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Marist Brothers
Evangelical Use of Material Goods
Plan of Discernment
Edition January 2004
Approved on the 5th of February 2004
By the Brother Superior General and his Council
PREFACE OF BROTHER SEAN SAMMON, S.G.
March 2004
Dear Brothers and all who cherish the dream and charism of Marcellin Champagnat,
The prophet Micah reminds us that God asks only that we “act justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly with our God.” (Mic 6:9) On the face of it, a simple, straightforward, we might almost say disarming message. A few moments reflection, however, should convince you and me that just the opposite is true. Hearing the Word of God is one experience; taking that Word into our hearts and living it each day is quite another.
I am delighted to send you in this month of the Annunciation a copy of our Marist Plan of Discernment on the Evangelical Use of Goods. We can trace its origin to the Circular that Brother Benito wrote in October 2000. And, I can think of no better way to begin our process of reflection than to re-read the text of that document.
Members of our 20th General Chapter took the project one-step further. In October 2001, they directed the present General Council “to establish a plan of discernment covering the evangelical use of goods in the Institute, and to accompany its implementation in each Province.” (Acts of the 20th General Chapter, Chapter Message, 48.5). The fruit of the Council’s work is the document you are about to read and use.
Brothers, I realize that the evangelical use of goods can be a deeply emotional topic for many of us. It goes to the very heart of who we are as person, and what we represent as a religious Institute. In approaching the subject, we must be honest, but also careful not to mimic the violence and injustice that we are trying to change. And, we must never forget that even our ability to discuss the matter is a privilege not given to persons who are poor. Instead, many of them are caught in an exhausting struggle to survive; they are denied the luxury of rage.
And so, in our discussions we must get beyond partisan positions, and ideologies that serve only to divide us, and instead like Mary at the Annunciation struggle to listen to God’s Word on the matter. At the same time, this Plan of Discernment must be more than idle chatter. In discussing the evangelical use of goods we need to remember that our goal is to achieve clarity about the dimensions of the topic, to understand what is required of us within our Christian and Marist contexts, and to develop and implement plans of action that will give witness to our serious intent in an Institute that is today present in 77 countries.
Let us also remember that this plan addresses the issue of the evangelical use of goods on several levels. For example, private charity differs from justice. The former might entail giving food to someone who is hungry, while the latter demands that we direct our energy toward changing structures and systems so that no one has excess food while others have none.
But as you will see in this Plan justice also requires a change of heart on the part of each of us. And so, you and I must learn to ask ourselves daily these questions: What am I doing, what decisions am I taking, what attitudes do I foster that keep the poor in their place? And we must ask these questions as communities, as Provinces and Districts, and as an Institute as a whole.
A word of thanks to Brother Maurice Berquet and the members of the General Council Evangelical Use of Goods Commission (Brothers Antonio Martinez, Guy Palandre, and Dominick Pujia) who shepherded this project from start to finish. They have consulted widely and have developed a text and process that I believe will be of significant help to us all in addressing the challenge of stewarding our resources as an Institute. Many thanks to all who provided these Commission members with so much helpful feedback on earlier drafts of this document.
I urge you to begin using this Plan of Discernment as soon as possible. Our next General Conference, scheduled for September 2005, will provide us with an excellent forum in which to discuss the experience of using the Plan and examining the initial fruit of our labors. The General Council and I, for our part, pledge not only to use the Plan ourselves but also to animate use of it throughout the Institute.
The poet Carl Sandburg once described persons who are poor as being “tired of wishes, empty of dreams.” As the gap between rich and poor continues to grow in so many parts of our world, his description is more apt than ever. Poverty is a broader area of hardship than many of us will ever imagine. It cannot be defined solely by government statistics on annual income. For poverty can eventually erode the spirit, extinguish hope, and foster despair. Like Marcellin, who had a special place in his heart for persons who were poor, let us address this issue with courage and prophetic action so that others will be able to say of us “they act justly, they love tenderly, and they walk humbly with their God.”
Thank you.
