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STATUTE OF EVANGELIZATION AND WITNESS
(Ex-Gospel Movement)
Pro manuscripto
INTRODUCTION
On 25th March 1981 the bishop of Hong Kong, Monsignor J.B.Wu, approved the Gospel Movement as a Lay Association aiming at making people practise the Gospel to the last detail and spreading it through life experiences.
A petition was sent to the bishop of Hong Kong and it was backed up by the Superior General of PIME, Fr. Fedele Giannini. The request was made by Fr.Melchiorre Arnoldi PIME, who was leading a group of lay people who were interested in the Gospel Movement.
Bishop J.B.Wu approved the Gospel Movement (Refer to the Letter of Bishop J.B.Wu, March 25,1981. Chancery Office Prot. N° 41-81) and appointed Fr.Melchiorre Arnoldi as the chaplain of the Gospel Movement in Hong Kong. His duty was to keep the Bishop’s Office informed of its membership and apostolic activities through an annual report about.
Fr.Melchiorre Arnoldi prepared a draft of the Statute specifying the spirit of the Gospel Movement which was based on the practice of the three main virtues: Faith/ Fidelity, Humility and Charity. Members of the Gospel Movement were invited to make the Promises of Faith /Fidelity, Humility and Charity either as a resolution or as private vows.
Copies of this draft was also sent to the Superior General of PIME in Rome.
The Three Promises were based on the following passage of the Gospel: “Come to me all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Mt 11:28-29).
In 1996, the Gospel Movement registered with the Hong Kong Government as a welfare association.
At the beginning of 2003, Fr.Melchiorre fell sick and was compelled to go back to his native country (Italy) leaving the Gospel Movement in the hands of his collaborators. In 2009, the Gospel Movement stopped existing a welfare association in Hong Kong and became a Prayer Group. In the same year (2009), it started to exist as a Catholic Association in Italy, having its centre at the chapel of San Padre Pio in Lecco. It look the form of an Eucharistic Cenacle of Prayer which conducted daily adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. It was named Evangelization and Witness, but maintained the same spirit and purposes of the Gospel Movement. Fr.Melchiorre became the spiritual director of this prayer group, keeping in touch with the members of the ex- Gospel Movement, still existing in Hong Kong and Canada.
PART ONE
TEN POINTS REGARDING THE SPIRIT OF EVANGELIZATION AND WITNESS (EX-GOSPEL MOVEMENT)
Art.1-The purpose of the various Prayer Groups belonging to Evangelization and Witness Association is practising the whole Gospel, with special emphases on the “320 norms of life according to the Gospel.” This was followed by the Apostolic Writings(See apart), remembering what Jesus said, “Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on the rock. Rains came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against the house, and it did not fall; it was founded on rock.
But everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house on the sand. Rains came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck that house, and it fell; and what a fall it had!” (Mt 7:24-27).
Art.2-The Prayer Groups of Evangelization and Witness should concentrate on the adoration of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, present in the Eucharist and on honouring the Immaculate Heart of Mary in order to make reparation for personal and social sins so to attain personal sanctification and the conversion of the sinners as well.
Jesus told Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque that devotion to His Sacred Heart would be the last anchor of salvation for the people living in times close to the end of the world.
Now we can see signs of a tremendous moral decay in our modern society, as it was foretold by Jesus, “And then many will fall away; men will betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise; they will deceive many, and with the increase of lawlessness, love in most men will grow cold; but the man who will stand firm to the end will be saved” (Mt 24:10-13).
Therefore, the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, as it was propagated by Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque and Saint Faustina Kowalska is a must for all of us, in order to oppose efficaciously the evils of the present time.
Art.3-The spirit of Evangelization and Witness is based on the famous sentence of the Gospel of Saint Matthew, “Come to me all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light. And you will find rest for your souls” (Mt 11:28-30).
In reply to these words of Jesus, the members of Evangelization and Witness Association have started to make the Promises of Faith, Humility and Charity.
