UNA GUÍA PARA LAS RELIGIOSAS LLAMADAS HERMANAS DE LA MISERICORDIA (1864 – 1866)
I. ORIGEN DE ESTA GUÍA:
Unos seis años después de la muerte de Catalina McAuley, las superioras de los distintos conventos se reunieron en la Calle Baggot en el año 1847, para redactar la guía del Instituto. Todas las superioras presentes firmaron una adhesión a la Casa Madre con la aprobación de los obispos. La Madre M. Cecilia Marmion, tercera superiora de la Calle Baggot, recopiló y ordenó las costumbres y tradiciones tal como se las había heredado, con la esperanza de cimentar un lazo de firme unión y de codificar para tener como referencia las prácticas establecidas por la madre Catalina. En esto la ayudaron las superioras que eran contemporáneas de Catalina.
En 1864 hubo una reunión en Limerik presidida por la Madre M. Isabel Moore, superiora de Limerik. Todavía vivían muchas hermanas que habían sido formadas por nuestra Fundadora y podían testimoniar sus deseos y formas de pensar. Entre ellas estaban la Madre Josefina Warde, superiora de Cork. Se le pidió a la Madre M. Francis Bridgeman de Kinsale, una fundación de Limerik, que redactara la GUÍA publicada por primera vez en 1866. De esta GUÍA se redactó el DIRECTORIO (Customs and Guide).
II. EL ESPÍRITU DEL INSTITUTO (Extractado de esa GUÍA)
2.1 Obras de Misericordia.- (Tomar para sí las cargas de los otros)
El Espíritu de nuestro Instituto es la Misericordia, tal como lo indica su nombre. La MISERICORDIA sólo puede actuar en la medida en que el desamparo, el sufrimiento, la ignorancia y otras miserias la reclamen. El ejercicio de la MISERICORDIA no presupone una virtud innata o cualidades atractivas en el que la recibe. La CARIDAD abraza tanto a aquellos que tienen en abundancia como a aquellos que sufren necesidades; pero, la MISERICORDIA sólo opera en proporción a la necesidad de los que la reciben. En este espíritu, nuestro Instituto ha sido edificado y bendecido por Dios, y ha crecido en forma nada común para que sus miembros se “dediquen” al “servicio del pobre, enfermo e ignorante”. De este modo, por nuestra profesión nos convertimos por nuestros votos en las servidoras consagradas de por vida al servicio, no de los pudientes, sino de los “pobres, enfermos e ignorantes”. De ahí, que cualquier trabajo que directa o indirectamente tienda a interferir con la eficaz y dedicada ejecución de los deberes de nuestra vocación, no puede ser el trabajo que nuestro PADRE CELESTIAL nos ha dado a NOSOTRAS, no puede ser el servicio que DIOS exige de NOSOTRAS ni el hecho por el cual Él quiere santificarnos.
Todos los servicios no pueden ser prestados por una misma Orden Religiosas, como tampoco por un solo individuo; algunos servicios hasta son incompatibles con otros. LA SAGRADA ESCRITURA nos dice que en la Creación DIOS vio que cada una de sus obras era buena porque producía frutos “de acuerdo a su especie”. No esperaba ni deseaba que el manzano produjera ciruelas u otros frutos además de la manzana, pero proveyó a cada planta con la savia, etc., necesarios para perfeccionar el fruto que debía producir, y DIOS no esperaba nada más para que esa planta fuera perfecta. Así también con las ÓRDENES RELIGIOSAS. La Regla de cada Instituto determina la clase de obras que Dios exige de sus miembros. Para practicar estas obras para la mayor gloria de Dios, podemos creer que cada Orden recibe la gracia especial y las bendiciones para poder producir su fruto, ya que para este fin ha sido edificada por Dios, ha sido aprobada y bendecida por el SANTO PADRE y sus miembros han recibido la vocación especial para cumplir con las obligaciones que estipula su Regla. Si estas tareas son ejecutadas efectivamente, no se necesita más para que el INSTITUTO alcance su perfección y sus miembros se santifiquen.
Se desprende de la REGLA que las Hermanas de la Misericordia deben estar enteramente dedicadas al servicio del pobre. Entre otros pasajes, dice el capítulo X: “LAS HERMANAS DE ESTA SANTA CONGREGACIÓN ESTÁN DEDICADAS AL POBRE DEL QUE NO PUEDEN ACEPTAR NINGUNA RECOMPENSA TEMPORAL”. De ahí nuestro cuarto voto, ¿cómo puede estar destinado al servicio de otros, aquello que ha sido solemnemente dedicado al pobre? El sustituir nuestras tareas reales por otras, es un mal contra el cual no podemos defendernos suficientemente, ya que puede cambiar el ESPÍRITU DEL INSTITUTO, y por lo tanto, torcer los designios de Dios para el mismo Instituto y para sus miembros, ya que hace que nos desviemos de nuestra verdadera vocación.
A GUIDE TO THE RELIGIOUS SISTERS OF MERCY CALLS (1864 - 1866)
I. ORIGIN OF THIS GUIDE:
Some six years after the death of Catherine McAuley, the superiors of the various monasteries gathered at Baggot Street in 1847 to draft the guidance of the Institute. All superiors present signed an adhesion to the Mother House with the approval of the bishops. Mother M. Cecilia Marmion, third superior of the Baggot Street, compiled and ordered the customs and traditions as they had inherited, hoping to cement a strong bond of union and have as a reference code for the practices established by the mother Catalina. In this helped the superiors who were contemporary Catalina.
In 1864 there was a meeting presided over by Mother Limerik M. Elizabeth Moore, Superior of Limerik. Many sisters still living who had been shaped by our Founder and could testify to his wishes and ways of thinking. These included the Mother Josefina Warde, superior of Cork. He asked Mother M. Francis Bridgeman of Kinsale, a foundation Limerik, to draw up the GUIDE first published in 1866. This Guide was drafted DIRECTORY (Customs and Guide).
