The Company of St Ursula started modestly with 28 women of faith….That was on 25 November 1535. St Angela Merici chose a model of faith, courage, loyalty, complete commitment to Christ, and leadership among women. Yes, she chose St Ursula, an early Christian martyr, to be the Patroness of our Company.Saint Ursula was known as a leader of women companions, all martyred at Cologne, Germany, around 300 A.D. We celebrate her feast day on 21 October.
Are you being called to be the true and virginal spouses of the Son of God?
Are you being called to be included in the number of women consecrated in the world, women who adore the Father who is in heaven?
Are you being called to take the road of consecration, living in the world but not of the world, and intending to be a part of the Company of St Ursula in an active and responsible manner?
Are you being called to choose the Lord as the only Treasure?
Through a work of discernment and accompaniment, may you find the path the Lord is paving for you so you may grow in sanctity…this is pleasing to the Lord for everyone.
May the daughters of St Angela never forget that they have been given a gift, a singular gift, and may they be always vigilant, attentive and guard their Treasure with love.
Today the Lord continues to invite women of faith to come forward and be counted.
Is God calling you to this way of life?
For admission these are required:
• Joy and freedom…” she who demonstrates that she is entering joyously and freely; and has the requirements for leading the life proper to the Company.”
• The age…”she must be 18 years of age.”
• Free of every other bond…”Not to be incorporated in another Institute of consecrated life or a society of apostolic life.”
There are general conditions for admission in a secular Institute:
human maturity, the fullest possible; Christian maturity, basic general culture, the practice of a profession or a type of work, a balanced affectivity, ability of assuming commitments in the Company and time to put them into practice, a firm and constant will.
There are certain conditions that we find in the old ceremonial that we still have. (1570) “All those virgins who moved on their accord and for heavenly spirit, leaving on one side the vanity of the world and carnal sensuality, and on the other side dressed up with patience, obedience and humility and solely to fall in love ardently with Jesus Saviour of the universe, and this to accept for her dear Spouse will wish to enter in the present Company of the brides of Christ”
If we want to abide by the Constitutions, the teaching of St. Angela, we could still convey something…
For St. Angela the candidate must be a virgin… “First of all one has to remember that each one who is about to enter or to be admitted in this Company must be a virgin”…..
Already in the Prologue, Angela says, “Prologue on the life of virgins” and in her Testament: “God willing to call forth from the vanity of the world many women especially virgins…”
“From the beginning of the Church there have been men and women who have renounced to the great good of marriage to follow the Lamb wherever He goes to preoccupy themselves of the things of the Lord and to seek to please Him to go and meet the Bridegroom who comes…” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1618)
This is virginity requested by St. Angela … to follow the Bridegroom who calls, to please Him, to meet Him. She must be firm and decisive in her intention: “…and must have the firm intention of serving the Lord in such a sort of life.”
It is a condition to be verified both by the daughter and the responsible person. It is not enough to be just a passing desire, it is not enough the enthusiasm of the moment, it is not enough half measured objectives… Firm intention is needed to serve the Lord; to choose Him as the all of one’s life, to choose Him forever as the “only” Spouse, the only Treasure the Lover.” All this concerns a decision, a firm intention… capable of transforming the choice of one moment into a commitment for life.
One should not enter or be accepted in the Company for the sake of the apostolate, for friendship, for prayer, for the leaders, the beautiful things to do…. But she who does all these things choosing God totally and forever. In the Company is admitted she who chooses God in this form of life, in this particular vocation.
I can choose God and enter into the Company, but if I ask to enter into the Company I know that I must have the firm intention of serving the Spouse in the secular consecration, as a daughter of St Angela and in all that it consists.
Admission must be accompanied by joy and freedom: “Then: that she is entering joyously and freely.” This makes still the second great condition that of choosing the Lord. It is normal that St. Angela, a joyful positive woman, demands joy: “enter joyfully”. It is up to us to live in such a way. It was less normal, or rather completely new in those times, to make a free and voluntary choice. Everything was arranged by others, also the choice of life and eventually of the “just” person…
But for the Company it was not like that and it is not so: To make a choice is needed one’s free will with a personal responsibility, and as consequence a need to be faithful and perseverant. It has been a free choice, so it stands to reason to assume all the commitments even those unforeseen, with joy.
