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CHAPTER I. The INSTITUTE

1 The Missionaries of Jesus - MJ - is a multicultural religious missionary Institute founded in the Philippines by a group of men inspired by the humanity and mission of the Incar-nate Word. Guided by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, who calls to make disciples from among the nations (Mt 28:19) and united with the Church, servant and pilgrim of hope, the Insti-tute carries out its particular mission under the supreme direction and coordination of the Pope and the College of Bishops united with him.

2 We are sent to proclaim to the nations the presence and the coming of the Reign of God. Aware that the Spirit is at work everywhere, we affirm the evangelical values present in the unfolding realities of people’s lives. We strive to give prophetic witness to God’s op-tion for the poor by assuming the perspective of the anawim in addressing situations, events and needs, on the local and international level. As friends and disciples of Jesus we live and work together in search of God’s liberating presence, especially among our brothers and sisters in frontier situations.

3 We welcome lay partners who commit themselves in a manner fitting and proper to their status as laity to an associate relationship with the Institute, embracing a shared mission-ary vision of presence, prayer and proclamation among peoples pushed to the margins of society by greed, violence and the abuse of power.

We put ourselves at the service of local churches for the sake of the universal mission. The recognition of the genius and the wealth of the people’s culture and tradition is a constitutive element of our missionary orientation. In this spirit we engage in dialogue with peoples of different faith traditions and promote the inculturation of the Gospel as the critical and mutually enriching interaction between faith and culture.

Liberation from sin and oppression is an evangelical mandate (Lk 4:18-19) that rings loud in our times. As missionaries, heralds of the Good News, we are pledged to the struggle for justice and peace, and the protection of the environment. In friendship and fraternity we collaborate with other Christian Churches in witnessing to our faith in the One who unites us in love. We establish links with other religious mis-sionary institutes, societies of apostolic life, peoples’ organizations, and other entities that work for peace, global interdependence, ecological well-being, healing and reconciliation, thus rendering common service to God and people.

3.1	Aware of the dynamic nature of mission, our presence in any given situation is marked by flexibility and availability.

3.2	Immersion in the everyday realities of people’s lives is essential to our missionary presence. Eating their food and learning their language are like doors leading us to the hearts and minds of the people. The systematic study of their culture deepens our understanding and appreciation of their way of life.

3.3	Basic ecclesial communities are a primary concern for us in the churches to which we are sent. The spirit of partnership should characterize our participation in their formation.

3.4	Fully aware of the dignity and role of the laity in the life of the Church, we commit ourselves to the formation of lay leaders and animators.

3.5	A truly Christian community is a self-reliant community. Hence, we avoid everything that renders the local communities dependent on us.

3.6	Because we are accountable to the Institute and the local church for the works entrusted to us, periodic evaluations and reports are made according to established norms. The Institute will examine regularly every commitment to determine whether it still bears witness to the Gospel in a manner adapted to the circumstance of the people.

3.7	Commitments at the service of the local church are regulated by contracts and conventions drawn up between the local Ordinary and the Coordinator General of the Institute.

CHAPTER II: OUR MISSIONARY SPIRITUALITY

DEDICATED TO THE MISSIO DEI

4	The Missionaries of Jesus is a community of religious men dedicated to the Missio Dei and our participation in the mission of Jesus is rooted in his communion with God. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one (Jn 17:22).

5	The call to locate ourselves in missionary frontier situations comes from God whose presence is real and operative in the lives of people, in their culture, religiosity, and his-tory. We discern his liberating presence both in world events and in the concrete experi-ences of those whose lives we share. Our witnessing to the gospel consists of two inter-locking and complementary dimensions: the affirmation of whatever promotes human and cosmic well-being, and the denunciation of everything that mutilates the image of God etched in the very soul of every man, woman and child.

6	God acquired a human face through the mystery of the Incarnation. Jesus Christ is God’s compassion for humanity made incarnate. He was Good News particularly to the poor and the marginalized. Historically God revealed his predilection for them in the Son of Man. And because we have been called to participate in the mission of the crucified and risen Lord, his prophetic stance serves as the model for us to live the preferential option for the poor. The poor are the agents of evangelization. We are one with them in building up the Reign of God, the fullness of life for all. We share in the legitimate aspirations of the poor, their joys and their sufferings. We respond to their call for solidarity.

7	The inculturation of the gospel in a local culture is the primary responsibility of the Christian community. They will make the story of the crucified and risen Lord their own. As missionaries we assist in this sacred task. Our missionary presence serves as a veritable summons for the people to articulate the Good News in their language and culture.

