CFE 104: The CICM MISSIONARY IDENTITY

I. COURSE CODE: CFE 104

II. COURSE TITLE: CICM Missionary Identity
III. COURSE TYPE: Gen Ed or Basic
IV. CREDIT UNITS: 3
V. CONTACT HOURS: 54
VI. PRE-REQUISITES: CFE 103
Course Description

Christian Faith Education (CFE)104 – CICM Missionary Identity, is one of the basic subjects
offered to all college students in all CICM colleges/universities. CFE 104 is a course that deals with the
life and ministry of CICM missionaries worldwide. It focuses on the spirituality and missionary character
of the Congregation, anchored on Jesus whose words and deeds become their source of inspiration in
order that their faith may be strengthened through the model that He set for them. This course aims to
deepen the students’ understanding of the life and mission of the CICM missionaries with Fr. Theophile
Verbist and his Companions who laid the foundations of the Congregation. Going through this course, the
students will be deeply familiarized with the richness of the Congregation and will be enabled to reflect
on the value of its presence for them. As such, this course provides them an avenue for following Jesus
more closely in their personal lives as members of the Church, the community of Jesus’ disciples, in the
way CICM exemplifies, and with Mary as their inspiration.

COURSE OUTPUT:

1. Reaction/Reflection Papers
2. Multi-media Outputs (Animation/Vignettes on the Life of CICM Missionaries)
3. Video Presentation on how to live the CICM missionary identity
4. Quizzes, Periodical Exams

PERFORMANCE STANDARD:

1. Information Dissemination Project

2. Web page, blog, magazine, CICM timeline

Introduction:

CFE 104 attempts to familiarize the Louisian students with the distinct identity of the CICM, in
order that they may own and adopt it as their own. It helps them examine the Congregation’s spirituality
which has been the driving force in the foundation, in the history, and in all the missionary endeavors of
the Congregation, allowing it to make significant contributions to the evangelization of the country and in
the parts of the world where CICM missionaries accepted to do, and did mission. Its prerequisite is CFE
103; “The CICM Missionary Identity” concretizes the concept of Mission as studied in “The Catholic
Foundations of Mission” the CICM way.
This Course is the prerequisite of CFE 105 and CFE 106. CFE 105 will be an in-depth discussion
of and participation in the CICM Advocacies, namely Justice, Peace & Integrity of Creation,
Interreligious Dialogue, Indigenous Peoples and Disaster and Risk Reduction Management. CFE 106 in
their last year will lead the students to apply the Advocacies grounded in the CICM Missionary Identity in
their places of on-the-job training and beyond.
 CHAPTER I. CICM Spirituality
Chapter I aims to ground the Louisian in the spirituality of the CICM which is culled from the
story of the foundation of the Congregation, an explanation of its name, emblem, motto, and hymn/song,
and an introduction into the life of the Founder and his Companions.

Lesson 1: The Name (in Latin): Congregatio Immaculati Cordis Mariae or the
Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (in Tagalog: Kapatiran ng
Kalinis-linisang Puso ni Maria)

What’s in a name?
Activity: “Getting to Know You: My Story through My Name”, a small group sharing on the
circumstances behind my first name (the story of how I got my name: who gave it and his/her/their
reason/s for the choice, my feelings towards that name, my struggles, if any, in relation to my name, and
finally, how my name had somehow “defined” me, how I have identified myself with, and has become
that name.), followed by a sharing to the class by two or three volunteers.
The instructor may also tell his/her own story, then volunteers are asked to share to the class.
A short discussion follows on the importance of a name: it gives one “identity”, and may have
helped him/her somehow shape his character. (However students who developed hatred towards their
odious-sounding names should be helped to understand he/she is not really, or totally his name.)
In Sacred Scripture, naming has often signified “mission”.
 The Birth and Naming of John the Baptist and his Mission
in Zechariah’s Prophecy (Lk. 1:57-80)
Or, the Anunciation: “. . . . and you shall name him Jesus . . .”
(Lk. 1:26-38)

Sacred Scripture present examples of the inherent connection between name and mission. In the
Old Testament, God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, because he was going to be the father of a host
of nations, with whom He was establishing a covenant (Gen. 17:3-8). Most notable persons given names
in the New Testament are John the Baptist and Jesus himself.
After naming John, his father Zechariah, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied that his son will be
called “prophet of the Most High”, whose mission will be to “go before the Lord to prepare His ways, to
give His people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins.” John’s mission was to
clear the path for the coming of the Messiah. (Recall the topic __________ in CFE 1)
In the next reading on the Annunciation, the Angel Gabriel instructed Mary to “name Him Jesus”,
and He will be “great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord will give Him the throne of
David His father, and He will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no
end,” clearly a reference to Jesus’ mission of salvation.
The oldest coat of arms of the CICM found in an old undated document contained the Latin text
of the long name of the Congregation translated into English as “Congregation of the Belgian Mission for
China dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary near the chapel of Our Lady of
Grace in Scheut”. This transformed in 1891 into the “Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Scheutveld, Missions in China, Mongolia and Congo”, which was shortened in 1933 into “Congregation
of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Scheut”. The present form is simply “Congregation of the Immaculate
Heart of Mary”.

