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The Marianist Charism or Spirit
Our unique gift to the Church, our
Marianist Charism, is for all people, both lay and religious. At the
core of our charism is
Mary. Our dedication to Mary is modeled on Jesus'
love for his mother, whom he gave to us ("Woman, behold, your son." Then he
said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother." John 19:26-27). Mary is a model
for us of:
A person of religious faith
("I am the servant of the Lord. May it be done unto me
according to Your word." Luke 1:38).
One who ponders Godīs ways
("Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them
in her heart." Luke 2:19).
A person for others
("And she went with haste into the hill country
where she greeted Elizabeth." Luke 1:39-40).
A person who leads others to faith in
Jesus
("Do whatever he tells you." John 2:5).
A person who gathered in community
and prayed with others
("All these [the Apostles] were constantly
devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the
mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers." Acts 1:14).
As
Marianists we ask Mary, through the Holy Spirit, to form us into other Christs,
to continue his saving mission.
Spirit Of Faith:
With Mary as our model, we strive to become
faithful followers of Jesus. The life of faith was a constant theme of Father
Chaminade, "What is essential is the interior." Seeing everything with the eyes
of faith - a faith not just of the mind but of the heart that affects and
directs our lives - leads us to greater simplicity and attentiveness to the
Lord.
Community:
We see community as a primary means of bringing
people to faith in Jesus through and with Mary. Community is an essential
context for all things Marianist. Building community is the principal form of
our mission. "Family Spirit," the term we use to describe our hospitality and
welcoming, mark our communities. In faith we come together in communities to
form a spiritual family to be of "one heart and one mind" as the early Church
community described in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 4:32). This spiritual
family both supports and nourishes us and challenges us to live fully the
Gospel.
Discipleship Of
Equals:
This quality expresses an equality among all members of the
Marianist Family - ordained and non-ordained, lay and religious, women and men.
Father Chaminade used the term "Mixed Composition" to described this unique
characteristic of equality among the brothers and priests, unheard of in his
day.
Mission And
Ministries: Our mission is to lead others through community to faith
in Jesus Christ. Using Mary as our model, we fulfill this mission within the
Church, utilizing our Marianist Charism through a variety of ministries. Father
Chaminade strongly resisted all attempts to define the mission of Marianists in
terms of specific ministries. The notion of universal service keeps Marianists
and Marianist communities open to any need in our Church.
The Marianist Charism and Mary's Roll
Characteristics of the Charism
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