Obedience September 17
[The superior] himself shall listen to the community, attempting to discover the true human and Christian desires of his brothers in order to reach decisions, which are truly communal (Const. 9.3).
Wearing the same religious habit does not hide the uniqueness of the wearer. In his concern to promote the unity of the community, the superior is charged with paying attention to the diversity of the members. To manage this diversity towards “one mind and one heart in search of God” is not easy. Each confrere enters the community with his own gifts and limitations. A child of a particular family, he has already learned how to behave toward others, how to satisfy his needs, how to pursue his dreams. He has developed certain habits of speaking, thinking and feeling. He has a long religious history that has formed his beliefs and conscience. He is able to do good and evil with very personal distinction. Each is called by God, each a son of God, each having a particular place in God’s heart. Every confrere is of inestimable value, a unique and irreplaceable human being. Each has something to do with his life, something to say to the world, some personal destiny to achieve. And he is one confrere among many! Listening to each one in order to lead all to a fraternal communion demands a special grace of leadership.
The sun doesn’t forget any village. (Ambede)
No comments:
Post a Comment