surrender tothe Lord. Without these attitudes both thedecision and the consequences of faithwill lack the elements to foster theirgrowth. At the same time, without theact of decision, the consequences riskbecoming mere intellectual concepts.Similarly, perseverance without caringfor the consequences may be reduced tomere devotion.

Plurality of charisms

Because of the abundance of gifts that theencounter with the Lord offers, no singleChristian will be capable of expressingthe faith completely. Every person formspart of the great number of witnesses whohave benefited from the encounter, in thecommunion that lives by grace, in a vari-ety of ways and of works, which in them-selves prove that they are not all-embrac-ing.

It is this richness of the Spirit that sus-tains the Church and contributes, accord-ing to the gift received by each one, tohelp her become what she is called to be.It is the totality of the gifts of the Spiritthat permits the Church to continue exer-cising its role throughout history, faithfulto the charity of God to remain open toeveryone, especially the poor and the dis-possessed of our times, with whom theLord wants to be in solidarity, to the pointof identifying himself with them.

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Religious consecrated life

Among the many charisms within theChurch, the multi-faceted tradition ofconsecrated/religious life finds its originand its purpose. It points to the transcen-dence of the Kingdom of God, to its sur-passing value against all other historicalrealities, as it highlights the uncondition-al love of God for everyone. Religiouslife is closely linked to the event of theincarnation as it underscores its trans-forming value. Religious life within theChurch does not imply an escape fromthe world perceived as a temporaryrefuge but is meant to become prophecywhich evokes and works for the anticipa-tion of what is definitive – eternal life. Itis a particular prophetic stance whichtakes shape according to the diverseimpulses of the Spirit and in response tothe needs of the historical conditions ofthe times, so that it makes visible the sal-vation of the world. This salvation isaccomplished obviously beyond the lim-its of history, but it is the salvation of his-tory and not an escape from it2. Therecipients of salvation are our world andour society, called to be purified andmatured to the full stature of the sons anddaughters of God. Every person is calledto experience resurrection in the “flesh”,that is, in the network of personal rela-tionships and in the journey throughwhich he/she is called to live these rela-tionships and develop them.Eschatology does not mean reducing theworld to square one, from which it wouldhave to start all over again in ways dis-connected from what it has experienced

2 It is to be noted that , in thepost-synodal apostolic exhorta-tion Vita Consecrata, the icon oftransfiguration was used to rep-resent religious life.

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before. It appears instead as judgmentthat discerns and brings to fulfillmentwhat has been lived according to thegoodness of God, recognised in the wordsand actions of Jesus and received throughthe inspirations of his Spirit. What is cer-tain does not devalue that which is tem-porary, but rather points out its value tobe lived in a prophetic way.

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The Charismof

Magdaleneof Canossa

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The charism of Magdalene of Canossacan be summed up in synthesis from:

– the memoirs, written “out of obedience”,of the spiritual journey she undertook inorder to give life to the work of the Daugh-ters and Sons of Charity1,

– the writings in which she communicatedthe charism to her daughters2,

– the events through which she became grad-ually aware of it3, and

– the dialogues, especially her letters, whereshe is urged to clarify it in order to spell outits specific nature4.

We shall try to sketch it out briefly accordingto its origin and allow the formative nuancesto emerge.

1. The love of Jesus Crucified -source of the charism of Magdalene

Magdalene realised that her life and work aredeeply influenced and directed by the para-doxical contrast that she contemplated inJesus Crucified. While Jesus seemed exter-nally reduced by historical circumstances, tothe powerlessness of the cross, struck downby rejection and by the absence of love, his

1 Magdalene makes this note inthe beginning of her Memoirs:“being compelled by obedienceto reveal by what means andways God deigned to begin theInstitute of the Daughters ofCharity, I will write to the best ofmy ability all I can remember.”(M. I,2)

2 Reference is made in particu-lar to the Unabridged Rule, writ-ten probably between 1814 and1815, as Magdalene herself af-firms in the Preface, to indicatethe “means” necessary for livingthe charism. In the Plans, Mag-dalene presents to the ecclesialand civil authorities her motiva-tions and the objectives whichshe intends to achieve with herinstitution.

3 The foundation in Venice(1812) is particularly significant,as it was made under very diffi-cult conditions, “without anysupport” (M. III,14). In fact,Magdalene herself says: “Godstarted also this house, whichbeing the first to have all thethree branches of charity, can beconsidered the first house of theInstitute” (Letter to Carolina Du-rini, 30.1.1816; cfr. to the sameon 9.8.1812).

4 The exchange of letters with A.Rosmini between 1821 and1835 is very enlightening. In the

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inner life was very active, as he exercisedvirtue to the highest degree and practisedcharity towards God and neighbour in anunsurpassable manner5. The Lord Jesus didnot allow himself to be conditioned by exter-nal forces, but continued to live a life interi-orly moved by his most amiable, most gener-ous and most patientSpirit (UR Preface).This freedom to love, freeing a person fromslavery, constitutes the apex of the revelationof God, and becomes the great attraction aswell as the grace that inspired Magdalene: “Ifelt transported to love Jesus with the heartof Jesus as I could not do so by myself” (M.XIII, 10).

