WATER FROM THEROCK
MARIST SPIRITUALITY
Flowing in the tradition of Marcellin Champagnat
Water from the Rock
Editor-in-Chief:
Br. AMEstaún
Publications Commission:
Br. Emili Turú, Br. AMEstaún,
Br. Onorino Rota and Luiz Da Rosa.
Original: English
Redactors:English: Sr. Marie Kraus, SND
Comunications Group:
Br. Joadir Foresti, Br. Jean Pierre Destombes,
Br. Federico Carpintero and Br. AMEstaún
Photography:
Br. AMEstaún.
Photographic Archives of the Institute of the Marist Brothers.
Photographic Archives of the “Fabbrica di San Pietro in Vaticano”.
Formatting and Photolithography:
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June 2007
WATER FROM THE ROCK
MARIST SPIRITUALITY
Flowing in the tradition of Marcellin Champagnat
INDEX
FORWARD
INTRODUCTION
- DRAWING FROM STREAMS OF LIVING WATER
- WE JOURNEY IN FAITH
- AS BROTHERS AND SISTERS
- BRINGING GOOD NEWS TO THE POOR
WE SEE NEW VISIONS, DREAM NEW DREAMS
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
NOTES
GLOSSARY
FORWARD
6 June 2007
Feast of Saint Marcellin
Dearbrothersandmembersof the Marist Family,
Dear Brothers and members of the Marist Family,Marcellin Champagnat’s first recruits loved him for the elder brotherand father that he was. That fact is not surprising since the young priestand his charges shared a great deal in common.
First of all, like the founder himself, Jean-Marie Granjon, the Audrasbrothers—Jean-Baptiste and Jean-Claude, Antoine Couturier, BarthélemyBadard, Gabriel Rivat, and Jean-Baptise Furet were unpretentiouscountry lads who lived by the work of their hands. Second, for the mostpart they were initially unlettered. The founder himself had had hisshare of academic difficulties, and struggled in the seminary due to hislack of preparation.
But the loyalty and dedication of the young men that Marcellin gatheredround himself had roots that ran far deeper than similarities inbackground or experience. For the founder was a man who had fallen inlove with God, and with his help his young recruits eventually did thesame. Yes, under his tutelage they grew ever more aware of God’s presenceand began to rely on Providence.
He advised each of them also to model himself on Mary, knowing thatit was a sure way for them to center their lives on the Lord. And so theystrove to make her ways their own. Keenly aware of the founder’s apostolicnature they mirrored his concern for God’s poor and competed withone another to be of service to them.
In time their way of living the gospel became a reflection of the characterand values of the person who inspired them. Years later so many ofthem remembered this resolute and courageous man as enthusiastic andpractical, willing to take action, and blessed with a humble spirit. Hereinlay the source of the simple and down-to-earth spirituality that he sofreely shared with them.
That spirituality had at its heart Marcellin’s own experience of beingloved by Jesus and called by Mary. Along with the other earlyMarists, he believed she was calling their Society to a renewed way ofbeing Church; at Fourvière they pledged themselves to make thatdream a reality.
The spirituality of Marcellin Champagnat and our early brothers hasbeen handed on to us as a precious heritage (C, 49). Made contemporaryby each generation it retains its Marial and apostolic dimensions. Ourtask is to incarnate this spirituality in the many cultures and situationsin which the Institute finds itself at the moment.
Our brothers gathered in Chapter in 2001 asked the new General Administrationto develop a guide that would make the Marist ApostolicSpirituality of Marcellin Champagnat more accessible to a wider audience. They realized that since the Institute’s beginnings this spiritualityhas had an appeal not only to Marcellin’s brothers but to his lay Maristsas well. It is my privilege to introduce to you Water from the Rock: Maristspirituality – flowing in the tradition of Marcellin Champagnat.
This text is the work of many hands and the fruit of a great deal ofconsultation. Aware also of the fact that any genuine spirituality is livingand dynamic, we need to keep in mind that what is written in thesepages is not meant to be the last word on the topic. Rather what appearshere is written for our age and time in history.
