Anthony Mary envisioned a reformation movement to bring "everywhere the vital energy of the Spirit" (Letter 5) by the concerted involvement of priests living in community under a rule (the Clerics Regular of St. Paul - Barnabites), religious women actively committed to apostolic ministry (the Angelics of St. Paul, the first uncloistered order of nuns), and lay persons, especially married couples, committed to both spiritual life and pastoral work (the Marrieds of St. Paul).

Anthony Mary found impetus and nourishment for his reformation project in the life and writings of St. Paul the Apostle, whom he saw as the perfect model for anyone who seriously intends to convert to Christ. For this reason Anthony Mary chose St. Paul as patron, inspirer, and guide of his reformation movement whose members were originally called and are "children and offspring of Paul" (Letter 7).

Paul's spirituality was first absorbed and lived by Anthony Mary himself and then proposed by him to the "children and offspring of Paul." Anthony Mary's "pauline" spiritual journey is mapped by the following guiding principles:

• Observance of the Lord's Commandments: "…let us first strive to keep God's commandments, and then we will reach the liberty of the spirit" (Sermon 1)
• Gradual growth in Christian fervor: "…spiritual life demands that you never turn back or stop going forward; but rather that, as soon as you taste it, you make progress day by day and, forgetting what lies behind, strain forward to what lies ahead" (Sermon 2)
• Acquisition of the "light" and "fire" needed to set out decisively on the journey of reformation: "…I hope to grow in Jesus' love; and the good Lord crucified will give me back the spiritual light and fervor [lit., fire], which used to keep me spiritually alive" (Letter 12)
• Desire for total perfection: "It has always been my desire to see you grow steadily in perfection" (Letter 10); "…I know the summit of perfection Jesus Crucified wants you to reach; the abundant graces He wishes to give you; the fruits He wants to gather in you; and the peak of holiness to which He wants to lead you" (Letter 11)
• Seeking God's pure honor: "The true aim of reform can be recognized in this, namely, if they seek the pure honor of Christ, the pure service of neighbor, and pure self-contempt, which rejoices in being despised" (Constitutions 16); "Let your intention, then, be rightly aimed at the pure glory of God; let it be good so that we care for our neighbor's welfare, and also steadfast in self-abasement" (Constitutions 18)
• Passionately embracing a theology of the cross: "And so from all this progress of yours may I conclude that you have received the teacher of justice, of holiness, and of perfection: the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete. He, of course, will not let you go wrong; rather He will teach you everything. He will not let you lose heart, but will always remain with you. He will not leave you in need, but will provide you with everything. He will grant you, in particular, a continuous spirit of self-abandonment on the ignominious cross, and lead you to a life conformed to Christ's according to the pattern of the great saints. Consequently, you will be able to say with your Father, 'be imitators of us as we are of Christ' (1 Cor 4:16; 11:1)" (Letter 5); "It is enough and, I would say, more than enough, that we follow the way of the cross, according to which it is sufficient to know whether it is a virtue or a fault to do something or to omit it." (Letter 4)

Anthony Mary's "pauline" spiritual journey is supported by the following essential and foundational elements of every spirituality:

• Eucharist: "The surest proof, then, of your return to God is that you go back to receive this food. Go back, my friends, go back to receive this sacrament. Nothing can make you holier than this sacrament, for in it is the Holy of Holies"(Sermon 3)
• Reconciliation: "the mere confession of one's sins is like the work of farmers who only cut offshoots and branches of a tree (after all, they always have plenty to prune and cut). But as, on the contrary, the farmers, by plucking up the roots of the trees, will some day stop pruning and with little effort will get the fruit of the soil free of briers, so the penitents must insist in extirpating the roots of their vices. For instance: pride, the root of all sins (1 Tim 6:10), is uprooted by the profound humility of a person who thirsts for insults and hungers for contempt" (Constitutions 12)
• Prayer, especially mental prayer: "enter into conversation with Jesus Crucified as familiarly as you would with me; and discuss with Him all or just a few of your problems, according to the time at your disposal. Chat with Him and ask His advice on all your affairs, whatever they may be, whether spiritual or temporal, whether for yourself or for other people" (Letter 3)

For the more complete story, please visit: The Barnabite Website (clicking the link will open a new browser window)