2. The love of Jesus Crucified -fulfillment of Magdalene’s search

In Jesus Crucified and in the revelation andfulfillment of his love on the cross, Magdalenefinds the integration of motivations, yearningsand tensions she has sought and struggled toachieve in her youth. From her “Memoirs” wecan identify five such yearnings:

◆ The search to please God - the desire toanchor her life in the one only God, and“God alone” is the path that leads her, atthe beginning of her spiritual life, towardsthe cloister6.

◆ The need to help the poor, those who aremarginalised and deprived of the opportu-nities that society offers. These are the“neighbours in need”, those whose aban-donment does not help to show that God isthe Father of all.7

long letter written to him on 8 Ja-nuary 1826, Magdalene speci-fies the way she intends to liveCharity in her Institute. It is dif-ferent from the way of her mostesteemed friend from Rovereto,who holds that the most extensi-ve and universal form of charityis connected with the ministry ofthe Church. For Magdalene in-stead, the main aim of charity isthe need of the poor and to findways of being as close to themas possible (Cfr. A. Cattari, E.Dossi, M. Nicolai, Magdalene ofCanossa in Dialogue, III, 197-340).

5 Cfr. UR, Charity towards God,Poverty 1; Charity towardsNeighbour 1. It is important toobserve that in this intuition,Magdalene recovers the deepmeaning of devotion to ChristCrucified, saving it from the riskof considering suffering as theonly meaning of the cross. Mag-dalene’s perspective appears tobe particularly close to that ofJohn who sees the Lord’s pas-sion as the hour of glory and asthe splendour of love that re-mains faithful even when its effi-caciousness is challenged andwhen it is misunderstood to thepoint of being rejected (cfr. Jn12:23-28; 13:1, 31-35; 19:28-30).

6 Cfr. Letters of Don Libera; Me-moirs I,3-15. The Letters of DonLibera are a precious indirectsource on the search of youngMagdalene.

7 Cfr. Plans, starting from thefirst Plan B6 (1799), MemoirsI:25 (inspiration from the Bookof Tobias); UR, Preface: “as ser-vants of the poor we owe themour attention, labour, care andthoughts”. With reference to Mt.

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◆ The commitment to counteract evil and tofoster all that is life-giving, so as to releasethe salvific energies of the Gospel8

◆ The missionary thrust, the understandingof the universality of the gospel as theunconditional love of God for all people9.

◆ The search for the glory of God, of thedivine glory (M. I,29), the desire to “seekonly the glory of God and the salvation ofsouls, surrendering to him the thought ofeverything else” (M. II,50).

These five yearnings, which spurred Magda-lene to look for possible solutions to lessenone or the other of the tensions, find theirsource of integration in the two-fold com-mandment of love, expressed by the LordJesus on the cross. There he shows his lovefor the Father by giving his life for the loveof people, thus giving glory to God as well assanctifying men and women. In the cross ofJesus, Magdalene sees the indivisible inte-gration of the religious thrust and theempowering-missionary thrust that she feelsdeep within her being. In this source of inte-gration, Magdalene recognises the configura-ton of her charism. This has become the pathfor her, the purpose that leads her to planningand implementation.

18:5 and 25:31-46, Magdalenereminds us that disregarding thepoor means disassociating our-selves from the Lord’s love. (UR,Rules of the Schools, Introduc-tion.). The two traits of our iden-tity as “Daughters of Charity-Servants of the Poor” are inse-parable.

8 Cfr. UR, Directives for imple-mentation, Rules of theSchools, Introduction (pp 95-95), Memoirs I, 27 (inspira-tion from Ps 50:15), 30.Again, at the end of the Me-moirs, Magdalene recognizesher vocation in “seeking toprevent sins, moved by thesentiment of love” (nourishedby the Eucharist) (M. XV, 74).

9 Cfr. Memoirs, I,28 (inspirationfrom Mk 16:15); 31 (concernfor the reunification of theGreek Church with the Catho-lic Church).

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3. The fullness of the love of JesusCrucified

The contemplation of the love of Jesus Cru-cified leads Magdalene to understand threeinter-related aspects:

◆ The full and definitive revelation of themerciful love of the Father for everyone,of the “effusion of the Divine Mercies,” of“Divine Charity”, “Divine Goodness”10.In a historical period conditioned by struc-tures that create discrimination and gaps,situations of poverty and emargination,God intervenes by coming among us,bringing healing and reconciliation.Through his mercy, God restores the dig-nity of the human person through fraternalrelationships. Fidelity to “God alone” andthe search for his glory led Magdalenetowards contemplation and the threebranches of Charity: to be “alone withGod alone” and “most zealous in workingfor the Lord” (M. XIII, 13) 11.

