The Apostolic Spirituality of the Prado
Here are the main tenets of Pradosian spirituality:
→ An Evangelical Spirituality
It is rooted in the Gospel; in other words, its constant point of reference is the life of Christ and his teachings.
Christ is Life, and his words are spirit and life. And it is the Spirit who gives life. The reference to the Gospel in Pradosian spirituality is therefore essentially spiritual: it is the Spirit who enables us to know and love Christ, and to conform ourselves to Him. « It is the Holy Spirit who brings Jesus Christ to life within us » (Father Chevrier).
A Practical Spirituality:
- Based on the accounts in the Gospels and the life of Christ
- In relation to us: it shapes the way we speak and act so that it is in accordance with the E
The Gospel does not exclude the contributions of the other books of the Bible; all the books of the Old and New Testaments bear witness to Christ. Father Chevrier specifically recommended seeking knowledge of Jesus Christ in the Acts of the Apostles and in the letters of Saint Paul. But the Gospel remains at the center of everything.
→ A Contemplative and Apostolic Spirituality
The spirituality offered by the Prado is not primarily oriented toward personal sanctification or pure contemplation; nor is it directly oriented toward action. It is a contemplative and apostolic spirituality, in the strongest sense of the words.
To Be an Apostle : This calls on us to follow the example of Jesus, who fulfilled the mission entrusted to him by the Father, or the example of the apostles, who gave themselves entirely to Christ and worked with him for the salvation of humanity. « Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men ».
This can only happen if we agree to …
… To Be a Disciple : This requires knowledge of the love of Christ: this is its contemplative aspect. Following Jesus Christ more closely means conforming oneself to Him. To become another Jesus Christ, as Father Chevrier said, means—as a priest—to be « a stripped-down man » (that is the mystery of the Incarnation), and then the priest « is a crucified man »like Jesus on the Cross.".
Finally, fulfilling the mission entrusted to him requires that the priest « or a man who has been eaten », that he gives himself fully and spares no effort for the love of Christ in service to those for whom Christ died, giving them the treasure of the Gospel through his preaching.
→ A Spirituality for Diocesan Priests
The Gospel is offered to all people. Every Christian is therefore called, in a way suited to his or her state in life, to live according to the Gospel and to give himself or herself to Christ in order to cooperate in his mission. By doing so, he or she exercises the royal priesthood received on the day of his or her baptism.
However, Father Chevrier had diocesan priests in mind in particular when he asked them to live out their ministry in imitation of Christ. « The priest is another Christ » (Painting by Saint-Fons). Our Blessed Founder invites us to carry out our ministry by following the example of Jesus: «I have set an example for you, so that you may do as I have done.» (John 13).
A Spirituality of the Secular Priest: The Prado vocation is rooted in the vocation to the ministerial priesthood. An evangelical, apostolic, and priestly spirituality can certainly be lived out within the context of a religious congregation; but, in fact, Pradosian spirituality is a spirituality of secular priests, for three reasons:
- Attendance at the men's event : Jesus, both in Nazareth and during his public life, sought to perfectly embody this presence among humanity, which is an integral part of the mystery of the Incarnation. «The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.» Thus, the secular priest is called to live out his priestly apostolate in the midst of people and alongside them. Through the ministry he has received, he makes Christ present to people. Then Christ himself will be able to save them through the priest’s ministry.
- With the’Éwith the bishop and in communion with him. It is from Him that he receives his mission. The vows he takes—poverty, chastity, and obedience—do not distance him from his diocese; on the contrary, they commit him to living out his mission more intensely in the service of the diocese in an evangelical manner, so that the Gospel may take root in the hearts of the poor.
- In fellowship with the priests of the diocese. There is only one Priest, who is Jesus Christ; therefore, all priests must be one in Him. Pradosian spirituality invites us to gather in small groups each month, setting aside sufficient time, to share our progress in coming to know Jesus Christ through the method of reading the Gospel inherited from Father Chevrier; to engage in a contemplative reflection on our pastoral work and our mission; and to spend time in prayer. This nourishes our brotherhood.
Christ sent his disciples out two by two. Prado spirituality is oriented toward community life and mutual support. This is achieved through fraternal life and support for fellow priests in the diocese. Where possible, the bishop will facilitate centers of community life that bring together Prado priests.
This communal life can serve, within the diocesan clergy, as a witness to brotherhood among priests, to devotion to Christ, to communion, and to dedication to the poor, in order to proclaim to them God’s love for the little ones.