8	The Spirit of God was given to the disciples to bear witness to Jesus - in his passion, death and resurrection. You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Mission demands kenosis, the self-emptying of the missionary. His presence and service should facilitate, not obstruct, the integration of the living memory of Jesus into the local culture that mediates its historicity.

9	Dialogue with peoples of other faith traditions is an integral element of our commitment to frontier situations. It demands fidelity to our Christian faith tradition and the openness to situations hitherto unknown or strange to us. Inter-religious dialogue begins with the affirmation of our common humanity and destiny. It calls for mutuality and the positive recognition of cultural and religious diversities. Together with peoples of other faith traditions, we promote the life of the earth and engage in the fight against the drift towards extinction caused by false ways of living.

OUR PRAYER LIFE

10	I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing (Jn 15:5). We are called to make of our whole life a prayer to God, and our work a contemplation of his marvellous deeds. We take time everyday to encounter him personally in silent prayer or meditation. A prayerful disposition characterizes us as religious missionaries and contemplation occupies a sacred space in our vocation and ministry. By coming together in prayer, we assist one another in our constant search for God.

11	Common prayer deepens our bonds of friendship, fraternal communion, and corporate commitment to frontier situations.

12	The Eucharist is central to our missionary spirituality. In the breaking of the bread we embrace freely the cost of discipleship. Through this remembrance, we commune with the joys, hopes, sufferings, and struggles of the people amidst whom we live.

13	The Liturgy of the Hours is a biblical and traditional way of sanctifying the different times of the day. We celebrate this liturgy in the name of the entire people of God. Whenever possible, we pray the Liturgy of the Hours together, especially Lauds and Vespers.

14	We regularly devote time to the reading and study of Sacred Scriptures. The lectio divina is an ancient Christian form of crucial conversation with the Lord that brings us beyond mere reading and reflection. Regular encounter with God’s Word cultivates in us an atti-tude of filial trust, friendship and love.

15	The story of God’s covenant and the work of his Spirit are made manifest in the signs of the times. The Lord continues to speak to us, especially in and through the life of the people. Only when captivated by God’s covenant of love, actualized and rewritten in peoples’ unique histories, do we faithfully witness to the Incarnate Word. As missionaries we are often regarded not only as heralds of God’s salvation but, as well, the repository of people’s trust. We must earn it and become fit vessels for the safekeeping of their per-sonal and collective stories.

16	The people with whom we live challenge us to be authentic in our relationship with God. We walk with them in prayer and make their dreams of God our own. We are sensitive to the local ways of praying.

17	Popular religiosity, the trusting spirituality of the poor, in particular, moves us to depend on God’s providence ever more.

18	Our prayer may take different forms depending on the promptings of the Spirit, our own spiritual development, cultural background, and missionary tasks. We respect the way others express their union with God. Our spirituality is enriched through dialogue with peoples of other faith traditions. Variety in prayer forms is a gift from the Lord who en-riches our spirituality in diverse ways.

19	Inspired by their commitment and solidarity with God’s people, we pray for our fellow missionaries who gave up their lives for the sake of the Reign of God.

19.1	We remember in our personal and common prayers the confreres whom the Lord has called to himself, most especially in our Eucharistic celebrations. At the announcement of a confrere’s death, we shall commemorate him in the celebration of the Eucharist.

19.2	On the Feast of all Saints every MJ community is enjoined to celebrate the Eucharist in fond remembrance of all deceased confreres.

19.3	The Institute establishes norms regarding the remembrance of deceased members.

20	Knowing that we are sinners, we trust in God’s mercy and respond to Christ’s call to be reconciled with God and with one another. We regularly turn to the Sacrament of Recon-ciliation and take the necessary steps to mend any broken relationship.

21	We reserve for ourselves longer periods of silence and personal prayer. Recollections, retreats, and sabbaticals are privileged moments that intensify our communion with God and one another, and the commitment to serve our brothers and sisters.

22	Our prayers take on the rhythm of the Liturgical Year. In this way we enter more deeply into the life and mysteries of Jesus our Savior and his Church.

22.1	The feast of the Institute is celebrated on June 12, its Foundation Day.

22.2	Because it celebrates God’s infinite love taking human form, Christmas has a special significance for us.

22.3	The Epiphany, a Church feast that highlights the universality of mission, is commemorated and celebrated in a special way by members of the Institute. Similarly, we celebrate the feasts of the Annunciation and of the patrons of mission, St. Francis Xavier and St. Therese of the Child Jesus.

