2.      NECESSARY COMMUNION OF GOODS IN THE AREA OF SPIRITUALITY

Doctrinal principles

Today more than ever, the Church urges us to live in a spirit of communion not only a mutual respect for our charisms of spirituality, but also a possible and a rightful solidarity in the communion of spiritual goods.

Everything starts off from a renewed awareness of the common roots of Christian spirituality and consecrated life. We are children of the same Father, united in the one mystery of Christ, animated by the same Spirit, members of the same Body, sent for the same mission.  That requires from us a conscious Trinitarian reciprocity of communion.

Therefore, it is necessary to be united not only in the roots, but also in the summit/vertex, in  communion in the charismatic dimension of spiritualities: like fragments of a single whole, words of the one Word (“Verbo”), branches of the same vine, ecclesial charisms of the same Spirit for the fullness of the Gospel, flowers of the one garden nourished by the same sap of charity, but who appear in a variety of colors and forms, by the grace of God.

The communion of charismatic spirituality appears as a necessary enrichment, an equilibrium in the aspects of the Christian mystery, an attention to what belongs to all, the Christian mystery and the richness of the Gospel, without there being any polarization or exclusiveness.

In the Church everything belongs to everyone. We can be specialists (by right), by charismatic gift and commitment of a Gospel aspect of the mystery of Christ and of Mary, but for the good of all in the Church. As others can be (de facto) more authentic in a proper charismatic value of an Institute, also as a stimulus for the “specialists” (by right) in the charism.

All of this requires the prompting of charismatic responsibility in order to be witnesses of evangelic values of a charism for all, but also of generous communion.

We must be united in our commitment to travel the journeys of spirituality together in the today of the Church. A “today” that calls all to updating and helps us to make our charisms current today, on the basis of mutual enrichment and promotion.

With the joy of being witnesses of the charismatic Church of all times and all places, guardians and interpreters of the patrimony of the saints in history.

Actually, a charismatic spirituality always open to the vital dynamism of the Spirit who makes all things new and renews charisms and spiritual values while bringing to fulfillment the Gospel of Christ, preached, lived, embodied in time and space.

“Aemulamini charismata meliora!” (cf. 1 Cor 12:31) An emulation in living, communicating and testifying the spiritual values of the charism. Not the emulation of narrow-minded parochialism, and much less of comparing/contrasting of charisms, or superiority of some over others, or the illusion of exclusivity of our charism, but of a mutual unity and communion.

Only, in fact, in the essence of the Gospel and in communion with all its values, will a charism and a consequent spirituality overcome the risk of spiritual “deformation” and be open to the totality and essentiality of the mystery of Christ.

Standing before each other in communion, admiring the points of each one’s spirituality, as in a Greek dance of  “pericoresi”, where the dancers take turns occupying the center to be admired by all and return to the circle to admire the others. All are protagonists in a relationship of communion and solidarity. Let us let ourselves be evangelized by each other in what the Spirit has given to each one, in their own charism or patrimony; we will evangelize each other reciprocally to grow together in Christ.

We do not run the risk of making all the charisms into a sort of tutti-frutty blended mixture,   where the flavors disappear, but rather into a beautiful fruit salad of various fruits where the colors and flavors of the different charisms are preserved.