Glorious Cross March
We accept . . . the task of cultivating the heritage of our Order along with our brothers. We embrace its present joys and struggles (Const. 10. 4).
We remember the inspiration, the enthusiasm and the joy of the moment and the months afterward when we received the religious habit. But the euphoria did not last. Despite the strength of the myth of the Order that intrigued us as beginners, disillusionment set in. We began to see the private and annoying weaknesses of the confreres, the hurts caused by an insensitive superior, the revelation of disturbing community secrets, the doubts and fatigue and sins of the confreres, the community failures. With a bit of experience, we come to the conclusion that it is much the same everywhere. The Order is a microcosm of human struggle, full of ups and down in the search for integrity. To decide to finally embrace the ambiguous heritage of the Order is to witness to Gospel hope. And this becomes a significant moment of encouragement for the young confreres still to enter.
Don’t blame God for creating red ants; thank him for not having made them as big as elephants. (Kivu)
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