Charism & Mission

OUR CHARISM OF ADORATION 

“Glory to Thee,   Glory to Thee O Blood of our Savior. We adore, evermore Blood of the Eucharist & Calvary.”

Mother Catherine Aurelia loved this song and called it  “our Family Song.” At the age of 6, Aurelia was already making frequent visits to the Parish Church.

Even at this early age, Adoration was already a part of her life.  Later on in life she would write:  “…On my knees and in silence, I contemplate and love.”

At the communion table and in prayer before the Tabernacle, Aurelia nourished the fervent desire to be all for Jesus and for Him alone. Already the spirit of Adoration was her gift.  Aurelia, in the deep awareness of God in her life, lived in that spirit of Adoration and that throughout her entire life.

Adoration that comes from the heart,  will seek outward expression. As a child she spent many hours in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.

When she included the word ADORERS of the Precious Blood in our title, it was not just another word inserted into the title.  That word, that spirit meant a lot to her.  It was so much a part of her spirituality.  Following her inspiration, our life is centered on Eucharistic Adoration.

We spend many hours each day in prayer before the Eucharistic Lord.  In adoration of this great God, sacramentally present, our life is enriched and nourished. Mother Catherine would say to us:  “Can we dedicate too many hours blessing and adoring Christ. Even if it is only for a few seconds, I beseech you to enter the chapel often just long enough to say to Him:  ‘I adore you and I love you.’”

As it is so beautifully stated in your Constitutions: “The vision of God’s holiness led Mother Catherine Aurelia to give us as a primary duty adoration of Christ ..”

Adoration! Realizing and acknowledging who God is and who we are. Standing in need ourselves as sinners we unite with the compassionate high priest as we intercede for others.

Prayer to be genuine must also have that same spirit of total gift as in Mary’s Magnificat – Thanking God for all He has done for us and offering ourselves as His handmaids! Praising God for his own sake and giving Him glory, quite beyond what he does, but simply because He is.

I can just imagine Mother Catherine Aurelia,  joining the elect of heaven with all the love in her heart:  “And all the angels stood round about the throne, and …they fell before the throne upon their faces, and adored God, saying: Amen.  Benediction & glory, wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength to our God, forever and ever Amen.” Apocalypse vii 11, 12

OUR CHARISM  OF REPARATION

Before we even begin to reflect on our Charism of Reparation, we need to remember that we are living in 2013 and not in 1862.   Reparation is a term which, even in theological circles has seldom been dealt with and often ignored these days. Yet, for us, this is a way of life. We’ve dedicated our whole lives to the blessings of Adoration and Reparation.  It is our call, our prophetic stance.

Mother Catherine Aurelia wanted but one thing:  to obey God’s desires with love,  even to the sacrifice of her life,  and to be united with the Divine Crucified One so as to SAVE SOULS together with Him.

The Saints knew so well that we cannot enter into true prayer for sinners in an attitude of being above them, but rather that we are one with them – this is real compassion and solidarity in our brokenness.  Catherine Aurelia prayed that she would always have a deep sense of her own nothingness and sinfulness.

Here, one of our favorite quotes from the Sitio comes to mind:”…angels and human beings must always behold us on the summit of the holy mountain, holding in our hands the chalice of salvation, uniting our voices to that of the Precious Blood and soliciting grace and pardon for ourselves  and for our brothers & sisters.”

Our apostolate of reparation to the Precious Blood of Jesus unites us with the HIGH PRIEST.  The Most Precious Blood of Jesus was the offering rendered to the Eternal Father in atonement for sins and that same Divine Blood is received in Holy Communion as the life of our souls. The greatest offering of reparation is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. How deeply she appreciated the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass! It is the Mass that perpetuates the Sacrifice of the Cross and that we share in the Sacred Banquet of the Eucharist.

Is it possible that we can suffer for others?   Is it possible that we can expiate for others? Can we expiate for ourselves?  What is the ground for expiation?   THE EXPIATION OF CHRIST!  It is not we who save others, but Christ working in us.  Christ has made Reparation for all of us!

United in Christ’s redeeming mission, we carry His love through the entire day, alert to the many occasions for prayer and sacrifice.

The principle of all reparation is in Jesus Christ; and our Foundress left us, as a way of life, an uninterrupted union of mind and heart with the Eucharistic Sacrifice of Christ, Priest and Victim,  adoring, atoning and imploring Divine mercy upon the world.