Prayer, Counsel and Experience
by AJ Wagner, President of Marianist Lay Network of North America (MLNNA)
When seeking the will of God,
Blessed William Joseph Chaminade recommended prayer, counsel and experience. By
"experience" Chaminade meant that, among the Brothers, the older ones should
listen to the experience of the younger ones and vice versa.
So here's what the younger ones
have to say. Chris "Marv" Nieport, a member of the Branches Community and a
twenty something recently wrote:
I believe deeply that
community is the essential context of the entire Christian life, and so of
course of all things Marianist. And I think the international, bottom-up
movements of small church communities that the Holy Spirit has initiated all
through the church are something the Marianist Charism can say something
valuable to and learn something from. Even before I knew Marianists
existed, I came to understand that if we're all made in the image of God, we
can get closer to God by becoming closer to one-another in genuine, loving,
communal relationships.
Parishes
in the US are being consolidated all over the place; they are becoming less
personal, less challenging, less comforting, less mission-oriented
places. Many Marianist Lay Communities are not parish affiliated, and
there is nothing wrong with that. But I think we as Marianists have
something very valuable to offer our parishes: experience and wisdom on how to
operate small church communities that are personal, challenging, comforting,
and mission-oriented.
As if she heard Marv, Sara Durand
wrote about the New York City/New Jersey Young Adult Community, on the occasion
of their second anniversary:
Throughout the past
year we have continued our 'study' and discussion through the "Growing in
the Virtues of Jesus" book as well as incorporated the "Things
Marianist" booklets into the discussion the past 3 months. We have
been looking and learning more about what it means to be a Marianist community
specifically. Many of us participated on the Young Working Adult Retreat
in Cape May Point in February and plan on going to the newly added
one for June. Also, we are in the very early stages of planning an Adele
weekend here in the NYC area. And to start the year we made a group
donation to MLNNA. All of these things have continued to nurture our group
and build a strong foundation for the following years to come.
This is the experience of the young
ones. We, the old ones, must listen.