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February 3, 2020On February 2 Redemptorist Superior General Father Michael Brehl announced a Jubilee Year in honor of St. Clement Maria Hofbauer, often called the “second founder” of the Redemptorists.
March 15, 2020, will mark the 200th anniversary of St. Clement’s death, and the jubilee will take place from that day through March 15, 2021.
“The contribution of St. Clement to the history and development of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer has left a lasting mark on our spirituality and mission,” wrote Father Brehl in a letter to confreres, sisters, and lay partners in mission.
“During this Jubilee we remember once again the person and work of our brother Clement, whose ‘life was based on love for God and the Holy Church and the desire to lead souls to God,’ as those who knew him personally affirmed. Clement lived in a very difficult period from the political and religious point of view. It was a period hostile to the Church and to religious life, and he opened a road to Christian renewal. Thanks to him, the revival of religious life in Warsaw and Vienna took place.
“From Clement we can learn how to live in communion with God and, at the same time, to be zealous apostles, dedicated to proclaiming the Gospel to the poorest and most abandoned. . . . his genius lies in the harmonious fusion of the interior life and apostolic activity. These two dimensions of holiness often run the risk of being separated. For Redemptorists, the interior life without active mission in the world will not build up the reign of God. The active missionary apostolate and care of people, without passion and the inner warmth of heart, would be reduced to purely external action.”
Father Brehl concluded his letter with a quoted passage from St. Clement:
“Courage! God is the Lord! He guides everything for his glory and for our good, and nothing is able to oppose him. All human plans, even if designed in the greatest detail, serve only for the fulfillment of his will. . . . I notice that everything that seems to be made to hurt us, leads us there, where the Lord wants. . . . Let us be guided by God and all will be well. . . . My dear brothers! Let us be wary of sin and strive for perfection; this is the only thing we have to keep in mind, let us be strong in heart and encourage each other to do good. Let us treat one another with love.”
