Codified Charism: Our Rule of Life
Our name, Rogationists of the Heart of Jesus, indicates to us our charismatic identity and our prophetic mission in the Church. That is the very reason why we exist in and for the Church and society. Our Life can only have its truest meaning as Rogationists, if and only if we live our consecration to the Rogate by offering our whole life without any personal convenience (cf., Declarations and Promises [DP], 1) because our identity is an oblative love…for the glory of God and the salvation of souls (Our Names, Circular Letter to the Rogationist Family, p. 19).
St. Paul VI once said that our name qualifies us in the mission and image of adorers and of implorers for the highest and most beautiful mission of meriting and preparing vocations for the Kingdom of Christ (Paul VI, audience to the Capitular Fathers, Sept. 14, 1968). Indeed, we are adorers and implorers, we are pray-ers for vocations because we are disciples who obey the command of the Lord of the Rogate. Our calling therefore is to conform our life to the person of Christ who feels compassion for the abandoned and exhausted crowds [thus] commands the prayers to the Lord of the harvest as the first resource and remedy (The Rogationist Rule of Life (RRL), XI General Chapter document, 31, 2010). This calling is something that is constitutive of our being as Rogationists (cf., RRL, 36; Rogationist Religious Life Today: Unity, Sharing, and Coordination (RRLT: USC), XIII General Chapter, 16, 2022).
Human as we are, we are prone to forgetfulness and, thus, needful of being reminded of our charismatic identity. It is here then that the necessity of a codified Rule of Life comes in. The Rule is necessary and indispensable if one is to remain anchored in the original charismatic inspiration (RRLT: USC, 61) for obedience is better than sacrifice (cf., 1 Sam 15:22). Without it one could be proclaiming and promoting himself instead of the Christ of the Rogate. On the other side, we should also be careful not to fall into exaggerating or “dogmatizing” traditional ways of expressing it and its details; avoiding being excessively legalistic and being afraid or allergic to something new. We are forewarned by no other than Jesus our Master himself not to fall into this pharisaical mentality (cf., Mk 2:27). Even, our Holy Founder prophetic as he is writes: I recognize that the spirit of our Institute and rules and Constitutions is contained in them [in these Declarations]. I declare that even from this time, I am willing to accept any future addition or modification that might be made on the part of the legitimate Superiors for the purpose of improving them or rendering them more effective, for the good of the Institute and all its members (DP, 37).
The Rule of Life, in fact, is just the codification of the signs of time God is sending us on how we are to live the Charism in our present context. It is an instrument for us not to fall into Spiritual-Prophetical Alzheimer's, forgetting our charismatic identity and consequently abandoning our mission. It is our compass that enables us to evangelize more authentically and more faithfully; it is the one that shows us the right path to take for our journey toward our self-realization and finally toward our sanctification as Rogationists.
Fr. Marcelino Diaz II, RCJ is currently the Responsible for the Rogamina Community of the St. Matthew Province in Mina, Iloilo, Philippines. The Rogamina Community aims to follow Jesus’ call for unceasing prayer, especially for more and holy vocations, in the monastic-contemplative lifestyle.