II. THE SPIRIT OF THE INSTITUTE (Excerpted from this GUIDE)
Works of Mercy 2.1 .- (take for themselves the burdens)
The spirit of our Institute is Mercy, as its name suggests. MERCY can act only in so far as homelessness, suffering, ignorance and other miseries the claim. The exercise of mercy does not presuppose an innate virtue or attractive qualities in the recipient. Charity embraces both those who have plenty and those who are in need, but only operates MERCY in proportion to the need of the recipients. In this spirit, our Institute has been built and blessed by God, and has grown uncommon for members to be "engaged" to "service of the poor, sick and ignorant." Thus, in our profession we become for our votes in the consecrated servants for life to the service, not the wealthy, but the "poor, sick and ignorant." Hence, any work that directly or indirectly tends to interfere with the efficient and dedicated to performing the duties of our vocation, can not be the work that our Heavenly Father has given us, can not be the service that God requires we nor the act for which he wants to sanctify us.
Not all services may be provided by the same religious order, nor by a single individual, some services are even conflict with others. Sacred Scripture tells us that in creation God saw that every one of his works was good because it produced fruit, "according to its kind". Neither expected nor wanted the apple produce plums or other fruits besides apples, but provided each plant with the sap, and so on. Needed to improve the result to be produced, and God does not expect anything more for the plant to be perfect . So too with the religious orders. The Rule of each institute determines the kind of works God requires of its members. To perform these works for the greater glory of God, we believe that every order receives special grace and blessings in order to produce fruit, because for this purpose has been built by God, has been approved and blessed by the Holy Father and its members have received special vocation to fulfill their obligations under the Rule. If these tasks are performed effectively, no longer needed for the Institute to reach its perfection and its members are holy.
It follows from the rule that the Sisters of Mercy should be entirely dedicated to serving the poor. Among other passages, said Chapter X: "SISTERS CONGREGATION OF THIS SANTA IS DEDICATED TO THE POOR CAN NOT ACCEPT ANY TIME REWARD." Hence our fourth vow, how can you be serving in the other, that which has been solemnly dedicated to the poor? Substituting our real work by others, is an evil which can not defend enough, because you can change spirit of the institute, and therefore, twist God's plan for the Institute itself and its members because it makes we deviate from our true calling.
I. ORIGIN OF THIS GUIDE:
Some six years after the death of Catherine McAuley, the superiors of the various monasteries gathered at Baggot Street in 1847 to draft the guidance of the Institute. All superiors present signed an adhesion to the Mother House with the approval of the bishops. Mother M. Cecilia Marmion, third superior of the Baggot Street, compiled and ordered the customs and traditions as they had inherited, hoping to cement a strong bond of union and have as a reference code for the practices established by the mother Catalina. In this helped the superiors who were contemporary Catalina.
In 1864 there was a meeting presided over by Mother Limerik M. Elizabeth Moore, Superior of Limerik. Many sisters still living who had been shaped by our Founder and could testify to his wishes and ways of thinking. These included the Mother Josefina Warde, superior of Cork. He asked Mother M. Francis Bridgeman of Kinsale, a foundation Limerik, to draw up the GUIDE first published in 1866. This Guide was drafted DIRECTORY (Customs and Guide).
II. THE SPIRIT OF THE INSTITUTE (Excerpted from this GUIDE)
Works of Mercy 2.1 .- (take for themselves the burdens)
The spirit of our Institute is Mercy, as its name suggests. MERCY can act only in so far as homelessness, suffering, ignorance and other miseries the claim. The exercise of mercy does not presuppose an innate virtue or attractive qualities in the recipient. Charity embraces both those who have plenty and those who are in need, but only operates MERCY in proportion to the need of the recipients. In this spirit, our Institute has been built and blessed by God, and has grown uncommon for members to be "engaged" to "service of the poor, sick and ignorant." Thus, in our profession we become for our votes in the consecrated servants for life to the service, not the wealthy, but the "poor, sick and ignorant." Hence, any work that directly or indirectly tends to interfere with the efficient and dedicated to performing the duties of our vocation, can not be the work that our Heavenly Father has given us, can not be the service that God requires we nor the act for which he wants to sanctify us.
Not all services may be provided by the same religious order, nor by a single individual, some services are even conflict with others. Sacred Scripture tells us that in creation God saw that every one of his works was good because it produced fruit, "according to its kind". Neither expected nor wanted the apple produce plums or other fruits besides apples, but provided each plant with the sap, and so on. Needed to improve the result to be produced, and God does not expect anything more for the plant to be perfect . So too with the religious orders. The Rule of each institute determines the kind of works God requires of its members. To perform these works for the greater glory of God, we believe that every order receives special grace and blessings in order to produce fruit, because for this purpose has been built by God, has been approved and blessed by the Holy Father and its members have received special vocation to fulfill their obligations under the Rule. If these tasks are performed effectively, no longer needed for the Institute to reach its perfection and its members are holy.
It follows from the rule that the Sisters of Mercy should be entirely dedicated to serving the poor. Among other passages, said Chapter X: "SISTERS CONGREGATION OF THIS SANTA IS DEDICATED TO THE POOR CAN NOT ACCEPT ANY TIME REWARD." Hence our fourth vow, how can you be serving in the other, that which has been solemnly dedicated to the poor? Substituting our real work by others, is an evil which can not defend enough, because you can change spirit of the institute, and therefore, twist God's plan for the Institute itself and its members because it makes we deviate from our true calling.
Sister Aurea Roldan
Email: aureaangelita2@gmail.com