Art.3.1-“Come to me, you all who labour and are overburdened…”.On this sentence is based the Promise of Faith /Fidelity towards the Sacred Heart of Jesus, reminding us to pray and adore the Sacred Heart of Jesus present in the Blessed Sacrament (Eucharistic Heart of Jesus) and doing the will of God every day as well.
The Promise of Faith is similar to the vow of Obedience for the people who live the Consecrated Life or religious.
Art.3.2-“Learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart”. On this sentence are based the Promises of Humility and Charity.
Art.3.3-In order to practise humility in depth, let us follow the degrees of humility according to Saint Benedict, Saint Ignatius of Loyola or Saint Vincent de Paul (see appendix).
Humility is a virtue of paramount importance. The Letter of James says, “God opposes the proud and gives generously to the humble” (Jas 4:6).The Book of Ecclesiasticus says that the Lord receives glory from the humble (See Ecc 3:17-21). The spirit of humility should expand to our body by detaching it from unnecessary pleasures, enduring pains, fasting and other acts of self-denial as well.
Fasting, as it is recommended nowadays, consists in eating and drinking only bread and water on Wednesdays and Fridays. However, in these days we can practise other types of fasting, such as the one prescribed by the Church, or turn to other forms of self-denial .
The Promise of Humility is similar to the Vow of Poverty for the religious.
Art.3.4-The Promise of Charity requires the practise of the whole Gospel (see the “320 Norms of Life according to the Gospel” and other norms of life according to the Apostolic Writings) in order to be clothed with the spirit of Christ. Jesus said, “Whoever loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love him and my Father and I will come to him and live with him” (Jn 14:23). Saint Paul says, “And I live now not with my own life but with the life of Christ who loves in me” (Gal 2:20).
The Promise of Charity is also meant to make in reparation for personal and social sins and the relief of the souls in Purgatory. Moreover, it will encourage us to run campaigns against the various forms of evils of our times so to make the sinners repent and love the Lord.
The Promise of Charity is similar to the vow of chastity for the religious. In fact, according to Saint Paul, perfect chastity is only a part of charity.
Art.4-The total practice of the Gospel aims at imitating the Sacred Heart of Jesus in order to identify our lives with the life of Jesus who came to the world to redeem the sinners. We have to continue His mission of salvation in union with Him and with His Blessed Mother. When Our Lady appeared to the Three Shepherds on July 1917, she showed them the souls in hell saying, “Look! These people who are in hell would not be there if there were someone praying and doing penance for their conversion”.
Art.5-In obedience to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary who are asking for prayer and penance for the conversion of sinners, we engage ourselves in fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays, as the disciples of John the Baptist did. They fasted on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Christians of the Church of the Origins started to fast on Wednesdays and Fridays, remembering the words in the Gospel, “Then John’s disciples came to him and said, ‘Why is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not?’ Jesus replied, “Surely, the bridegroom’s attendants would never think of mourning as long as the bridegroom is with them. But the time will come for the bridegroom to be taken away from them, and then they will fast” (Mt 9:14-16).
One type of fasting can consist in taking only bread and water during the day. However, when this is not possible, anyone can fast in the traditional way:
1- At breakfast, we can take liquids such as coffee or tea.
2- From noon to two o’clock, we can have an ordinary meal.
3- Little food in the evening, less than half of what we normally take.
Fasting can be replaced by acts of self-denial for those who cannot fast, by doing at least five acts of self-denial on those days. The sick are to offer the Lord their pains instead of fasting.
Art.6-Everyone should try his very best to practise the Great Commandment: “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second resembles it: You must love your neighbour as yourself” (Mt 22:37-39).
Saint Augustine says that if anyone does not love the Lord with all his heart, mind, strength and soul, he will be unable to love himself and people in the right way.
Art.7- In addition to devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, devotion to the Divine Mercy and to the Holy Spirit is strongly recommended, precisely because without God’s help, we cannot make progress in the spiritual field.
