The Charisma of the Apostolic Movement
The charisma of the Apostolic Movement is the remembrance of Jesus’ Word to the world that has forgotten it. It has forgotten it because it is wanting in the Gospel to guide its thoughts and in the faith of the Church to orient its actions; it is lacking in truth and sane moral principles that have to be the ornament of every man, his interior and exterior beauty.
The Gospel is remembered to the baptised. It is announced to those who do not know it. How can one remember it? With both words and deeds, or with a life witness. For this reason every Adherent to the Apostolic Movement is required to listen, live and give the Word.
The listening takes place through the attending of organic, systematic and permanent catecheses. In the Apostolic Movement the catechesis explains the Word of the Gospel in the light of the faith of the Church and the Pope and Bishops’ documents, putting much attention to the Pastoral Plans the local Churches offer to the faithful that live in them, from year to year.
The catechesis is at the foundation of the charisma of the Apostolic Movement. Nobody can be a witness of the Word if he does not know it, because he does not attend with diligence and assiduousness these paths of knowledge and search the Apostolic Movement offers to its adherents and to all of God’s people.
Those who want to answer with their yes to the Virgin Mary, those who intend to follow the way the Lord has traced for them, know that it is an indispensable instrument. To the Catechesis need to be added the exhortation words which from Monday to Monday the Inspirer and Founder of the Apostolic Movement, Mrs. Maria Marino, addresses to all the Adherents, so that they conform their lives to Lord Christ’s will.
As God’s Word starts taking life in us, we begin to think with Christ Jesus’ thoughts and to act according to his will.
This way we become salt of the earth and light of the world, because we become a single thing with Christ, the only true Salt and the only true Light. The world sees the good works of wisdom, truth and love and glorifies our Father who is in heaven.
Together with the catechesis, if the Adherent to the Apostolic Movement wants to operate with fruits, he has to start a serious path of mystical practice, which must free him both from mortal and venial sins, in a way that only God’s grace can operate in him according to the extraordinary presence of the Holy Spirit. The sacrament of confession will free him from every sin committed, the Body and Blood of Christ Jesus will fill him to the brim with eternal life. Sanctified and fortified, renewed and vivified by these sacraments, letting himself be taken by the hand by the Virgin Mary, Mother of Redemption whom he will daily invoke with the Holy Rosary; loving the Angels and imitating the Saints, the Adherent to the Apostolic Movement will start that path of mystical practice that will lead him to always live closer to God, in a way that divine light, his hope and every other gift of grace and truth can dwell in abundance in his heart bringing them to their maximum development of growth and fructification.
The Apostolic Movement’s mission is also charisma. The Lord concedes the gift of remembering his integral and pure Word to all those who are involved not only to listen to the Word in the catechesis with diligence, love and assiduousness, but above all to transform it into their lives and become operators of truth among their brothers. Who does this with zeal, devotion and simplicity, putting every good will to it, is enriched by the Lord with a particular gift of grace that arranges for every word of Gospel proffered, to touch the heart of whoever listens and to provoke in him a desire of conversion and salvation.
It is this the secret of the growth, development, diffusion of the Apostolic Movement. Where there is work with zeal, seriousness and assiduity for God’s glory, where there is only search for the Lord, where human interests are put aside, the Lord renders the Apostolic Movement prosperous with fruits of conversion and of adhesion to Christ with the going back to his House and to his Church.
A single person who believes is sufficient in order that solid, stable, quite founded, missionary conversions, capable of witness and of so much evangelising work among the brothers flourish.
History witnesses this extraordinary grace of the Holy Spirit. The Apostolic Movement was born and lives in unimaginable places. It lives with the strength of its charisma; it grows with this power of Holy Spirit, with this gift of grace that acts in its members who believe, who get involved, who devote their lives to the mission the Lord entrusted them with and which they freely chose.
The Adherent to the Apostolic Movement has always to verify if he is in the Word and always lives of the Lord’s Word. If this takes place and he does it, the Spirit will let fruits be born from his bosom, like water that becomes in him spring spouting for eternal life.
Virgin Mary, Mother of Redemption, we thank, bless and praise you for this way of salvation you wanted to manifest the world through the charisma of the Apostolic Movement. Arrange for every Adherent to understand the vocation you entrusted him with and may he dispose himself with a simple and pure, wise and prudent heart to always fulfil it with greater zeal and with ardent charity. Thanks, oh Mother, for this mission and for this gift. Arrange for us to always operate in conformity with the desires and the will of Jesus, your Son and our Lord.
Sac. Costantino Di Bruno