Trust in God

TRUST IN GOD

As ‘Marists’ we have been invited by our God to follow in the footsteps of Marcellin Champagnat, who followed in the footsteps of Jesus. It is a life-long journey that we have been invited into by our God: a journey of trust that was in existence before we ever came into existence, a journey of trust that will continue after our existence in human form.

It was Mary, the mother of Jesus, who had learned to place her trust in God as integral to her rhythm of life. Various sign posts of her journey included her:

 family and life in a Jewish community  experience of Annunciation  being a ‘single’ mother  confiding in Joseph  journey as a refugee  shouldering the privileges and responsibilities of parenthood  responding to the needs of others within her community  awareness of the religious and political scheming against her Son  standing helplessly next to her dying Son  supportive stance towards the ‘Apostles’ awaiting ‘Pentecost’  ‘pondering all of these things in her heart’.

It was Marcellin Champagnat who had learned to place his trust in God in and through his focus on Mary as “The Good Mother”. His experience of life was flavoured with his:

 experience of family life  aunt  ‘negative’ experience of formal schooling  family being visited by the local vocations recruiter  experience of seminary life  appointment as curate to La Valla  gradual awakening to the needs around him  experience of God in and through the ordinary and extra-ordinary events of living faithfully for the community within which he lived.  a love for the brothers and “The Mission”.  a total trust in God and “The Good Mother”. We too are on a continuing journey to place our trust in God, in the spirit of Mary and Champagnat. Let us ask our God to strengthen us in our resolve to be people of trust in the graciousness of our God, even when we are not fully aware of our own giftedness, His gift to us for service of others.

Psalm 126

Let us join together to pray one of Marcellin Champagnat’s favourite psalms:

Response: Creator-God may we become increasing more consciously aware that it is you who are the foundation of our life and mission.

If the Lord does not build the house, in vain do the builders labour; if the Lord does not watch over the city, in vain does the watchman keep vigil.

In vain is your earlier rising, your going later to rest, you who toil for the bread you eat; when God pours gifts on his beloved while they slumber.

Truly children are a gift from the Lord, a blessing, the fruit of the womb. indeed the children of youth are like arrows in the hand of a warrior.

O the happiness of a couple who have filled their quiver with these arrows! They will have no cause for shame when they dispute with their foes in the gateways.

Response: Creator-God may we become increasing more consciously aware that it is you who are the foundation of our life and mission.

Psalm 62

Response: Creator-God inspire us to be people of vitality, people of audacity and daring, people of passion and compassion, people who trust in You for their vision of living faithfully in ‘memory of You’.

O God, you are my God, for you I long; for you my soul is thirsting, My body pines for you like a dry, weary land without water. So I gaze at you in the sanctuary to see your strength and your glory. For your love is better than life, my lips will speak your praise. So I will bless you all my life in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be filled as with a banquet, my mouth shall praise you with joy.

On my bed I remember you. On you I muse through the night for you have been my help; in the shadows of your wings I rejoice. My soul clings to you your right hand holds me fast.

Response: Creator-God inspire us to be people of vitality, people of audacity and daring, people of passion and compassion, people who trust in You for their vision of living faithfully in ‘memory of You’.

A reflection on Champagnat

Presence impregnated with a yearning for justice firmly planted in a tradition of rustic soil: Walking in the footsteps of his parents and aunt; listening to the earth and its human vibration; Sensing, and reflecting on, the needs and signs of the day: Walking with the Poor and Orphaned; Providing a refuge for young people at risk; Enhancing personal and communal growth of youth through Education Challenging resolutely, yet compassionately, the human foibles of his day. Striving to encourage other feet of clay to share in the wider vision of his Creator; Our Creator. A vision brought to life in and through Presence Presence faithfully lived, and shared, with others; for others; in God. Granite transformed in and through service of others Practical intelligence sensing what needed to be done Personally challenging the social and political vision of his day: A preferential option for the poor; Supporting orphans with a new lease of life through care Providing a hospice for old people - “The Sick Peoples’ Home” The simple vision of our shared Christian tradition throughout the ages Determination and ruggedness transformed his heart into a heart of flesh. Generosity, impregnated with the truth of his own limitations: the very stuff of his poverty and essential aloneness, incarnationally present as giftedness for all - in, through and with Community. An evolving openness of his spirit to the vision of his Creator: gradually transforming the ‘Cheerful Band’ member into a man, living with and for the people of the neighbourhood; a visible physical Presence of Christ in the community. Marked by the Spirit, an openness, defying rigorism, His Creator laid the foundation for this mission of compassion: towards the sick and the poor; the abandoned and orphans; the young recognised as being at risk. A mission enlivened, and empowered, in and through Presence: Presence of Truthfulness, Family Spirit and Faithfulness.

