Divine Word College of Calapan

SCHOOL OF LIBERAL ARTS

Prophetic Dialogue with Arnold Janssen Spirituality (Rel. Ed. 3) Q2

A. WITNESSING TO THE WORD IN THE WORLD THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE LIFE OF ST.
ARNOLD JANSSEN AND THE SVD FOUNDING GENERATION.

Objectives: 1. To recognize the Spiritual Life of each individual in a given Family

2. To give emphasis on the Word of God in the milieu of family relationships inspired by
St. Arnold Janssen.

VI. MAY THE DARKNESS OF SIN...

"May the darkness of sin and the night of unbelief vanish before the Light of the Word and the Spirit of grace.
And may the Heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all. Amen."

"May Jesus' love live in the hearts of all people."

We can pray this very popular invocation with more feeling if we come to know its colorful history and rich
theological content. The original Latin formulation that came separately in two parts is Coram lumine Verbi
et Spiritu gratiae recedant tenebrae peccati et nox paganismi. Et vivat Cor Jesu in cordibus hominum. Amen.

May the darkness of sin and the night of unbelief vanish before the Light of the Word and the Spirit of grace.

History

The first part of the prayer is almost entirely derived from the Scriptures especially from John's Gospel. This
is quite clear: "In the beginning was the Word" (In 1:1); "and the life was the light of men, and the light shines
in the darkness (Jn 1:4); "full of grace and truth" (Jn 1:14). The expression "Spirit of grace" is literally from
the prophet Zachariah: "And I will pour down upon the house of David... a a spirit of grace and prayer" (12:10).
"Night is taken from St. Paul who usually uses it in conjunction with "darkness" "We are not of the night nor
of darkness" (1 Thes 5:5). It is interesting that St. Thomas, commenting on this verse, equates "night" with
paganism and "darkness" with sin: "We are not children of night, that is, infidelity, nor of strong darkness, that
is, of sin." Because of the partiality of Father Arnold for St. Thomas, we can see a connection. The prayer,
therefore, grows from biblical foundation and tradition.

These thoughts, contained in the Scriptures and incorporated in our prayer, had become an early personal
possession of Father Arnold. Already as a child he had relied on the Prologue of John. In a letter of 1863,
twelve years before the foundation of the mission house, he spoke of a special veneration for John the
Evangelist. In the early 1870s, when he was making plans for the foundation, John's thoughts had a strong
and decisive influence on his spiritual formation.

In an issue of the Sacred Heart Messenger, he wrote: "You [the pagans] are children of darkness, we are the
most joyous children of the light. May we allow the light to rule in us and become stronger and stronger and
gradually banish that darkness." He expressed the wish: "May the Divine Word, dwelling in the most Sacred
Heart of Jesus, help us above all, for it is the divine Wisdom, the reflection of the Father, the dispenser of the
Holy Spirit and the light which enlightens every human being who comes into this world. May it become the
ardor of our adoration, our strength, our love, and our light by which our teachers attain wisdom and the
words of our missionaries achieve the power to bring God's love into the night of heathenism and into the
loveless and dark kingdom of these Father Arnold's way of thinking, poor souls." great zeal for prayer,
tendency to compose prayers, and style of writing point to him as the actual author even if there is no explicit
evidence for it.

The first formulation of the prayer was: "May the sweet light of the Divine Word shine in the darkness of
sin and in the night of heathenism." This formulation was found for the first time in the Sacred Heart
Messenger in 1876. It was used in consecrations and vow formulas during the first years of Steyl. This text
remained this way into the 1880s. What is noticeable is that it speaks of the "Light of the Divine Word" without
mention of the Holy Spirit.

The prayer took its present and final form in 1885 during the first General Chapter. The Founder's devotion
to the Holy Spirit found its way into the prayer. However, the proceedings of the Chapter show the efforts
made by the four capitulars in the introduction of the Holy Spirit into it. In the period from February 12-19,
1885, it ran: "May the light and the power of the eternal wisdom and love descend upon the darkness of sin
and the night of heathenism." An alternative formulation was "Come, Holy Spirit, and scatter the darkness of
sin and the night of heathenism that by the power of your grace and love the most Sacred Heart of Jesus
may live in the hearts of all." Another version introduced on February 26, 1885 was "May the sweet and
consuming light of the Divine Word shine in the darkness of sin and the night of paganism and, through his
Spirit, may the Heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all."

