Way of Life
Community of Love Crucified
The vocation of the Love Crucified Community is to live passionately His love revealed at the Cross. There we receive the gift of His thirst, His gaze, His tears, His radical love which holds nothing back. Now He calls us to respond.
The Lord has given our Community this standard:
“ Suffer all with Me, no longer two but ONE, in my sacrifice of love"
As brothers and sisters we enter into a covenant with Christ and with each other to live fully this love in the heart of the Church, according to our spirituality (The Simple Path to Union with God) and mission.
At first, commitments may seem to be a burden, but the Lord promised: "My yoke is easy and my burden is light." -Matthew 11:30. "Sanctity does not consist first of all in doing extraordinary things, but in letting God act" -Pope Francis. God's grace makes this way of life liberating and joyful through love. It disposes us to receive a new life in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Our way of life embraces the following commitments:
1. Lives centered on the Eucharist
2. Marian Consecration
3. Docility to the Holy Spirit
4. Live The Simple Path to Union with God: Our Spiritual Formation Book
5. Victims of Love + Offering life for others; for priest
6. 5 Stones: Humility, Purity, Simplicity, Trust, Courage
7. Repentance and Conversion
8. Community Life
9. Obedience to Mother Church
10. Fidelity to our state in life
I propose to do ever what is most perfect. I propose to seek in all things Jesus and His Cross, in conformity with His holy will. I propose in my actions to pursue the interests of Christ and not my own. ...I will never be disquieted should circumstances prevent me from observing my 'Rule of life.' I will go on tranquilly. I will be flexible in the face of difficulties, humbly... then onward, ever onward! -Extract from her "Rule of life", Ven. Concepción Cabrera de Armida, Aug 21, 1894
1. Lives Centered on the Eucharist
The Eucharist is Christ, our life, the source and summit of all we are and do.
We seek to participate in Holy Mass daily, if possible.
At Holy Mass we unite with Jesus as His victim souls in His sacrifice of love to the Father. We go to die to self and receive new life in Him. We become living hosts. We offer ourselves with Jesus to the Father after the consecration of the Precious Blood with this prayer.
We commit to a minimum of once a week of adoration before the Blessed Sacrament to listen, adore, praise, intercede, give thanks, and accompany and CONSOLE Jesus and Mary in their suffering for souls.
For their work, prayers and apostolic endeavours, their ordinary married and family life, their daily labour, their mental and physical relaxation, if carried out in the Spirit, and even the hardships of life if patiently borne-all of these become spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (cf. 1 Pt 2:5). During the celebration of the Eucharist these sacrifices are most lovingly offered to the Father along with the Lord’s body. Thus as worshipers whose every deed is holy, the lay faithful consecrate the world itself to God. John Paul II
See teaching Fr Jordi Rivero>>
2. Marian Consecration
To come to the most perfect intimate union of love with Christ—victim united to Victim— we need to consecrate ourselves to Mary, Mother and Bride, with the understanding and abandonment that she will bring us to the foot of the Cross. We commit to be forever "Totus Tuus" (All yours).
See “Importance of Consecration” letter from Lourdes Pinto to community>>
33 Days to Morning Glory -Preparation to Marian Consecration. by Fr Michael E. Gaitley, MIC; Marian Press.
Renew our consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Daily Recitation of the Rosary
3. Docility to the Holy Spirit
We live in the Spirit attentive to God and submitting to Him everything we do. We ask of Him in every situation, “Lord what do you want of me?” We trust in the Holy Spirit and invoke Him constantly.
See “Importance of Consecration” letter from Lourdes Pinto to community>>
“Yet there is no greater freedom than that of allowing oneself to be guided by the Holy Spirit, renouncing the attempt to plan and control everything to the last detail, and instead, letting him enlighten, guide and direct us, leading us wherever he wills.” Pope Francis p. 13
We welcome the Holy Spirit as our teacher and guide through living the Simple Path. It is He who leads us through the passage -- from the feet of Jesus crucified to receive the gift of self-knowledge, into the Sacred Heart of Jesus and brings us into the unity of the Most Holy Trinity.
