Transalpine Redemptorists in brief
THE ACTIVE AND CONTEMPLATIVE LIFE
OF THE SONS OF THE MOST HOLY REDEEMER
OF THE SONS OF THE MOST HOLY REDEEMER
The Two-fold end.
Like every Religious Congregation we propose to ourselves a two-fold end: the first is our own sanctification, the second the salvation of the people, and the good of the Church.
The First End.
The first is general: the second is special and it is by this that the various Religious Orders differ from one another.
With regard to the first, the Rule commands all the members of the Congregation, earnestly and with all their power, to give themselves to acquire sanctity, by diligently imitating the sacred virtues and example of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, so that each may be able to say with truth: “I live, now not I, but Christ liveth in me.”
In order that this imitation may be easier for the members of the Transalpine Redemptorists, twelve virtues, one for each month, have been prescribed. They are: Faith, Hope, Charity towards God, Concord and Charity with one another, Poverty, Purity of Body and Mind, Obedience, Meekness and Humility of Heart, Mortification, Recollection, Prayer, and, lastly, Self-denial and Love of the Cross.
On these twelve, as on a foundation, we must chiefly build the edifice of our perfection. We must strive with all our might to make progress in each of them, under the patronage of the Holy Apostles, one of whom we take as our special Patron and Advocate each month of the year, in the order in which they are named in the Canon of the Mass.
We conform our private meditations and our particular examen, and the fitting resolutions to be made, to the virtue assigned to each month.
The Second end.
With regard to the second end, the salvation of the people, the Rule enjoins that, by preaching the Word of God, we should labour to lead the people to a holy life, especially those who, being scattered in villages and hamlets, are most deprived of spiritual help - and this is our specific end. Our formed houses shall be founded outside the centres of population only.
A combined Monastic-Apostolic Vocation.
The life, then, of the members of the Transalpine Redemptorists, having coadjutor brothers and having members belonging to various rites, is neither purely contemplative, nor entirely active, but combines both.
The Transalpine Redemptorists live neither for themselves nor for the people alone, but they should devote themselves first to their own sanctification by the practice of prayer and of all the virtues so that they be a living memorial (vita memoria ) of the life of Jesus Christ, and then to the sanctification of others.
Two fundamental characteristics: The Seasons and the Traditional Mass.
A fundamental characteristic of our community is a strict adherence to the seasons set aside for the contemplative life and for the missionary life as they were constituted by St. Alphonsus and the Chapter Fathers in 1764: “The Fathers go out to the Missions, during winter, about the first day of November; in the Spring about Low Saturday. They will return indeed, in the Winter time on the last days of Septuagesima; in Spring they ought to be at home for the beginning of June. Let them take care that the day before the First of June all the Missions are ended.” This disposition of time gives a predominance to the contemplative life of the members.
In conformity with the proper vocation of the Transalpine Redemptorists, which led to its foundation, in the Roman rite the members of the Congregation habitually use the liturgical books in use in 1962: Missal, Breviary, Ritual and Pontifical. Applying the provision of Article 3 of the Motu proprio Summorum Pontificum of Pope Benedict XVI, the entire Congregation of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer permanently celebrate according to the liturgical books in use in 1962.
Priests and Coadjutor Brothers.
The vocation of our Coadjutor Brother embraces the religious state which consists in following the internal invitation of God to the evangelical perfection according to the end and laws of the community. Equally the vocation is manifested by a right intention and suitability of leading the Transalpine redemptorist rule of life, and this is confirmed and completed by admission to the profession of vows. The model and special patron of the Coadjutor Brother is Saint Gerard Majella.
Like every Religious Congregation we propose to ourselves a two-fold end: the first is our own sanctification, the second the salvation of the people, and the good of the Church.
The First End.
The first is general: the second is special and it is by this that the various Religious Orders differ from one another.
With regard to the first, the Rule commands all the members of the Congregation, earnestly and with all their power, to give themselves to acquire sanctity, by diligently imitating the sacred virtues and example of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, so that each may be able to say with truth: “I live, now not I, but Christ liveth in me.”
In order that this imitation may be easier for the members of the Transalpine Redemptorists, twelve virtues, one for each month, have been prescribed. They are: Faith, Hope, Charity towards God, Concord and Charity with one another, Poverty, Purity of Body and Mind, Obedience, Meekness and Humility of Heart, Mortification, Recollection, Prayer, and, lastly, Self-denial and Love of the Cross.
On these twelve, as on a foundation, we must chiefly build the edifice of our perfection. We must strive with all our might to make progress in each of them, under the patronage of the Holy Apostles, one of whom we take as our special Patron and Advocate each month of the year, in the order in which they are named in the Canon of the Mass.
We conform our private meditations and our particular examen, and the fitting resolutions to be made, to the virtue assigned to each month.
The Second end.
With regard to the second end, the salvation of the people, the Rule enjoins that, by preaching the Word of God, we should labour to lead the people to a holy life, especially those who, being scattered in villages and hamlets, are most deprived of spiritual help - and this is our specific end. Our formed houses shall be founded outside the centres of population only.
A combined Monastic-Apostolic Vocation.
The life, then, of the members of the Transalpine Redemptorists, having coadjutor brothers and having members belonging to various rites, is neither purely contemplative, nor entirely active, but combines both.
The Transalpine Redemptorists live neither for themselves nor for the people alone, but they should devote themselves first to their own sanctification by the practice of prayer and of all the virtues so that they be a living memorial (vita memoria ) of the life of Jesus Christ, and then to the sanctification of others.
Two fundamental characteristics: The Seasons and the Traditional Mass.
A fundamental characteristic of our community is a strict adherence to the seasons set aside for the contemplative life and for the missionary life as they were constituted by St. Alphonsus and the Chapter Fathers in 1764: “The Fathers go out to the Missions, during winter, about the first day of November; in the Spring about Low Saturday. They will return indeed, in the Winter time on the last days of Septuagesima; in Spring they ought to be at home for the beginning of June. Let them take care that the day before the First of June all the Missions are ended.” This disposition of time gives a predominance to the contemplative life of the members.
In conformity with the proper vocation of the Transalpine Redemptorists, which led to its foundation, in the Roman rite the members of the Congregation habitually use the liturgical books in use in 1962: Missal, Breviary, Ritual and Pontifical. Applying the provision of Article 3 of the Motu proprio Summorum Pontificum of Pope Benedict XVI, the entire Congregation of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer permanently celebrate according to the liturgical books in use in 1962.
Priests and Coadjutor Brothers.
The vocation of our Coadjutor Brother embraces the religious state which consists in following the internal invitation of God to the evangelical perfection according to the end and laws of the community. Equally the vocation is manifested by a right intention and suitability of leading the Transalpine redemptorist rule of life, and this is confirmed and completed by admission to the profession of vows. The model and special patron of the Coadjutor Brother is Saint Gerard Majella.
