Spirituality and vocation

The main aspects of the spirituality and specific vocation of the Community of Pope John XXIII

Foreword

It is difficult to describe in a few lines the specific charism of the Community of Pope John XXIII. If you wish to know more about it, we advise you to read the Community's Foundation Charter and Statutes. You may also find it useful to read some of the writings in the Documents and DVDs section.

Introduction

On 25th of March 2004, the solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, the Church, through its Pontifical Council for the Laity, decreed the final recognition of the Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII Association as an international association of the faithful of pontifical right, with juridical personality. It also decreed the definitive approval of its Statutes and Foundation Charter which is part of them.

The charism of the Community - Following the poor and servant Jesus

The vocation of the Community consists in conforming one’s life to Jesus, poor, servant and suffering, who atones for the sin of the world (inner specific vocation), and in sharing directly (for Jesus, with Jesus and in Jesus) the life of the least (visible specific vocation).

Spirituality

The Association is a single spiritual family, composed of people of different ages and states of life, who commit themselves to answering the universal call to holiness, contributing to the realisation of the Kingdom of God and participating in the mission of salvation of the Church.

The five points

The spiritual guidelines, through which the members of the Community of Pope John XXIII want to follow the poor, servant and suffering Christ, are set out in five points.

1. Sharing the life of the least

The members of the Community commit themselves to sharing directly the life of the least; that is, putting their own life together with theirs, taking on their situation and putting their own shoulder under their cross, accepting to be liberated by the Lord through them.

2. Leading life as the poor

Those who have chosen this path of sanctification let themselves be conformed to the poor and servant Jesus, in order to lead life effectively as the poor, following Him. The poor whom the Lord makes them meet modify their lives, upset their certainties and may even ask for a place in the family itself.

The members of the Community regard themselves as fauthful administrators, not owners, of of the grace and gifts that the Lord gives them and of any money that they come to possess.

They look for the virtues connected with life led as the poor: frugality, simplicity, courage of the truth, essentiality, humility and sacrifice, in particular when it is accompanied by discomfort.

3. Making space for prayer and contemplation

The members of the Community regard prayer and contemplation as the preferential way to live and deepen their filial relationship with the Father. They also try to make union with God a dimension of life.

4. Letting oneself be led in obedience

In order to avoid running in vain, the members of the Community recognise the service of confirmation and guidance exercised by the President of the Community.

5. Living in fraternity

Love for God directed to one’s brothers and sisters is fraternity. The proof that one loves God is one’s love for one’s brothers and sisters. The sign that the least are loved is the love existing among the members of the Community.