How to apply the richness of our charism
to
vocational animation?
Our charism stands out
for many qualities that make it very rich while remaining simple and humble.
Nazarene spirituality is characterized above all by the family spirit, the
Nazarene virtues and the missionary spirit that our founder Brother Gabriel
Taborin left us.
The family spirit is what most summons and attracts many people, that is: to feel
integrated, to feel included, to be part of the same spirit of love. It is a
very practical charism, very easy to understand and most people have
experienced this feeling in their own families. If we can extrapolate this
family feeling to a broader level and see the other person as a true brother,
the charism illuminates, expands and is taken to other areas.
Taking the Holy Family and the motto “in love, work
and charity, peace” as examples,
the candidate can discover in a natural and simple way that the Brother vocation
is not rare, and on the other hand, he is called to an extended family, at the
service of others.
HOW TO APPLY THE
RICHNESS OF THE CHARISM?
The first step is to
deepen personally and as a community in the
legacy of the Founder, to be ever more faithful to his teachings and to
live the Nazarene virtues in the communities when educating and evangelizing.
The missionary spirit must always remain firm and available to the call of the
Church, announcing the Gospel with joy.
Among the riches of
our charism, the dedication to human
formation, the christian education and prayer in an atmosphere of freedom and
evangelical charity, are the aspects that attract and encourage to be lived
in daily life and should be applied always and everywhere, being attentive to
the signs of the times and updating knowledge. It is necessary to transmit it
in the present, understanding the local needs and the present moment, teaching
it in a way that captivates so that those who are called can look at
themselves, their life stories, the present and the future.
Moreover, no one can
encourage another person if he does not have strong and sufficient reasons that
motivate and sustain his own vocation. The charism of each one must be lived as
a grace of God to make his own life and that of others more fruitful. If the
agents of proclamation are credible, the whole charism has more strength to
attract new candidates to the consecrated religious life or lay people committed
to the charism. That is why it is
fundamental the testimony of each one, the coherence of life, the joy of
living the Gospel, since it encourages spirituality with one's own experience.
In vocational
animation we should apply the richness of the charism, welcoming others as they are, accompanying them in the processes they
need, teaching them the Nazarene virtues that characterize them: humility,
simplicity, union, obedience, surrender. Having open positions, building good
relationships, maintaining active communication and a close accompaniment helps
young people to listen and accept the proposals in their social groups and then
they can consider a different lifestyle. The family spirit is manifested and
lived with people in need, giving help, listening, encouraging according to
each place, each activity and each person.
Living under the roof
of Nazareth, where human and christian virtues help to discover new horizons
and have a force of attraction that make us think and rethink different ways of
life, open the doors for the candidates to consider the possibility of
belonging to the Sa-Fa Family or to assume the vocation of Brother.
WHERE TO TRANSMIT IT?
The virtues of the
charism should be known in daily life,
at work, in the families, encouraging participation in the different
proposals that arise from the different teams, making the invitation to be part
of the Sa-Fa Family to everyone. Our way
of life should be a living testimony of the love of Nazareth, both in the
performance of our functions and as vocational animator, by working and
reflecting the fraternal spirit in all the instances of participation that our
works and communities have.
Lay people think that the Sa-Fa charism and the Nazarene spirituality is so rich
and attractive that it will not die, even without the presence of the Brothers.
The laity, imbued with this charism, is also called to sustain it, reinvent it, spread it and work for its growth,
especially because the Nazarene charism lives through the breath of the Spirit
and it is the work of God and a gift for the Church.
Undoubtedly, the
richness of the charism in vocational animation allows it to remain alive and
attractive when it is shown. Besides it has to be remembered that each charism
should be at the service of other
charisms since we are part of the mystical body of Christ, which is the
Church. We must be aware that it is a challenge to achieve a harmonious coexistence among all of them
when we have to work cooperatively or as a team.
We experience the same
thing among the laity and consecrated people when we have to work in a synodal way, by sharing the charism with other lay
people, being a living memory of the Founder and contributing to the
edification of the Church, attending to the good of mankind and facing the
needs of the world.
Considering the
Founder and Jesus, Mary and Joseph as our icons, our motto as a proposal of
life, the family spirit as a way of life, and the fraternity and Nazarene
spirituality as distinctive and novel ideals to be achieved; the Nazarene Taborinian charism can always
be applied: it is a way of living the Gospel within the whole Church.