Guidelines Sheet - Series on the Verbum Dei Sources of Spirituality: 17-23 June, 2024

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The last source of Spirituality that we are going to deepen in this week is the fact that we are all part of the Mystical Body of Christ.  By our very baptism, we were introduced into this reality of faith that we are now living in, “since it is in him that we live, and move, and exist.” (Acts 17:28)
 
“The reality is the Body of Christ” (Col 2:17) as St. Paul would tell us, and this is the reality that we are invited to live in as Christians.  We are all part of Christ and also part of one another.  (cf. 1 Cor 12:12)  Christ has ‘inserted’ us into his body in order that we may stay connected to him at all times!  There is no moment that we need to stay separated from Him, since we are living in Him!  This is the security that we have as Christians, that “nothing can separate us from the love of Christ” (Rom 8:39) because we are fully immersed into Him by the Holy Spirit.

“The Total Christ – Head and members – opens us in this way the most natural setting of our daily prayer.” (Verbum Dei Statutes 253)  This is the sum up and goal of all our drawing from all the other sources of spirituality: living in companionship with the Blessed Trinity, being nourished and renewed constantly by the Lord’s fraternal love in the Eucharist, and the constant presence of our mother in our daily life.
 
When we are able to identify the daily sufferings of our brothers and sisters in the world of today with the crucified Christ, we are moved to respond to Him with greater urgency in our mission personally and as one family dedicated to the preparation and ministry of Word of God
Each one of us in Christ’s body has a vital role to play.  Each one of us is irreplaceable in building up His Body – the community, the Church.  It is the wisdom of God that he makes us so diverse and endowed with different gifts, so that we need one another – from the greatest to the smallest, and even he asks us to take care of the one of seems the least useful or great among us. (cf. 1 Cor 12:22-24)
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As we draw closer to Jesus this week, let us allow ourselves to receive the invitation of Jesus to take care of His Body, that is, each member of the community, especially those who are least noticed or seemingly less important among us. “For whatever you did to the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.” (Matt 25:40)

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MONDAY (JUNE 17)
John 15:4-5​

Remain united to me, and I will remain united to you. A branch cannot bear fruit by itself; it can do so only if it remains in the vine. In the same way you cannot bear fruit unless you remain in me. "I am the vine, and you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me.
(John 15:4-5)

Being part of the Body of Christ means that we affect Jesus and many people and we are able to influence them in a very positive or negative way.  For this reason, Jesus insists on us to stay united to Him, so that we may become life-giving members in His Body – drawing life from Him and giving life to other members.  Our union with Him will also make us sensitive to what others really need.
How can you be a life -giving member of the Body of Christ?

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TUESDAY (JUNE 18)
Ephesians 4:11-13

It was he who "gave gifts to people"; he appointed some to be apostles, others to be prophets, others to be evangelists, others to be pastors and teachers. He did this to prepare all God's people for the work of Christian service, in order to build up the body of Christ. And so we shall all come together to that oneness in our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God; we shall become mature people, reaching to the very height of Christ's full stature.
(Ephesians 4:11-13)

Each one of us in Christ’s body has a vital role to play.  Each one of us is irreplaceable in building up His Body – the community, the Church.  It is the wisdom of God that He makes us so diverse and endowed with different gifts, so that we need one another – from the greatest to the smallest, and even He asks us to take care of the one of seems the least useful or great among us. (cf. 1 Cor 12:22-24 )  We are called to use our gifts to build up the Body of Christ since only as one body can we reach the full knowledge of God. 

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WEDNESDAY (JUNE 19)
Ephesians 4:15-16​

Instead, by speaking the truth in a spirit of love, we must grow up in every way to Christ, who is the head. Under his control all the different parts of the body fit together, and the whole body is held together by every joint with which it is provided. So when each separate part works as it should, the whole body grows and builds itself up through love. 
(Ephesians 4:15-16)
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To actively work our talents and limitations in an atmosphere of mutual help and forgiveness, creating channels for building-up the other in the spirit of the Gospel (cf. Mt 18, 15-20).
Identity and Mission of VDMFa

The Body is built up when we speak the truth in a spirit of humility and love.

How can I build up my brothers and sisters when there limitations are being exposed? Do I accept their limitations without  judgement and condemnation? 

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THURSDAY (JUNE 20)
Mark 1:40-42​

A man suffering from a dreaded skin disease came to Jesus, knelt down, and begged him for help. "If you want to," he said, "you can make me clean." Jesus was filled with pity, and reached out and touched him. "I do want to," he answered. "Be clean!". At once the disease left the man, and he was clean.                                 
(Mark 1:40-42)

Jesus has given us the power to heal the members of His Body. Only friendship with Jesus will move us with the compassion to forget ourselves and to heal the disease of the world.  Many of our brothers and sisters are suffering from loneliness, anxiety, insecurity, hatred , and the like and seek healing from the pleasures  of the world  yet only the love of Jesus can heal them. We were once the weak and wounded part of Christ’s body and some faithful forgot themselves in order to heal us, would you do the same? How can I be an effective healer of the weak and the wounded members of Christ’s Body?

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FRIDAY (JUNE 21)
1 Corinthians 12:4-6, 11, 18. 27​

4There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit gives them. 5There are different ways of serving, but the same Lord is served. 6There are different abilities to perform service, but the same God gives ability to all for their particular service. 11But it is one and the same Spirit who does all this; as he wishes, he gives a different gift to each person. 18As it is, however, God put every different part in the body just as he wanted it to be. 27All of you are Christ's body, and each one is a part of it.
(1 Corinthians 12:4-6, 11, 18. 27)
 
In the VDMFa there are different ministries or services that assist apostolic effectiveness . With creativity and discernment we seek out various means so that each of us may find our place with joy and contribute in our own way to evangelization. Some ministries are: the written word, the media, music, liturgy, logistics, catechesis, and evangelisation of culture in family, work, intellectual, political, economic and social environments. These ministries are the various services needed to unfold the VDMFa mission in each local community. 
​(VDMD Regulations #29)

We find our stable identity and sense of belonging when we learn to accept the place that God gives us in His plan. Have you found your place in the  Body of Christ? 

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PRAYER FOR THE CONGRESS
To be held in Loeches, Spain from August 30 – September 27, 2024

“Communion, Consecration and Participation in the Mission"

Father, you who create and sustain all things with your love, we ask you to make us artisans of communion, so that as we journey towards the Congress we may know how to welcome the diversity that characterises us as the Verbum Dei Missionary Family.
 
Jesus, human face of God, consecrate us to your Word so that the Congress may be prepared and carried out in profound fidelity to your voice, listening to each one of us and to the signs of the times.
 
Holy Spirit, you who open rivers in the desert, guide us in this time of discernment and decision, so that we may live, embody and offer our charism ever more fully, so that all the baptised may participate in the mission of Jesus entrusted to the Church.
 
Accompany us, Mary, with your loving motherly presence and intercession, so that this Congress may be a channel of hope in which God transforms us and makes all things new. Amen.