At the Heart of Our Marist Identity
Dear Marist Friends,
Br Darren Burge, Leader, Marist Association
Before turning to the theme of this editorial, I want to acknowledge the tragic shootings at Bondi Beach in Sydney just before Christmas. The incident highlighted that our world can be both violent and complicated. Australians have often felt protected from such acts of terror, yet this incident shows we are not immune.
These events make it even clearer why community and spirituality - central to our Marist identity - are so important and worth nurturing. As we commence our new year in our local communities, I encourage you to redouble your efforts at nurturing your spirituality and deepening your experience of community at the local group level.
“community life lies at the heart of our identity as Marists. Community and local groups are fundamental to the Marist Association”
The legacy of Br Doug Walsh, known to many of you, offers a beautiful example of what this looks like in practice. Community and spirituality were at the very heart of who Doug was. He devoted himself to serving others and showed us what it means to truly build and nurture community life. Doug was joyful and positive, naturally drawing people together, and his beautiful funeral, attended by many, became a testament to how vital these connections really are.
Doug’s example challenges us to ask: How do we cultivate this kind of vibrant community in our own lives? What does it take to create spaces where people are naturally drawn together, where spirituality and connection flourish?
It’s worth noting that, both at the Marist Brothers’ General Chapter in September and our own Provincial Chapter in December, ‘community life’ was highlighted as a priority for the years ahead. Although it’s been on our agenda for a long time, leading to many creative initiatives, workshops, and meetings, we felt it was important to reinvigorate our efforts in this area. The reason is clear: community life lies at the heart of our identity as Marists. Community and local groups are fundamental to the Marist Association.
We form community because it is so fundamental to our human life, but in our case, as Marists, we also do it because we want to share our faith life together. We know from our own experience that the love we have known and received from God is the spark that motivates us to share the ‘good news’ and is a key reason for being in the Association. While together we can continue to find ways to enhance our Local Groups and share our faith, it is also our personl spirituality that needs our individual attention.
“Our job is to be there, surrender and notice God’s action within us”
Times of prayerful silence where we attend to the inner part of ourselves is crucial. There is an inner well of life and love that is within us, God’s life. It will come to the fore in our lives if we give it attention. This only requires us to sit quietly, humbly and wait patiently for silence, love and peace to arise from within us. We so often complicate it by saying lots of words and thinking we need to perform in some way. Our job is to be there, surrender and notice God’s action within us. This is easier said than done but it starts with giving it some time each day. As we grow in this way, we will naturally want to share it with others.
Let’s renew our commitment to our Local Groups as spaces for sharing our faith. As we contribute our personal spiritual insights, these groups will gradually evolve into communities of even deeper connection and sharing.
In doing so, let’s spend some time in silence together rather than always filling the space with words. In these ways, we will enhance our own lives and the lives of our group members, while doing our small part of building a better world, a world aching for community connection and spirituality.
Br Darren Burge FMS
Leader
Marist Association of Saint Marcellin Champagnat