“God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us” (Rom 5:5). Nevertheless, it is not enough to know the Spirit; we must welcome Him as the guide of our souls, as the “Teacher of the interior life” who introduces us to the Mystery of the Trinity, because He alone can open us up to faith and allow us to live it each day to the full.” Pope Benedict XVI, XXXIII World Youth Day, 2008
4. Live The Simple Path to Union with God: Our Spiritual Formation Book
Each Mother of the Cross (MOC) and Missionary of the Cross (MC) must be willing to allow The PATH to lead them through the painful purification and healing of their hearts into the depth of self- knowledge. Each person must persevere to:
Follow Christ daily to the Cross,
To die to self—to what we have become that we are not,
To make ourselves vulnerable and stripped of our masks and false identity
And suffer ALL with Christ, in order to be transformed into Love.
5. Victims of Love
Our life is an offering of love. Our crosses, including the injustices we suffer, as well as the daily duties, are powerful when done with great love and united with Christ. God waits for the FIAT that signals our total surrender. We don’t just offer something; we offer ourselves without reserve, our entire being, our will, our heart, our body and soul, one with Him. This is to be with Christ victims of love.
It is a victim soul's 'yes' that 'stirs into flame' the power of the Holy Spirit so that the Holy Spirit can lead a docile and willing soul to die with Me. It is this voluntary death that brings the soul to new life…I continue to thirst for love, but it is only the love of My victim souls that satisfies My thirst… Therefore, bring Me many victim souls. 2/1/11 Simple Path #124 p.331
See “Victim of Love” by Fr Jordi Rivero>>
6. 5 Stones: Humility, Purity, Simplicity, Trust and Courage
The MOC and MC must be committed to growing in these five virtues as we persevere in living the Simple Path and taking to heart the teachings of this community.
Virtues Needed as Warriors of Love
My little one, the time draws near. You hold the sword of the Spirit in the mission given to you. My family of LC are My warriors of love that will defeat the dragon in the decisive battle that draws near. Be ready to approach this evil in the same way that David approached Goliath. You will conquer the dragon in your littleness and purity because it is.
God who is with you. You must not fear and believe with the innocence and zeal of David… You each must also approach the battle with five stones.
1. First, the stone of humility, possessing the perfect knowledge of your nothingness and of My power and majesty.
2. Second, the stone of purity, purity of mind, heart, intention, word, desire…
3. Third, simplicity, detached from all, most especially from your ego.
4. Fourth, trust perfectly abandoned to My will.
5. Fifth, courage, courage rooted in love of Me to be perfectly obedient to My commands.
These stones are your weapons for battle, for the dragon will not be defeated according to the standards of the world but in the Light of Love… 1/18/12 Simple Path #148 p. 436
7. Repentance and Conversion
As Love Crucified, we are committed to go daily to the Cross to kiss the feet of Jesus crucified and beg the Spirit for the gift of self-knowledge, so that we can come in truth to know our sins, wounds and disordered tendencies. It is then, through this self-awareness, that we receive the gift of repentance.
Repentance is the gift of God that serves to pry open the hardened human heart so that My seeds of conversion can grow. Repentance is the Sword of the Spirit that opens the darkness within the human heart to be filled with God’s Light of truth, and the truth sets you free.
To live in repentance is to live clothed in the knowledge of who you are, which is misery, and the knowledge of who I Am, which is Love and Mercy.
To live in repentance is to live in the freedom of living in the embrace of Abba, Our Father.
Tell My souls to seek true repentance at the foot of My Cross and the power of My Love Crucified will set them free to live in My peace and the joy of My promise. 2/18/18
The soul that lives wrapped in the gift of knowledge grows in true humility and is then able to advance in My path on the wings of the Holy Spirit… It is here, at My feet, that you must persevere… 12/12/11 Simple Path #10 p.40. see full message >>
Confession: We are encouraged to go regularly to confession. There is no better way to make progress on our spiritual journey than by returning in humble repentance and love to God’s infinite mercy.
Pilgrimage to Mexico of the Love Crucified Community
Dec 7-13, 2016
During the Solemnities of the Immaculate Conception, the Birthday of Conchita and the Solemnity of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
To pray, ponder, consecrate ourselves and seek Our Lady's guidance.
Special thanks to Julia, Juliana, Bernadette and deacon Edgar for their pictures.
-Fr. Jordi Rivero
Dec. 7-10: Days of prayer at the chapel & crypt of Conchita.
Conchita, widowed, with 7 of her 9 children.
Left: Conchita's vision of the Cross marks entrance to retreat house.
On the crypt of this church is buried Venerable Concepción Cabrera de Armida.
We adore Jesus - our love, our life.
Our family around Conchita.
May we be as passionate loving Christ as she.
Conchita:
"My daughter -Jesus said to me- I want you to say frequently and specially y your sorrows, this words, with a loving disposition, ´this is my body, this is my blood,´ offering yourself to the eternal Father in union with me. Don't you remember that you are a living host and shall be a victim?"
