Food for Thought

Jul 01, 2015

Often the word “charism” is used to refer to a ministry that a particular religious order is known for, or a special gift that the founder of an order possessed. Some refer to an order’s charism as the personality it brings to the Church.

In an apostolic letter opening the current Year of Consecrated Life, Pope Francis said one of the aims of the year is to look to the past with gratitude.

He said, “All our institutes are heir to a history rich in charisms. At their origins, we see the hand of God who, in his Spirit, calls certain individuals to follow Christ more closely, to translate the Gospel into a particular way of life, to read the signs of the times with the eyes of faith and to respond creatively to the needs of the Church.”

He noted that “this initial experience then matured and developed, engaging new members in new geographic and cultural contexts, and giving rise to new ways of exercising the charism, new initiatives and expressions of apostolic charity. Like the seed that becomes a tree, each institute grew and stretched out its branches.”