Listening, and responding, to the Signs of his time. Obedience, nestled in the fabric of wholesome human living Welcoming the less favoured warmly, graciously conscious of the Creator’s Presence in the midst of young people. Brothering, challenging acceptance of the vision: walking respectfully with each other, and the poor; learning the meaning of faithfulness from each other, and the poor; becoming more fully human - in and through the daily rhythm of life. Faithfulness, within the context of a shared Christian tradition: Death/Resurrection/Ascension experienced in and through himself, others, and his Creator-God; Instrument of peace, hidden and unknown, in the Creator’s image and likeness and Mary: the “Good Mother”, “Ordinary Resource”, “Model”.

Time for reflection.

Canticle: Wisdom 9:1-6, 9-11)

Response: Creator-God, strengthen us to embrace the mysteries of our life with confidence, openness and self-giving; in the spirit of Mary and Champagnat.

O God of my fathers and Lord of mercy, who have made all things by your word, and by your wisdom have formed mankind to have dominion over the creatures you have made, and rule the world in holiness and righteousness, and pronounce judgment in uprightness of soul, give me the wisdom that sits by your throne, and do not reject me from among your servants.

For we are your servants and the children of your maidservant, persons who are weak and short-lived, with little understanding of judgment and laws; for even if we are perfect among the children of mankind, yet without the wisdom that comes from you we will be regarded as nothing.

With you is wisdom, who knows your works and was present when you made the world, and who understands what is pleasing in your sight and what is right according to your commandments.

Send her forth from the holy heavens, and from the throne of your glory send her, that she may be with us and toil, and that we may learn what is pleasing to you; for she knows and understands all things, and she will guide us safely in our actions and guard us with her glory.

Response: Creator-God, strengthen us to embrace the mysteries of our life with confidence, openness and self-giving; in the spirit of Mary and Champagnat.

A reading from “A revolution of the Heart” (Sean Sammon, fms; Superior General, 6 June 2003)

“Now, how do we apply what we have been discussing about Marcellin’s spirituality to our lives today? First of all, we pay a price when getting involved with Jesus on his terms. After all, he asks us to imitate him, not admire him, and that means embracing the Pascal Mystery. If we seek transformation, we must first lean to be at home with suffering and death.

Second, how does any relationship with Jesus develop, and what is needed to sustain it? To begin with, throughout the ages, spiritual writers have insisted that time of personal prayer are an essential part of any relationship with the Lord. Marcellin’s spiritual journey, as we have seen, was influenced at the outset by his relationship with his mother and aunt Louise. During his years in the seminary, however, his spiritual life developed due to the discipline of regular times of prayer, penance, and other practices he introduced into his life.” (Page 59)

“Finally, spirituality has both a personal and a communal dimension. God calls us not only as individuals but also as a group. Some of us find that fact hard to accept. We want God, but we don’t want institutions such as the Church. Its humanity and sinfulness embarrasses us. Our search for God, however, must have a communal dimension; it can never be solely an individual quest. We also do well to remember that we are part of all that too human and sinful Church, the one that is so often the object of our criticism.” (Page 65) Prayers of intercession

Champagnat was gifted with a dream of living in the midst of people. Their earth was the very stuff of salvation. Trust in ‘Providence’ was central to Marcellin Champagnat’s way of being in the world for them.

Response: Creator-God we acknowledge your care for us and ask you to sustain us as we walk in the footsteps of Marcellin, who walked in the footsteps of Jesus.

Champagnat was gifted with a sharing in the mission entrusted to Mary. We too have been invited to follow in the footsteps of Champagnat.

In and through the ordinary daily events of living Champagnat discovered the presence of God and a greater awareness of what it means to be of service to one another. He continuously invited the early brothers to bring the good news of Jesus to people on the margins of church and society.

Champagnat saw his mission as bringing a ‘new church’ to birth in post-revolutionary France and in this sense was a ‘mid-wife’. Today we are still being challenged to bring to birth the church as it continues to evolve within the timelessness of our God.

Champagnat had to come to terms with his own human limitations and his life’s journey that was blessed with an unbounded confidence in God, the love of his life.

Champagnat did not give Mary complicated titles. His naming of Mary was grounded in his own experience of her as “The Good Mother” and his “Ordinary Resource”.

Response: Creator-God we acknowledge your care for us and ask you to sustain us as we walk in the footsteps of Marcellin, who walked in the footsteps of Jesus. Concluding prayer

Creator-God, you who inspired Marcellin Champagnat to trust you in all things, strengthen us to follow in his footsteps, your footsteps.

Enable us to drink more consciously from the “Water of the Rock”, the tradition and giftedness you shared with Champagnat as gift for the Christian community at large. Continue to inspire us to be faithful to your evolving mystery within our lives, your evolving presence within our world, your promise of life and resurrection.

Gift each one of us to share your Good News with the people who come into our lives, and may we continue to experience your Good News in and through them.