fcjm-identity

Prayer

The Franciscan Sisters, Daughters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary (FCJM) is an evangelical community founded with the main purpose of prayer, specifically perpetual adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. Adoration is the living breath of the Congregation. For FCJM, continuous prayer is the soul spirit for its members both individually and communally to build an intimate relationship with the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary. As the Foundress, Mother Clara Pfänder, said: "Day and night they present their fervent and humble prayers to the hidden Heart of Jesus burning with humble love in the Blessed Sacrament. This weapon must not be laid down. Like incense, our prayers should attract heavenly blessings for the Church and the world.”

Bringer of Blessings

As FCJMs are identified as pray-ers, prayer becomes a source of blessing for oneself, the community, the Church, society and the whole of creation. Following the example of our Divine Savior and his holy Mother Mary, the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Francis, Daughters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, endeavors to integrate the contemplative and active life so that the active life is nourished and strengthened and supported through the contemplative and thus itself becomes rich in blessings

Meek and Humble

After leaving the Congregation of Christian Charity, the first step Mother Clara Pfänder took was to go to the Franciscan Church. After receiving the Sacrament of Penance and receiving communion, she entered the Third Order of St. Francis of Assisi. "They call themselves Sisters of St. Francis because they have happily begun their holy work under the patronage of St. Francis." The FCJM fraternity belongs to the great Franciscan family, living a life and work inspired by the Spirituality of St. Francis. Therefore, we wish continually to advance under his protection and thus always honor him as their chosen patron before the throne of God, earnestly striving to imitate his excellent example of virtue, particularly his gospel poverty. Mother Maria Clara Pfänder referred to St. Francis of Assisi as our example, as our brother, who was poor and lowly. To follow Christ requires two things: to love the poor, lowly, crucified Christ and to be deeply rooted in the same love that Francis lived. He called them "dear brothers and sisters in Christ." He told his brothers: "that they may rejoice with the little ones and the lowly, the poor and needy, the sick, the lepers, the beggars, etc." Poverty for Francis is the perfect way to follow Christ. He wanted to follow in the footsteps of Christ as portrayed in the Gospels. The poverty of Christ, for Francis, was authentic poverty. He never spoke of abstract poverty; he united himself with God, who made himself poor, and with others. Francis warns his brothers and us: "Hold back nothing of yourselves for yourselves, that He Who gives Himself totally to you may receive you totally!" Poverty is inseparable from humility. According to Mother Maria Clara Pfänder, humility means recognizing and loving our poverty and lowliness as God humbled Himself in Jesus Christ. A humble person is one who recognizes and loves dependence on God and joyfully realizes that his or her whole hope, his or her whole being, lies in the mercy of God through Jesus Christ.

Lovers

They call themselves Sisters and therefore will bear a deep love for one another according to the word of the Lord:” A new command I give you that you love one another. Thus will everyone recognize that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (Jn 13:34-35). Loving one another is divine love above all else. One of the most obvious endeavors of loving one another is to help others overcome their shortcomings by gently reminding and correcting, not accusing, not judging, rather forgiving and compassionate. Love also unites and strengthens the hearts and souls of the Sisters so that they are truly of one heart and soul. Sisters should always and everywhere act hospitably towards one another and show each other love, joy and respect. Love should radiate from the face, eyes, talk and behavior in all places and in all things. Thus, an FCJM should strive to embody Mother M. Clara Pfander's spiritual advice and motto: "Let love be the queen, the rule, the spirit and the life of the Congregation."

Daughters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary

In the very early days of the Congregation there was a movement of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in 1856 Pope Pius IX established the Feast (liturgical celebration) of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Then in 1928 Pope Pius XI issued the encyclical letter Miserentissimus Redemptor on reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus; while in 1956 Pope Pius XII issued the encyclical letter Haurietis aquas, on devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Devotion to the Sacred Heart will lead human beings to develop reverence for the Blessed Sacrament and the Cross, because no one can properly love Jesus who hung on the Cross unless one understands the secrets of the mystery of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Devotion to the Heart of Jesus aims to remind us that the ultimate work of Christ’s love is the institution of the Eucharist. With the Sacrament of the Eucharist, Christ wants to be with us until the end of time. The Eucharist is a great gift of the Heart of Jesus, because it is given out of His great love. The Heart of Jesus in the Eucharist continues His life of love and sacrifice in this world. All the mysteries of love are densely revealed by God in the great and precious Sacrament of the Eucharist.

Both the devotion of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Eucharistic Adoration contain the same spirituality, which is directed towards the infinite love of God. This love of God is seen in the work of redemption which is presented in the Eucharist and then beheld and adored in the form of the Blessed Sacrament and symbolized through the loving Heart of Jesus.

We believe that God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son in the Holy Spirit have consecrated Mary’s heart. It was God the Father who bestowed upon her the Immaculate Heart through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit.

In Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration, we adore Jesus Christ who has consecrated His Mother’s Heart. We learn from the Blessed Mary, a woman of prayer and contemplation who kept and pondered every matter in her heart. Mother Clara affirmed that every Sister who loves and honors the Sacred Heart of Jesus, also has the same love and reverence for the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Mother Clara already had a devotion as a child, praying for hours in front of the statue of the Blessed Mary of Merklinghausen (FC Chapter III, LIK p. 17).

The FCJM community is centered on the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary in all areas of life. Mother Maria Clara Pfänder said: “They call themselves Daughters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary and thereby bear witness of their special endeavor, which is to strive after perfect love and honor of these Sacred Hearts, as well as to zealously transmit this reverence to those entrusted to their education and care”. (FC chapter II.

Daughters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus

Devotion to the Sacred Heart is closely related to perpetual adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. The Sacred Heart of Jesus is “the Sun of Divine Grace and Love, radiating upon us the fullness of goodness and beauty; deserving of our total love; the sources of all graces and mercy flowing upon us; the glorious image of all virtues.” (FC LII ). Before the the hidden Heart of Jesus burning with humble love in the Blessed Sacrament the incense of their humble and fervent prayers for our Holy Father, for our most reverend Bishop and his diocese, for all bishops, priests and religious, particularly for all the clergy; furthermore, for the conversion of sinners, for heretics and non-believers, for those entrusted to them, for their relatives and benefactors, for the sick and the dying and for the poor souls in purgatory (FC I).

Daughters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

“But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Lk 2:19, 51) up to the cross (cf. Jn 19:26-27); thus she becomes the mother of all people. She can help us to understand God’s plan of salvation. She is the Daughter of Zion, the Mother of the Savior of people in the Old Testament who continues that role in the New Testament. Mary takes part in the history of human salvation.

Mother Maria Clara Pfänder invites all of us to love and venerate the Most Sacred Heart of Mary and to follow her example (FC C II). Mary’s attitude should be our attitude, which means being open to the Word of God and the work of the Holy Spirit. Mary, strengthened by the Holy Spirit, understood the word of God and proclaimed it. We are also invited by Mary as her daughters to do the command of Jesus as she told the servants at the wedding in Cana: “Do whatever he tells you” (Jn 2:5). Out of love for the Immaculate Virgin Mary and Mother of God, all the Sisters bear the sweet name of Mary in addition to their religious name (FC L. III)).

So as Daughters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, each member must continuously mold her heart according to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and develop love for Him. Having a Sacred Heart means having a heart capable of compassionate love, a loving tongue that excuses the other, forgiveness, patience and gentleness. This love shall shine forth from their faces, from their eyes, from their lips, in their speech, in their manner, in all places and in all things. A heart that increasingly resembles the Sacred Heart becomes a blessing for others and all of God’s creation (cf. FC III & XXVIII).