◆ The revelation of the way in which God ismoved by love to come to us. In Jesus,God becomes one of us, subjecting him-self to humiliation, to poverty, to thelowliest condition, to the point of being“stripped of everything except love”,“breathing nothing but charity”12. It isthe way that Magdalene finds Paul pro-claiming in the christological hymn of hisletter to the Philippians: ”for our sake, theDivine Lord became obedient unto death,death on the cross”13. Jesus himself refersto this when he presents himself and hisministry to the disciples (cfr. Mk. 10:45ff.): “Our Divine Saviour, when he

10 Cfr. UR, Virtue of Mortifica-tion, pg. 265; Plan B 8-8; B 5-5.Expressions like “Divine Love”,“Divine Charity” (UR, Charity to-wards God, Virtue of Humility,Rule 1; of Poverty, Rule 1) high-light the love of the Father,whom we can contemplatethrough the Lord Jesus on thecross. (cfr. UR, Charity towardsGod, Rule 1).

11 In the context of M. XIII,13,the “alone with God alone” hasmarked soteriological character:relationship with God is the onlyway by which we receive total li-beration from our weaknesses.We can therefore well under-stand that this relationship ani-mates our work, so that othersmay also gain access to God.

12 Cfr. UR, Charity towardsGod, Poverty, Rule 1, Virtue ofFraternal Charity, pg. 243.

13 Cfr. UR, Vow of Obedience;Rules of the Hospital, XV.

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appeared visibly on this earth for our sal-vation, even though he was Omnipotentand God most High, he stated that he hadcome to serve and not to be served”14.This is the way that Magdalene summedup in writing of the virtues of Jesus Cruci-fied: obedience, humility, poverty (UR,Charity towards God). It is the way thatMagdalene herself embarks upon, not lim-iting herself to shower the poor with char-ity as a noble lady, but making herself aservant of the poor, becoming poor toserve the poor. Magdalene understoodthat she could not love the poor as a richlady, but it was the love of Jesus Crucifiedwhich gave her the honour of servingthem. 15.

◆ The revelation of the same purpose thatGod had when he came to meet us alongthe way of love. It was to enkindle thesame love in us because it is there that wefind life, the salvation of life and the full-ness of life in God. By making JesusChrist known, “first of all, we arouse holycharity in the heart, and then teach themhow to practise it” (UR, Rule for Doc-trine, Introduction).

14 Cfr. Rule for Doctrine, Intro-duction.

15 Cfr. John Paul II, Homily atthe Canonization of St. Magdale-ne of Canossa, 2 October 1988.This is what Magdalene expe-rienced in a most intense wayduring the foundation of her In-stitute in Venice: “God led menot only to do this work, but toreally live without any support,just as he had many times mo-ved me to desire” (M. III,14). Itrefers to the style of service thatPius XI has summarized in themotto: “charity in humility, hu-mility in charity” (Speech givenon the occasion of the reading ofthe decree on the heroicity of thevirtues of Magdalene of Canos-sa, 6 January 1927). Magdaleneexplicitly mentioned these twovirtues in M. XIV, 52: “In Milan, Iwas determined to practise inparticular humility and charity”.Pius XII, in turn, commented:“love cannot stay far away fromthose who are loved [….}, Mag-dalene of the poor consideredherself servant and sister” (Dis-course for the beatification, 9December 1941).

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4. The Twofold Commandment ofLove

The contemplation of love in Jesus Crucifiedled Magdalene to understand the meaning ofthe twofold commandment of love in a veryspecial way, as the synthesis of life accordingto the Gospel. Charity towards God andtowards neighbour is enlightened “by theexamples of the Spirit of Christ Crucified.”16

The imperative “look and do as the exem-plar” (M.I,32; Ex. 25:40, interpreted christo-logically in Heb. 8:5) indicates the way thatleads to the fulfillment of the twofold com-mandment of love. The contemplation of thevirtues of Jesus Crucified spurs us to loveGod in response to the love which Godreveals to us in human form in our history.The same love contemplated in Jesus Cruci-fied guides us in our love for neighbour, notby our own efforts but as God’s sharing ofhis love towards all, in a particular waytowards the poor. Our love is the “activeimitation”17, or following of the Lord in hisdedication to every sister and brother, espe-cially to the poorest. In recognising andsharing the love of God shown to us throughJesus Crucified, every person can reach ful-fillment and thus celebrate the glory of Godand of his love.

16 Cfr. UR, Preface; Charity To-wards God, Rule 1; Charity To-wards Neighbour, Rule 1.

17 Cfr. UR, Charity TowardsNeighbour, Rule 1.

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5. The Eucharist as the place where Jesus Crucified reveals his love in the Church

The Eucharist has the most outstanding placein the charismatic experience of Magdalene.It is the spiritual “climate” which permeatesher entire life journey. From the Eucharist,she draws “deep peace, joy, the desire forheaven; but at the same time, the desire towork much.” The reason for this is “the lovewhich the Lord manifested for his people, inthe act of instituting the Holy Eucharist” (M.III, 45-46)18. In the celebration of theEucharist, Magdalene perceives the constantavailability of the love of Jesus Crucified andfinds the grace to live this love through gen-erous service to those who have not knownthis love. In a very special way, theEucharist reminds her of the momentand theway in which the Lord has entrusted us withhis commandment of love. The Last Supperand the handing on of “his” commandmentto the disciples are so closely linked togetherthat they can be experienced as effectiveunion of heartsand sharing. In turn, theclose connection between the Last Supperand the passion of the Lord underscores theabsolutely unconditional and immeasurablenature of his love (UR, Instructions to herDaughters, Virtue of Fraternal Charity)19.

