Q & A on Discernment

A Xaverian Mission Spirituality

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The reason why we normally do a lot of soul searching is that there are as many definitions of spirituality as there are spiritual seekers. We questions the power of good and evil in our world, we seek relationships that are fulfilling and God-centered, and we try to include in this journey of life the many others who are walking with us.

That big word, Spirituality, takes a new meaning when it is fleshed out by a community. The following are some fundamentals of our Mission Spirituality.

Mission and Religious Life:

We, Xaverian Missionaries, pledge ourselves to overseas mission or “evangelization” by a specific “Mission Vow.”

Our mission/apostolic ministry and our Religious life TOGETHER constitute our only and undivided Charism. This is the reason why, in order to live and witness this mission consecration, we strive to follow Christ in the vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience.

"The missionary is a person of action in constant union with Christ, in whom he continually finds inspiration" [by Antonella del Grosso, xmm]

Mission... carried out in Community:

As one family, we Xaverian missionaries share all: faith, mission commitment, hopes, joys, concerns, as well as all material goods.

We provide a visible and credible sign of our mission by living in communities based upon faith, love and listening to God’s Word and missioned to the people we live with and are called to serve;

Since we are more and more an international Congregation, we favor the formation of “International Communities” as a witness to the Gospel values and an exchange of the various gifts present in each culture

Mission and Prayer Life:

Because we have chosen a way of life which says by its very nature that God is most important, prayer has a central role in our lives. To us, PRAYER is communication with the Lord whom we love -- and is as necessary for us as communication is for any two persons who expect their relationship to continue to grow. Can you imagine having a best friend to whom you never spoke?

Our Founder, Guido M. Conforti, defined a missionary as “a person of action in constant union with Christ, in whom he continually finds inspiration.”

Our missionary service challenges us... “to be contemplative in action...”

Prayer is the principal activity of the missionary. It strengthens his faithfulness and sustains his apostolic commitment. Because of this, we are invited to reserve time and space both for personal and community prayer... daily.

Our efforts aren’t always perfect, but we are so convinced of our deep need for and commitment to God that we keep on trying to “keep in tune with” God, no matter how we feel. Probably, the main benefit of prayer is that it makes us more sensitive to God’s presence and action in the people, events, and circumstances of our daily missionary work

"Be Contemplative in Action"

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