We should thank the Lord frequently for all the good we have received, as Saint Paul says, “Always and everywhere you are giving thanks to God who is our Father in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph 5:20). In fact, the more we thank the Lord for the graces that we have received and the more the Lord will grant us his graces.
Spiritual progress is gradual and requires patience and perseverance. We should keep in mind these words of the Holy Scripture, “For your thoughts are not my thoughts, my ways are not your ways- it is the Lord who speaks. Yes, the heavens are as high above the earth as my ways are above your ways, my thoughts above your thoughts” (Is 55:8-9).
In order to obtain more graces from the Lord, we should thank the Lord in every circumstance: both in moments of joy and in moments of sorrows; and think that for those who love the Lord everything can be turned to a good purpose.
Art.8-We should try our very best to glorify the Lord Jesus both with our life and through witness of faith to the society, by telling them the graces that we have received from God’s bounty. This will encourage people to believe in God and trust in him. First of all we should increase our love for the Lord in order to be able to love people properly. Jesus said to Peter, “Simon, son of John do you love me more than these others do?” He answered, “Yes Lord, you know I love you”. Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs”. (Jn 21:15). Saint Augustine said, “If you love God, you should love also the children of God that are scattered all over the world”. We can practise the love for people according the Fourteen Works of Mercy.
Art.9-The members of the Prayer Groups should keep in touch with those who guide their Prayer Group and carry out activities of evangelization in teams of two or three, since Jesus gave us the example by sending out his disciples two by two to evangelize.
Art.10-Our Prayer Groups should meet at least once a month. To start a Prayer Group it is enough to have two or three people who agree to meet in the name of Jesus. Jesus said, “For where two or three meet in my name, I shall be with them” (Mt 18:20).
PART TWO
Structure of Evangelization and Witness
Art.11-The persons in charge for Evangelization and Witness are the President, assisted by at least two counsellors at least. One of them will act as the secretary and the other as the treasurer. All of them should be elected by the members who have taken the Promises and can always be re-elected. Their term of office is three years. The Spiritual Director will gather with them for advice.
Art.12- Both the President and the Counsellors should be elected with absolute majority of votes of the members (half plus one) at the first ballot and with relative majority at the second ballot.
Art.13-For the validity of the elections, the absolute majority of the members is requested.
Art.14-All those members who for more than six months did not take part in the gatherings of Evangelization and Witness or in some of its activities without good reasons are to be considered no more the members of Evangelization and Witness.
Art. 15-It is the duty of the President together with his Counsellors, to allow people to take the Promises as members of Evangelization and Witness and to dismiss those who do not behave properly, after three unsuccessful admonishments.
Art.16-If in a territory there are more than one Prayer Group of Evangelization and Witness, the presidents along with their Counsellors should meet at least once a year for consultation and planning, under a Coordinator whose term of office lasts four years.
Art. 17-At the top of all the Prayer Groups, there will be a President General, who should be kept informed about the life of the Prayer Groups. Prayer Groups should be willing to obey his instructions. He should be elected by the Presidents of the Prayer Groups and Coordinators. His term of office is four years.
Art. 18-Amendments to the Statute should be approved by the majority of the Presidents and Counsellors in agreement with the competent authority of the Church.
Art. 19-The true leaders of Evangelization and Witness are the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Thus, great importance should be given to the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, as a source of graces for an effective apostolate. Those who hold posts of responsibility within Evangelization and Witness should consider themselves to be at the service of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the same should be done by all the other members of Evangelization and Witness.
Art. 20-Adoration of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus in reparation for personal sins and the sins of the society, penance and prayer of intercession for the conversion of the sinners and the relief of the Holy Souls in Purgatory, together with various activities that are jointly conducted to witness our faith and encourage sinners to repent, are the main objectives of Evangelization and Witness Association, which should be pursued with patience and perseverance for the greater glory of God and the good of souls.