No longer two but ONE in His sacrifice of Love.
Mexico Cathedral
Dedicated to the Assumption of Our Lady
Dec 9, 2016
Love Crucified encounters martyrs and saints
This magnificent cathedral was dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption in 1656, 85 years after construction began. But it was finished until 1813. It is built on the site of an Aztec temple in the center of the city.
Christ of the Poison
Mothers of the Cross adore Jesus Crucified - our life and joy - under the advocation of "Christ of the poison." He took upon Himself the poison of Satan in order to set us free. According to tradition, enemies tried to kill the bishop by placing poison on His feet on this crucifix, but when the bishop went as was his custom to kiss His feet, Jesus pulled them back and the crucifix remained in that position. We too in Love Crucified have the practice of kissing Jesus´ crucified feet (read the Path) and should not fear to do so for He is our love and strength.
Our Lady of Light
She rescues us from darkness giving us Christ
who is Light. Without a clear identity, we are
in darkness, swayed by all the forces around us.
The Immaculate Heart of Mary gathered us around her at the Cathedral and told us that she was pleased with us. She also encouraged us to live our identity as transformed men and women living the Path with her. Lourdes received a vision: Mary gave her 2 roses, one red for martyrdom and one white representing purity. She brought them together to become one. Lourdes understood that purity is necessary for martyrdom and reminded us that white and red are the colors of our community´s Cross and also of Divine Mercy.
The Mothers of the Cross and the Missionaries of the Cross were moved to pray for each other.
As we admired and prayed at the numerous side altars of the Cathedral we found the tomb of Ven. Bishop of Mexico, Luis Maria Martinez (1937-1956), whose spiritual writings have been an inspiration to many in the community. He was Conchita's last spiritual director.
We also found martyrs, such as St. Vital who was buried alive for helping a companion not to loose his faith, and the chapel at right dedicated to St. Felipe de Jesus, the first native Mexican missionary martyred in Japan (1597)at the age of 25. He is the patron of youth and of Mexico City. Come Holy Spirit, that we may follow their footsteps!
A short walk from the cathedral, on Madero Ave. and we arrived at the church of St. Philip Neri to venerate the Cross and to console.
Our Sorrowful Mother
The statue of our Sorrowful mother that is venerated in the church of San Fhilip Neri was photographed during our 2011 and 2016 pilgrimages. I always felt that the first photograph was a special gift of our Mother for the community, that she was showing us her desire to enter the Path with her! He tears shined brightly as diamonds. That image is now in front of my desk at the Refuge of Padre Pio. I pray to her daily for each one of you, our sons and daughters. We are one heart with her in love and thus also in her sorrow for the offenses against Jesus and the suffering of her children.
Padre Miguel Pro — Martyr
¡VIVA CRISTO REY!
Now we go to the Church of the Holy Family to pray close to the remains of Fr. Pro.
Blessed are those who are moved by our Crucified Jesus to follow Him to Cross.
Blessed Father Miguel Pro SJ was martyred Nov 23, 1927 for excercising her priestly ministry. Like Fr. Felix, he had returned back to Mexico during the persecution while many were leaving. While they shot him he chose to have a crucifix in one hand and a rosary in the other, arms extended in the form of the Cross. He forgave his persecutors and died crying out "viva Cristo Rey" (long live Christ the King). President Calles thought that executing Padre Pro publicly would demoralize Catholics, so he had the execution photographed and published on the newspapers, but it had the opposite effect. Thousands lined the streets at his burial even though it was forbidden. He teaches us faith, courage to be victims of love without fear. He was fully aware of his identity and faith.
This happened in a Christian country just like it has happened many times (France, Spain, Germany, Russia, Cuba...) Our Lady, prepare our hearts!!
Love Crucified pilgrims pray to Padre Pro. Holy Family Parish, Mexico
Holy Family behind the altar
The glorious reign of Jesus and Mary with the victorious martyrs and saints.
Padre Pro found the treasure for which he gave up everything.
Padre Felix Rougier de Jesus
1859-1938
Co-Founder and close friend of Conchita
Conchita Cabrera de Armida
Cross of Love Crucified Comm.
Cross given to Conchita in vision
Maria & Lourdes
2011
2016
Fragment of the Cross
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Statue of Fr. Felix by his tomb, Fr. Jordi visit of 2011
Cross of the Apostolate, founded by Blessed Conchita