23	Each of us is responsible for his growth in the Spirit. Our communities are supportive of each member’s quest for psycho-spiritual growth. Spiritual Direction is an indispensable means of growing in the Lord.

CHAPTER III: THE CONSECRATED LIFE

24	We commit ourselves to mission through a total gift of self to God by the profession of the vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience in the Institute. As a religious community of priests and brothers, we affirm that God is the source of our calling and commitment as the Missionaries of Jesus.

25	Consistent growth in the consecrated life demands that we respond every day to God’s call in freedom and love. Knowing our need for guidance, we trust in the power of God's Spirit.

26	By the public profession of vows, we become members of the Institute with the rights and duties defined by universal and particular laws.

26.1	Members of the Institute wear a simple band inscribed with the ichthys bearing the MJ logo to indicate their consecration to Jesus Christ and his mission.

THE VOW OF CHASTITY

27	The Lord has called us to live our missionary lives in a celibate way for the sake of the Reign of God (Mt 19:22). We profess and live our vow of chastity in a community of friends and disciples. It proclaims God’s covenant with his people.

28	Our vow of chastity acknowledges that God loved us first and without conditions. Be-cause of this we have committed ourselves to love generously in the way of Jesus. Our celibate lives affirm that there is joy in sharing God’s unconditional love with others.

29	To grow in chaste loving we need to integrate the various aspects of our personality. The awareness that religious profession does not alter the fact that we are sexual beings in-forms us that vowed chastity calls for the sublimation of our sexuality. The process of in-tegration rejects possessiveness and requires openness and transparency in any relation-ship. A well-integrated personality facilitates our loving transformation into friends and disciples of Jesus.

30	We take our spiritual growth seriously. Thus, we actively seek the promptings of the Ho-ly Spirit and the needed guidance of spiritual directors. Prayer, friendship, and the frater-nal support of a religious community enable us to fulfill and live joyfully our vow of chastity.

THE VOW OF POVERTY

31	The Beatitudes inspire us to live the values of God’s Reign the way Jesus did. We place everything we are and have at the service of our commitment to missionary frontier situa-tions.

32	God has taken us into the palm of his hand. We dwell in his blessings and promises. By the vow of poverty we share in the poverty of Jesus. For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich (2 Cor 8:9).

33	Solidarity with the poor is constitutive of our vow of poverty. Their cry is a constant ap-peal to personal and collective conversion to the demands of the gospel. Through the vow of poverty, we commit ourselves to live a simple and sober life, to share and make good use of our time and to fulfill diligently the tasks entrusted to us. We place our talents, re-sources, and time at the service of the poor.

33.1	We depend on local resources and encourage the Christian community’s participation in choosing the means for our ministry.

33.2	Our commitment to the promotion of a just world urges us to share our resources with those who work for human rights and the cause of justice and peace.

33.3	We regularly evaluate our lifestyle and financial policies. This applies to all members at all levels of the Institute.

33.4	Our accountability as religious requires that the use of resources and material goods be subjected to periodic evaluation, auditing and reporting.

34	Evangelical poverty means relying on God’s providence and detachment from material goods, privilege and power. To have less is to say yes to responsible stewardship and to the struggle for a more equitable distribution of the earth’s resources.

35	We deny ourselves every independent action of ownership, in conformity with the norms established by the Institute.

35.1	As missionaries we count on the fruits of our own labour and call on the local church for our sustenance and the support of our missionary efforts.

35.2	Each one of us is co-responsible for the financial support of the Institute, its members and its works.

35.3	In attending to the needs of its members, both personal and ministerial, the Institute sees to it that every one is adequately provided for.

35.4	We practice the community of goods. In the spirit of stewardship, and with the required transparency, we solicit and use donations for our corporate mission and personal sustenance under the supervision of the Coordinator General.

35.5	All projects should be in function of the missionary priorities of the Institute. The Coordinator General and his Council approve them.

36	The members of the Institute retain legal ownership of their goods and of those they re-ceive through family inheritance.

36.1	Before First Profession, the Novices freely make dispositions concerning the use and usufruct of any present and future goods and cede their administration to a person they themselves designate in accordance with the norms of civil law.

36.2	Before Final Profession, the members of the Institute draw up a will that is also valid in civil law.

36.3	The permission of the Coordinator General is required for any modification of the dispositions concerning the use, usufruct, and administration of the goods. The same Coordinator General and, in case of emergency, the District Coordinator, can give permission to modify a will.

36.4	The Coordinator General, taking into account civil law, can permit a member with perpetual vows to give up all, or part of his goods.