After the proclamation of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception by Pope Pius IX in 1854 in
his papal bull Ineffabilis Deus, and the assignment of the liturgical feast, there was the rapid spread of the
devotion to the “Immaculate Heart of Mary”. This was one of the circumstances when Fr. Theophile
Verbist and his first companions/co-founders Frs. Alois van Segvelt, Frans Vranckx, and Remi Verlinden
were meeting regularly in Scheut, Brussels, to draw up the Statutes of the new Congregation. So, they
unanimously agreed to consecrate the Mission to “the Holy Incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ and to
the Immaculate Heart of the Very Blessed Virgin Mary. To her they resolved to recommend daily the
interests of the new Congregation. It is thus clear that they were placing the Congregation under the
patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary. (The significance of the person of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the
spirituality of the CICM will be discussed in Lesson 3.)

In the current emblem of the CICM, the name

of the Congregation has been omitted in favor of the motto
Cor Unum et Anima Una, “One Heart and One Soul”, but
in the lower portion is the Heart surrounded by twelve stars,
coming from Rev. 12:1, clearly in reference to Mary, the
“great sign” who “appeared in heaven, a Woman adorned
with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her
head a crown of twelve stars
 Usually, people who know that I am a Louisian/a student of SLC/a CICM school/a Catholic school
have already given me “a mission”: they expect me to be upright in so many things “kasi Louisian ka!”,
and when I have done wrong, they blame or judge me by saying, “taga-SLC ka pa naman…”
I must therefore live/show my being a student of a CICM/Catholic school by doing what is right
even in simple ways, so as not to tarnish my identity/name e.g. doing my household chores faithfully,
coming to class on time, not cheating during exams, paying my fare honestly in the jeepney, etc.

References:

Austin, Flannery, OP (Gen. Ed.), Vatican Council II: The Conciliar Documents. Vol 1, New York:
Costello Publishing Co., 1984.

Rev. Fr. Nestor Pycke, CICM, “CICM Emblem and Spirituality”, in Christ is Calling Me:150 Years of
Service in God’s Mission (1862 – 2012), Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (CICM).
Makati City: St. Pauls, 2012.

Lesson 2: Dedicated to Jesus, the Incarnate Word

Our Purpose in Life:

Proposed Motivation: “Para Kanino ka Bumabangon?”

To introduce the lesson, the students are asked the simple question why they are in school, why
they are studying, why they want to finish their course.
While there will be those who will give lofty answers like they want to contribute to national
development goals, promote international understanding, live their vocation/calling as Christians, etc.,
most will say that they want to help their families, and to repay the efforts of their parents. They will say
that they need to do so because they will be living their own lives in the future, start their own families,
and hence will need to provide for their own needs.
It is obvious then that then human persons live for something, for a value/values, but specially for
someone. “Para kanino ka bumabangon?” For what, or for whom do you live? Para sa mga mahal sa
buhay, para sa pamilya, para sa anak—sa kanilang kinabukasan.”
The mission of our Lord Jesus Christ was to redeem humankind. So he also lived for people he
loved—us.

Jn 13:1-15: (Washing of the disciples’ feet) “He loved his

own in the world and he loved them to the end . . . ‘If I,
therefore the master and teacher, have washed your feet,
you ought to wash one another’s feet . . .’”

The Canticle of Zechariah in Lesson 1 points out to the “tender mercy of God,”

“…by which the daybreak from on high will visit us, to shine
on those who sit in darkness and death’s shadow, to guide our feet
into the path of peace.” (Lk :78-79)
 This is in clear allusion to the whole life, the whole saving act, of our Lord Jesus Christ: His
becoming man the Incarnate Word, and His preaching, forgiving, and healing ministry. The climax, in
obedience to the Father’s will, was His death on the cross, His ultimate act of self-giving.
The Inspired Word of God for this Lesson gives the reason for His death: “He loved His own in
the world and He loved them to the end . . .” (Jn 13:1b)
But before he went to His death, he showed his disciples and gave them an example of how to do
service. John says that when He knew his hour had come He took a towel and tied it around His waist and
washed His disciples’ feet, an act reserved at that time in Israel for the servants, indeed an important task
given the dusty miles every pair of feet must trod. He then instructed them: if I therefore the Master and
teacher have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet....” (Jn 13:14)

The heart of the CICM spirituality is being “completely centered on the Incarnation of the Word,
as its principal source” (CICM Constitutions Commentary, 44).

