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“In honour of Saint Joseph their Patriarch,
they will be one in the service of each other,
and one in the service of the neighbour without distinction
for whom they will try to have CORDIAL CHARITY
as Saint Joseph had for his dear spouse
and for the Saviour Jesus”
(Reglements, Pg. 5)
In the use of this one word Cordial, Fr. John Peter Medaille describes the whole concept and effect of the service in and by communities of St. Joseph. In our world of individualism and selfishness the practice of cordial charity like in elixir can activate and animate our service of relationship like that of St. Joseph for Mary and Jesus and the dear neighbour. Even though we did not have many written documents of our founder with us before Vatican II Council our sisters were practicing this cordial charity in their relationships with one another as lived by St. Joseph, Mary and Jesus in communion with one another.
As a young Sister I was so impressed by our own sister’s gracious and cordial relationship among themselves and with others. It is so relevant for our times too, and a quality that will make our lives so authentic and credible according to our name as St. Joseph’s sisters and to bear witness to our identity as the members of the Congregation of the great love of God.
I like to share with you a paragraph from the article written by Sr. Marcia Allen CSJ. It is so powerful and full of meaning of the word Cordial Charity;-
“Here we have an invitation to give gentle, adaptive attention to the other, whether within the community or outside the community. We are invited at each encounter to say ‘yes’ to that one : to her/his life welfare, wholeness and happiness. We are invited to complete submission of self-will, our openness, our judgement, our experiences, expertise, education, control or need for approval. We are invited to facilitate the other to emerge her/his whole potential. This is not to present oneself as a doormat, but in the framework of true conversation among truly held equals. ” Cordial charity shines out when we relate to one another as equals in our communities!
To live the Cordial Charity we have to dare to live the mystery of encounter like St. Joseph who encountered the angel of God in his dream, Mary with a child in her womb before their marriage and many other difficult circumstances of life in doing the will of God and rendering service with great attentiveness and love. Practice of Cordial Charity stirs up love. Mysteriously, this stirring up of love is where and how we experience God! It is the means God uses to relate with us most intimately. This is the particular life of mysticism that has seized St. Joseph in his service of Cordial charity, and He is our model. (Ref. The service of Cordial Charity – Marcia Allen CSJ)
S. Flavia Pullokaran
SJC - Ratlam
Tanmaya Province
