may our missionary service faithfully continue

i am thankful this morning!

i have a pocket sized book called “agenda cmf”. it lists all of our claretian communities all over the world. i could go to any of these communities, tell them who i am, and would be accepted as a brother to them. some greetings would be more heartfelt than others; all would check out my credentials before offering me a place to stay overnight but we are connected as claretian missionaries. the care for my well being would be, more or less, instantaneous.

this has happened to me in different contexts but my favorite experience was when i attended some claretian meetings in portugal in 2013. i had heard that there was a claretian community walking distance from the shrine of our lady of fatima. since i had arrived early from lisbon, i decided to first visit them. after i rang the doorbell, i was welcomed in. after a five minute chat with the superior there (i am embarrassed that i have forgotten his name!), he asked me what my plans were. i told him that i was going to visit the shrine and go to mass there. he asked if i wanted to concelebrate the mass. i told him that i didn’t have any vestments and had not planned on it. he explained that it would be fine and that there was a claretian from nigeria who was one of the chaplains there but i had to have a letter. he was happy to write me a letter of introduction so i could co-preside. in addition, he gave me a $150 gift certificate to the fatima gift shop to allow me get souvenirs!

it was pure grace– just for being a claretian (and carrying the agenda cmf)

today is the anniversary of our founding as a congregation. in vic spain july 16th 1849, st anthony claret along with frs. fabregas, vilaro, xifre, clotet and salas set us forth as sons of the immaculate heart of the blessed virgin mary. internationally, we are about 3000 in number with about 460 houses in about 70 countries– the Spirit is a movin’!! there are countless stories of selfless service that our men have given in so many different ways over these 170+ years…

pray for all of us missionaries that we may stay true to our mission as well as our vows to God:

In answer to God’s call, I, (name),
desire to seek his glory more earnestly,
to devote myself to him more fully,
and to follow Christ more closely, as the Apostles did,
in the ministry of salvation throughout the world.
Therefore, in the presence of God’s family gathered
here, through your hands Father N.,
I consecrate myself in the Holy Spirit,
to God the Father, through Jesus Christ his Son,
and I offer myself in special service to the
Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
in order to fulfill the aim for which
this Congregation has been established in the Church.
And so, I vow to God CHASTITY, POVERTY AND
OBEDIENCE for (one year to three years or forever)
and I promise to live in the community of apostolic life
of this Congregation of Missionaries, Sons of the
Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
according to its Constitutions,
which I will observe with all possible care.
Therefore I ask you, my brothers and sisters,
to be witness to my profession.
Pray for me,
that in serving God and the Church,
I may be faithful to the spirit of our Founder,
Saint Anthony Mary Claret,
and that I may reach the perfection of charity. Amen