Salvatorian Spirituality:
Multi-Dimensional, Ever-Growing and Life-giving
Excerpts and Insights from a Presentation on Dec. 4, 2005 by Sister Carol Thresher, SDS
Summarized by S. Patrice Colletti, SDS
"Salvatorian spirituality does not lend itself to sound bites. We are very used to having everything in capsulated form in about two or three little phrases. ...Our spirituality requires a little more sophistication.... It requires reflective prayerful living.. and it requires .... a prayerful integration of experience.
"Our charism, if we truly understand the Biblical meaning of the word charism, it is a gift of God that comes to us for the sake of the whole, for the good of the church and the world today. So that experience of our charism in the heart of your own vocation is very, very much at the heart of what Salvatorian spirituality is going to mean to you today and therefore what it means for our world today through the presence of each one of us and of us as a group."
"...We believe we have a vocational call to be who we are. We believe each individual born into the world has a call to be their best self in the world. That's the first step.
Secondly, our faith vision believes that we in fact are called through the gift of our foundational charism into a group of people who are supposed to have some kind of impact. Gifts are not given for people to feel warm and fuzzy. Gifts are given -- charisms are given-- by God in order to grace the community. The community of the world."
What would be the foundational Scriptures that help us begin to understand Salvatorian Spirituality? What do they reveal about being Salvatorian?
John 17:3
"Who are we called to be? I believe as we look at John 17:3 we have some real important clues to who we're called to be. People committed to real life. John 17:3, this is the eternal life to know the one true God in Jesus Christ.
"Life. Eternal life.... Remember eternal life -- we're not talking about only life after death. We're talking about life from its conception without an end. So eternal life means lasting life. It means life that is durable, not just in the time factor but also in the quality factor. So real life that is qualitatively full. Life that continues to sprout and grow and give life to others.
"So, we are a People committed to the journey of knowing God. This is the foundational piece that (our Founder) Father Jordan insists on so clearly.
"We are people committed to the journey of knowing God in our own lives and of making God known. So that knowing that makes us generative people, people capable of giving life where we are."
Matthew 28:19-20
"Go, preach the good news to all of creation. Go, make disciples of all nations. Passion. Get moving. Allow that passion, that sense of spreading the good news, to be at the heart of who we are. People of apostolic passion and inclusive hearts.
" Proclaim the good news to all creation. There's an ecological aspect in this...We used to think that was just our response to the signs of the times. I think if we look at our charism we find it's grounded. All though it's not been developed yet as we read the signs of the times today. The inclusivity of Matthew 28, go to all nations."
So, Salvatorians are called to be filled with apostolic passion, to go out into the world with inclusive hearts.
Mark 16:15
"What are we called to do? What is the call? And it's clear in our literature and in our lives. We are called and missioned as apostles. That is so clear in all the literature and I would expect that it's probably very clear in your own experience of your own vocation. In Mark 16:15 is very clear on that. We are called to proclaim the good news to all creation. The proclamation is definitely at the heart of who we are called to be. And what we're called to do."
Daniel 12:3
"Daniel 12:3 also tells us that the missioning that we experience as apostles is also to lead the many to justice..... We are called to have hands on experience with the poor, the miserable, those who have the least."
This passage also reflects our "inclusive hearts."
"The wise are those who lead the many. The many....
"We're called to be people committed to real life, the journey of knowing God and people with apostolic passion and inclusive hearts."
So, do these foundational scriptures also reveal to us HOW Salvatorians are called to live their lives?
Indeed.
We are called to be in mission. How are we called to be in mission? Collaboratively. We are called to involve others in mission. We are not only called to be in mission ourselves but we are called to Matthew 28. To go and 'disciple others.'
"The Greek word for "go" in the Matthew text not the imperative "GO" like it is in Mark. We translated "go". Go make disciples of all nations. But the actual text in the Greek, the verb is going, discipling others. This is what you do.
Remember, the Gospel of Matthew is the teaching Jesus. It's the teaching Savior....teaching a way of life in the Gospel of Matthew and at the end of the Gospel of Matthew says, 'You're going to disciple others.' You're going to be helping others be disciples so it's not just the Lone Ranger stance against the world, making -- doing mission. We are enabling others and animating others to be disciples themselves.... in other words to be a part of Christian community.
"So 'go and create that community of discipleship where people will experience what you've experienced with me,' that's what Jesus is saying in Matthew 28.....We animate others to be disciples. (We are called to) ...create an environment in which the vocation of other people is activated more.... and people can be more who they are called to be in the world.".....what we are about as a group (is to) activate that vocation to be a Christian, that baptismal call in the life of everyone. .... No matter where I am in the world and I'm a believing person and I'm trying to live out who God wants me to be I will have an ....apostolic impact and activate that into others."
And, Salvatorian spirituality is not just for Sisters, Brothers and Priests. The role of the Lay Apostle is critical. From its very roots, Salvatorian life included "the collaborative sense that we work together and that everyone's action together is important for the kingdom of God to be proclaimed."
"Where do we involve ourselves in mission and where do we involve other people in mission?
"We have -- we're called to have-- inclusive hearts and a universal outreach. So the world, world wide, this is something that has been part of our background from the very beginning and we've been articulate from the very beginning."
Many religious communities founded during this same period of history were founded for specific tasks- nursing, hospital work, teaching. But, we were not. Our mission is through "all the ways and means which the love of Christ inspires."
"(Our Founder) Father Jordan's vision was never focused on task. It was focused on making known the one true God in Jesus Christ whom he has sent-- by whatever ways and means the love of Christ inspires at this time. So it requires ongoing discernment. It requires ongoing reflection, ongoing understanding the signs of the times to know where we should be doing mission."
And finally, there's the Latin term ubique et omnibus” or “all and everywhere” . Everywhere. We must keep our focus on the ubique et omnibus-- all and everywhere.
From our foundation, we were not simply destined for Italy or Germany.
"Our mission is for all countries and each one in his or her place has the task, the duty to participate in spreading this spirit. People of every nation are included. Today we are spread out all over the world. In contrast to some of the larger communities who have big groups in a few countries, we have a lot of small groups in a lot of countries. And that's probably because of this.... (understanding of ubique et omnibus)."
1. Connect with Salvatorians. Learn from seeing, knowing, coming to know them as people called to be in our world in a very unique way.
2. Ask for some of the written materials that the Salvatorians have produced as part of international historical studies and theology studies. Then, sit down and talk about what you read with Salvatorians.
3. Clearly, growing into a deep understanding of Salvatorian spirituality calls for more than just reading. Study, reflection, prayer, and lived experience are essential components. A deep understanding of Salvatorian spirituality is something one "grows into," discovering it in living it.
For more information on Salvatorians, and Salvatorian Spirituality, please contact Sister Mary Lee Grady at 414.466.0810 Ext. 229 or gradym@salvatoriansisters.org.