Reflections on the FIC Brother’s Mission and Spirituality

Bro. Remy Nyukorong

Introduction 

For me, the FIC Spirituality can be summarized as follows: faithful communion with Jesus Christ and his mission; fraternal community life; practical love of God and neighbour through "Formative-Christian-Education" of ourselves and the youth (others); remaining open to the signs of the times and the prompting of the Spirit; venerating Mary our mother and patroness; and committing ourselves to the continuous growth of the Kingdom of God, in ourselves, in our community, in the Church, and in the world (FIC Constitution). This is my believe and what I aspire to be. I ask for God’s grace and strength.

Brothers FIC maintains an active spirituality. 

Our founder's faith is active. A missional spirituality. We don’t own the mission. The mission of Christ drives FIC spirituality. Based on the story of Jesus and his own experience, our Founder (s) believed that generosity toward neighbours united him with God. Indeed, love of God and neighbour are inseparable. Love is not first for God, then neighbour. Loving God in neighbour. The heart can never hold this love. It must be concrete and practical. Thus, the FIC Christian lifestyle continues Christ’s mission. As Jesus, did, we glorify the Father by declaring the Kingdom and showing needy people God’s love. 

We were sent to spread positive news. 

Understanding Christ is the foundation of all Christian spirituality. Msgr. Rutten realized Jesus preached more than a lovely message about an ethereal kingdom. His statements didn’t shatter hopes. He followed through on his words. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, raised the dead, and showed compassion to sinners to show God’s love. Thus, FIC Spirituality must centre on Jesus as the evangelizer of the poor. This image ought to affect every area of our lives. 

My first encounter of the FIC Spirituality

I met the FIC Brothers in Nandom Secondary School. The 1970s saw several FIC Brothers living at Mt. Zion and teaching in the secondary school. Brothers Albert Ketelaars, Arnold Smal, Everard Verhoven, Luke Bangnikon, Gregory Rupert Tang, and Calistus Tang were notable. The Brothers were dedicated, Godly, gentle, humble, respectful, demonstrated affective love for the youth with preferential option for the poor, and aware of the local poor and needy. Excellent folks, they did many excellent things. This inspired me to become a brother FIC to share their life and mission. Having joined the FIC Brotherhood, I am grateful and have no regrets. Many brothers in our various provinces are still committed to their religious lives. Unfortunately, some of us are diverting from our life's mission and spirituality. Community living has become more difficult, and some brothers live "a free lifestyle." 

Integration of prayer and the apostolate

Prayer and the apostolic life must be interwoven. We carry the world with us to prayer, and prayer propels us out into the world. Our founders were persons of prayer. Msgr. Rutten encourages us to let Christ and his gospel illumine the different aspects of our lives. We are asked to have a personal conversation with Christ about our experiences among the impoverished, including the signs and countersigns of the Kingdom, our personal and inner emotions, community possibilities, and more.

Mary, our Inspiration. 

We can reflect on Mary's maternity, prayerfulness, and willingness to act. Mary's parenting is seen as she attends to the needs of the newlyweds at Cana, noting when they have run out of wine for their guests. This is a sign of "happiness, love, and plenty." Many families today have run out of "wine" as a result of loneliness, unemployment, illness, and other challenges. Mary, an "attentive and concerned" mother, avoids self-centeredness and notices when others no longer have wine in their lives. 

My proposal

In our Congregation, there should be a renewed emphasis on actual and personal relationships with the poor, a call to critical thinking and study of the reasons of poverty, a sharing in the poor's position so that they can evangelize others, and a call to conversion. Based on the above, I propose the following:

• Our apostolic focus should be on evangelizing the poor and needy as a proof of God's presence on earth (Mt 11:5). 
• We must cultivate a sense of community in our apostolic work to support one another in our common vocation. 
• Evaluating the contemporary world wisely “in the light of faith”, and fired with apostolic zeal, we may be more helpful to people. 
• Our Congregation must strive for ongoing conversion, as advised by St. Paul: "Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind" (Rm 12:2). 
• Evaluate the province's work, revitalize mission in each province, consider inculturation, and empower the poor to lead their own evangelization and liberation. 
• The mission of our communities should be based on the communitarian love of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The emphasis should be on living with one another as brothers, giving special attention to the elderly and sick, and seeking to inculturate and insert ourselves among poor people to "make our solidarity with them effective." 
• Prioritize pastoral service (Charitable works) over income generating activities.

Conclusion 

All FIC family members should prioritize spiritual rejuvenation and reappropriation. Losing touch with our spiritual legacy makes us less FIC Brothers. If we historicize this heritage like biblical fundamentalists and become irrelevant in the present world, we may as well not exist. We cannot discard our spirituality or confine it to its most fundamental form. We must individually and collectively return to our roots and reinterpret them in light of our historical context.