18 There are numerous refer-ences to the Eucharist in the“Memoirs”, cfr. I,25; III,19;III,33; IV, 11. 19.40; V, 6.14.36;VII, 7.16…

19 Cfr. M.III,46-49: “Havingread something about the LastSupper and especially of thelove which the Lord manifestedfor his people, in the act ofinstituting the Holy Eucharist[…], made me enter intomyself to the point that Ibecame recollected…; thisinsight into the love of Jesusfor men and women…gave mea great longing to make himknown and loved”.

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6. Mary, Mother of Sorrows andMother of Charity, “Foundress”of the works of Magdalene

Magdalene perceived in Mary the one inwhom the love of Jesus Crucified foundacceptance in its fullest form. The Daughtersof Charity are called to learn from her how tobe totally open to the charity of the Lord. Bythe gift of the Spirit and in the communion ofsaints, Mary is an example of maternity, amaternity that is clearly apostolic. Mary, atthe foot of the cross, participates in the strug-gle against evil, and in the commitment toaccept unconditionally anyone marked bythe wounds of sin. Mary is “constitutedMother of Charity under the Cross when, atthe words of her dying Divine Son, she gath-ered all of us, sinners though we are, to herheart.” (UR, Preface). Since maternity is a way of participating inthe passion of Jesus for the redemption of allof us sinners, Magdalene finds a specific wayof practising it in the foundation of the Insti-tute of the Daughters of Charity, dedicated toserve the poor who are deprived of educa-tion, instruction and assistance because ofsin20. In Magdalene’s view, developing thismaternal spirit implies the readiness tolabour and suffer, so that every man orwoman may arrive at the awareness of beinga son or daughter of God.21

20 Cfr. Ep. II/1, 505; II/2, 1135.1426; III/1, 178. 240; III/2,936.1001. 1266; III/5, 4050.

21This apostolic characteristicof the maternity of Maryderives from a note taken fromone of her companions duringa conference given by Magda-lene to animate the Daughtersof Charity: “she showed thatMary’s love was constantthroughout the sufferings ofJesus, to the point of agonizingbeneath the cross. Mary wasalways unshaken and constantin her sufferings. In the sameway, a Daughter of Charitymust be strong and constant inimitating Mary, even if it shouldmean losing her life in the exer-cise of the works of charity ofthe Institute” (RSS II, 222-223). Cfr. also the Plans of theInstitution of the Tertiaries ofthe Daughters of Charity (RSSII,46).

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7. Charity according to the mind ofJesus Crucified shapes the fra-ternity of the community

Fraternal relationships flow from a love thatis unconditional and capable of healing anywound, a love contemplated in Jesus Cruci-fied, celebrated in the Eucharist and fullyincarnated by Mary, Mother of Charity. Thestrength of such relationships is proved indaily life and in the way of facing the trialsof the apostolate, when the Sisters are deeplyrooted in the interior life, that is, when thelove of the Lord is the source and the rule oftheir life. (UR, Virtue of Fraternal Charity).We come to the fraternal community to begenerated and re-generated by the daily, con-stant process of forgiveness and reconcilia-tion, as “it is also laid down that, should any-one fail in charity towards some Sister, shemust ask forgiveness and be reconciled withher at least before going to bed” (UR, Char-ity Towards Neighbour, Rule 5). Fraternallife is basically characterised by the mutualawareness that we have all been touched bythe mercy of God in the love of Jesus Cruci-fied. Thus, the fraternal community22 maybe perceived as the first way in which thetwofold commandment of love contemplatedin Jesus Crucified is fulfilled. It is the indis-pensable condition for effectively preservingcharity as the inspiration for all our activities,without which we are in danger of becoming“phantoms of charity”23.

22 The binomial community-fraternity presupposes anessential correlation betweenthe two terms which howeverdo not refer to the same thing.Fraternity refers to a quality ofrelationship that is motivatedby an intentionality whichinspires those who are stayingtogether. Community refers tothe structure or organization bywhich the fraternity takes itsform and which fraternity inturn gives itself, in order toensure that it has the essentialconditions. In the Christian tra-dition, fraternity consists insharing, in mutually living thevalues of the Gospel and seek-ing together to do the will of theFather. This takes place wheneach one allows one’s humani-ty to be purified and enrichedby the values of the Gospel.Fraternity also gives all of usthe opportunity to help oneanother to be open to theGospel. The community withits variety of rhythms andmeans to reach this aim is partof this mutual help that wereceive. The community ismeant to be a laboratory of fra-ternity and thus becomes alsoa sign. (Cfr. CONGREGATIONFOR INSTITUTES OF CONSE-CRATED LIFE AND SOCIETIESOF APOSTOLIC LIFE, FraternalLife in Community, Rome1994).

