Spiritan Spirituality and Daily Life
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SpiritualityIn the Spirit of our Founders, these are some aspects essential to Spiritan Spirituality. -
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Evangelical Avaliability & Openness to the Spirit
Openness and availability to the Holy Spirit is an integral part of Spiritan Spirituality. The following sections of the Spiritan Rule of Life (SRL) express this.
SRL 8 says, “The Spirit of the Risen Lord, working in the Church and in the world, gives life and direction to our entire apostolic life. This apostolic life ‘contains in itself the perfection of the life of Our Lord, on which it is modeled’ (Glose 7).”
SRL 25 says, “One basic characteristic of the Spiritan calling is an availability for the service of the gospel, a readiness to go where we are sent by the Congregation.”
Libermann’s Feather Prayer describes this openness and availability to the Holy Spirit: “Divine Spirit, I wish to be before you as a light feather, so that your breath may carry me off where it wishes and that I may never offer it the least resistance.”
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Practical Union
Francis Libermann speaks of a “practical union” in a missionary’s spiritual life. He describes: “One is not absorbed in God, but one comes back to him ceaselessly, without any effort and as if instinctively, during one’s occupations, such that one cannot help thinking frequently about God, as a friend frequently thinks of the one he loves” (ND, 698). SRL 5 says the “condition of habitual fidelity to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is the ‘practical union’ of which Libermann speaks” (N.D. XIII, 699-706).
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Mary as a Guide
We place ourselves under the protection of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, who was filled beyond measure by the same Spirit “with the fullness of holiness and apostolic zeal.” (SRL 6) In every facet of our lives, but particularly in our prayer, Mary is our model of willing obedience and of faithfulness. (SRL 89)
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Daily LifeThough the Spiritan Life can be expressed in many different ways, here are some common elements of life within the community. -
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Vows
Following the example of Jesus, our vows allow us to rely fully on God and freely serve Him and our brothers and sisters. Here are some insights into each vow from the Spiritan Rule of Life (SRL).
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“We live our chastity in the single state as a God-given gift that enables us to be available for whatever the Holy Spirit would have us do to serve the kingdom. Our celibacy is a sign that the kingdom has already come. It challenges everything that would evaluate love at less than its true worth” (SRL 60).
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“Freed from the need to own and finding our fulfillment in God, we try to allow the Spirit of the Lord to take possession of us so that we may become instruments completely at the service of the Good News” (SRL 74).
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“Our consecrated obedience gradually frees us from the urge to hold power and puts us at the service of the poor. In the measure that we freely and responsibly make the demands placed upon us by holy obedience our very own, it has the power both to help us become fully mature persons and to make our apostolate fruitful” (SRL 82).
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One Heart. One Spirit. Different Calls.
Both Priests and Brothers live in community and take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.
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Spiritan Priests
Spiritan priests proclaim the Good News and serve those in need through pastoral work, education, refugee ministry, healthcare and social economic development.
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Spiritan Brothers
Spiritan brothers are called towards a particular charism and consecrated religious life, not the priesthood. They live and work with priests as equals, serving alongside them in both missionary and apostolic work.
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Missionary Assignments
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Parish Ministry
This could be in a rural area, the inner city, or one that serves a marginalized community.
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Education
Spiritans are serving in education as teachers, administrators, chaplains, and more.
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International Ministry
This goes way beyond pastoral services to deliver basic human needs including service, liberation, justice and peace, economic development, and education.
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Administration & Leadership
Many Spiritans serve in leadership and administration roles for Provinces and the Generalate.
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