Though many played an important role in shaping this document andits contents, one group in particular—an international body of brothers,laymen and women, and other Marists—shepherded the projectthroughout. My thanks to all involved and in a special way to the membersof that International Commission: Brother Benito Arbues, FMS,Brother Bernard Beaudin, FMS, Brother Nicholas Fernando, FMS, SisterVivienne Goldstein, SM, Brother Maurice Goutagny, FMS, BrotherLawrence Ndawala, FMS, Brother Spiridion Ndanga, FMS, Brother GrahamNeist, FMS, Bernice Reintjens, Agnes Reyes, Vanderlei Soela, BrotherMiguel Angel Santos, FMS, Brother Luis Garcia Sobrado, FMS, andparticularly Brother Peter Rodney, FMS, a member of our General Council,who oversaw the group’s work.
Marcellin’s Marist Apostolic Spirituality is a living and dynamic experienceof God, contemplative and action oriented at the same time.
Transformed by the love of Jesus and called by Mary we are sent on mission,announcing God’s Good News to those children and young peopleliving on the margins of society.
Thus, the title of this text: Water from the Rock. Those who know wellthe story of Marcellin will recall that he built the Hermitage by handwith rock that he had hewn himself. The water from the Gier, a small riverthat runs through the Hermitage property, was an important secondsource of life to the early community. Using the same two images, Waterfrom the Rock gives Marcellin’s Marist Apostolic Spirituality its centraland rightful place in the lives of each of us and all those who come toknow and love him as did those early recruits of his so many years ago. May what you read here deepen your understanding and increase yourfaith.
Blessings and affection,
Brother Seán D. Sammon, FMS
Superior General
INTRODUCTION
Marist Spirituality
Landmarks
of the development
of our spirituality.
How to approach
this document.
Our mandate
In 2001, the XXth General Chapter of theMarist Brothers requested that reflection onthe subject of our spirituality be encouragedand that a document, along the lines of theMarist education document of 1998, be produced.1 In interpreting this mandate, theGeneral Council saw the text as helping usto reflect upon and deepen our understanding,appreciation and living of Marist spirituality. The text is not meant to be the finalword on this spirituality, but rather a statementof how we understand it today. Therefore,it is essential that the document tell thestory over time about how our Maristsearch for God was born, took root, andflourished. It would open up the richness ofthis spirituality and so better enable us tooffer this gift to the Church and the world. It would also promote the growth of our lifein faith both personally and in the differenthuman communities in which we find ourselves. The document is intended to helpdevelop a spirituality that is apostolic andMarial in our ministries.
Marist Spirituality
Throughout life, our inner spiritual realityinteracts dynamically with the experienceswe undergo. On the one hand, whatwe term our spirituality is moulded as weembrace the experiences of our lives. Onthe other, this spirituality shapes the waywe understand and relate to the world, topeople and to God.
When we speak of Christian spiritualitywe refer to that unquenchable fire thatburns within, filling us with passion forthe building of the Kingdom of God.2 Thisbecomes the driving force of our lives aswe allow the Spirit of Christ to lead us. Any Christian living this way grows inholiness.3
We live out this Christian spiritualityin a distinctive Marial and apostolic way.4It is an incarnated spirituality springingup in Marcellin Champagnat*.5 It developedwith the first Brothers who handedit on to us as a precious heritage.6
While we share common roots withother Marist* ways of life, we have a particularspirituality. It is continuously renewedthrough the action of the Spirit,coupled with our personal and communityefforts to incarnate it in changing situationsand in different cultures.7 Thisspirituality strengthens our unity and is acrucial element for the vitality of our lifeand mission.8 Therefore, in using theterm “Marist” in this document we speakonly of those whose spirituality is in thetradition of Marcellin.
Landmarksof the developmentof our Spirituality
Marcellin was gifted with a profoundrelationship with Jesus and Mary. Ourspirituality began with this gift. Beginningwith the early intuition instilled inhim by the Spirit, which was influencedby his own personality and the eventsof his life, he and the first communityshaped a charism*. Thanks to their creativefidelity, this charism began to expressitself in a spirituality.