For St. Angela the bond should be with the Lord in the Company… “Third: that she should not have promised herself to any monastery nor to any man of this world.” What do you do if you are to commit yourself for life, if you are already committed? The choice is radical and unconditional; it bears a commitment for life, for which freedom is needed of every bond and every form of dependence – that of institution (monastery) as well as affective (a living man) Immediately St. Angela speaks of promise… not have promised herself because a serious promise has in fact the value of a commitment for the future. There are no doubts: when a daughter of St. Angela asks to make part of the Company she must be free to belong completely to it and to belong solely to the Lord.
Familiar and social bonds: “Fourth: that if she has a father or mother or other superiors, she first asks their consent: thus the lady-governors and governors of the Company will also be able to speak with them, so that they would have no legitimate reason if later, by chance, they would want to prevent her from entering into this holy obedience.”
St. Angela asked the consent of the parents or of other superiors for whoever enters the Company and the motive of this was…so that no one would then prevent her to observe the Rule and obedience in the Company.
Today times have changed: everyone has the right of a personal choice. This is not conditioned by anybody, and she has also the right to the .criterion of privacy regarding her belonging to the Company itself. However the indication St. Angela seems good to be “discreet”, but suitable knowledge on the part of the formation guides and relatives can help the daughter if well placed in her joyful road in the Company.
The age… “Fifth: that she must be at least twelve years old. However, let it be remembered that those under twelve may be accepted in the group so as to form them to the reality of this singular life. Even the condition of age today is changed. It seems wise, however, the indication of St. Angela that suggests and advises for the “care” of vocations. It concerns with making known to youth in search, the reality of this “life so singular.”
What is a religious vocation? It is a free and conscious response to an invitation or a call from God by which one decides to dedicate one’s own entire life to the work of redemption within the structures of an institution approved by the church. The work of redemption may be teaching, being a cloistered nun etc. It is approved by the church: Society of Jesus, etc.
What is a response to the call? This does not originate in one’s own plan but it is a response to God’s call. This response is many times difficult to describe or classify. Even when we deal with founders of religious congregations we refer to it as a response to a call. A reality is, however, manifested in the motivation. Why? In the one who wants to respond to the vocation, the motivation usually enlightens the reality of a true call. E.g. I want to be a Jesuit. Why? They are so famous, so intelligent, etc. This is a free response indicating a free decision, knowing what one is really doing. One is not compelled by feelings. E.g. I like the habit worn by this order.
It is to dedicate one’s own entire life, pointing to a life commitment to so-operate in the work of Christ.
There is a period of formation. There is the novitiate.
It is expressed in the vows to be made. The person knows what he/she is doing and why he/she is doing it. Yes, this is what I want and this is what I desire. Is this really what you want? This is a life commitment within the structures of a group approved by the church.
There are two basic motivations:
1. A desire to follow the Person of Jesus Christ, His style of life as we encounter in the gospel. This pre-supposes knowledge and closeness to the Person of Jesus. There is an attachment and one is in love with Christ.
2. This is a decision to make. There is the will to dedicate oneself entirely to the work of Christ. ‘Entirely’ does not mean teaching catechism for 24 hours. But, there is an awareness of the salvation of man. This may be felt or expressed in many ways. E.g. Aids. Injustice is done to people in the mountains. You have a desire to help them.
The apostolic vocation is an attempt to live the three Christian attitudes fully—chastity, poverty and obedience.
We make our profession in front of the community. We indicate what we are trying to live. The three attitudes of chastity, poverty and obedience become the basic matter or core of the vows.
This Spirit of Christ has to be transformed into the way I live. Consecrated by….amen, amen, amen! We are called!
Someone calls… We all know who calls…His Divine Majesty, the Son of God, the mutual Spouse, the only Treasure…Surely He is never weary of calling because He is never weary of loving… of falling in love…He is never weary also of calling to the Company…because…”He will never abandon this Company until the end of the world.”
Someone hears the call… “Called to follow Jesus Christ according to the charism of St. Angela…” It has to do with a particular call that presupposes the knowledge of the Master and the knowledge of the charism of the secular consecration in the spirituality of St. Angela Merici. Here we could ask ourselves how and in what way we can make known the charism, how we can propose it.
