ABOUT THE CONSOLERS OF CHRIST

The Congregation of the Consolers of the Agonizing Jesus Christ is a clerical public association of the Christ faithful, priests and lay brothers. The foundation of the congregation is laid upon the core and authentic Catholic values and spirituality. With the desire of adoring the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ, we contemplate the Holy Eucharist as the “source and summit” of our life and apostolate. The spirituality of the Consolers of Christ is deeply rooted in the devotion to the “Precious Blood of Jesus Christ” the price of our redemption which demands our continuous offering of Consolation, Adoration and Reparation in atonement for the sins of the whole world. The Consolers are founded in Nigeria in 2013 by His Lordship, Most Rev Dr Ayo-Maria ATOYEBI OP emeritus Bishop of Ilorin. They formed in Nigeria by the Holy Ghost Fathers (Missionary Congregation of the Holy Ghost) whose Generalate is situated in Rome.

Following the footstep of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Consolers offer themselves as victims in imitation of the Supreme Victim who laid down His life for His sheep. The Consolers offer themselves for their salvation and the salvation of their brethren. They intend to live according to the passionate voice of St Catherine of Siena, “It would be no consolation for me to enjoy your life if your holy people stood in death … it is a special grace I asked for, this pardon for the creatures you have made in your image and likeness.” Again, like Moses who pleaded on behalf of the people of the Israelites saying, “Please, forgive their sins but if you won’t, then, remove my name from the book in which you have written the names of your people.”

The love for ‘souls’ is at the prime of our apostolic spirit. The Consolers willingly offer their lives in atonement for their sins and those of the whole world. With Christ, they willingly carry their daily crosses and also assist in carrying the rejected crosses. In this act of humility and kindness, they teach the world the merit of their daily crosses.

As the faithful servants of the Church, they are to participate actively in the celebration of the Holy sacrifice of the Mass and make others to do the same with utmost reflection and devotion. They are to uphold unflinchingly the doctrine of the real presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist and they are to stand against any form of abuse, profanations, ungratefulness and outrages towards the Lord in the sacrament of His love. They are to keep in mind the reverberating words of the statement of the Lord: “Do this in memory of Me.” And the words of St Paul: “Whoever therefore eat the bread or drink the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord.”

In brief the mission of the Consolers includes the following:

• Proclamation of the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world by means of their faithful witnessing to the Cross, which include the life of self-denial and consolation to the afflicted;
• Promotion of the devotion of Gethsemane hours of prayer in homes, groups and churches in response to the appeal of Christ: “watch and pray…”;
• Our mission in the Church also includes, to re-enkindle in the hearts of the faithful the fire that is within them when they first heard the Good News of Jesus Christ, that they may keep their first love, and acknowledge the value of their redemption;
• The Consolers live in a community house called Gethsemane Home, this is a praying community characterized by daily Eucharistic Adoration, weekly Gethsemane hours of prayers every night of Thursday and monthly third Friday reparation for the forgiveness of their sins and those of the world.
• Directing retreat and spiritual conferences for renewal and re-awakening of faith.
• Organizing youth formation for Christian maturity and promotion of purity in the world.
• Caring for the poor, prisoners, aged, homeless, abandoned and the sick.
• Counselling and spiritual direction of Christ faithful.
• Farms, School apostolate, Hospital apostolate, Community peace building, Justice and development.

Like every religious, the Consolers participate in the evangelical mission of the Church for the renewal of faith. Their mission is to flame the hearts of the faithful with the fire of the love of Christ Jesus. Hence, the life of the consolers demands a sacrifice of oneself, a total gift of self to the service of God through the church, by promotion of the Devotion to the Precious Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, the price of our redemption and by the profession of the evangelical counsels of Chastity, Poverty and Obedience.

The practice of these three vows draws all consolers to the fuller commitment to God through the church. It means a deliberate and conscious effort to love and serve with love the Agonizing Jesus Christ who paid our price with His Precious Blood; it is a life of sacrifice and an act of supreme love and a fuller dedication to the Precious Blood.

The consolers therefore solicit the patronage of the Rosa Mystica, the Mother of the Agonizing Jesus Christ, to always and constantly intercede on their behalf in consideration of their human frailty and knowing the weight of the vows they make. Let us all join them in asking for this grace for ourselves and for all those who live under vows.

May God be glorified in us and the Agonizing Jesus Christ be consoled through our life styles both now and forever as Mama Maria pleads for us through Christ Our Lord. Amen!

NATURE OF OUR INSTITUTE
We respond to the invitation of Christ in a religious institute of the CONGREGATION OF CONSOLERS OF THE AGONIZING JESUS CHRIST (CAJC), also referred to as the “CONSOLERS OF CHRIST.” It is a clerical and religious congregation fully constituted according to the Universal Laws of the Catholic Church. Some members will be religious Priests and some religious Brothers.

CHARACTER
We live Contemplative and active life. Hence, we dedicate ourselves to console and to adore the Agonizing Jesus Christ; in this we contemplate the mystery of love which manifest in the person of the Agonizing Jesus Christ who died on the Cross of Calvary.

PURPOSE
To Console and Adore the Agonizing Jesus Christ, Promote the Gethsemane Hour of Prayer, and to carry out the entire mission which Christ has invited us to perform.

SPIRIT
The Charism of the Consolers is fully founded in the mystery of the Cross. Hence we live the Cross and preach the Cross. This Charism takes as its Spirit the virtues of humility , of forgiveness and of truth bounded in sacrificial love