Aims of the Year of Consecrated Life seen through the eyes of a Daughter

of Charity
In the Apostolic Letter from November 21, 2014 to all consecrated people, Pope
Francis pointed the AIMS, the EXPECTATIONS and the HORIZONS of the Year of
Consecrated Life, launched on the First Advent Sunday. This month let us reflect on
the aims mentioned in the papal message, seen from the vocation perspective of the
spiritual daughters of St Vincent and Saint Louise (N.B. in blue - the quotes from the
Letter; other texts well known to all the Daughters of Charity)
1. The first of these aims is to look to the past with gratitude.
During this Year, it would be appropriate for each charismatic family to reflect on its
origins and history, in order to thank God who grants the Church a variety of gifts
which embellish her and equip her for every good work.
On the feast of Pentecost, during Holy Mass or while I was praying in church,
my mind was instantly freed of its doubts and (I) was made to understand that
a time would come when I would be in a position to make vows of poverty,
chastity, and obedience, and that I would be in a small Community in which
others would do the same. I then understood that I would be in a place where I
could help my neighbor, but I could not understand how this would be possible
because there was to be much coming and going. (Light)
2. This Year also calls us to live the present with passion.
For the various founders and foundresses, the Gospel was the absolute rule, whereas
every other rule was meant merely to be an expression of the Gospel and a means of
living the Gospel to the full. For them, the ideal was Christ; they sought to be interiorly
united to him and thus to be able to say with Saint Paul: For to me to live is Christ
(Phil 1:21)
Christ is the Rule of the Daughters of Charity. They endeavor to follow Him as
Scripture reveals Him to them and as their Founders perceived Him: Adorer of
the Father, Servant of His Loving Plan, Evangelizer of those who are poor. (C. 8a)
The Year of Consecrated Life challenges us to examine our fidelity to the mission
entrusted to us.
To follow Him and carry on His mission, the Daughters of Charity choose to live
totally and radically the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty, and
obedience, making them available for the purpose of their Company: the service
of Christ in persons who are poor. (C. 8b)
3. To embrace the future with hope should be the third aim of this Year.
This hope is not based on statistics or accomplishments, but on the One in whom we
have put our trust (cf. 2 Tim 1:2), the One for whom nothing is impossible (Lk 1:37).
The call heard by the first Sisters is ever the same. Throughout the world it
continues to raise up and assemble Daughters of Charity, who strive to
rediscover at the source the inspiration and intuitions of their Founders. (C.,
page 19)

And that, Sisters, was the beginning of your Company. As it was not then what
it is now, there is reason to believe that it is still not what it will be when God
has perfected it as He wants it. (St. Vincent).
Let us stop for a moment in meditation on this last point and on St. Vincents words.
Fr. Patrick Griffin has made a beautiful comment on this excerpt of one of our Founder
Conferences:
I discern three important affirmations in this statement. First of all, the Company was
not then, nor is it now, the way in which God wants it to be. We continue to evolve
with Gods grace, and we must seek and respond to that gift. For this reason, we
embrace a new missionary momentum. Secondly, our Company is the work of God,
and as Gods work we must accept its ups-and-downs as part of the mystery of Gods
plan which is beyond our understanding. Our responsibility is to move boldly and
trustingly to where God leads us. And finally, we find an affirmation which really
raises my spirit: Vincent tells us that our work is pleasing to God, excellent in itself,
and useful to our neighbor. As such, it must have a future in Gods plan of charity. I
believe that. We have an important charism to share with the Church, and thus we
must continue. How we will do that, what our numbers will be like, where our Sisters
will be working are not known to me or you, but we trust in Gods plan (The
Boldness of Charity for a New Missionary Momentum - a perspective from our
Charism).