Claretian spirituality
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Spirituality “I will direct more and more to God and not to myself.” - Saint Anthony Claret The Claretian spirituality comes from the spirit of the Founder, Saint Anthony Claret, whose restless missionary spirit marks the Claretian Spirituality. Saint Anthony Claret preached the Gospel in many ways—he wanted to speak to the people in a way that God would speak to them. He tried to touch the hearts of the people through his homilies, writings, organizing workers, forming cooperatives, giving retreats, visiting prisons, visiting hospitals, and denouncing injustice in society. In the same spirit, the Claretians today are working in inner cities and villages in over 60 countries on five continents. In the Eastern Province of the U.S. they work primarily with recent immigrants, in publishing through Claretian Publications, and in fostering devotion to St. Jude through the National Shrine of St. Jude. The Claretian spirituality hears the cry of those who suffer and comes to their aid. It embraces the experience of the one who suffers and makes out of it the living Christ. The Claretian spirituality is to live and suffer with the poor-especially the marginalized of society. The Claretian spirituality looks for the living Christ among the prisoners, the sick, the poor, and unevangelized. It is important to remember that the Claretian spirituality speaks the voice of freedom and peace—the voice which comes to give hope to those who are hopeless and to witness the everlasting life among those who are weak, vulnerable, and invisible in today’s society. In order for the Claretians to live this spirituality, Claretians live a community life and live as the first community lived: poor, obedient, humble, and chaste. |