23 Cfr. UR, Charity TowardsNeighbour, Rule 5; the Virtue ofFraternal Charity, pp. 244-247,refers to Jn. 13:34-35, in con-nection with the Eucharist andto Mt. 18:19-20, to the end ofthe treatise, pg. 259.

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8. The ministerial nature of uni-versal and integral Charity

From the very beginning, the ministerialnature of charity as a response to the condi-tions of human life has been an essential ele-ment of Magdalene’s charism. The concreteneeds of the poor have always determinedthe works of charity24. According to thecharism of Magdalene, the love of the Lordhas certainly aroused the sense of gratitudeand wonder in contemplation, but always insuch a way as to point to some actioninspired by charity. As she herself states, itmeans to “imitate our Divine Saviour in car-rying out the second commandment of chari-ty”25. In doing so, there is a consciousacceptance of suffering as a sign of the strug-gle against evil. The effort and commitmentrequired for this can be seen in the cross thatthe Lord carried. The “torcular calcavisolus” (M. V, 15, which refers to Is. 63:3,already interpreted christologically in Rev.19:15) clearly evokes the determination anddedication with which the Lord fights againstevil26. Closely linked to the fight againstevil is the attitude and style of humble serv-ice, which adapts to the state of those beingserved with the aim of promoting theirgrowth so that they may find their place insociety and in the church community, reflect-ing their rightful positions in God’s plan forthem27. The following three branches or ministries ofcharity form the permanent and stableexpressions of the charism: education (or theredemption and promotion from poverty),evangelisation (revelation of the source andfocal point of the dignity of the human per-

24 “We can identify three mainneeds from which derive nearlyall the other ills which affectour neighbour: The need foreducation, for Christianinstruction and for assistancein sickness and at the time ofdeath” (Plan B6-6)

25 Cfr. Charity towards Neigh-bour, Rule 1.

26 The christological interpre-tation emphasizes that God’sbattle against evil is carried outin Christ, who by his life, deathand resurrection, has strippedevil of any attempt of justifica-tion, crushed it definitively andremoved all its power overhuman beings.

27Cfr. UR, Virtue of Humility,Rules 1-3; Charity towardsNeighbour, Rule 2; Rules of theSchools, Intro.; Rule XXXI

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son) and assistance (witness/ proclamationthat human weakness is not a sign of aban-donment by God nor the end of life)28.These three directions of charity emerge asthe concretisation of love in the historicaland structural conditions of the human per-son for whom the Lord died on the cross.In them we can easily recognise an implicitanthropology of the charism which is theanthropology of charity. It requires us to beattentive to the conditions allowing personsto be free to recognise the love of the Lordand entrust themselves to him in an activewillingness to share, in faithfulness and con-fidence.The poor who are always disadvantaged andcontinually impoverished will be the acidtest of how the charity of Christ, receivedand shared, can bring out and safeguard theworth of every person, and in particular, thesense of human dignity.The ministerial nature of charity, whichMagdalene intended to flow from the love ofJesus Crucified, includes the aspect of mis-sionary openness to the whole world and toevery place where the Lord is not known andwhere the human person is not the object ofhis love: “I wish I could be reduced to dust if,in that way, I could be scattered to all partsof the world so that God would be known andloved” (M. III,50)29.

28 The Institute of the Canoss-ian Daughters of Charity hastwo recent documents whichdeal with the three branches ofcharity as means for the inte-gral actualisation of charity:Basic Guidelines for the Min-istries of Charity of the Canoss-ian Daughters of Charity, Rome1996; Interministeriality in theCanossian Community – visiblesign of Charity, Rome 2002.

29 Cfr. M. I,28; II,45-46. Wecan see the ecumenical open-ness of Magdalene in the samelight, even though she did nothave the opportunity to actual-ize it under the historical cir-cumstances of that era. (Cfr. M.1,31; XIII, 77). The charity ofthe Lord is open to all who seekreconciliation.

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9. The charism of Magdalene:practice of the contemplation ofthe charity of Jesus Crucified

The charism of Magdalene can be understoodin synthesis according to its origin, as a par-ticular insight into the charity of the LordJesus in the mystery of his passion. It is total-ly free and unconditional, undeserved(givento us even though we are unable to appreciateit), fraternal (implying an acceptance ofmutual reconciliation) and apostolic(empow-ering one to serve in the style of the LordJesus, without any claim to being appreciatedbut only for the sake of doing good to anoth-er)30. It is really this image of the love of theLord, telling of the glory of God in his pas-sion, the resurrection in death, that is also thesource for a unity of life resulting from alived charism. It is none other than thedynamism of a charity which is contemplat-ed, shared and given. Magdalene summarisedthis when she affirmed: “Make Jesus Christknown and loved, since he is not lovedbecause he is not known”31. The knowledgeof the Lord, which is knowledge of his lovefor us, leads us to share his love among our-selves and with those who carry the pains ofnot having experienced love. In the Church the charism of Magdalene hasbeen lived right from the beginning, accord-ing to the statutes of religious/consecratedlife, taking on the characteristic form of theprofession of chastity, poverty and obedience,according to the specific spirit and nature ofthe fraternal apostolic community32. Thecharism is also open to the participation of thelaity, according to different modalities, whichthe experiences and documents of the Insti-

