218 in Purgatory and the offering of assistance to the diocesan clergy are each intimately connected with the paschal mystery of Christ and the mystery of the Holy Trinity. Mary Immaculate was saved in an extraordinary way through the merits of the sacrifi ce of her Son. This is a foretaste of the gift of salvation that the Lord offers to each of us. The souls in purgatory endure their purifi cation as they look forward to the glory of heaven. The ministry of the diocesan clergy, which we are called to support, is centered in the sacraments of the Church, especially the Eucharist, in which heaven and earth are united. Here on earth, we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. The Father and Son send forth the Spirit to continue the work of the Son on earth, and to bring us all safely home to the House of the Father. There is also an eschatological element to our charism which is intimately tied to the Church suffering, the Church militant and the Church triumphant. I was very pleased to see the younger members of our community in formation feeling inspired by our charism which they could now articulate more easily as a result of the retreat offered in Washington. I came to see the importance of our work for Christ and the Church in light of all that our Founder endured. He was indefatigable in his missionary zeal and he calls his spiritual sons to pour ourselves out as a spiritual gift to the Church. His sufferings and the context of the times in which he lived help to put into perspective the pastoral challenges that we face in our world today. The more things change, the more they stay the same. There is always the danger of minimalism in our trying to lead the spiritual life. What do I have to do to get by? I sometimes try to take the easy way out in a situation. I think a deeper contemplation on the sacrifi cial and ascetical aspects of Fr. Founder’s life could inspire us further on the path to conversion. I have not yet seen enough fruits of conversion in my own life. The more authentically we live our charism, the more the Lord will bless our efforts and send us good vocations. I was especially touched on the retreat this year by some refl ections of Fr. Zdzisław on the Divine Mercy. It is no accident or mere historical circumstance that our community has been asked to promote this message to the world in a special way. God used the encounter of Blessed Michael Sopoćko and Fr. Joseph Jarzębowski, MIC to call our community into a specifi cation of the mission which had been present from the beginning. Our work for Christ and the Church involves going where the need is greatest. The mystery of the Immaculate Conception involves God’s saving design for the world. Interceding for the souls in Purgatory involves ensuring that all make it safely home to the House of the Father. The entire Divine Mercy message as revealed to St. Faustina is steeped in the paschal mystery. The image of The Divine Mercy portrays the Risen Christ who bears the marks of His passion. The rays that emerge from His heart sym-
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjI2Mw==