Blessings and affection,
Sean
Introduction
Becoming aware
The question of the evangelical use of material goods in religious life has given rise to a recent realization among the Superiors General: “It is clear that our projects for “refounding” will only be a dream if we do not consider the implications that they can have on the way in which we acquire our goods, on our financial management, the amount of goods that we accumulate, the use of our patrimony and of our money and the way in which we share what we have....” (EM/USG 1)
For us Marist Brothers, the reflection on the evangelical use of goods is in keeping with a process that started several years ago: the recommendations of the General Chapters of 1976 and 1985, the reflection initiated by Brother Charles Howard on capitalization, the reflection continued by the General Conference of 1989, the emphasis placed on solidarity by the Chapter of 1993 and finally the circular of Brother Benito: “Concerning Our Material Goods”. All of this leading to the recommendation of the 20th General Chapter: The General Chapter asks the General Council to establish a plan of discernment covering the evangelical use of material goods in the Institute and to accompany its implementation in each Province. (CL 48.5)
Aims of the Plan of Discernment
In order to more fully understand the request of the Chapter, we must look at this plan in relation to the Chapter’s first call: Centering on Jesus Christ. Still today, Jesus is calling us to leave all to follow Him… (Mat 19:21). Even today He is telling us that “whatever we do for one of the least of these brothers of his, we do it for Him...” (Mat 25:40)
Today we are concerned about the spread of consumerism, the consequences of globalization, and the ongoing poverty for a greater part of mankind. Centering on Jesus Christ means that we do not remain indifferent to these realities and to their consequences in the way we deal with material goods. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Mat 6:21)
What should we expect in implementing this Plan? A significant step forward for the brothers and those who see us live accordingly to the following three evangelical values related to the use of goods:
-Simplicity of life (detachment)
-Sharing with the poor (solidarity)
-Sharing in community (living communally)
The Plan of Discernment is not an ascetic exercise, but rather a concrete means of revitalizing our Institute. “Choose Life,” the theme of the 20th General Chapter, invites us to study with serenity our relation to material goods and to make decisions in accord with what we profess, namely that Jesus Christ is at the center of our lives.
In a more concrete way, this document aims at:
- Helping provinces, communities, and our apostolic works to implement the recommendations of the Chapter by creating a Plan of Action in the area of the use of our evangelical goods
- Helping councils of provinces, districts and communities to make decisions by providing them with criteria for discernment in regards to the evangelical use of goods.
The structure of the Plan
The methodology used in this plan is the one used during the last General Chapter. It has four steps: see, judge, decide, and evaluate. We suggest a dynamic process: the last step (evaluate) should bring about a new process (see). The following diagram explains this process.
The core of the Plan of Discernment is the stage: “JUDGE.” In this phase of the process you will find a list of ten “Values” and a corresponding set of “Criteria.” These elements are based on scripture, the teachings of the Church and our Marist traditions. Brother Superior General and his Council has approved this list of values and the corresponding set of criteria as key elements for today in the Institute of the Marist Brothers.
The diagram above shows clearly that the criteria come directly from the values. These criteria should be useful when making decisions having to do with acquisition, administration, use, and sharing of goods.
Use and adaptation
The use of goods concerns every member of the Institute. In whatever country we live, rich or poor, we use material goods for our mission and our needs. Thus this document is addressed to everyone and, following the intention of the members of the 20th General Chapter, is to be implemented in all the Provinces.
This plan has meaning for the whole Institute, but it cannot take into account the particular realities of each province. It is up to each province to adapt this plan to its own particular situation. This is especially true of the questionnaire found in Appendix 1 (SEE) with its wide range of questions. Provinces do not have to answer all these questions but should select those questions most applicable to them and their situation.
Finally, let us remember we are dealing with a plan of “discernment.” The plan is not intended to establish a universally accepted set of answers. Its aim is to help each Province find its own answers. We hope that this Plan for Discernment will assist each province, each apostolic work, each community and each brother to answer God’s call to follow Christ, His Son, with greater fidelity.
The Commission on the Evangelical Use of Material Goods.
Note: The original version of this Plan is French.
FIRST STAGE: SEE
Not so long ago, financial matters were left to the Superior and the bursar. This way of thinking, combined with certain practices, fostered ignorance and even irresponsibility on the part of many brothers when it came to the use of money and other resources. Times have changed. Today we must be transparent about our material goods and the way in which we use them. There is a need for discussion among the brothers in our provinces and communities because it is time we take a collective responsibility in the gathering and use of material goods.
“In the new context of the world economy and the growing complexity of the techniques of administering this economy, religious need to be better informed about and better formed in this whole area.” (EM/USG 8)
1 – Objectives of Stage One: SEE:
a) Having the clearest possible vision of the province, the apostolic work, and the community in regard to the material goods that we own and the way in which we use them.
b) Having the most precise vision possible of the economic situation of the country in which we live, and of the standard of living of the people with whom we mix.
c) Developing evaluation instruments to objectively assess our situation. These same tools should also allow us to evaluate the outcome of our decisions.
2 – Proposed Method: A questionnaire is offered in Annex 1, at the end of this document. We have focused on the following three areas: the Province, the apostolic work, and the community. In general, the questions are based on the five following points:
- What we own: houses, land, financial reserves...
