The 2007 Programme, the fourth in a series to be offered in recent years, provides a way of reading, praying and reflecting on the Passionist Charism.

The Programme comprises of three segments -

The first reflects on the life, spirituality and teachings of St. Paul of the Cross.

The second invites Passionist Companions to take up the Passion of Jesus in the Gospel of St. John for their own personal reading, prayer and reflection during the year.

The third section looks at the life and spirituality of St. Francis de Sales, whose spirituality had a great influence on St. Paul of the Cross.

The Programme can be used either individually, in groups of Passionist Companions or by Communities.
 
 

Download 2007 Passionist Companions Programme   here   (pdf format  1.68 MB)
 

The 2007 Passionist Companions Programme reflects on the life, spirituality and teachings of St. Paul of the Cross, Founder of the Passionists. 

The programme uses readings from Volume One of the Life of Blessed Paul of the Cross by Father Vincent Strambi, published in Italian in 1786 and in English in 1853.

“It has been said that the first biography of St. Paul of the Cross by St. Vincent Strambi owes much of its special authority to the use Strambi made of the Processes (of Beatification). He was the postulator of the cause and was well acquainted with the testimonies given at the canonical hearings. By incorporating much of this material into his biography of St. Paul of the Cross he gave the life a unique and personal totality.”

Paulacrucian Sources, Fr. Roger Mercurio, C.P., The Passionist, 1976, No. 4.
 

 

THE PASSION OF JESUS IN THE GOSPEL OF ST. JOHN

"THE PASSION OF JESUS IS A WORK OF LOVE"

St. Paul of the Cross to Sister Maria Innocenza of the Sorrowful Mother, 21st June 1757, Letter 1077

 
The Passion of Jesus in the Gospel of St. John becomes a feature of the Passionist Companions Programme during 2007.

The Passionist Companions are invited to take up the Passion in St. John’s Gospel for their own personal reading, prayer and reflection during the year.

A resource for this year’s Companions Programme will be material taken from a book entitled “Praying John” by John Reilly (St. Paul Publications).

Praying John invites a prayerful reading of John’s Gospel. Written to encourage the early Christians amidst their struggles, it offers similar encouragement to present day readers and pray-ers.

The Passion of Jesus in the Gospel of St. John (Chapter 18:1—Chapter 19:42).
 

 

The 2007 Passionist Companions Programme reflects on the life and writings of St. Francis de Sales.

Fr. Martin Bialas, C.P., says “The author who had the most decisive influence on the thinking of Paul of the Cross and one whose works Paul read throughout his life was St. Francis de Sales. Hence it is he who is designated here as Paul’s favourite author. Of Francis’ works, Paul favoured The Treatise on the Love of God. This treatise fascinated him, the reason being that the infinite love of God was, for Paul, the fundamental principle and end of his spiritual life. Some of his contemporaries knew of the affinity between him and St. Francis de Sales, and it was to the ‘mild bishop of Geneva’ that they mostly compared Paul.” 

(cf. Fr. Martin Bialas, The Mysticism of St. Paul of the Cross, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, 1990, p. 110.)