Passion for the Mission Author: Javier Aguirregabiria Translated by: Father José Burgués Table of Contents I. PRESENTATION ........................................................................................................................... 1 1. A Proposal for the Beginning ............................................................................................ 1 FROM SILENCE .............................................................................................................................. 3 2. Logic of the Chapters ............................................................................................................. 3 For the Piarist and Those who Feel Piarist ............................................................................ 4 Mission as a Task ................................................................................................................... 4 II. WORK OF GOD AND OF CALASANZ ........................................................................................... 5 3. We Gratefully and Responsibly Accept this Gift ................................................................... 5 Poisoned Gift ......................................................................................................................... 6 Praying to God... .................................................................................................................... 6 4. It is You to Whom I am Calling .............................................................................................. 7 Human Psychology is Surprising. ........................................................................................... 7 Do You Not Feel That? ........................................................................................................... 7 A Challenge ............................................................................................................................ 8 And if God Calls You to... ....................................................................................................... 9 5. Whatever will Happen, May it Happen with You, Lord ....................................................... 10 Lord, You are the Best Thing that has Happened to Me ..................................................... 10 Whatever will Happen, May it Happen to us With You, Lord ............................................. 11 I ONLY ASK YOU TO BE WITH ME ............................................................................................... 12 6. In Love with the Mission ..................................................................................................... 12 A Passionate Defense of our Piarist Mission ....................................................................... 13 Renew our Love ................................................................................................................... 16 7. In the First Row ................................................................................................................... 16 The Call to Take a Step Forward .......................................................................................... 17 I Care About Everything, Count on Me ............................................................................... 17 SELECTION OF APOSTLES ............................................................................................................ 18 i 8. A Task that is Also Yours and Mine ..................................................................................... 19 SEND US CRAZY PEOPLE ............................................................................................................. 19 II. NOVELTY IN THE HISTORY ................................................................................................... 20 9. The Great News: A School for All ....................................................................................... 20 Calasanz, Creator of a New School ...................................................................................... 20 Today’s Novelty of the Pious Schools ................................................................................. 21 PLANS .......................................................................................................................................... 23 10. Our Mission at School... and in Other Platforms ............................................................... 23 The Mission is More than Concrete Works ............................................................................. 24 THE SHELTER CLUB ...................................................................................................................... 25 11. Calasanz’ Intuition Defined on a Mission .......................................................................... 25 The Goals of Piarist Education............................................................................................. 26 The Way: Christian Education, Piety and Letters ................................................................ 27 Three Priorities .................................................................................................................... 27 Our Piarist Mission Today ................................................................................................... 28 TEACHER OF TRUTH .................................................................................................................... 28 12. The Piarist Identity of Our Ministry ................................................................................... 29 The Ten Characteristic Elements ......................................................................................... 29 Cross-cutting Actions in the Piarist Ministry ....................................................................... 30 MISSION OF THE XLIV GENERAL CHAPTER, 1997....................................................................... 30 IV. A NEW WAY OF LIVING .......................................................................................................... 31 13. The Mission Set Up the Piarist Charism ............................................................................ 31 Features of the Piarist Charism ........................................................................................... 32 Essential Contribution of Charism to the Mission ............................................................... 32 BUILDING A CATHEDRAL ............................................................................................................ 33 14. The Mission Implies Spirituality ........................................................................................ 33 GRANT ME TO BE A CHILD .......................................................................................................... 36 15. The Mission Entails a Lifestyle ........................................................................................... 36 Consecrated to Piarist Education ........................................................................................ 36 The Triple Piarist Ministry ................................................................................................... 37 The New and Ever Present Piarist Laity ............................................................................... 37 SERVICE AND JOY ........................................................................................................................ 38 16. The Mission Needs the Community .................................................................................. 38 The Piarist Mission is not Possible Without Community. ................................................... 38 Home and Workshop .............................................................................................................. 39 ii The Community is Gift and Task .......................................................................................... 40 A COMMUNITY THAT CONVINCES AND FILLS UP ...................................................................... 40 17. The Mission Becomes Institution to be Able to Last ......................................................... 41 "When men are happy, they create institutions" (Chesterton) ................................................ 41 Charism Before the Institution? ........................................................................................... 42 CALCULATING THE FUTURE ........................................................................................................ 43 18. Piarist Charism Shared in Different Ways ......................................................................... 43 Some Milestones on This Path of Awareness ..................................................................... 43 The Current Period of Times ............................................................................................... 44 A NEW CHAPTER IN THE HISTORY .............................................................................................. 45 19. A New Way of Living? ........................................................................................................ 45 MEET THE PASTOR ...................................................................................................................... 46 V. CALLED TO HOLINESS .............................................................................................................. 47 20. The Indispensable Ones .......................................................................................................