One question - how will the lay Marist role play out in the larger institute?
Are we merely helpers to the brothers? Are we full partners? Is a lay call to being Marist as valid as that of a brother? What do you think? It would be great for us to hear from you WHILE WE ARE STILL HERE! Please send along your thought in the comment section,
And just so have at least one photo here - this was our prayer around the fire this morning. We had to choose a color that represented our feelings now - blue for strength and energy, green for harmony and hope, white for spirituality and faith, yellow for stability and depth. We hung them on the line so we could see all that was represented.
Guess which colors we picked...
The hard questions are the most important ones. It is great to ask and discuss them! In thinking of the relationship between brothers and laypeople, we should definitely ask "what is our role?"
ReplyDeleteIn decades past, the sense (all over the Church) was that religious institutes were on a different level (in faith and responsibility) than laypeople. The Church now understands the call of laypeople very differently since Vatican II. We understand this as a difference in vocation, and one that is welcome!
Now laypeople are not only evangelized by religious institutes, but share in the responsibility to evangelize. The Marist charism is shared with us. As our understanding (historically) of who we are as lay changed, religious institutes helped us. Now as the Institute evolves, it is part of our call to be of service to the Institute.
What does that look like? It looks like the shared work I have witnessed in US schools, young adult, and youth ministries. It may even look like community living and some formation.