This dedication to the Incarnate Word is understood as “…an availability for the work of
redemption—the members are entirely devoted to the service of Christ,” “to Him from whom all
redemption comes and to His incarnation which is at its foundation.” (Pycke, p.15) The life of the CICM
then is to be at the service of the building up of the Kingdom of justice and love, of peace and joy. And
redemption here refers to more than saving from sin, but as CFC 491-99 says, Jesus’ mission as the
Redeemer also includes saving from socio-economic evil such as poverty, ignorance, discrimination,
disease, etc. (CFC: “from Cosmic Evil, from Socio-Political Oppression, from Life’s Meaninglessness”).
The CICM addresses these forms of evil through their various missionary involvements, which are
“Incarnate”, of the here and now, very much concerned about the whole human person, body and soul.
Art 12-16 of the CICM Constitutions of 1988 deal with this dedication to the Incarnate Word in a
deeper sense: this constant reference to the Person of Jesus should profoundly characterize the whole life
of a CICM missionary: he must thus enter into the life and the mission of Him who “emptied Himself,
taking the form of a servant” (Phil 2:7). Thus the Incarnate Word is his fundamental inspiration in all his
missionary commitments (Pycke, p.16) be it in his educational or parish apostolate, in caring for the
environment or for street children, in Carlatan or in Mongolia, or even in a simple ministry of presence.
In all these endeavors the CICM is to be a faithful servant of God’s plan, even if “this faithful service
often brings with it suffering, even a kenosis, in following
Christ”
This is the meaning of the cross in the topmost part of the
CICM emblem:“The cross means poverty, suffering, deprivation and
failure that often mark the life of missionaries and their
enterprises. But the cross also always carries in it the seed of life
and resurrection.” (Pycke, p.16) (The cross is present in the
emblem in the book!)

The same question as the one in the Context is asked: “Para kanino ka bumabangon?” But the students should now be able to
identify with the self-giving love of the Incarnate Word Jesus: e.g. para sa kapatid ko, maski mahirap siyang mahalin, kasi mainitin ng ulo,
kasi may kapansanan… para sa mga magulang ko, kahit na kung minsan hindi nila naiintindihan ang mga pressures na dulot ng schoolwork
sa akin, maski kung minsan pinagdududahan at napapagalitan ako kahit hindi makatarungan . . . mag-aral pa rin ako para sa exams maski
gusto ko sanang mag-relax, para hindi ako mag-cheat, para hindi ko gawin ang hindi tama…para sa mga kaibigan ko, ako na lang ang
umintindi sa pinagdadaanan nila sa kanilang mga pamilya, maski nasasaktan na ako ngunit hindi naman nila sinasadya, atbp.

References:

Rev. Fr. Nestor Pycke, CICM, “CICM Emblem and Spirituality”, in Christ is Calling Me: 150
 Years of Service in God’s Mission (1862 – 2012), Congregation of the Immaculate Heart
of Mary (CICM). Makati City: St. Pauls, 2012.
Constitutions and General Directory of the Congregation of the Cimmaculate Heart of Mary.
Rome, 1988.

Lesson 3: Mary, Mother of the Incarnate Word, Patroness of the CICM

Ask the students who their “idols” are, in the context of “Ang galing mo, idol!” Who are the
persons (friends/older relatives, etc.) whom they truly admire, and why?

The Miracle at Cana: (Jn 2:1-12 )

“Do whatever He tells you. . .”
or
Mary at the foot of the cross: given as
“Mother to the beloved disciple”
Jn 19:25-27

Mary’s qualities, particularly her concern for others in need, and above all her love for her Son till
the end, are worth emulating. She experiences the full reality of redemption at the Cross. She is of
priceless worth to Jesus who places His gifts of salvation in her and sees in her, in the name of the
Church, the first complete human response to His boundless love.

As we look at Mary at the foot of the Cross, we should try to understand what happened to her at
that moment, and how God gradually led her to the point of being able to identify herself with the
redemption wrought on that Cross. It is difficult for us to enter into the path which Mary had to tread and
we can only appreciate it fully when we meditate on the words of her Son from the Cross: then we shall
understand how far His mother had come. She followed Him right to the Cross.

