Section A: Lord, you are with us.

LORD, YOU ARE WITH US ON OUR JOURNEY......

A1.  The Institute of the IJ Sisters has grown and flourished for over three hundred years
through many different historical and cultural changes. In the course of its history the Sisters listened to the call of God, discerning how best to respond to the needs of each era.  At present, it is again undergoing major changes in response to a fast moving world, the evolution of society and the call of God revealed to us in the signs of our own times.

A2.  At the birth of our Institute, Nicolas Barré looked about him and observed what was
happening in the world of his time.  He felt moved with compassion for those who were living in great deprivation and who knew little about God. The text of Jn 3:16 obviously made a deep impression on him: “God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life”.  His concern was for those who risked being ‘lost’ and he sought ways of guiding them towards meaning and direction in their lives. He saw the need for freedom from any structures which would hinder an effective response. After several years of seeking to be true to the desires of God’s heart, he drew around him young women ready to devote their lives to this mission in a spirit of total trust in God, not worrying about what would become of them one day.

A3.  In the same spirit as our first sisters we are challenged to keep ourselves informed about 
local and global issues and the ways in which they affect the lives of people today.
While the historical and geographical contexts in which we live differ greatly from that of our origins we reach out to people with the same spirit that has continued to give life to the Institute down through the centuries. Impelled by the Spirit, we are ready to go where we are needed, often courageously taking risks and trusting in God’s provident care for us. We give ourselves simply and generously to the sharing of the Good News, recognising the dignity of each individual and working for their human and spiritual growth. Emphasis is given to formation of people who could continue the missionary thrust that enables each one to become more free and responsible for their future. Bonded by love we try to remain united in mind, heart and mission.

A4.  Our responsibility as members of the Institute, in the light of what the Spirit is bringing to birth among us, requires continuous discernment and serious commitment to respond. This calls for orientations for formation that will facilitate growth and unite us in our vision in the face of the global challenges that affect us all.  As we continue to listen to the movements of the Spirit in the world today, we see that these orientations for formation apply to all of us and may be offered, and adapted as needed:

• to those who may feel called to make a commitment with us as IJ Sisters,
• to those who are searching for a deeper meaning in their own lives,
• to those who are looking for closer association with us.

 At the same time we are open to evolving forms of membership within the Institute.

A5.  Flexible changes and orientations shared by the whole Institute find expression in General Chapters and ongoing processes of renewal, which each one seeks to live out authentically and lovingly. We are constantly looking for new insights into the spirit that has inspired the Institute since its origins. We live with the question: “what is the call of God for us today?”.  Our hearts burn, thirst and search for the living water as we seek to be attentive to and discover where the Lord may be leading us in this time of evolution.

“A fire burns and invites us to conversion so that your light and the warmth of your love may spread through our world…….
Your living water springs up in all our encounters and flows over and around any obstacles on its way……..
Your call is stronger than our struggles and difficulties.   It takes us forward:
“No need to remember past events.  Look. I am doing something new, now it emerges, can you not see it? “ ( Is 43: 19). (International Collegial Assembly 2001)