- What we earn: the resources that come from various sources (salaries, pensions, financial interests, etc.).
- What we spend: living expenses, internal needs of the province, community, and work.
- What we share: with the Institute, with the poor (solidarity, ad intra et ad extra).
- What we see around us: the standard of living of the people around us, but also the condition of the poor in the city, the country, and the world.
3 – Establishing assessment measures: Having some tools by which to measure our economic and financial situation will be useful. Besides giving us a picture of our present reality, these economic indicators will also assist us in measuring the progress we will make. Since these economic indicators will be used to asses the standard of living in the Province in relation to surrounding community and mark the progress each province will make as it moves ahead in its discernment, these indicators will need to be developed in each country and Province, using appropriate information relevant to that country and Province. Realities differ from one country to the other and from one Province to the other. We offer the following formulas for arriving at some useful indicators for a discernment that would happen on the Province level:
a)Indicator no. 1= Financial reserves in relation to the number of persons.
b)Indicator no. 2 = Yearly income in relation to the number of persons.
c)The average expenses of each brother (excluding solidarity)
Indicator no. 3 = Total annual expenses – solidarity
Number of brothers
d)The percentage of the income by our work (wages+pensions) in relation to our expenses.
Indicator no. 4 (%)= Annual income from the work of the brothers X100
Annual expenses of the Province
e)The percentage allotted for solidarity (ad intra and ad extra)
Indicator no. 5 (%) = Annual expenditure of solidarity X100
Total annual expenses
f)The percentage of the minimum or average wage in the country in relation to our expenses per brother.
Indicator no. 6 (%) = Average (or minimum) wage per inhabitant X100
Indicator no. 3
In a similar way, we could replace the “Average income per inhabitant” with the average salary of our workers.
Using the above examples, what could be suitable indicators for a community, or an apostolic work? These indicators should shed light on the five points (i,ii,iii,iv,v) in section #2 above (Proposed Method).
4 - To conclude the first stage…
Here are some questions to help synthesize the first stage:
What are the two or three major pieces of information that we have drawn from this first stage of the discernment process?
Can we already see an area in which we need to improve ourselves so as to become more faithful to our religious vocation as a Marist brother?
SECOND STAGE: JUDGE
The question of the evangelical use of material goods in the Institute, the Provinces and the communities is a delicate one, prone to controversy. If we want to make progress together in this area, we have to come to a certain level of consensus. Several brothers whom we consulted suggested that the commission provide some references to help in the discernment process. That is why, in this second stage, we have presented two sections titled: “Values” and the other, “ Criteria.” The first gives a collection of values that the Brother Superior General and the Council have studied carefully and have judged as characteristic of our actual Marist religious life in the area of the use of goods. The second gives the criteria for the acquisition, the administration, the use and the sharing of our goods. It is, in a way, a practical application of the values by which we want to live. Its purpose is to assist us when we make decisions.
1- Objectives of Stage Two: JUDGE
To discover, by means of the proposed values and criteria, what God is calling us to live out today, in view of the situation of our world and more particularly of the society in which we live.
2- Values
Called to follow Jesus Christ in a radical and passionate way, as Mary did, we commit ourselves to live evangelical poverty. Jesus’ teaching and the example of the first Christian community give substance to this commitment.
-Detaching ourselves from riches: "Go, sell your possessions…. Then come, follow me." (Mt 19:21)
-Sharing with the poor: "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Mt 25:40).
-Sharing among ourselves: “All the believers were together and had everything in common.” (Acts 2:44)
These three points are developed further within the following list of ten values. The Brother Superior General and his Council offer these values as characteristic of our Institute today concerning the area of the evangelical use of material goods. These values are accompanied by a brief description. You will find a more detailed explanation in Annex 2 at the end of this document. The following list is not indicative of the order of importance of these values.
A - Detachment from goods following the example of Jesus Christ. “Love leads us to follow in Jesus’ footsteps, learning from him as we do so, how to live to the fullest our vow of poverty in detachment.” (C28) To anyone who wants to follow Him, Jesus declares that the Son of Man has no place to lay his head. (Mat 8:20)
B - Trust in Providence.“If the Lord does not build the house...” (Ps 126) Following the example of Father Champagnat, trust in Providence directs us to do all we can to satisfy the needs of our mission and all those who work in this mission, knowing that God wants us to participate with Him in His work.
C - A lifestyle that is characterized by work.Our Founder held work in high esteem, himself being a hard worker. It is by our own work that we participate in the work of creation and receive what we need to live. (C 32)