It is relatively simple to synthesize the spirituality of Fr. Claret, since, despite his practical nature and his enormous capacity to adapt to the diverse contexts in which he lived, he always had a clear objective. From a young age—especially after his desire to become a Carthusian passed—he set as the goal of his life the sanctification of his soul and the salvation of others (Aut 113). To these, while he was in the Jesuit Novitiate, he added zeal for the glory of God (Aut 153). Thus was formed the triad he would later leave to his missionaries as the purpose of the Congregation and that would accompany him until death.
The non-abstract character of our Father Founder means that this goal of his spiritual life soon becomes a concrete reality: to imitate Christ the Missionary. He presents it to us very concisely in the definition of the Son of the Heart of Mary: “He thinks of nothing but how to follow and imitate Christ in praying, working, suffering, always and only seeking the greater glory of God and the salvation of souls.” And as everything has its proper order, the configuration of the missionary begins by “doing and practicing, and then teaching.”
“Doing and practicing” are two verbs that activate Claretian spirituality and are translated into the special importance given to apostolic virtues as a space in which to develop: configuration with Christ consists in having His poverty, His humility, His meekness, His love… one only has to read his resolutions to see how these virtues are repeated again and again. Fr. Claret did not have an introspective spirituality based on empty sentimentality; rather, he strove for his life to reflect that of Christ. But neither was it a mere superficial imitation or the fruit of his own effort. He was clear that grace is participation in the being of God, and therefore we will only possess His virtues to the extent that we are united with Him. He himself wrote while he was the Queen’s confessor: “When we pray or meditate on a mystery of the life, passion, or death of Our Lord Jesus Christ, we should spiritually enter into the interior of Jesus Christ, so as to partake of the virtues He Himself practiced in that mystery.” Just as he left us the goal of the spiritual life, he also left us the configuration with Christ the Missionary as the center of Christian life. This is reflected especially in the vows and apostolic virtues that appear in Chapter VI of the Constitutions: apostolic charity, humility, meekness, mortification, and the capacity for sacrifice (though the latter appear without being named). Our spirituality seeks in a special way union with the Lord through concrete actions that help us to follow and imitate Him more closely.
The importance of configuration with Christ has an obvious consequence: it requires knowing Him deeply. For this, one must turn first to the Word of God. Not only because it assures us of the certainty of faith, but also because it is the only way to avoid letting other words take its place. Thus he tells us: “Dedicate all possible time to the study of Sacred Scripture.” What stands out is how often he quotes the Scriptures. From the very beginnings of his missionary vocation, biblical examples were already encouraging him to dedicate himself to proclaiming the Good News. But the study of the Word is not enough; he must also encounter Him personally. The Eucharist, mental prayer, the Liturgy of the Hours, the Rosary… all are means to remain constantly in the presence of the Lord. It is beautiful how he describes this in his resolutions from 1857: “I will have a chapel built in the middle of my heart, and there, day and night, I will adore God with spiritual worship. I will pray continuously for myself and for others. My soul, like Mary, will sit at the feet of Jesus, listening to His voice and inspirations; and my flesh or body, like Martha, will go about humbly and diligently doing all that it knows to be for the greater glory of God and the good of my neighbors.” May we all encounter Christ in that inner chapel and reflect Him in our way of life!
Fr. Antonio Ávila Gómez, cmf