30 Cfr. UR, Rules for theSchools, Rule 35.

31 UR, Discipline for the carry-ing out, Rules for theSchools, 1.

32 Cfr. UR, On The Vows of theInstitute, pg. 64; Plan B. 10-9.Magdalene is aware that herInstitute is not “a monasticorder, which is cloistered, yet[...] the individuals who belongto it must observe religious life”(UR, On The Vows of the Insti-tute), whose principal meansare the three vows of chastity,poverty, obedience, fraternal lifein community, according to theRule (cfr. B.7-7).

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tute have sought to implement and to com-municate33. In the different ways of partici-pating in the charism, we recognise its eccle-sial character, (which cannot be exclusivelyappropriated by anyone) and the priority of itsaims and purposes regarding its application.We need, however, to give proper attention tothose who identify themselves with thecharism because they have assumed, accord-ing to their state of life, styles of daily livingwhich nurture and keep the charism alive. Inthis way, the charism contributes towards thevitality of the Church and helps it to be sensi-tive to all the nuances of the Gospel.

10. “Daughters of Charity,Servants of the Poor”

The name Daughters of Charity, Servants ofthe Poor (UR, Preface) emphasises how thetwofold precept of Charity gives identity tothe persons who share the charism of Mag-dalene. They find their sanctification in thefollowing of Jesus Crucified, as a commit-ment to the glory of God and the salvation ofsouls34. It is the paschal dimension of char-ity that underscores the fact that the twoaspects are inseparable. The passion ofChrist reveals how his love is directedtowards those who carry the painful conse-quences of not knowing love or of lovebeing exposed to the possibility of rejection.The service of the poor is the specific nameof the love of the Lord, according to the fea-tures revealed in his passion. It is a sign ofhis glory and his place as lord of history. It isthe unspoken nobility of the Gospel thatMagdalene understood from her contempla-tion of Jesus Crucified.

33 Cfr. XI GENERAL CHAPTER, The Promotion of the Laity inthe Church and the InstituteToday, Rome 1984; VO.I.CA,Canossian International Volun-tary Service, Rome 1996, part.pp. 14-18.

32 The precept here does notrefer to something which isimposed, but indicates biblical-ly, that which cannot berenounced because of its value,of the greatness of the gift fromwhich it springs (cfr. Beginningof the Preface of the UR).

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Charismand Spiritof the Institute

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In order to live the charism certain atti-tudes, conditions and initiatives, which

express and develop the charism, are required.The charism is nourished by its own spirit,which is a reflection of the Spirit of the Lordexpressed concretely by certain attitudes,lifestyles and service that have a lasting impacton formation. Magdalene speaks more thanonce of “the spirit of the Institute that shouldbe handed down in all its entirety and perfec-tion to those who come after you” (UR, Con-clusion, pg 376), and “to keep it pure and freefrom any entanglement” (Ep. II/1, 149), justlike the “spirit of the Rule”1. There are essen-tially two places where the charism is protect-ed and cultivated: the Christian communityand the fraternal charismatic community – theInstitute2. In the Church there is a mutuallyenriching relationship between the Christiancommunity and the Institute. The essentialrhythm of the life of the Church expressedthrough the liturgical year and her concretepresence in human history are the basic waysin which the Institute shares with all the mem-bers of the Church. By virtue of the charismfrom which it draws life, the Institute, in turn,contributes to the journey of the Church and toher vitality. It is developed as a gift of the Spir-it for the holiness of the Church, so that she canbe present to people in ways that are in linewith her mission. To cultivate the charism weneed to be attentive to the conditions that fos-ter this life-giving exchange.

1 Cfr. UR, The Role of theSuperior, pg. 304. The “spirit ofthe Institute” calls for attitudesand conditions referring notonly to the moral or devotionallife, but to the integrity of theperson, therefore even to intel-ligence, to equilibrium, to free-dom and responsibility. Itinvolves a combination of “sen-sitivity” with practical exercisesand structures that help toreveal the significance of thecharism and what is requiredfor us to incarnate it in ourlives.

2 The two subjects: Christiancommunity and the specificcharismatic community, arenot externally separated onefrom the other. The Canossianfraternal community is withinthe Christian community, andlives the same faith, but is adistinct subject and bearer of acharism for the Church.

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1. The Charism in the life of theChurch

The charism is nurtured first and foremost, bythe life of the Church, in listening to theWord, in the celebration of the sacramentsthat make her visible, through the ministriesthat ensure fidelity and unity within theChurch. Through the charism, we participatein the life of the Church according to its spe-cific nature and the history holiness that it haspromoted. In this way it is helping to showGod’s grace at work in its numerous forms.The life of the community and its own per-sonal journey do not pose any additionaldemands on the basic rhythm offered by thelife of the Church, but rather requires atten-tion to be paid to the source from which thecharism draws life within the patrimony offaith, and how it, in turn, may also highlightcertain of its features. This clarity will helpin understanding and appreciating theprayers and practices assembled by the Insti-tute in the course of its history and renewedand updated with the passing of time.