THE VOW OF OBEDIENCE

37	Jesus followed the will of the Father and was faithful unto death. My Father, if this can-not pass unless I drink it, your will be done (Mt 26:42). By committing ourselves to live in obedience, we unite ourselves with Jesus who laid down his life for his friends (cf. Jn 10:11). Through intense communion with God and commitment to the values of the Reign of God, our vow of obedience takes up the way of the Cross.

38	The vow of obedience leads to a life of mutuality and congruence - the capacity to give as well as to receive. It also demands that we continuously discern God’s calling. Dialogue and mutual trust help us to grow as individuals and as community. Transparency and hu-mility characterize the way we relate to our superiors and to one another.

39	Our life of obedience requires that we recognize the sovereignty of God above all and denounce any structure that allows the abuse of power. The vow of obedience moves us to be in solidarity with the voiceless.

40	There will be times when our corporate commitment to frontier situations would demand that we accept tasks difficult to understand and seemingly incompatible with our personal choice and preference. Like Jesus, who had moments of hesitation yet proceeded in lov-ing trust, we accept God’s will and what is good for mission.

41	Through our vow of obedience, we commit ourselves humbly to our superiors in a spirit of faith and in accordance with the Constitutions. We recognize and accept that they make the final decisions. In the spirit of co-responsibility, we accept our assignments in function of the mission entrusted to the Institute.

41.1	We bestow on our superiors the trust and confidence they need for the exercise of responsible stewardship. We shall not keep from them anything that might put in jeopardy the mission and good name of the Institute, or the well being of each and every member.

41.2	Dissent has a place in our institutional life. Consistency in our priorities and commitments can sometimes oblige us to present a dissenting opinion to a superior. This is done respectfully, candidly, and in total transparency.

41.3	Critical dissent, however, and the call for change in view of corporate growth have nothing to do with backbiting, rumour-mongering, or some other forms of gossip. If and when they occur, both the community and the superior should address such unfortunate occurrences, quickly and courageously, to determine their cause and put an end to them.

FRATERNAL LIFE IN COMMON

42	From different nations and with different personalities, Jesus invites us to partake of his friendship by creating with him a community of friends and disciples. As our separate lives find common ground in God’s call to mission, we recognize and respect the personal uniqueness of each one. We accept the importance of diversity as a factor in community living.

43	As missionaries, we have situated our lives in the midst of the people to whom we have been sent to proclaim the Good News of the Lord. Their situation-in-life is our reference point for communion and solidarity.

44	Multiculturality enriches the life of the Institute as it calls for greater sensitivity to cul-tures other than one’s own. The acknowledgement of our own cultural biases and preju-dices is a needed first step to overcome them.

44.1	Our communities are characterized by cordial hospitality and prayerfulness.

44.2	We use the national or local language to communicate with the people; and with one another, to the extent possible.

44.3	English, the international language of our times, is the only official language of the Institute. Since English is also the ordinary medium of our oral and written communication every member must have a good command of the language.

45	We live together in community to strengthen the bonds of unity among us. Fraternal communion demands that we pray for and support one another. We show real interest in the person and the work of each confrere.

45.1	As a rule, we maintain communities of at least three members.

45.2	In matters of appointments, the Coordinator General takes into account the needs of community life.

45.3	As friends and disciples, we show special concern for confreres experiencing difficulties. Let our communities be communities of healing and reconciliation.

45.4	Celebration is part of our way of doing mission. We joyfully participate in celebrating congregational feasts and gatherings.

45.5	During regular community meetings members consult one another, discuss, and eventually choose what activities they would undertake to foster fraternal communion. These activities must take into account prevailing local circumstances.

45.6	All of us need periodic breaks from our work.

45.7	The General Coordinating Committee determines the length and frequency of home leaves.

45.8	Communities periodically evaluate the quality of their life together. On the occasion of the General Chapter, the Institute evaluates the common life.

45.9	In special circumstances the demands of mission may require us to live with non-members of the Institute. Though not the norm, we recognize the value of this form of community life.

45.10	 Bulletins published by the Institute are necessary means for communication and sharing. The official congregational bulletin, Friends and Disciples, is published quarterly in English.

46	The sick and aged confreres continue to participate in the mission of the Institute. They remain true to their vocation by uniting themselves more fully to the Lord in a life of prayer and acceptance. Undiminished in their concern for the corporate priorities of the Institute they are a source of inspiration and encouragement for others.

46.1	The Institute makes special provisions for the care of the aged and sick confreres.

From the Missionaries of Jesus Constitutions

Merviuya (talk) 04:16, 19 May 2008 (UTC)