Sr Dionysia Elanjikulam, Hyderabad

“Living out the Charism and Spirituality of the Congregation of Jesus Mary Joseph.”

  1. Rev.Fr. Mathias Wolff, summing up, his life in these words, ‘Always ready for souls’, passed on to his Foundation i.e The congregation of Jesus Mary Joseph, the charism of an Ever Adaptable Apostolic Availability. An Ever adaptable apostolic availability is the distinguishable ‘ yard stick’,with which, the life of every J.M.J sister is measured, focused, guided and directed.
  2. This mobility must be preserved at all times. It no longer matters to you, where you live, with whom you live, and what kind of work you do there. What matters in short is,Be ready for anything ( Sbl. Pg.46)
  3. Fr.Wolff stresses the importance of thinking globally. The true identity of a J.M.J sister should be Apostolic Availability. This mobility must be preserved at all times. Our founder and our founding sisters were passionately in love with God and felt the burning urge within them to do something for God’s people
  4. The guidance of my Novice mistress Sr. Aldegondis and assisted by Sr. Josepha Rachamalla helped me to strengthen my Divine call and to know about the spirit of our founder. Knowing the cost of discipleship, I surrendered myself totally to render my service with love and dedication. My companions were united and we decided to accept and take up life challenges joyfully. No trouble could make us feel less capable. I always remember the decision we took together “Let us try to be as pleasing as a rose, as exciting as a jasmine, as inviting as a dawn, as sparking as a diamond and as comforting as a breeze, only then we can be glad”.
  5. We the sisters of J.M.J, however must be out standing in our Apostolic availability, to go where ever we are sent on a mission.
  6. We do not choose our path on our own but together we form a community of sisters who are sent to a place where people need our help.
  7. The Apostolic service that we render day by day through our various ministries becomes an overflow of our love for Christ. Through our committed life and service we proclaim the reign of God, and it can be a witness to the kingdom values.
  8. The climax of the life of a J.M.J sister is togo where you are sent for any ministry.
  9. “When you are where God wants you to be, stay there, but when He wants you somewhere else, depart”.
  10. Fr. Mathias said to our first sisters, a saying full of apostolic emotions, which finds its fixed orientation point in the Will of the Father.
  11. Our Founder’s spiritualityis certainly grounded in Jesus spirituality of finding God in all things and doing His will.
  12. Fr.Mathias whole life was concerned with the greater honour and glory of God. Undoubtedly he lived from the spirit of St.Ignatius. Doing the will of God was strong in our founder. For him, it was the liberation of Dutch Catholics. In obedience and surrender
  13. Fr.Mathias accepted the call of God.
  14. The spirituality of our Congregation is an Ever renewed search of god’s will(sbl.pg.14).This unconditional pliability with respect to the – never to be predicted, never to be comprehended, nowhere to be fixed will of God, always coming to us with new demands, we want to keep as the most precious heritage of our Congregation.
  15. Our Holy patrons Jesus Mary Joseph, alsolived this spirituality of ever renewed search for God’s will.
  16. Just like Mary and Joseph, Jesus too had the renewed search for doing God’s will; When He was in the Garden of Gathesmani, though He was sent to Redeem the human race, Christ’s prayer was , Father if possible take away this chalice from me.... but not My will, but your will be done... It was a renewed search for God’s will.
  17. Personal Charism of ourFunder was passed on to the foundation at the time of founding the Congregation.
  18. The Congregation’s identity, individuality and particular charism to a large extent bear the mark of its founder. The founding of our Congregation is the result of Fr. Mathias’, unique Divine Intervention.
  19. J.M.J’s identity is completed by an active sharing in Christ’s mission expressed through our ministry which corresponds to our founder’s Charism. Therefore J.M.J congregation have to be faithful to our own identity and take up the ways that befit our particular role in the Church.
  20. Hence, each of us, is not just a consecrated religious, rather a religious sister of a specific religious Congregation,i.eJ.M.J
  21. The Charism of the founder is passed on to the members from the very start of the Congregation. So the Congregational Charism is the corporate charism.
  22. Our first sisters as individuals and as a group were in contact with Fr.Wolff. He visited them in Ghent,Namur and Amersfoot.The visit in Amersfoot passed off secretly on account of the political situations. During such instructions, he stirred them up in Obedience.
  23. They were able to imbibe his spirit. They knew why and how the Founder overcame the difficulties at the beginning of the foundation. They had experienced his personal Charism and charism of the Founder of the new religious community. In all these they were receptive and active companions.
  24. The prophetic charism, entrusted to the founder in a special way, had to be authenticated in the day to day reality of the community. The founder had to come downfrom the height of his vision and had to draw them into his mission.
  25. The first followers, who experienced him with openness and who also brought their personal charism to the community and by integrating them into his ministry, enriched their own personal charism.
  26. The first sisters placed themselves at the disposal of the Institute, with enthusiasm and willingness to sacrifice. They were the actual witnesses of the charism of the founder.
  27. The first companions had particularly a day to day living relationship with the founder.
  28. The congregation’s identity, individuality and charism to a large extent bear the mark of our founder.
  29. Each of us are consecrated to God and united with Him through our congregation. Our identity is completed by an active sharing in Christ’s mission expressed in service or ministry which corresponds to our founders’charism.
  30. It is that fundamental element approved by the church, in the approval of our first constitutions.
  31. Therefore we J.M.J’s are strongly urged to be faithful to our own identity and take up in the ways that befit our particular role in the church.
  32. Hence, each of us, is not just a consecrated religious, rather a religious sister of the specific (JMJ) religious Congregation. The supernatural energy expected of us is, therefore specific and singular.
  33. What distinguishes one religious congregation from another is not so much, the ministries that characterizes the Congregation (for many congregation may be doing similar work) rather, that spirit of the founder which gives the distinctive family resemblance to the members of the Congregation a distinctive style of their community life and their way of living the vows.
  34. In every congregation the special charism bears to a high degree the seal of the founder. It is that part they have passed onto their “foundation”, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
  35. The Charism of the founder is his experience of God’s love, which is expressed by the sisters through their life and ministry, and which is passed on to the congregation at the time of founding.
  36. Fr.MathiasCharism is unque and has the unifying experience which gives unique relationship with one another. It is unifying because we share the life of a Religious Congregation and loved by God as the members of that Congregation.
  37. Founder’s charism is not the personal endowment or the Congregation monopoly. Charism is given to Congregation by the Holy Spirit in order to build up the Body of Christ.
  38. It is rather the striking manifestation of the grace of Christ, which is so significant for the life of the Church that charism does not disappear with the death of the founder, but as it were, creates for itself a body, a visible community of persons, in which they can feel at home develop and propagate the life and ministry of religious community.