Marianist Family BANGALORE: MARIANIST WORLD DAY OF PRAYER
10 October 2010
THEME: Asked by Fr. Varghese, a little challenging – one talk to asps, another to schos, another to MLC, to active cmties, etc. Yet this day to be together, share in common, to plumb together our gift/charism
“Marianist Charism at its origins and today, then (c. 1810) and now (2010)”
You know something of life of Fr. Chaminade, won’t repeat it all; a few images shown at scholasticate
Some images to help make it concrete / modern-day Marianists in these images, from this summer’s experiences: not my photos, come 1000s taken by participants
Thanks to Bala
5 PARTS
1. Blessed Fr. Chaminade and his origins
a. Very Catholic youth and education
b. Small town, educated, local Périgueux, Mussidan, Verdelais
c. Not too unusual, like 1000’s of others
d. Deeply Christian background, much like many of us
2. Revolution leads Chaminade to Bordeaux
a. Dangerous ministry
b. Caring for others
c. Setting a base for his future, unconsciously
d. Many stories, we won’t repeat – hiding from police, being protected
e. Reconciling priests
f. Eventually discovered
3. Exile to Saragossa, Spain
a. What a contrast: rich Catholic life, very open and public
b. Chaminade could not do much – language, mistrust of French
c. A refugee – new environment, language, dreaming of home
d. As a missionary – his missionary vocation matures
e. A vision - what was it? A plan: renew Church thru lay people and religious
f. Vision and mission continues richly in Zaragoza and modern Spain
4. Return to Bordeaux: missionary apostolic – special freedom to serve broadly
a. Special responsibility
b. What he came back to: no Bp, no parish, no school, no seminary....
c. Starts immediately, gradual development but fast growth – 1000 by 1804
d. Madeleine Chapel
e. House
f. Mission in the city
g. Pastoral care for many
h. Young men – women – fathers – mothers – priests – secret religious – open religious women – men – spread thru France
i. What it means to be a Missionary Apostolic – he wants us all to have that spirit
i. Broad responsibility
ii. Creativity, being inventive
iii. Using whatever opportunities and resources we have (Cham was not afraid to start with small and simple means!)
iv. To spread the faith
v. Reach out to those who are far off, not served, alienated (prostitutes, street-children, prisoners, uneducated)
vi. With lay people taking initiative
vii. Deeply rooted in faith of the heart
5. 50 Years of Creative Ministry
a. Buried
b. Forgotten
c. Restored 20 years later
d. Bp: everything in my diocese goes back to Chaminade
e. We today renew our commitments
We in India today
What are we called to do as Missionaries?
What resources do we have?
How can we best use them, creatively?
Lay dimension: is our Church too focused on only priests?
Do we reach out to the far off or stick to our community only?
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