What is Passionist Spirituality?

St Paul of the Cross called the Passion the most overwhelming example of the love of God – it is this overwhelming love which we contemplate. Our spirituality is simple but very deep indeed. St Paul of the Cross compared it to a bottomless ocean, and said that “the Passion will teach you everything”.

Our Love for the Crucified

By contemplating the Passion we draw close to the self-emptying love of Christ. This in turn helps us to love God and neighbour, to turn to the crucified ones of our world and to respond to them with a love which comes from Christ within us. Passionist spirituality should always have an outcome in our relationship with others, especially those who are suffering in any way. In this way we can then go out and witness to and preach the Good News.

Contemplation and Meditation

Prayer, communal and individual, is the life-blood of the Passionist community. We look towards the Crucified Christ conscious that God saved the world not by the sword but by the Cross. Through the dynamism of prayer we are open to the slow transforming of our lives so as to become living images of Christ, and we are empowered to serve others, especially those who share his Passion today. In the Eucharist, the high point and supreme expression of prayer, we are nourished and sent as Christ’s witnesses in the world.

How do we contemplate the Passion? There is no set formula – different things will help different people. Some find it helpful to meditate on the Stations of the Cross, or the Sorrowful mysteries of the Rosary for example. Thoughtful reflection on a crucifix, a painting or an icon is helpful. Of course the Passion in the Scriptures and in the Eucharist is always central.

 Our life of prayer, communal and individual, draws us to live in communion with the Most Holy Trinity. In prayer, we respond to the loving initiative of the Father. Led by the Holy Spirit, we unite ourselves with the Person of Christ, especially in the Paschal Mystery of His suffering, death, and resurrection. In this way, through prayer, our life is united with Christ in his journey towards the Father.

Passionist Constitutions

Silence, Solitude, Fasting

Silence and solitude have traditionally been key aspects of Passionist spirituality – making time to be alone with God. Fasting on Fridays is an ancient Christian tradition, and is one way of especially remembering the Passion on the days associated with Good Friday. A pause for a moment of prayer at 3pm is another way.

St Paul of the Cross and his companions used retreats, missions and spiritual direction as ways of opening up to others the possibility of a deep relationship with God. They realised, however, that they could only speak of this kind of relationship if they had first experienced it themselves. They called their houses “Retreats” to show that they were to be places of silence and peace where the noise of everyday activity would give way to the stillness of contemplation.

Meditating on the Gospels

A good way of prayer is to use the Passion narratives of the Gospels, for example the last three chapters of Luke’s Gospel. Set aside some quiet time, introduce your prayer by asking the help of the Holy Spirit, then read a few verses. Remain in silence with these verses, letting them speak to the depths of your heart. The next day, move on to the next few verses, or if you want to go deeper into the text, repeat the same verses for a few days. As you consider what the verses are saying, always read them through the lens of the love of God.

Connecting with Daily Life

In these ways we can connect our prayer, our contemplation and meditation, with our daily lives, and see the ongoing Love of God and Passion of Christ in the lives and sufferings of ourselves and others, as well as local and world events.

Passionists live in community; they celebrate the Divine Office in common and devote time each day to contemplative prayer. They wear a black habit on which can be seen the Passionist “Sign”: a heart surmounted by a white cross, with the words “the Passion of Jesus Christ” inscribed within it. As well as the three vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, they take a distinctive vow to promote the remembrance of the Passion of Jesus.