“And to some, His ‘gift’ was that they should be apostles; to some prophets; to some, evangelists; to some, pastors and teachers; to knit God’s holy people together for the work of service to build up the Body of Christ, until we all reach unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God and form the perfect Man, fully mature with the fullness of Christ Himself.” (Ephesians 4:11-13)
“The Church's history is marked by interventions of the Holy Spirit, who has not only enriched her with His gifts of wisdom, prophecy and holiness, but has endowed her with ever new forms of evangelical life through the work of the founders and foundresses who have passed on their charism to the family of their spiritual sons and daughters.” (Pope Benedict XVI, Live in Conformity with the Gospel, 2005)
“The originality of a particular charism that gives life to a movement neither claims, nor could claim, to add anything to the richness of the ‘depositum fidei’, safeguarded by the Church with passionate fidelity. Nonetheless it represents a powerful support, a moving and convincing reminder to live the Christian experience to the full, with intelligence and creativity. Therein lies the basis of finding adequate responses to the challenges and needs of ever-changing times and historical circumstances. In this light, the charisms recognised by the Church are ways of deepening one’s knowledge of Christ and giving oneself more generously to Him, while at the same time rooting oneself ever more deeply in communion with the entire Christian people. For this reason, these charisms deserve attention from every member of the ecclesial community, beginning from the Pastors to whom the care of the particular churches is entrusted in communion with the Vicar of Christ. Movements can thus make a valuable contribution to the vital dynamics of the one Church founded on Peter, in the various local situations, especially in those regions where the ‘implantatio Ecclesiae’ is still in its early stages or subject to many difficulties.” (Pope John Paul II, Message to the World Congress of Ecclesial Movements, 1998)
Many unique charisms have been showered upon the Church according to the needs of the times through the ever new creativity and generosity of the Holy Spirit.
There are many different gifts, but it is always the same Spirit; there are many different ways of serving, but it is always the same Lord. There are many different forms of activity, but in everybody it is the same God who is at work in them all. (1Corinthians 12:4-6)
God has given us a unique apostolic charism to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ to all creation and to powerfully support the Church during this era. By the power of this charism, we are able to treasure the Scriptures in our hearts following the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Luke 2:19), to share it with others by means of Scriptural counsels and admonitions (2 Timothy 3:16) and lead them to the joy of the Risen Lord (John 16:24).
This charism further empowers us to awaken in people an unclouded understanding by reminding them the eternal mysteries of the Catholic Faith through the Word of God (2 Peter 1:12-15; Ephesians 2:19-22), inscribe the Scriptures in the hearts of the listeners (2 Corinthians 3:3), build up the Body of Christ by strengthening and refreshing other charisms using the many-sided wisdom of God (Acts 20:32; Ephesians 4:11-13; Ephesians 3:10), help people by the power of God’s Word to discern between holy and profane, clean and unclean (Hebrews 4:12-13; 1Corinthians 12:10; Ezekiel 44:23), to overcome the power of the Evil One (1 John 2:14).
Our charism and Pope Saint John XXIII
Overwhelmed with gratitude at this rich outpouring of grace in the form of an apostolic charism, in around the year 1990, our founder earnestly prayed to be shown the source of this gift. In a heavenly vision, he was shown the saintly Pope John XXIII praying in the Sistine Chapel and the Spirit coming down on him as a 'ray of light.' He was also shown the date of January 25th, 1959. This same Pope was shown then as opening the treasures of the Scriptures to the Church and interceding for our founder.
Because of this revelation and the great esteem and love our founder had for this holy Pontiff, our Community has taken Pope Saint John XXIII as our heavenly patron to guide our Community in effectively participating in the 'New Evangelisation' to which the Church has committed herself as a fruit of Vatican II.