Contemplation of Divine Things

"The first and foremost duty of all religious is to be the contemplation
​ of divine things and assiduous union with God in prayer." ~ Canon 663

This excerpt from the Code of Canon law beautifully expresses our primary responsibility and fundamental orientation as religious: union with God in prayer. Prayer unifies the whole of our life of consecration and mission, the two primary facets of the vowed life. Prayer is the "soul of the apostolate." It is the animating factor that makes the actions of each Sister efficacious for God because they flow from union with Him.

The Catechism tells us that prayer is "both a gift of grace and a determined response on our part" (2725). It is a battle against our fallen inclinations and the temptations of the devil, a battle to remain in the presence of God, Whose countenance is ever turned toward us. Prayer is an essential element of our life - the body does better without oxygen than the soul and apostolate of a consecrated person who goes without prayer. Our desire is to know Jesus Christ Crucified with the depth and intimacy of a spousal relationship, but this type of communion is not established overnight. Rather, it is the result of years of fidelity, fidelity to individual, communal, and liturgical prayer and to living the fruit of that prayer in our apostolate.

The Sister's prayer must first be individual and personal. A deep relationship is formed and fostered through the Sister's fidelity to seeking Him in everything and setting aside time to simply be with Him Whom her soul longs for. She seeks Him in the Eucharist, where His face is most clearly revealed and concealed, in meditation, spiritual reading, Lectio, and those little aspirations of the heart that draw her back to Him throughout the day. Her periods of personal prayer assist the sister to internalize and make her own the communal and liturgical prayer of our life.

For her prayer is also communal. Her personal relationship with her Spouse must find expression in the particular prayer life of the community. It is fed by the communal spirituality and is supported by the communal effort. Each Sister has a right to be able to rely on the community to pray for her and on her behalf. She enters into the efficacy of the prayer of those gathered "in His Name", benefiting from it personally and praying with the confidence of one who knows the prayer of the community will be heard before the throne of God. The way that a community prays and worships demonstrates the community's beliefs and values. Our communal prayer has a liturgical character, a meditative quality, and a Marian dimension that publicly expresses our orientation and charism.

Liturgical prayer is at the heart of our life of consecration. We sanctify our day and join with the voice of the Church in praying together Lauds, Vespers, and Compline. These hours are an extension of the Eucharistic Sacrifice in which we are privileged to participate each day. Assisted by the example of our sisters and uniting with the heart of Mary, Mother of the Church, we offer our Divine Lord adoration, intercession, praise, and thanksgiving to intercede for the salvation of the whole world (cf. Canon 1173).