◆ Centrality of Easter and the contempla-tion of the virtues of Jesus Crucified.Thus, the devotion to Jesus Crucified hasits foundation and its place in the christo-logical and paschal centre of the Christianfaith, highlighting the demands of uncon-ditional love, and related to this, its uni-versal character. This is emphasised in themeditation of the Word and can permeatethe entire experience of sacramental life,with the Eucharist at its center3. The med-itation and imitation of the virtues of JesusCrucified give us a profound insight into

3 This aspect is emphasizedparticularly in the Memoirs,where the eucharistic experien-ce is often the meeting point ofthe riches of God’s love withthe fatigue of apostolic service.

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the fullness of his life up to and beyondthe point of his death, leading us to findways of living it within the actual condi-tions of our role in the Church. It leads usto emphasise the aspect of service and totake on his attitudes. In this way, theCanossian charismatic inspirationbecomes a specific proposal for interpret-ing the paschal mystery and contributes tothe understanding and actualisation of thepaschal grace which gives life to theecclesial community.

◆ Eucharist and fraternity. By our partici-pation in the Eucharist, the memorial ofthe Lord’s Paschal mystery, we arereminded continually that the communionof the Christian community comes fromthe gift of reconciliation and is open to all.The charismatic insight of Magdaleneleads us to live the Eucharist with anemphasis on total confidence in the loveof the Lord. The Eucharist thus becomesthe place where we receive the command-ment of love as a grace which teaches ushow to live a fraternal life of service.

◆ Dedication to the Kingdom of Godaccording to the twofold commandmentof love. The twofold commandment oflove, formulated also as search for theglory of God and the salvation of souls,and linked to our personal sanctification(UR, Preface), corresponds to the absolutepriority given to the Kingdom of God andhis justice and constitutes the basic orien-tation of the Christian life which theChurch guards and nurtures. The readingof the twofold commandment in the light

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of the paschal mystery is specific to thecharism and serves to highlight its sourceand its model.

◆ Mission of the Church and branches ofCharity. The specific forms of ministeri-al Charity, expressed in the three branchesof Charity, are ways in which we partici-pate, according to our charism, in the mis-sion of the Church to reveal and serve thesaving action of God. We offer our con-tribution especially through the attentiongiven to those who are poorest, so that theChurch may be for the people a sign andinstrument of the Lord’s love and so thateveryone, particularly those who have novoice or status, may experience it withinthe Church.

◆ Mary, Mother of the Lord and Mother ofCharity. Even the place of Mary, Motherof Jesus in Christian life, becomes clearerfrom her special relationship with JesusCrucified and the specific apostolic per-spective of the charism. Magdalene sawin Mary Mother of Sorrows, the “Motherof Charity at the foot of the Cross”. In theexample of Mary for the Church as shejourneys in history, the Canossian familydiscovers its own specific charism, whichbecomes its significant contribution to thewhole Christian community.

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2. The charism in the life of theInstitute

The charism will exist in as much as it islived according to the following three dis-tinct and internally-correlated modalities. Itexists at the emerging stage in the life of thefoundress; it becomes an instituted formwhen it is shared and approved by theChurch; and when it is personally acceptedby each sister or brother called to participatein it. It operates unceasingly as the charismof the foundress, the charism of foundationand the charism of an institute4. Maintainingit in this fruitful connection and accepting thetension that this implies, is a formative taskthat cannot be disrupted.

◆ Charism and formative processes

Understood and lived in faith, the charismis for us a constant reminder of our beingin a state of formation, without which itwould risk either closing itself in one form(within a historical moment and a culturalcontext) or exposing itself to improvisa-tions that will obscure the fruitful connec-tion between experience and its originalwitness of the charism as gift.At this point, we can briefly recall somebasic processes of on-going formation asa guideline for dialogue and the sharedjourney5:

• The discovery. We are always living thecharism in the context of formulatedexpressions (of language, lifestyle, serv-ice…) which we have received andaccording to our own subsequent experi-

4 It should be noted that thisterminology can only be definedapproximately. It has beenintroduced and it is useful tounderstand some requests forrenewal that formation has to beresponsible for. By the charismof the foundress, we can under-stand a total of three elements:an evangelical inspiration, a pro-ject that results from it, and therole of the initiator, also throughgifts and attitudes that arestrictly personal. The foundatio-nal charism refers to an evan-gelical value in line with theobjectives arising from it regar-ding a specific situation aroundwhich it finds a convergencewhich is shared. The charism ofthe Institute is the foundationalcharism as it is received, under-stood and confirmed by expe-riences of the charism throu-ghout the history of the reli-gious family that embraces it.The spirit of the Institute invol-ves all these moments of thecharism and is renewed throughthe very process of promoting,in fidelity to the charism, itspractical expressions. To under-stand the Pauline presentationof charism in connection to con-secrated life and for such mate-rials, which have been simpli-fied into elementary and essen-tial terms, reference can bemade to G. ROCCA, The Cha-rism of the Founder, Milan1998, which also offers a biblio-graphy on the topic.