At the time of Marcellin’s death in1840, the spirituality was well developed,but not systematised. Soon after,his disciples began to build up a bodyof texts to describe the spirituality. Significantamong them were: Life of Marcellin Champagnat (1856), Our Models inReligion - Biographies of Some Brothers(1868) Avis, Leçons, Sentences (1869) :Chronicles of Br. Avit (1855).
In presenting a contemporary visionof Marist spirituality we are followingthe example of previous generations. The Manuel de Piété (1855) was the firsttext to crystallize an understanding ofthe spirituality of Marcellin and of thefirst generation of Brothers, particularlytheir way of relating to Jesus and Mary. Itillustrated their spirituality with practicalexamples, focusing on those virtuesseen as characteristic of a Marist Brotherand necessary for “perfection.” Naturally,this work reflected the somewhat austerespiritual climate of the times.
Subsequent Superiors General andGeneral Chapters continued to reflecton how best to live outthese virtues in such changing circumstancesas the secularization of 1903,two world wars, and various revolutionsand persecutions. The signs of thetimes prompted fresh reflection uponour spirituality and its re-expression toguide our life and mission.
During the XIXth century and the firsthalf of the XXth, an ascetic view of spiritualityprevailed in the Church as awhole, including our Institute. Such anapproach gave little prominence to theexperiential and mystical dimensions ofspirituality.
Vatican II* encouraged us to bringthese elements to the heart of our spirituality. With the universal call to holiness,both religious and laity enter intothe mystery of God, and the mystery ofthe Church. By doing so, the word“mystical”* recovers its original meaning as a normal Christian way of relatingto God. Our present text consciouslyseeks to incorporate and highlightthe mystical dimension in our spirituality. This Council also asked religious institutesto renew themselves accordingto their founding charism. One consequenceof this was that it gave impetusto the systematic study of our patrimonyand spiritual heritage.
After the Manuel de Piété (1855) thenext official Marist text synthesizing ourview of spirituality was Prayer–Apostolate–Community, the fruit of the XVIIthGeneral Chapter (1976). This documenthighlighted the integration of the differentdimensions of our life. The Superior-General at this time (1967-1985), Br.Basilio Rueda, through extensive andprofound writing, enriched our spiritualityby re-expressing its charismatic elementswithin the theological and spiritualcurrents that flowed from Vatican II. Inits revision of the Constitutions, the XVIIIthGeneral Chapter (1985) described ourspirituality as Marial and apostolic.9Since then, Superiors-General and theXIXth and XXth General Chapters (1993and 2001 respectively) have further developedthe meaning and implications ofthis Marial and apostolic spirituality.10
How to approachthis document
What is new about this text is that it isaddressed to both Brothers and LayMarists. It reflects a belief that bothgroups share in the common charism thatoriginated with Marcellin. They live outof the same spirituality, though in differentlife circumstances.
Writing for these two groups poseschallenges in the use of language andimages that can apply to both. At thesame time, we feel the importance ofusing familiar terms that are part ofour spiritual tradition and heritage. Therefore, we use terms, such as “fraternity”and “community,” with abroad meaning. In using the term“community” we have in mind all thecommunities of which Marists arepart: families, religious communities,different forms of educational communities,parishes, etc. Thus we are notrestricting this term only to thosereaders who are Brothers. The terms“brother” and “fraternity” are powerfulsymbols of a particular style of relating. Generally, they are used, not toapply only to professed Brothers, butto be more inclusive and to describethe relational style of all Marists. Where words have an asterisk (*) youare invited to check the Glossary at theend of the document, where an explanationis provided.
This document comprises five parts. The first part presents the distinctiveelements of Marist Apostolic Spirituality,which have their origin in the experienceand spirit of Marcellin and ourfounding community. Using the imageof a journey or pilgrimage to describespiritual development, the subsequentparts portray how our spirituality canbe lived out: in our search for God andmeaning in our lives (part 2), in our relationships(part 3), and in our apostoliclife (part 4). They describe howeach of these key dimensions can enrichand develop our spiritual life. Thefinal part directs us to look to the futurein hope, inspired by Mary’s canticle,the Magnificat.11 Hope enables us toface contemporary challenges with thecourage of Marist saints who havegone before us. We do so with the convictionof being the heirs of a rich spiritualtradition.