It is up to us now, the heirs of St. Angela Merici, to propose once more and again, such a singular gift. Someone receives… It is the Company who receives…all the Company, even if the leaders have a particular duty in receiving and accompanying the candidate. The atmosphere that breathes in the Company… the strength or the weakness of unity… of self giving… of fidelity give warmth or coldness to the welcome. The receiving is made up of understanding, of looks, words, attitudes of love, of ideals … of company…we have to see each other as dear sisters.
There is a period of vocational orientation… It is a period not to be neglected; it is a period not to be wasted. It is the period in which the candidate is helped to ask herself: which road permits me to live better in love?
Which choice of life roots me entirely in love?
What is my attraction for Christ?
What is the thing that has attracted me?
Where is the Spirit orientating me?
What is the plan of the Father for me?
It is necessary for one to orientate herself truly. We don’t speed up the time. Let us do the things well. Whoever approaches the Company must orientate oneself and so equally must the Company. We are quick to receive but what degree of personal maturity, and that of a Company presupposes an admission. Let us do a mutual experience between the person who considers herself to be called, and ask for help regarding her reception and accompaniment from other sisters and other Companies.
There is a time for the initial journey… It is only after a period of a vocational orientation that the Company proposes the time of the initial journey. The time of the initial journey is already a time of belonging to the spiritual family, discerned also juridically and marked by a precise route.
A time to live in a certain way… This time will have to permit the candidate
• To verify about the authenticity of her vocation. It concerns offering help to the candidate so that she would be enlightened, within and around her about her call and her availability to the response.
• To study in depth the identity of secular consecration. It is necessary to offer the means to study in depth this particular call…secular consecration. It is not automatic, and it is not something to be calculated; it depends also on the experience, culture, expectations, on the clarity of the identity. At times even the Companies must review this identity update and perfect it.
• To know the spirit of the Foundress… it is necessary to know the life, the history, the writings of St. Angela; it is necessary to know the Constitutions, fundamental norm of our life to realize the end of the Institute.
• To experience the form of life outlined by the Foundress herself: It is not enough to know, there is a need to make an experience of this life, verifying the style and the goal. The experience must strengthen the belonging between a personal project and a project of the Company, between the ideal that is sought and proposed and the life lived…
The admission in the Company … competence, agreement…advice “The admission to the period of initial trial is the responsibility of the Directress of the Company; the Directress must have the consent of her Council; she must hear the opinion of those who helped the Candidate during the period of vocational orientation.”
[As taught by Fr Iker]
When we consider the apostolic call, we see a few steps:
1. Some initial contacts.
John 1:35-39 The next day as John stood there again with two of his disciples, Jesus went past, and John looked towards Him and said, ’Look, there is the lamb of God.’ And the two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus. Jesus turned round, saw them following and said, ’What do you want?’ they answered, ’Rabbi’—which means Teacher—‘where do You live?’ he replied, ‘come and see;’ so they went and saw where He lived, and stayed with Him that day. It was about the tenth hour.
2. A desire to follow Jesus.
John 1:40- 45 One of these two who became followers of Jesus after hearing what John had said was Andrew, the brother of simon Peter. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother and say to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’—which means the Christ—and he took Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, ’You are Simon son of John; you are to be called Cephas’— which means rock.
The next day, after Jesus had decided to leave for Galilee, He met Philip and said, ’Follow Me.’ Philip came from the same town, Bethsaida, as Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ’We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.’
The desire grows in the heart through some continuous contact with Him. As a consequence there is a call from Christ. It is not a definite commitment yet as the disciples go back to their fishing but there is a desire to follow the Lord.
Matthew 4:18-22 As He was walking by the Lake of Galilee He saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew; they were making a cast into the lake with their net, for they were fishermen. And He said to them, ’Come after Me and I will make you fishers of people.’ And at once they left their nets and followed Him.
Going on from there He saw another pair of brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John; they were in their boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and He called them. And at once, leaving the boat and their father, they followed Him.
Initial dedication or commitment is necessary for the formation, transformation and initiation. The disciples receive Jesus’ Spirit little by little. He preaches and they ask questions. He answers them. Obviously not all the disciples stayed with Jesus all the time.
A critical period follows. (Read Mark 8-10 and John 6)
When Jesus speaks of the Eucharist, the people ask if He is crazy. They say goodbye. Peter says that Jesus has the message of eternal life. There is therefore some form of screening. Many abandoned Jesus. Some renewed their commitment.
