Apostolic Grace
Our founder, Br. O. J. Victor, received the Apostolic Charism from God for spreading the Gospel, teaching the True Faith, and building up the Body of Christ.
“Through whom we have received grace and our Apostolic Mission of winning the obedience of faith among all the nations for the honour of His Name. You are among these, and by His call, you belong to Jesus Christ”. (Romans 1: 5-6)
Our founder, Br. O. J. Victor, received the Apostolic Charism from God for spreading the Gospel, teaching the True Faith, and building up the Body of Christ.
"And now Christ’s Body is yourselves, each of you with a part to play in the whole. And those whom God has appointed in the Church are, first apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly teachers; after them, miraculous powers, then gifts of healing, helpful acts, guidance, various kinds of tongues". (1 Corinthians 12:27-28)
"He has abolished death, and he has brought to light immortality and life through the Gospel, in whose service I have been made herald, apostle and teacher". (2Timothy 1:10-11)
For this apostolic mission, God has blessed our community with the gifts of pondering the Word of God, discernment of spirits and deliverance.
These are the words which Cardinal Stafford, the then President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity said to members of our Community in a private meeting in 2002: "You have in you a unique charism which was imparted to you through your founder. Your spirituality is rooted in your charism; continue to remain in your unique charism which the Holy Spirit has nurtured in you".
Treasuring the Word
"As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart". (Luke 2:19)
Mary, Mother of God, had the unique gift of treasuring the whole of Scripture in her heart. In our charism, the Word of God is of prime importance. It is from treasuring the Word of God in our hearts and sharing it with others that our spiritual life is constantly renewed and strengthened (Joshua 1:8). By this gift, the Holy Spirit inscribes God’s Word on the tablets of our hearts. (2 Corinthians 3:3)
It is in a pure heart that the Lord’s Word remains - for this, we constantly strive to make our hearts holy and presentable in front of the Lord. (Luke 8:15)
It is by using this gift of treasuring and meditating on the Word in our hearts that we are able to avoid sin. I have hidden Your Words in my heart to avoid sinning against You. (Psalms 119:11)
The Lord Himself puts His holy Words on our lips. (Jeremiah 1:9)
For those specially called to this charism, this gift of treasuring the Scriptures will remain for generations to come. (Isaiah 59:20-21)
Discernment of Spirits
"To another, faith, from the same Spirit; to another, the gifts of healing, through this one Spirit, to another, the working of miracles; to another, prophecy; to another, the power of distinguishing spirits, to one, the gift of different tongues, and to another, the interpretation of tongues". (1 Corinthians 12:9-10)
The gift of discernment of spirits is a special gift that helps us to distinguish darkness from light, the holy from the profane, the spiritual from what belongs to the world, and to identify the true Spirit from the false. This gift is nurtured through a holy life and great zeal for the living Word of God. And so shall it be also when you separate the sacred from the profane, the unclean from the clean. (Leviticus 10:10; Ezekiel 44:23)
It is only by leading a holy life that we will be able to discern what is acceptable to God. (Romans 12:2)
It is by the power of His Word that God divides darkness from light, holy from profane, clean from unclean. (Genesis 1:3-4; Hebrews 4:12-13)
A person who has the Word of God and the Holy Spirit abiding in him is a spiritual person, able to discern all things. (1 Corinthians 2:15)
People are led astray by numerous false teachings and doctrines that are prevalent in the world today. St. John writes to us that there are many different spirits in the world and that we should be able to distinguish between them. (1 John 4:1) Jesus Christ is the same today as He was yesterday, and He will be forever. Do not be led astray by all sorts of strange doctrines. (Hebrews 13:8-9)
Many are attracted by signs and wonders and by following these, deviate from the true faith. Saint Paul warns us against being deceived, since Satan can even disguise himself to appear as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:13-15) - hence the importance of this unique spiritual gift to help us identify between the true spirit and the false.
Our mission, in this time, when people lack clarity in spiritual matters, is to lead people to true spiritual discernment and a clear and mature faith based on the Creed of the Apostles.
Binding & Deliverance
“These are the signs that will be associated with believers: in My Name, they will cast out devils; they will have the gift of tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands and be unharmed should they drink deadly poison; they will lay their hands on the sick who will recover”. (Mark 16:17-18)
The graces of binding and deliverance are special gifts which God has given us to destroy the power of the Evil One and to liberate those held captive in his power. It is through faith in Jesus Christ and by the power of His Name that the Apostles received the power to bind and cast out devils and spread the Kingdom of God. Evangelisation is a spiritual warfare against the powers of darkness that rule the world.
For it is not against human enemies that we have to struggle, but against the principalities and the ruling forces who are masters of the darkness in this world, the spirits of evil in the heavens. (Ephesians 6:12)
We are well aware that we are from God, and the whole world is in the power of the Evil One. (1 John 5:19).
It is when the Word of God abides in us that we receive the spiritual power to overcome all the forces of darkness. (1 John 2:14; 1 John 4:4)
When Jesus sent His Apostles to evangelise the whole world, he sent them out with authority and power over all evil spirits and to bind and cast out devils. (Luke 9:1; Matthew 18:18)
But if it is through the finger of God that I drive devils out, the Kingdom of God has indeed caught you unawares. (Luke 11:20)
Through the grace of binding, God sends angels to bind the evil spirits and render them powerless at the word of the Apostles.
Or again, how can anyone make his way into a strong man’s house and plunder his property unless he has first tied up the strong man? Only then can he plunder his house. (Matthew 12:29)
And Raphael was sent to bring remedy to them both… and to rid her of Asmodeus, the worst of demons. (Tobit 3:17)