For us, the members of the Commission,putting our heritage into wordshas been a spiritual journey that hasblessed each of us. We have spent manyhours together, and with other Marists,reflecting on the essential elements ofour spirituality, the sources that nourishit, and the ways it integrates the key elementsof our lives. We have learntfrom each other through reflectiongrounded in prayer, passionate sharingand respectful listening.
The document is intended, not somuch as a text to be read, but as a companionfor our spiritual journeys. It ismeant to be reflected upon and workedwith, not so much because it is a definitivestatement of our spirituality, butrather as a point in the development ofthat spirituality. We invite you to praywith the text. May it help to point us tothe Marist way to God, to relationshipsand mission.
Because of how we were blessed webelieve that prayerful reflection on thetext is best done with other Marists. Atthe end of the document we providesome questions to aid the reflection ofindividuals or groups who mightchoose to use them.
Our hope is that the document willenrich prayer, provoke reflection and inspireaction. May it truly become a pathleading us to streams of living water.
International Commissionof Marist Apostolic Spirituality,Rome.
1. DRAWING FROM STREAMSOF LIVING WATER
Let anyone who is thirstycome to me and drink.
Streams of living waterwill flow fromthe believer’s heart.
We becomestreams of living water.
Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink12
1. The story of our spirituality is one of passion and compassion, passionfor God and compassion for people.
2. Our beginnings were shaped by the caring relationship between ayoung country priest and a group of young people, living in a time ofgreat social turmoil. The priest was Marcellin Champagnat*; the youngpeople were Jean-Marie Granjon, Jean-Baptiste Audras, Jean-Claude Audras,Antoine Couturier, Barthélemy Badard, Gabriel Rivat, and Jean-Baptiste Furet. They became our founding community at La Valla*.
3. Simple and uneducated men, they lived with great simplicity andunity. Their day was spent in learning how to write, read andteach, and in manual work that sustained them economically. Theylived in the midst of the people and shared their lot.
4. Ever more deeply they discovered the presence of God in theirmidst, and learnt to rely upon Providence. Together they developeda thirst for Jesus and for following him in Mary’s way. They developeda love of Mary as a sure way of centring their hearts on Jesus. They competed with each other to help someone in need.
5. Like Mary setting out in haste to the hill country, 13each week theywent out into the surrounding hamlets to make Jesus known andloved. They cared for poor children and welcomed them into their home.14
6. The group’s way of living the Gospel was a reflection of the character,values, and spirituality of its leader, Marcellin Champagnat. Hisspirituality was deeply influenced by his own personality. His first disciplesremembered with affection the Marcellin they knew: open, frank,resolute, courageous, enthusiastic, constant and equable.15 His whole lifegave witness of a person with a practical disposition, a man of action,and of humility. This enabled him to draw together from varioussources a simple and down-to-earth spirituality.16
7. Key among the formative influences that shaped his spirituality wasMarcellin’s personal experience of being loved intensely by Jesusand called by Mary. An incident early in 1823 (“Memorare in theSnow”*) was understood by Marcellin and his Brothers as highly significant. Marcellin and Stanislaus were lost in a snow storm. With his companionunconscious at his feet, Marcellin believed that if Mary does notcome to our aid, we are lost. 17Placing his life in God´s hands,he prayed the Memorare. Hisprayer to Mary was miraculouslyanswered. Marcellinand his first Brothers saw inthis incident a deeper reality:God‘s choice of them to sharein the same mission that wasentrusted to Mary.
8. Marcellin was also deeplyaware of the love of Jesusand Mary for others. This inspired in him the passion of an apostle. He dedicated his life to sharing thislove. In Marcellin’s encounter with thedying young man, Jean-Baptiste Montagne*,we see how disturbed Marcellinwas to meet a boy facing the end of hislife without knowing the love God hadfor him.
9. This event was for Marcellin a summonsfrom God. His compassionaroused him to immediately put into actionhis foundational insight, We musthave Brothers!18 The needs of young peopleand his responding vision for agroup of dedicated evangelizers wasnow confirmed. They would bring thegood news of Jesus to people on themargins of church and society. He hadbeen a priest for just four months.