PART THREE
ACTIVITIES OF THE MEMBERS OF EVANGELIZATION AND WITNESS
1- Daily adoration of the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar in the form of Eucharistic Rotating Lamps. That’s to say, every member of Evangelization and Witness should spend at least one hour a day, possibly at a fixed time, to adore the Blessed Sacrament in the church or in cases he cannot go to church, being present in the church in spirit and remaining at his place by concentrating himself in adoring the Blessed Sacrament. During this time, he can meditate on the Gospel, recite the rosary, recite the chaplet of Divine Mercy or other prayers so as to open a dialogue with the Lord, in reparation for personal sins and for the sins of the society.
2- Activities aimed at witnessing Christ in our society, in the form of campaigns:
a- against theoretical and practical atheism
b- against blasphemy
c- against sexual degradation
d- against satanic influence
e- against drug-addiction
f- gambling
g- against moral degradation
3- By spreading the devotion to the Divine Mercy and recitation of the Holy Rosary.
4- By setting up Prayer Groups in families, where the Holy Rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy are recited.
Sharing of experiences about spiritual life and activities can be done.
APPENDIX ONE
Humility
A-Humility according to Saint Benedict (12 degrees) are as follows:
7 degrees of internal humility:
1-Fear of the Lord which makes us keep the Ten Commandments.
2-Obedience to the will of God.
3-Obedience to our superiors for the sake of God.
4-Patient obedience also in difficult matters.
5-Confession of secret faults, including also thoughts, to religious superiors outside the sacramental confession.
6-Wholehearted acceptance of deprivations or low tasks, considering oneself as unworthy to take higher positions or tasks.
7-Considering oneself earnestly as a great sinner.
5 degrees of external humility:
1- Avoiding singularity
2- Being silent until questioned, unless there are good reasons for speaking
3- Moderation in laughing: avoiding scornful laugh in particular.
4- Moderation in speaking: humble and gentle in speaking.
5- Modesty in gestures (seating, walking etc.)
B-The three degrees of humility according to Saint Ignatius of Loyola are as follows:
1-Lower oneself as much as it is necessary in order to be able to obey the will of God.
2-Trying to be indifferent in regard to riches and poverty, honours and despise, long life or short life in order to be able to bring about the greater glory of the Lord.
3-In order to imitate Jesus more closely, anyone should prefer poverty to riches, despise to honours. This is the stage of humility which the saints aim at.
C-The three degrees or aspects of humility according to Saint Vincent de Paul are as follows:
1-Considering oneself as worthy of being despised by all people because of one’s own sins.
2-Being pleased when the others learn about our own defects and treat us as we deserve.
3-If the Lord does something good to us or through us, let us thank God’s grace and conceal it from others in order not to become proud. In case this good is discovered, let us attribute it to God’s mercy and to the merits of those who have helped us to achieve it.
REMARK: Saint Vincent de Paul says that those who do not posses this kind of humility will be unable to practise the whole teaching of the Gospel. Moreover, they will never enjoy full peace of conscience.
ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE SACRED HEAT OF JESUS AND TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY FOR THOSE WHO INTEND TO BECOME MEMBERS OF THE EVANGELIZATION AND WITNESS ASSOCIATION.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, I………..(name) promise with the help of your grace to try my best to practise THE THREE PROMISES of Faith/Fidelity, Humility and Charity according to the Norms of Evangelization and Witness Association, in honour of the Sacred Heart of Jesus present in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar and of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Our Lady of Fatima) in reparation for my personal sins, the sins of the society, and for the relief of the holy souls in Purgatory and for the conversion of the sinners.
Trusting your divine grace, I present these promises to God the Father through our Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph, for your greater glory and the good of souls. Amen
INSIGNIA: A SMALL CRUCIFIX AND A MIRACULOUS MEDAL.
Fr. Melchiorre Arnoldi
Lecco, ITALY.
24th Nov, 2014.
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