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SpiritualityThe spirituality of the Institute is none other than that of the

baptized in the Church: a life of communion with the Father,

through the Son, in the Holy Spirit. In accord with the will of

God, each member endeavors to develop in a special way the

theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity, as well as thecardinal virtues of justice, prudence, fortitude, and

temperance. These are the foundation of a spiritual balance

that shapes the members of the Institute into true witnesses

of Christ in the world.

To the ideal of life which the Institute proposes to its

members: To do in all things the will of the Father, like Christ

and the Virgin Mary, is attached a proper spirituality known as

the Spirituality of the Three Fives:

By the first five, members of the Institute develop a life of

intimacy with the Lord through daily prayer, and especially

through the following spiritual exercises:

Mental prayer or meditation

Reading of the Word of God and of works of spirituality

Sharing in the Holy Eucharist

Visit to the Blessed Sacrament

Devotion to the Virgin Mary, particularly through meditation of the mysteries of the Rosary

and recitation of the five decades of the Rosary.

By the second five, members develop in a special way a spirit of recollection, humility, and

fraternal charity through acquiring the following attitudes:

Presence of God

To live in the presence of God is to be recollected, to pay heed to the Lord living within me. It

is to listen to him speaking in me through my conscience, my aspirations, through persons and

events. It is to recognize that we participate in the very life of God, that we belong to him. In

the Footsteps of Jesus by Fr. Parent, Founder

Absence of criticism

Absence of criticism fortifies the presence of God, educates us to patience, augments the

spiritual forces within us, permits us to welcome our neighbor with simplicity, stimulates our

heart, weans our imagination, pacifies our passions, calms our emotions, suffocates our

instincts for revenge, liberates us from selfishness and pettiness and preserves intimacy with

God. In the Footsteps of Jesus by Fr. Parent, Founder

Absence of complaint

Absence of complaint manifests the spiritual

maturity of a person, it expresses the basic

quality of a personality which tends toward

self-control. Absence of complaint indicates a

beautiful personality, one who has taken

charge of his life, who has a sense of

responsibility. It demands that each of us


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makes a constant effort which we call asceticism. In the Footsteps of Jesus by Fr. Parent,

Founder

Being of service (availability)

A 'being' of service is an intelligent being who willingly and freely stands on the side of God,

who strives to be a docile instrument of His will, as soon as His will is known. Being of service

reveals the distinctive quality that characterizes the members of the Institute as people who

have attained a certain maturity, who have a sense of responsibility, the desire to seek the will

of God and the assurance that, as servants of the Church and respectful collaborators of

legitimate ecclesiastical and civil authority, they stand with God. In the Footsteps of Jesus by

Fr. Parent, Founder

Peacemaking

Peace is the most tangible manifestation of the active presence of God, of submission to a

Supreme Being, of the hearts being possessed by the one whom we consider a marvelous,

attentive and gracious Father. We witness to this peace by developing our capacity to love, to

be attentive, to show our magnanimity, and to have confidence in others. If we recognize our

potential for peace, a self-love will no longer have the power to upset our human

relationships. In the Footsteps of Jesus by Fr. Parent, Founder

By the third five, members of the Institute daily take advantage of five concrete occasions of

exercising charity in order to develop positive contacts with others, in the manner of Christ.

http://voluntasdeiusa.org/about-us/spirituality

Project and ObjectiveThe aim of the Voluntas Dei Institute is to be

present in every milieu, and it has as it's

apostolic objective: to create peace and

brotherhood in Jesus Christ.

Members share in Christ's mission and areattuned to the needs of a World which is

divided and torn apart. Being a peacemaker

calls one to very concrete action for bringing

forgiveness, reconciliation, unity, fraternal

communion, and harmonious relationships.

To this end, one needs to have an intimate union with Christ and His mission, as well as a deep

knowledge of the World in which one lives.

Members are called to an authentic fraternal life and to solidarity with everyone, especially

with those who suffer most and are in need.

The Institute's workplace is the whole World: "Wherever Christ has His rights". A missionary

spirit must animate members wherever they must witness, whether at home or abroad.

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Union with the Church
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So as to be fully at the Church's service, the

Institute has no specific field of endeavor.

Collectively or individually, the members of

our Institute desire to respond to the call of

bishops willing to give us a share in the great

mission which is their diocese. We wish to be

Christians who can be counted on by

bishops. The Institute therefore invites her

members to become totally available to the

Church for any apostolic work she may

require anywhere in any country. Each

member wants to take up his/her share of the works in the Lord's vineyard, whether one be a

priest or a celibate or married lay person.

The Institute desires to form a living, dynamic Christian cell in the Church of Jesus Christ. Each

team forms a little cell within the greater diocesan Church, whose sons, daughters and

laborers we truly are.

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Secular ConsecrationPoverty

The members of the Institute are expected to

cultivate the spirit of poverty that will make

them witnesses to the world, as being able to

live in the midst of material goods without

being enslaved by them and without being

hindered by them from being completely

available.We strive to use our goods to convey the

love and justice of God for all humans.

Our detachment frees us to make a true gift

of self to those most in need..

