Associates of the Sacred Heart Identity Statement
May 1, 2008
Living the transforming love of God
We, the Associates of the Sacred Heart, are attracted by and live the spirituality of the Society of the Sacred Heart. With the Religious of the Sacred Heart, our common mission is to discover and make known the love of the heart of Jesus. We give witness to the love of God expressed in Jesus, in humanity, and in creation. This love calls us to collaborate in God's transformation of our lives and the world around us.
As Associates we commit to
- faithfulness to personal prayer, with individual spiritual guidance and formation to discern God's call in our lives
- ongoing spiritual formation in the knowledge, understanding, and living of the call of our charism: to be "wholly contemplative and wholly apostolic"
- regular attendance at group meetings that foster faith sharing and relationships among Associates and RSCJ
- attentiveness to the needs and suffering of the world and to living God's love in our daily lives.
Our vocation as Associates is in mutual relationship with each other and RSCJ. We grow from prayer, collaboration, support, and encouragement of each other. Each local group constitutes a unique community. Each community will create an atmosphere of inclusion so that each Associate is supported on her or his spiritual journey and is encouraged to exercise leadership locally and nationally, with the group committing shared resources to support the participation of all.