Between March 10 and March 25, 1885, there were several versions that used the inverted form for the first
time: "May the darkness of sin and the night of error give way to the light of the Word and the Spirit of
Strength," also, "Before the Spirit of grace and the light of the Word may the darkness of sin and the night of
heathenism give way and may the Heart of Jesus live ever more in the hearts of all." A passive form was also
used for the first time: "May the darkness give way; may the wicked spirits be banished; may the day of the
Word grow in the sun of the Spirit;" "Before the light of the Word and the Spirit of grace, may the darkness of
sin and the night of heathenism vanish." On March 25, 1885 the capitulars unanimously adopted Coram
lumine Verbi et Spiritu gratiae recedant tenebrae peccati et nox paganismi. This definitive formulation
appeared in the 1887 Vedemecum of the Steyl mission house.
Theological Content

We now turn to the inner contents of the prayer that would reveal the Founder's theology of mission. The two
divine Persons, Divine Word and Holy Spirit, are placed at the center of the prayer. Where then is the third
Person since Arnold Janssen's spirituality is basically Trinitarian? That the Person of the Father is not
mentioned is not accidental. The prayer expresses the mission activity of the Trinity and shows the depth of
the mystery of salvation. The two Persons mentioned, through their mission sending, have immersed
themselves into the world in the work of salvation. Through them the inner life of the Trinity is poured out.
The first Rule of the Society (1885) says: "And because our Society has been the Holy Spirit and to the
eternal Word, we shall often direct our prayers to these divine Persons, confidently trusting that this is the
will of the Father and that in doing so we adore the Father himself in these most holy Persons whom he
begets and breathes forth from himself and in a most loving way sends to us that they may perfect in us the
mystery of his fatherly love." consecrated to

We turn our thoughts to the Second Person after whom the Society was named. When we say "Light of the
Word" we refer to the innermost characteristic and unique meaning of his salvation. The Word (Logos) is
Light. It is the light coming out from the Father. The Divine Word is the reflection of the Father's beauty and
at the same time the expression of the Father's thought. It is eternal, uncreated, and resplendent wisdom.
Thus, the Word is also light to the world. He is the model and source of all natural and supernatural light of
knowledge. The Divine Word inspires love. The Divine Light is not cold but a warmly glowing and heat-giving
light. St. Thomas said: "The Son is not just any word but the Word breathing forth Love." (ST I, 43,2)

St. Arnold's genuine understanding and deep devotion to the Divine Word directly points to the Holy Spirit.
For this reason, the prayer now turns to the Holy Spirit. The description "Spirit of grace" touches the depths
of the mystery of the Third Person. Breath of the mutual love between the Father and the Son and
personification of their intimacy, the Holy Spirit is the embodiment of God's love for all. The never-ending and
extravagant love of the Holy Spirit penetrates and inflames the hearts of all.

We now turn to the world wrapped in night of unbelief and darkness of sin. It is a cold world lacking the
warmth and life-giving ray of the divine love. "And the light shone in the darkness, and the darkness grasped
it not" (John 1:5). It is a sinful world that has rejected the Light. At the same time and in spite of the rejection,
an innermost compassion is for those still in the dark and in the shadow of death. Compassion is offered to
those who have never experienced "this sweet light within themselves, a compassion which is freely given to
us to exist in our hearts and enliven our souls." (First Statutes). So we have the roots of the intention of our
prayer: a burning zeal for the Divine Word and the Holy Spirit and a compassionate love for humanity.