In professing the vow of poverty, Voluntas members commit themselves to:

1) work for their livelihood;

2) sustain the apostolic endeavors of the Institute;

3) share in accordance with Institute directives.

Members retain the ownership of their personal property or belongings, with full right to

administer them and to draw benefits from them. In these acts, in conformity with the teaching

of Christ to 'watch, and be on your guard against avarice of any kind' (Lk 12:15), they shall

observe the duties of justice and charity. Members of the Institute are encouraged to go

beyond the strict obligations of the vow of poverty by avoiding useless expenses and sharing

their possessions with the poor, endeavoring to love them always more and more.

Each member shall take seriously his/her obligation of sharing in the District's financial burden

so as to avoid overloading his/her confreres or paralyzing the District's apostolic projects. Once
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his/her contribution has been made, each member is free to administer the remainder as he

pleases. In his/her personal administration, the member shall hold dear the living-out of his/her

commitment to evangelical poverty while respecting his/her own needs as well as those of

his/her confreres and of his/her milieu. (Cf. Statutes, Canadian District, Section 8).

Job was aware of the fact that everything he had and all he was came from God. Abraham did

not hesitate to leave everything and let the Lord make good his poverty. With these two

examples in mind, Voluntas members strive to glorify God and share to a greater degree with

their brothers and sisters. All good things, whether spiritual or material, come from God. We

want them to return to Him after having borne much fruit in and around us, as well as in each

one of our brothers and sisters. It is not a question of being poor for poverty's sake; it is rather

a question of being poor so as to be with God who will know how to give His friends a

hundredfold; it is a question of being poor so as to enrich our brothers and sisters who will

know how to respond richly in love and heap upon us the richness of their needs and problems.

Chastity

Chastity is not living a life of repression, is the ability to embraceones sexuality in a loving and life giving manner. We open our total

being to Gods love so that we may see and love others as God does.

Our chastity is a gift that makes us available to love those most in

need in our time and place.

Celibate members live joy-filled lives of radical availability, free to be

where God and Gods people need them to be. Consecrated celibacy

is a sign of a reality transcending earthly values. It is a sign of the

Kingdom to come......the sincere and pure affection that members

have for each other and everyone supports them in their struggle for

an ever growing fidelity.

In the practice of commitment to chastity, and in response to Christs special call to love in

charity, Associate Members (married couples) commit themselves to live in conjugal chastity

and sacramental fidelity in such a way as to render greater glory to God and help the world to

grow in the true meaning of love. In a world where marriage and family life are questioned

and even rejected by some, married couples in Voluntas shall preach through the example of

their personal lives as couples who are happy to build a life in reference to the Gospel and the

Church's directives.

Obedience

It is impossible to attain holiness through

any other meansJesus came to do his

Fathers will. The Voluntas must carry out

that same will. (Fr. Parent)

In imitation of the humble and obedient

service of Jesus, we strive to listen and


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discern

the will of God. Our obedience is to courageously, joyfully and eagerly respond to God's will

with our Fiat! By their spirit of obedience, members shall endeavor to witness to everyone

that they are happy to do God's Will as manifested in everyday life, without installing

themselves comfortably in their own choices.

Obedience:

- making one's own the project of Jesus Christ;

- making one's own the projects of the universal and local Churches;

- making one's own the projects of the Institute;

- making one's own the projects of ones District;

- making one's own the projects of ones Team.

Members have at heart the faithful observance of the Constitutions and the Rules of the

Institute as well as the Statutes of their particular District. Ordained members must obtain the

written authorization of the local Bishop before engaging in any kind of pastoral work within a

given diocese. In this manner, communion with the local and the universal Churches shall be

fostered. Regarding the commitment to obedience, Associate Members (married couples) ofthe Institute take into account those obligations inherent in the state of matrimony, which is

the prime commitment in their lives.

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Professional LifeMembers of the Institute 'will endeavor to

acquire an excellent professional training,

remembering all the while that their union

with God is the foundation and source of

their apostolate. (Const., Art. 46)'Throughout his/her professional life, the

constant preoccupation of the member of the

Voluntas Dei Institute is to be deeply

permeated by the Gospels so as to be more

and more a witness. (Art. 48).

In their trade or profession, the Voluntas

should be the best to be found. The Church has no need of half-measures; she has no need for

incompetent half-persons. If I want to act with the Lord, if I want to allow the Lord to reach my

brothers and sisters through me, I must prepare for Him a worthy instrument.

http://voluntasdeiusa.org/about-us/professional-life

GovernmentIn the Institute, the function of authority is

the same as in all states of perfection where

members are bound to their leaders by the

vow of obedience.
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In the Institute, the hierarchy is as follows:

- A Director General and his Council for the entire Institute;

- A District Director and his Council with authority over his own District;

- Team Facilitators who have the responsibility of a local Team;

- According to need, persons responsible for the formation process may be added.

The Authorities of the Institute are the first servants of the Will of God, they are the Church's

representatives among their brethren. It is as an authority of service that they will foster a

climate of confidence and collaboration among everyone.

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