SSP spirituality can be compared to a rose window in a gothic cathedral. In the center of the window is an image of Mary holding Christ, around whom the pedals of the window fall rightly into order. At the center of SSP spirituality is the Eucharist, the true body and blood of Jesus Christ, and the rest of our prayer life, our evangelization, our charitable work, our school work, and our social life fall rightly in order around Him. It's also fitting that our home parish is dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
SSP spirituality is laid out in its entirety in the Rule of the Society of St. Paul. Those who become fully initiated members of the Society commit to live this Rule as a whole way of life. The Rule codifies the spirituality that has been built by the founders of the Society so that it will serve as the foundation and the root of SSP to build further upon. To read the Rule, click below.
The Rule of the Society of St. Paul
The formational goal of SSP spirituality is to train students how to live a holy, faithful, dynamic, and mature Catholic faith as an adult. Pope Francis has warned the Church many times about becoming self-referential, but instead to look outwards to bring the Gospel to the world, especially the poor. Modern college students find themselves in a spiritual dead zone. Bl. Mother Teresa of Calcutta said the spiritual poverty of America is worse than the economic poverty of Calcutta, India. For the students' current situation, SSP spirituality helps get them in close encounter with Jesus Christ, His cross, death, and resurrection, and as a group founded on the New Evangelization, faces them outward toward the campus in order to bring the good news of Jesus' death and resurrection to the world that needs it proclaimed in word and deed. In living this way of life in SSP now, students receive their training in how to continue to live it beyond graduation. Since everything the Society does is connected with the prayer and ministry of the Church, students can go anywhere in the world and know how to practice their faith as lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ, striving toward the sainthood that we are all called to. For this reason, only students may be members of the Society in order for graduates to continue on with their life as mature, faithful, dynamic young Catholic adults. Once again, this serves to prevent self-referentialism and to keep the Society's focus on Evangelizing campus and forming people well in the faith.
Overview of SSP Spirituality:
-Sunday Mass
The Mass is the source and the summit of Christian life. Without the commitment to attend Sunday Mass, no spirituality is properly ordered toward Christ.
-Liturgy of the Hours
For more on Liturgy of the Hours, visit our Liturgy of the Hours page by following this link. http://www.ucssp.com/the-liturgy-of-the-hours.html
-Eucharistic Adoration
The second and fourth Wednesdays of every month* from 7:00-8:15pm, SSP and Annunciation parishioners pray before the Blessed Sacrament at Annunciation. It is important to take this time out of our busy schedules, whether we are in school or working or both, to be in the very presence of God the Son. During this time, you can do any number of prayerful things: kneel or sit peacefully in the sacred silence, speak with Jesus, pray a rosary, pray the Liturgy of the Hours, pray for others before Jesus, etc.
*barring holy days of obligation in which there is a Mass offered
-Community meals with Lectio Divina
The SSP community houses, Domus Damascus (men) and Domus Dominae (women), host dinners for participants of SSP a few times per month. While we eat, we listen to and reflect on the scripture readings for the upcoming Sunday's Mass, then discuss them together, draw out some of the Truth contained in them, and figure out how to apply it to our lives. Now you can keep up with the Mass readings every day here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/
-Men's and Women's Spirituality Groups
The spirituality groups help men and women encounter Christ together, encouraging and challenging each other to live their Catholic faith more fully throughout the week.
-Retreats
SSP makes at least one retreat every year where we have the chance to pray frequently together over the course of the day, discern the Holy Spirit's guidance, and be recharged to go forth proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. Keep an eye out for registration for our next retreat by checking our retreats page! (SSP retreats page)
SSP spirituality is laid out in its entirety in the Rule of the Society of St. Paul. Those who become fully initiated members of the Society commit to live this Rule as a whole way of life. The Rule codifies the spirituality that has been built by the founders of the Society so that it will serve as the foundation and the root of SSP to build further upon. To read the Rule, click below.
The Rule of the Society of St. Paul
The formational goal of SSP spirituality is to train students how to live a holy, faithful, dynamic, and mature Catholic faith as an adult. Pope Francis has warned the Church many times about becoming self-referential, but instead to look outwards to bring the Gospel to the world, especially the poor. Modern college students find themselves in a spiritual dead zone. Bl. Mother Teresa of Calcutta said the spiritual poverty of America is worse than the economic poverty of Calcutta, India. For the students' current situation, SSP spirituality helps get them in close encounter with Jesus Christ, His cross, death, and resurrection, and as a group founded on the New Evangelization, faces them outward toward the campus in order to bring the good news of Jesus' death and resurrection to the world that needs it proclaimed in word and deed. In living this way of life in SSP now, students receive their training in how to continue to live it beyond graduation. Since everything the Society does is connected with the prayer and ministry of the Church, students can go anywhere in the world and know how to practice their faith as lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ, striving toward the sainthood that we are all called to. For this reason, only students may be members of the Society in order for graduates to continue on with their life as mature, faithful, dynamic young Catholic adults. Once again, this serves to prevent self-referentialism and to keep the Society's focus on Evangelizing campus and forming people well in the faith.
Overview of SSP Spirituality:
-Sunday Mass
The Mass is the source and the summit of Christian life. Without the commitment to attend Sunday Mass, no spirituality is properly ordered toward Christ.
-Liturgy of the Hours
For more on Liturgy of the Hours, visit our Liturgy of the Hours page by following this link. http://www.ucssp.com/the-liturgy-of-the-hours.html
-Eucharistic Adoration
The second and fourth Wednesdays of every month* from 7:00-8:15pm, SSP and Annunciation parishioners pray before the Blessed Sacrament at Annunciation. It is important to take this time out of our busy schedules, whether we are in school or working or both, to be in the very presence of God the Son. During this time, you can do any number of prayerful things: kneel or sit peacefully in the sacred silence, speak with Jesus, pray a rosary, pray the Liturgy of the Hours, pray for others before Jesus, etc.
*barring holy days of obligation in which there is a Mass offered
-Community meals with Lectio Divina
The SSP community houses, Domus Damascus (men) and Domus Dominae (women), host dinners for participants of SSP a few times per month. While we eat, we listen to and reflect on the scripture readings for the upcoming Sunday's Mass, then discuss them together, draw out some of the Truth contained in them, and figure out how to apply it to our lives. Now you can keep up with the Mass readings every day here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/
-Men's and Women's Spirituality Groups
The spirituality groups help men and women encounter Christ together, encouraging and challenging each other to live their Catholic faith more fully throughout the week.
-Retreats
SSP makes at least one retreat every year where we have the chance to pray frequently together over the course of the day, discern the Holy Spirit's guidance, and be recharged to go forth proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. Keep an eye out for registration for our next retreat by checking our retreats page! (SSP retreats page)