Let us try , to identify ourselves with Mary in prayer and silent adoration of the crucified Lord,
asking ourselves what took place at that moment in Mary’s soul, what would have been her wish as a
mother. It is probably true to say that, as a mother, she would have wished to give her own life, and to
stop this happening at any cost; instead the Lord teaches her to accept in a mysterious and profound way
the divine plan whereby it is Jesus, the Savior, who represents the perfection of the Father’s love.

This is the most dramatic moment of Mary’s life, when she really gives up her Son to the Father
on behalf of humanity. This is the main point made by John who, in the person of the disciple, presents
the Church to us, the Church which is placed in close communion with the Lord’s mother as a result of the
Passion in which Mary shared with Jesus.

What then does Our Lady represent as she stands at the summit of her way of faithful conformity
to the will of God? She represents humanity, the Church. Having followed God’s will completely, having
embraced it wholeheartedly, having offered up her Son in faith – she receives as a gift, the very fullness of
the Church. Precisely because she has put her whole self in God’s hands and has abandoned herself along
with all she held most dear, her own Son, she received from God what He holds most dear, the body of the
Son which will live in the Church , that Church which is to be born from the Passion, Death and
Resurrection of Jesus. Mary is the one who, more than anyone else, understood the meaning of Jesus’
sacrificial offering, the love of humanity and the total dedication to God’s plan which this offering
implies; she is above all others fitted to receive from God the gift of renewed humanity.

It is on this premise that we must base our love for the Lord’s mother. If we lose sight of Mary’s
journey of faith, we shall no longer be able to understand how God has actually saved us, giving us, in
Jesus, to Mary, so that in her the Church might come into being.

Whichever way we approach it, Mary, the Mother of God, is an essential part of the teaching of
the Catholic Church. She is hailed as pre-eminent and as a wholly unique member of the Church, and as
her exemplar and outstanding model of faith and charity. (CCC 967)

Mary is held as the model of discipleship. She submitted her whole self to God, believing His
Word, trusting His power, and obeying His will. By the act of faith she committed herself in faith
irrevocably to her Savior-Son and His mission for the world’s salvation. Thus, she became His mother and
the first of the Lord’s disciples. (PCP II 146)
At Cana, she approached her Son in trust to bring to His attention the need of a couple, and
confident that her Son would do what is best, she told the servants to do whatever He tells them. Here, she
intercedes for the people. In faith, she suffered with her Son as He underwent His Passion and died
forsaken by His followers. And in faith, she waited in constant prayer together with the disciples of her
Son for the promised Holy Spirit. (PCP II 148)

Article 16 of the CICM Constitutions connects Mary to Jesus, to whom the CICM identity and
mission are hinged: “God chose Mary to be the Mother of the Incarnate Word. In her, He reveals himself
as the One who exalts the lowly. She has a special place in our lives as missionaries of the Congregation
of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.” The CICM missionary therefore is invited to look into Mary’s heart in
her unqualified “yes” to the call of the Father to follow Jesus. “We turn to her, model of faith and total
dedication to God and to her Son’s mission.” The lower right portion of the CICM emblem shows a heart
surrounded by twelve stars; this is a clear reference to the traditional Catholic interpretation of Rev 12:1.

A renewed and better-understood devotion to His mother leads very naturally to Christ. Mary
shows us the way and this is her role in the life of the Church. What is the real meaning of the "title and
patronage of the Immaculate Heart of Mary" in the spirituality of the Congregation? Mary reflects Jesus
and his liberating mission.

By patterning my life after that of Mary, I should also be sensitive towards people around me who
are in need: baka may classmate ako na nade-depress, o nadi-discourage, or simply nalulungkot. I should
generously offer my listening ears and heart to them . . . maski may iba pa akong gagawin . . . maski hindi
aproachable/likable/lovable ang classmate kong ito . . .

References:
Acts and Decrees of the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines. CBCP, 1992.

Austin, Flannery, OP (Gen. Ed.), Vatican Council II: The Conciliar Documents. Vol 1, New York:
Costello Publishing Co., 1984.

Rev. Fr. Nestor Pycke, CICM, “CICM Emblem and Spirituality”, in Christ is Calling Me: 150
Years of Service in God’s Mission (1862 – 2012), Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of
Mary (CICM). Makati City: St. Pauls, 2012.
Constitutions and General Directory of the Congregation of the Cimmaculate Heart of Mary.
Rome, 1988.