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Since the Eucharist is the
fullest expression of our life, every facet of our life of prayer and penance is a continuation of
this Eucharistic grace of communion and self-gift. We consider the celebration of
the Eucharist the most important part of our day... As a response of love and gratitude, we ponder this
great gift of Christ in our hearts by adoring and contemplating Him in Eucharistic adoration." (Constitutions #41)
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Jesus in the Eucharist teaches and empowers us to become poor,
humble, and vulnerable in giving ourselves to others so that they may come to know the
merciful love of God." (Constitutions #15)
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Finding the fullest meaning of our lives in our union with Christ,, the Bridegroom of the Church, we desire His presence to penetrate and guide the interweaving of the very fabric of our lives, clothing us with the seamless garment of His life and love.
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Desiring our lives to be patterned by His mysteries, we enter fully into the liturgical rhythym of each day, week, and Season. Through the Liturgy of the Hours, we endeavor to let the mystery of Christ, relaized most fully in the Liturgy of the Eucharist, permeate and transform each period of the day, making it holy . (Constitutions 42)
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Desiring to keep the spirit of Pentecost alive in our hearts, we have communal times of praise and worship with openness to the charismatic gifts for the building up of the Body (1Cor 12:4-11).Praise has a way of lifting our hearts outside of ourselves and into the Heart of God, worshiping God for who He is and opening us to the work of the Spirit.
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We have time set aside for praise and worship and interceding for God's people. We consider praise of God a prayer of reparation and atonement, for St. Francis exhorts us: "And when we see or hear and evil person speak or act or blaspheme God, let us speak well and act well and praise God...."
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Silence, the friend of all who seek holiness, provides the quiet necessary for us to deepen our intimacy with God, to grow in self-knowledge, to gain wisdom for difficult situations, and to become more attentive to the Spirit. By practicing evangelical silence, we create an atmosphere conducive for interior recollection, peaceful living, and charity. Ordinarily, on Wednesdays and Fridays, which are special days of intercession, we accompany our fasting with greater attention to our silence. (Constitutions #60)
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Our life of prayer and penance naturally lends itself to times and places of solitude, to be alone in communion with God. Sloitude helps us let go of distractions and remain focused on God who draws us into a profound otherness which embraces the whole world. Francis' life was powerful not because he did much, but because he was centered in God. Desiring this same simplicity in God, we have opportunities for solitude as part of our weekly, monthly, and annual contemplative rhythm of life. In addition to the daily and weekly schedule, these times include regular hermitage days, Days of Renewal, annual retreat, and other times of solitude as discerned with the community. (Constitutions #61)
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In
harmony with our Seraphic father,
Francis, we appreciate all of creation
as gift and as a wonderful way
to experience and praise God, our Creator.
As Bonaventure describes: 'For in
beautiful things Francis saw beauty itself,
making all things a ladder by which
he could climb and embrace his Beloved'.
Aware of the gift of creation in drawing us
to God, we welcome opportunities
to encounter and praise God through creation." (Constitutions #46)
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We hold Mary in highest veneration as the Mother of our community, honoring her in a special way under the title of Our Mother of Sorrows. The community and each sister are consecrated to Jesus through Mary. Among other forms of prayer and devotion, we regularly pray the rosary as an honored and graced way of contemplating these sacred mysteries, drawing us into union with Christ and His Mother. (Constitutions #56)
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Flowing from our love of our Crucified Lord, we devote ourselves to meditating on His passion, particularly through making the Way of the Cross.
Jesus, I trust in You. Trusting in God’s mercy, we consecrate our community to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and we regularly pray the Mercy Chaplet as revealed to St. Faustina. (Constitutions #57&58)
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