Since the darkness of sin and unbelief is essentially located in the heart of each person, the Word and the
Spirit must fill these hearts and rekindle them from within. Both must be accepted by and dwell in men through
faith. At the same time, the prayer aims at the grace-bestowing indwelling of the Trinity in the heart, as another
prayer of Father Arnold expresses: Vivat Deus Unus et Trinus in Cordibus Nostris (May the one and triune
God live in our hearts).
Further, darkness is not exclusively in the depths of the heart. It spreads out in the world around us - in the
sciences and technology, in perverse cultures and arts, in the media, in government offices, and almost in all
areas of human behavior. Even in these fields, darkness must be banished. In this regard, the Society in its
early years already identified the apostolate of the press, scientific research, teaching, and similar activities
as mission work.

The penetration of the light of grace into the darkness, especially in the hearts of men, is accomplished in a
twofold way. First, by the incommunicable working of God's grace, independent of any external means and
instruments. Thus, the light which enlightens everyone who comes into this world may also shine with its
saving grace on who have never seen the ray of light. Second, the divine activity usually makes use of
external means, especially priests and nuns and their co-missionaries. In their sacramental activity, as well
as their words, prayers, and example, they should be instruments of the divine light. In the 1876 Statutes we
read: "The Divine Word is the light that enlightens everyone who comes into this world. It is upon this the
missionary has to build, knowing as he does that his own word takes on power only when aided by the Divine
Word."

We have here, therefore, a basic theology of mission, an understanding that inspires us missionaries today:
mission is God's work, and we share in this work. Missionaries, then and today, are instruments of the divine
Light and the Spirit of grace.

And may the Heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all. Amen.

History. This second part was originally a separate prayer, composed earlier than the first part. It seems that
from the beginning greater importance was attached to it. In a June 1875 issue of the Sacred Heart
Messenger Father Arnold wrote: "The mission house will never forget its origin. And, since it has as its stated
goal to work to fulfill the grace-giving intentions of the divine Heart of Jesus, still more does it feel compelled
by its origins to call upon the Sacred Heart of Jesus more forcefully and, as a proof of this, to make the
following beautiful words its motto and standard: 'May the Hear of Jesus live in the hearts of all! Amen.""

On September 8, 1875, on the very day of the dedication of the mission house, there was a picture of the
Sacred Heart in the lobby. Above the picture was inscribed the motto of the house: "May the Heart of Jesus
live in the hearts of all." From then on it was used as the usual prayer of the community when leaving the
dining room and as greeting, similar to "Praised be Jesus Christ" which was introduced later.

From 1876 on we find the motto-prayer linked with Coram lumine. Together as one, the prayer went through
various versions. Here are two samples: "May the heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all! May the sweet light
of the Divine Word shine in the darkness of sin and the night of heathenism. Amen;" and "Come, O Holy
Spirit, and scatter the darkness of sin and the night of heathenism through the power of your grace and love
so that, through you, the Heart of Jesus may live in the hearts of all."
There was much effort to determine the proper wording. At first the following were used: "and may it reign"
and "May the Heart of Jesus reign more and more." Finally, "May it live" prevailed.

It is worth mentioning the short daily prayer of the brothers, upon the instruction of the Founder, before their
work. They made the sign of the cross on their forehead, mouth and breast and said: "Jesus, be in my
thoughts! Jesus, be in my words! Jesus, be in my work!" It contains the same basic idea as the motto, that
is, the idea of the sanctification of all mankind through the indwelling and living of Christ in us.

What then is the origin or source of the prayer? There is no definitive answer but we can try to point out. "May
the heart of Jesus live" (vivat Cor Jesu) also relies on Scriptures. It has its roots in John and Paul. John
speaks a number of times of the "remaining" of Christ in his followers: "He remains in me and I in him" (John
6:57; 15:5); "You in me and I in you" (John 14:20). Paul speaks in a similar way: "Christ in you" (Rom 8:10;
2 Cor 13:5; Col 1:27). He also writes about the indwelling of Christ in the heart: "May Christ dwell by faith in
your hearts" (Eph 3:17). With emphasis, Paul further speaks of the "life" of Christ in the well-known passage
that is closely related to the motto: "Christ truly lives in me" (Gal 2:20),

The author, most probably Father Arnold, could have also been inspired by another source. The Brothers of
the Christian Schools offer a prayer quite similar. The Rule of their founder, John Baptist de la Salle, goes:
"May Jesus live in our hearts forever!" There is no evidence if this influenced Father Arnold at all. However,
we may assume the influence of St. Francis de Sales with whose writings the Founder was acquainted. In
the writings of Francis de Sales we find the following: "May Jesus always be in our hearts," "Lord Jesus, live
and reign in this heart," and "May Jesus live in everything and everywhere, especially in the midst of our
hearts." Somehow there is a similarity with the prayer of St. Grignon de Monfort: "Oh Jesus, you who live in
Mary, come and live in your servants." Father Arnold was acquainted with this prayer and introduced it into
the morning prayers of the mission house.