Formation in the Spirit of Christ. To you are given the understanding; to others they remain parables. There is a period of real internalization in the Spirit of Christ. This is important if one is recruiting others. There is to be exposure to Christ in the apostolic community and some apostolic activities. The apostles had three years with Jesus in His public life. E.g. Having prayers together. Groups going to Old Folks’ Homes etc. There is some involvement.
The mandate is given after the experience of the Paschal Mystery.
John 20:21 ‘As the Father sent Me, so am I sending you.’
Matthew 28:19-20 Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations; baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And look, I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.’
After the internalization, the disciples are ready to go and do God’s work. A very clear cut process is seen. This is repeated among us even now.
Let us reflect…
The title: THOSE WHO ARE CALLED
It is beautiful to consider that the title of this second chapter of the Constitutions follows that of the first chapter: “called by grace to serve the Lord together.”Now it is up to us to understand who those who are called are and to what this road of following consists. The third chapter will tell us how to respond to the grace of vocation.
There must be study and participation…The Company cannot in fact offer everything regarding formation; it is called to offer a specific formation but each one can and must preoccupy herself to form herself and to bring herself up to date.
The Constitutions require an enrichment of our spiritual life
- through the study of the teachings of the Magisterium of the Church
- through the participation in the initiatives promoted by the local Church
The Rule and the writings of the Foundress…We will meditate the Rule and the other writings that our Foundress has left us a sure way of responding faithfully to the divine call. (cons. 14, 6) “For if you strive in the future, with all your might to live as is required of true spouses of the Most High and to keep this Rule as the way along which you have to walk and as that which has been drawn up for your benefit, I have this firm and unquestioning faith and hope In divine goodness, that not only shall we easily overcome all dangers and adversities but also, to our great glory and jubilation we shall defeat them. We shall even spend this very short life of’ ours in consolation.” (Rule Prologue 23-26)
“Every consecrated person will constantly refer to the Rule, the Memoirs and the Testament of Saint Angela Merici because referring to one’s origins preserves and nourishes the spiritual energies capable of always paving the way for an authentic renewal.” (Const. 37, 1)
“Finally, take the greatest care that the good directives gives, especially those in the Rule be most diligently observed.” (Testament 11.1) “I ask you all, or rather I beg you for love of the Passion of Jesus Christ and of our Lady, that you strive to put Into practice these few counsels which I am leaving you now, to carry out after my death; they will be for you a reminder of at Least a part of my will and desire*” (Counsels Pro. 20-21)
“The Rule and the Constitutions which are its actuality must become a object of meditation: there, one discovers a richness, otherwise unknown.” (M. Albertini)
The period of initial trial will last for two years… A possible reduction of the time, by not more than two months, can be granted for just reasons by the Directress of the Company.
The delay: The trial period can be lengthened by not more than two years upon request of the candidate or by decision of the Directress; in both cases, with the consent of the Council and after consultation with the formation guide. Who accompanies during the trial period…
The accompaniment is trusted in the hand of the formation guide who has precise duties
• by being near and by her witness
• by counsel and prayer
• by the proposal of adequate formative experiences
• help for a constructive dialogue with the Directress
The duty of support is with all the members of the Company who are called to receive the Candidate with
• prayer
• friendship and dialogue
• mutual respect
• with necessary reserve
The whole Company proceeds and accompanies … rich with the patrimony of the past, humble in the sharing of today, projected to a hopeful future. The helps and the commitments in the trial period…
The fundamental help looked for by the Candidate herself are the formatives routes which become useful instruments: • For an authentic knowledge of herself… A requirement that helps the Candidate to make discernment, is that she has to run along a road of growth in the knowledge of herself, of all that she desires to realise in life, and for all that God has called her to realise.
• For a personal formation on the human, cultural, spiritual, ecclesial and apostolic levels”. This is concerned with helping each other to obtain that balanced and progressive ability of relating with oneself, with others and with God. It deals with favouring the sense of self acceptance, the sense of freedom and of personal responsibility, the ability of fulfilling stable choices, the possibility of walking towards a full integration of her own affectivity.
A full human maturity will be an indispensable foundation on which is built that which is Christian and spiritual. The helps must point to an end:
• she will have to assimilate evangelical values
• internalize and experience commitment that derive from consecration in the world
• come to know the history of the Company and
• love its life
