The spirituality of the Congregation is the one that the Church of France lived at that time and from which so many saints were nourished: the Christocentric spirituality of "l'École Française", of the 17th century, by which everything rests on Christ, the Incarnate Word, the true center of the world.
"Jesus, the incarnate Word, gave himself up for us until the death on the Cross. We belong to his school.
We contemplate Jesus in his childhood, his apostolic life, his poor and suffering life, his death and resurrection, his glorious life, his dwelling among us in the Eucharist, and his presence in the poor.
Through Jesus, in him and with him, we adore the Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, mystery and source of communion, creation, and life, a presence that inhabits and transforms us. (Rule of Life)
Inhabited by the mystery of the Trinity, St. André-Hubert through his letters, continually invited the sisters to enter into this Trinitarian life.
"Your whole life must be a continuous repetition of: "Glory to the Father, who created me in his image, who gave me his Son. Glory to the Son, who gave his life for me, who gave me his heart. Glory to the Holy Spirit, who dwells in me to assist me in everything".
St. Jeanne-Elisabeth, a practical and strong woman, lived a daily life of service to the little ones and the poor.
"I take seriously the commitment of my baptism." "I bless heaven because to instruct the poor and heal the sick is to imitate the Master himself.”
"I have not given my fortune and my person for anything other than for the education of the poor and for the teaching of what is suitable for them.”
The Christocentric and Trinitarian spirituality of "l'École Française" gives a great place to the Mother of Jesus. Mary is at the center of the Christian mystery since it is in her that the Word was made flesh.
"Mary understood, better than anyone, the heart of her Son; she introduces us to it. Mother with a pierced heart, standing at the foot of the Cross, she lived her "yes" to the end, in her humble place, in steadfast faith.
She teaches us to surrender ourselves, like her, to the Spirit, to be in harmony with her Son and to fulfill the Father's plan of love.” (Rule of Life)
The spirit of the Congregation is the evangelical dynamism given to the Founders and lived by them. The spirit is life and we have been living since the origin this spirit of the Founders. They want the Sisters of the Cross:
"... established in a great spirit of faith, humility, dependence, poverty, renunciation in everything, so that through us, and more by our life than by our words, Jesus may continue to instruct and heal the little ones and the poor".
"The purpose of our Institute is to represent the life of Our Lord and the simplicity of his Gospel through his spirit, his morals, his works.
Gathered together to glorify God with all our heart and power, to live only through him, in a spirit of adoration, dependence, sacrifice and love, to give back in spirit and truth what we owe to a God Creator, Savior and Spouse, we commit ourselves to the service of God and the poor, through all kinds of good works". (Rule of Life)
"We are called the Sisters of the Cross. This name is rooted in the Mystery of Christ and should inspire our whole life.
Our name calls us
to contemplate the Father who so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
to follow Christ who gave himself up to gather the multitude of brothers and sisters,
to welcome the Spirit, gift of the Father and the Glorified Son, source of new life,
to take our part in building the Church that is born of the open heart of Jesus.