From the Marist Laity Conference, Boston, April 2004
Quotes from Father Mike Flynn, sm
Marist Spirituality comes from Mary of Nazareth - hidden and unknown as it were - the spirit of the family at Nazareth. This can be conveyed to young people as well. We see the application of the Marist spirituality in all the branches of the Marist family.
Pope John Paul's welcome to all branches of Marists at their Chapters combined meeting in Rome in 2001:
'Today yours is the call to make the presence of the Blessed Virgin Mary visible in the lives of men and women, especially in the family, in an original and specific way, and with this to develop a Marian Marist attitude. Her presence is distinguished by a joyful availability to the calling of the Holy Spirit... to be emptied of self and filled with the Holy Spirit.... for the needs of suffering people, the very poor...to develop a relationship with Mary... to do whatever he tells you to find new ways of evangelising in our times. Mary set out to visit her cousin Elizabeth and teaches us how to think of others...
You must not be caught up solely with the heritage of the past but discern what lo let go of in a spirit of poverty in the world of today, with the Gospel freedom that makes us available to the cause of the Holy Spirit. 'Do not be afraid' 'Pull out into deep water'. Go forward in hope, certain that the Virgin Mary accompanies us on that task. Mary totally selfless, gave herself totally to the Lord, placing all her trust in her God.
We need to contemplate more the face of Christ...choose to follow the Lord humbly in Mary's discrete, selfless way, to live her spirit, ...one of the necessary conditions to be filled with the Spirit is lo be as Mary, to conform more to Christ and thus to the Father's will. Then your life and your mission will find deep meaning and will bear fruit for all men and women of today. Keep the tradition of your Marist Missionary family alive - do this with Mary- be attentive to the stresses of the people of our time, our modern society which is in such great need of healing, Divine Mercy...This missionary priority is found in the spirit of Mary - mother teacher and animator of Jesus of Nazareth.
We need educators to be adaptable and inviting to youth. Do not let yourselves become discouraged by the difficulties of the moment, such as a person's age which seemingly creates a distance between you and the young or the lack of availability of labourers.Look at the young instead with the eyes of a Good Shepherd, lead them and guide them to safety. Look at young people as a field growing ripe for the harvest. Form Lay people to work with you in this endeavour so they will live that charism that spirit of Mary which gives you life. By your existence also you are called to show young people the great joy there is in following Christ in a consecrated way with his mother. Do not be afraid to invite young people to the truth of this way of life, this way of the Blessed Virgin.'
Marists are to be humble, obedient and hidden like Jesus in the obscurity of his years at Nazareth. By following the way of humility they achieve personal holiness.....
We have to forget ourselves to find ourselves....place our trust in God like Mary...can do more for others....self-denial and an undivided heart... to have a childlike spirit....humility before God...we are dependent fully on the Father...self-abandonment ... willingness to give up one's own agenda in favour of God's plan...
Colin based Marist Life on the family of Nazareth, he lived this out in Cerdon and Beiley- contemplation, prayer and action, mission. The Society of Mary was first of all a family an ecclesiastical micro-church. The original plan of the Society of Mary was to imitate the Church, but with all its many branches it offered a vision of a future Church, close to the reality of the Church that we are experiencing today.
We have the branches of the Marist Family but we do not see much in the way of the youth in either Lay or Religious life. We need to attract more youth in whatever branch we can -we attract them through Nazareth. The humility of the workman Joseph who holds the family together in the background, he believes in the word of God. Mary is the humble servant of the Lord - trust, obedience and detachment. Jesus constitutes the great mystery of Nazareth - hidden and unknown. The Marist Lay Branch and the youth have still to fulfil Colin's dream for those branches.
In 1833 Father Colin said that the Society of Mary opens itself to the faithful living in the world, sharing its spirituality in the confraternity instituted for their benefit...it is a world where youth are in dire need... ln 1872 he wrote that they were by a 'gracious choice' called to live the Marist spirit...whatever they noticed in Mary they sought to incorporate into their own family. They identified themselves with Mary- were her instruments of mercy...standing with Mary and alongside ofher... to live out of her life.
The Third Order or Marist Lay People were to be all who were not religious but especially the Youth. Colin wished the Marist Laity to be a Diocesan work done in the name of Mary and the spirit of Mary inspired by the Marist Fathers. Read'Like a Bridge' by Frs Laurence Duffy & Charles Giraud...Unity of Spirit not uniformity. He saw a great variety of groups- branches: Laymen, laywomen, diocesan priests, youth....Pompallier and Eymard developed the Laity along Religious Third Order lines and did not fully grasp Colin's spirit for the Laity... Colin saw the Laity as a Confraternity or an Association under the auspices of the Blessed Virgin Mary for the conversion of sinners and the perseverance of the faithful. Marists are committed to not only working for their own salvation but for all people...characterised not so much by what we do but by the way we do things, by the spirit of Mary.
How do Lay Marists live and act? How do they extend the Marist Spirit all over the world? How do they form and educate youth?
Think, judge, speak, act like Mary - so people/youth will be comfortable, be at ease with Marists in their quest for life fulfilment...many are waiting for God.We go through Mary to get to Christ. The Third Order/Lay Branch is not only reserved for old people. Mary was only 15 yrs old when she became Third Order.(58 sophomores (boys) being received into Third Order in Detroit on 19 May 2004)
(Audio Available)
