A Lay Woman’s Reflection on Marist Spirituality and the interface with Spiritual Direction by Bev McDonald, B.Theol.
Imitating Mary’s way of relating to God and others, invites reflection on God’s presence in everyday life; the Marist call is to focus on God as Mary did, in the challenging, busy or boring reality of ordinary life and spiritual direction encourages the directee to do likewise. Marist spirituality is radically incarnational and open to the transcendent; it is both contemplative and missionary yet grounded in ordinariness and therefore not locked up in monastic tradition but accessible to all. St Paul spoke of our whole life being “hidden with Christ in God” (Col.3:3). As Marie de la Croix wrote; “Our vocation is to be unknown, hidden in God. Zeal – but the quiet zeal of Mary; the silence of the heart of Mary, but deep down, this furnace that burns before God in secret…” (SMSM Quotations, p.10, no. 52).
So much more could be said but I hope I have given enough of a taste of Marist spirituality that the reader may reflect for themselves on its value for supporting and sustaining the spiritual director. Colin said it well with these words: “The spirit of Mary is something most delicate and profound, obtained only through sustained meditation and prayer” (Larkin, p. 169).
References
Abbreviations:
APM, Archives of the Marist Fathers (Rome: reference to Archive classifications)
SM, Priests and Brothers of the Society of Mary (also called Marist Fathers).
SMSM, Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary.
Barry, William and William J. Connolly. The Practice of Spiritual Direction. San Francisco: Harper Collins, 1986.
Constitutions: 1984 of the Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary (SMSM) and accompanying Quotations Booklet. Rome: 1985.
Coste, Jean SM. A Marian Vision of the Church: Jean Claude Colin. Rome: Centre for Marist Studies, 1998.
Duffy, Larry, SM and Girard, Charles, SM. Like a Bridge: The People of God and the Work of Mary. Rome: Centre for Marist Studies, 1994.
Fitzgerald, Michael. A Marian Consciousness: Marist Spirituality as Prophetic. Rome: Centre for Marist Studies, 1991.
Forissier, Antoine. For a Marian Church: Marist Founders & Foundresses. English ed. Slough, UK: St Paul Publications, 1992.
A Founder Acts: Reminiscences of Jean Claude Colin by Gabriel-Claude Mayet, Selected and introduced by Jean Coste SM. Eng. Trans. by William Joseph Stuart SM & Anthony Ward SM. Rome: Centre for Marist Studies, 1983.
A Founder Speaks: Spiritual talks of Jean Claude Colin selected and introduced by Jean Coste, translated by Anthony Ward. Rome: Centre for Marist Studies, 1975.
Gioannetti, Franco. A Spirituality for Our Time (Jean Claude Colin). Rome: Centre for Marist Studies, English ed. 1989.
Girard, Charles, SM. Lay Marists: Anthology of Historical Sources. Rome: Centre for Marist Studies, 1993.
Keel, Edwin L. SM. A Book of Texts for the Study of Marist Spirituality. Rome: Centre for Marist Studies, 1993.
King, Michael, God’s Farthest Outpost: a History of Catholics in New Zealand. Auckland: Penguin Books, 1997.
Larkin, Craig SM. A Certain Way: An exploration of Marist Spirituality. Rome: Centre for Marist Studies, 1995.
McKay, Frank S.M. The Marist Laity: Finding the Way envisaged by Father Colin. Rome: Centre for Marist Studies, 1991.
De Mijolla, Marie Cecile, SMSM. A Woman from Lyons, Marie Francois Perroton: Missionary in Oceania. Translated from French by Yvette Marie Mizzi & Marie Lamerand, SMSM. Rome: Centre for Marist Studies, 1997.
Cover picture is of Mary in the church, 'The Mystery of Mary: Marie, Mere de l'Eglise, Lk 2:51' . FRESQUES de Notre Dame de L'HERMITAGE; G. CREPIN,1958 . ' She is the resource of the house. She always has her loving child either in her hands or her heart'. (from a letter by Fr. Champagnat). Used with permission.