Theological Content

The prayer deals with the understanding of Christ's mystical presence in his Church and its members. It does
not simply say "May the Heart of Jesus live" but "May the Heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all."

The theological foundation of the prayer is the richness of the divine Heart of Jesus. The light of the Word
and the Spirit of grace are found in their fullness in this heart, for in him dwells bodily all the fullness of the
Godhead (Gal 2:9). In a booklet of the Apostleship of Prayer Father Arnold wrote: "The Most Blessed Trinity
has not given this heart its own personality. Rather, it has incorporated it into the Person of the eternal Son.
For this reason, this Heart is entirely supernatural and is to be considered the most profound and mysterious
tabernacle of God among men." He continued: "Therefore, the entire Blessed Trinity dwells in the Heart of
Jesus, the power of the eternal Father, the beauty and wisdom of the eternal Son, and the generous love
and richness of the Holy Spirit. They dwell there in a human heart. What a holy mystery!"
The Heart abundantly pours out the richness of the life of the Incarnate Word: "I came that they may have
life and have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). He is the sun in the world which dispenses light and heat to
revive everything: "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12). He is the source from which water of grace a and
truth flow: "You shall draw waters with joy out of the Savior's fountains" (Is 12:3). He is the vine from whom
all life flows. "I am the vine you are the branches" (John 15:5). He is the life-giving and governing head: "He
made him the head over the whole church" (Eph 1:22).

Father Arnold used these images taken from the Scriptures for the life-giving task of Christ, to demonstrate
the meaning of the divine Heart. Already in 1874, he wrote: "The sun is an image of the divine Heart of Jesus
containing the divine grace which enlightens the understanding and enkindles the will. It also contains this
grace in such an abundance that, just like the sun, it can share itself with all without losing anything. Through
his holy passion, Jesus merited to pour out upon the world the fullness of his grace Thus he became in the
realm of grace what the sun is in the realm of nature.

...There is the proof of the words of Scripture: 'Of his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

Study Guides

A. Answer these questions:

1. What is an invocation?

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2. In your own words, what does the first part of the invocation mean? The second part?

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3. Formulate your own invocation. Explain the theological bases of your invocation. Be ready to share your
invocation in a group.

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4. Explain Fr. Arnold's theology of mission.

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Course References:

• Estiko, Leonardo R., SVD. Witness to the Word (Readings on St. Arnold Janssen and the SVD
Mission), LOGOS Publications, Manila, 2005.
• Soc Abellana, Esperidion S. et al., Witness to the Word: Growing in Love, University of
San Carlos Press, 2013.
• Leonardo R. Estioko, Volume 2 Witness to the Word ( Readings on St. Arnold AND His Mission),
LOGOS Publications, Manila, 2007
• SVD Word in the World 1994/95. The Society of the Divine Word (SVD) reports on its
world-wide missionary activities. –Divine Word Missionaries: One Hundred Years in
North America 1895-1995, Steyler Verlag, Nettetal 19943, 239 pp
• Arnold Janssen 1837-1909, A pictorial Biography. Estella, Spain Editorial Verbo
Divino, 1987
• Aschem, Tom SVD, “Prophetic Dialogue from the XV to the General Chapter Advance,
• Difficulties and Challenges, which appeared in Verbum, VOL. 47 no. 1(2006) pp. 27-36
and a talk to the provincials of European zone, 2005
• Bastes, Bishop Arturo, Talk on Witness to the Word during the 3rd DWEA National
assembly, 2005, Tagay tay City