5 This process can easily berecognized in a prominent wayin the Preface of the Unabrid-ged Rule and can be summedup briefly in the urgency ofbeing “well founded interiorly”(UR, Virtue of Fraternal Charity,pg. 243).

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ences. It is important that these bealigned, by means of useful and mean-ingful steps, to their origin, through acorrect reading of the sources of thecharism6 and of the faith in which thecharism lives. The discovery will giverise to a new understanding for us and anopportunity to redesign our way of liv-ing and working.

• Interiorisation. We will not benefit fromthe re-discovery, if we do not find a wayto arrive at the level of motivation, and ifwe do not nurture our memory of the ori-gin, and our reasons for living, beyondthe daily achievement of results (gratifi-cation and pressures). Of course, it is aquestion of the action of the Spirit, butthere are, according to our human experi-ence and the experience of the Church,certain tools and attitudes that accompa-ny the process. An example of this is theuse of shared reflection that attempts toconfront life situations with the fullnessof the charism in the light of the faith7.

• Renewal. The charism will becomeeffective always through our resourcesand attitudes cultivated as skills. When-ever socio-cultural changes demandfrom us the use of new skills and tools,we are also faced with the task of re-aligning their use with the charismaticinspiration. No tool is neutral and theattitudes and concerns inherent withinthe charismatic inspiration will allow usto use these tools in a coherent way (andeventually to undergo a critical form ofpurification).8

6 For a simple and general indi-cation, reference can be madeto the paper: For a reading ofthe writings of Magdalene.

7 In Magdalene’s language thiscorresponds to the need totranslate the charismatic inspi-ration into virtues (cfr. Instruc-tions to the Daughters in UR,but there is more).

8 The need for renewal seemsto emerge above all in thePlans where Magdalene high-lights the importance of actingaccording to the situations andin the UR where she even asksthe Sisters to be respectful ofplaces and customs (cfr. UR,Virtue of Fraternal Charity; Roleof the Superior).

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• The Decision. Each formative process,considered as the taking on of the charismin one’s own life, arrives at a decision.This decision takes place on several lev-els: personal, community, provincial andinstitutional. Yet, it is important not toforget that every decision is the result of aprocess (that spells out the reasons and,therefore becomes a source of interiormotivation), and calls for another process(with attention paid to the conditions forthe practical implementation of the deci-sion). Within this framework, communi-ty life projects and projects of theprovince can be drawn up 9.

These four processes are inter-related andcontinually affected by the journey oflife, where new situations demand a freshdirection and new decisions whichrequire rediscovery, and interiorisation,in view of renewal.

◆ Life of the Institute and formation

The life of the institute has a rhythm of itsown with clear formative implications,emphasising from time to time, one processor another (or a group of them together).The General and Provincial Chapters arestructures of renewal. Study seminars areopportunities for rediscovery and interiori-sation. Commissions of individual ministriescan in fact help us in the process of decision-making. These are important moments toexercise the spirit of the Institute and arriveat a responsible re-interpretation and owningof the charism 10.

9 The letters of Magdalenecontain many interesting ele-ments for processes ofdiscernment and decision-making in line with the cha-rism.

10 According to the Resolu-tions of the XIV General Chap-ter (2002), we can adopt astools and categories whichsum up the formative proces-ses that of “story-telling” andof “style of life”. In times ofgreat and rapid changes and ofthe urgency of inculturation ofthe charism in diverse con-texts, these seem to be particu-larly useful tools for fosteringfidelity (in story-telling we arehelped to proceed withoutinterruption), and for highligh-ting the effectiveness of thecharism “locally”.

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◆ Fraternal community and formation

The daily routine of fraternal life, in sharingthe joys and labours of each day, in the exer-cise of attentiveness which our servicedemands of us, in the giving of mutual helpin our life journey as Sisters, according to thegrace of the Lord and of the charism, makesthe community a special place of constanton-going formation. The community projecttogether with its related process of discern-ment and evaluation, is a tool which helps usto remember to tell the story of God’s loveamong us. It helps us to live with patient per-severance, a style of personal and fraternallife capable of proposing to people who livearound us, the precious value of the Gospeland of the gift of the charism entrusted to us.

Understanding the charism in the Church forthe world today and undertaking responsibil-ity for its formative demands in the spirit ofthe Institute, we have the opportunity forencounter and dialogue that will permit us torecognise the value of the gift that identifiesus. In doing so, we give thanks to God forthis gift, just as we are experiencing it as avitality for the Church and the glory of thecharity of the Lord shining forth to tell thepoor that his passion is for them, that theyhave reason to count on God’s love and toopen themselves to receive this love11.

11 Cfr. UR, Rule for Doctrine,Introduction.

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