What does SSS mean?
It signifies the official name of the congregation.
In Latin: Societas Sanctissimi Sacramenti
In English: Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament
In Filipino: Kapisanan ng Banal na Sakramento
In French: Societe du Saint-Sacrement
In Spanish: Congregación del Santísimo Sacramento
Popular name: Sacramentinos
The Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament today has around 890 members – deacons, brothers, scholastics and priests – in 30 different countries around the world. There are about 117 in North America, 84 in South America, 335 in Europe, 71 in Africa, 245 in Asia, and 38 in Australia. In the Philippines, we have around 80 men in Luzon, 3 in Visayas, and 9 in Mindanao.
What’s a Vocation?
Vocation literally means “calling”. Every baptized person is called by God to be holy in a specific state of life, as single or married, consecrated sister or brother, deacon, or priest. It’s not something that you do but what you are. It’s not a career but a state of life.
“All are equally called to follow Christ, to discover in him the ultimate meaning of their lives, until they are able to say with the Apostle: ‘For to me to live is Christ’ (Phil 1:21). But those who are called to the consecrated life have a special experience of the light which shines forth from the Incarnate Word. For the profession of the evangelical counsels makes them a kind of sign and prophetic statement for the community of the brethren and for the world; consequently they can echo in a particular way the ecstatic words spoken by Peter: ‘Lord, it is well that we are here’ (Mt 17:4)” (Vita Consecrata, n.15).
Regardless of what one does for a career, he is called to be in communion with God and thus to be holy.
What Is It To Be A Sacramentino?
It is to follow in the footsteps of our founder St. Peter Julian Eymard who found in the Eucharist the great love of God which captivated his whole life and becomes the paradigm of his response to the challenges of his time. The Sacramentino’s ideal is to live the Mystery of the Eucharist fully, celebrate it worthily, adore it profoundly, and proclaim it prophetically for God’s greater glory.
“The Eucharist is the source and summit of our Christian life” (Vatican II). It is the source of our Mission as a Church. The dimensional multiplicity of this sacrament offers us boundless possibilities to express diverse individual gifts which the Spirit binds together into the One Body of Christ. For though we are many, we partake of the one Body of Christ and drunk from the one cup of his Blood.
Thus, by our life and activities, under changing contextual circumstances, Christ’s Eucharist is the central principle, whether feeding street people, stand up to fight injustice, celebrate the sacraments, minister to people or spend time to recreate.
What’s the Meaning of the Evangelical Vows?
The Sacramentinos profess the evangelical vows of chastity in the celibate state, poverty, and obedience. This is to unite oneself totally to Christ and commit oneself with freedom to the service of God’s Kingdom. By vowing to live one’s life in chastity, one becomes free to be a-man-for-others, a man for all God’s people. By the vow of poverty, one is freed from the attachment to material wealth and, relying on God’s providence, uses whatever resources there are for the service of others. And by the vow of obedience, one is free to respond to God’s call who through his Spirit reveals his lead, among others, through persons in authority.
Religious profession incorporates one into the community of brothers by which one expresses his determination to live the Gospel in a radical way. Nourished by Christ who in the Eucharist gives himself totally, Sacramentinos express in this form of life the gift of themselves as it was lived and taught by St. Peter Julian Eymard.
How Does One Become A Sacramentino?
God is calling people to work in his vineyard. If one’s personal circumstances warrant, with the right motivation, one could become a Sacramentino priest or brother.
A great help for those who discern for their vocation in life is to have a spiritual director who could assist them in their journey. The Blessed Sacrament Vocation Club, a gathering of discerning young men and professionals conducts activities which help them discover their respective vocation in life. The club also serves as the Sacramentino aspirancy program with a Vocation Director as their spiritual guide. One may likewise approach any Sacramentino religious, contact or communicate with the Vocation Director whose address is found below.
If deemed qualified, he then enters the Novitiate in Bulacan where under the guidance of a novice master he will continue to discern in depth the demands of the Church and be initiated into the life of the congregation and the spirituality of the founder.
By first temporary profession of religious vows, one enters the Scholasticate. Under the guidance of a director, one integrates spiritual values, academic activities, community life, and pastoral ministry. The program extends up to perpetual profession of religious vows for brothers and ordination for clerics.
What’s the Cost of Joining the Sacramentinos?
It cost’s your very self! Well, if you mean how much you need to contribute financially for your seminary training, not much. Once accepted to the Postulancy program, one is asked to contribute some amount to defray certain expenses undertaken by the congregation. During this period, he is likewise expected to provide for his own personal needs.
However, anyone who is unable to meet the said financial requirement can discuss the matter with the director to come up with a feasible arrangement. Financial difficulty is never a reason for refusing admittance.
Once the candidate is accepted into the Novitiate, the congregation assumes responsibility for all of his financial obligations. With the help of generous benefactors, the congregation takes care of everything he needs for the whole duration of his seminary formation in the congregation.
