I have been tardy in posting comments about our sessions on Friday, Monday and today not because I’ve been too busy visiting Rome but because I’ve found it challenging to make sense of the sessions. Friday’s session asked us to read and reflect on a document coming out of the 43rd General Chapter (2000) entitled Associated for the Educational Service of the Poor. Monday’s session focused on a sociological view of the concept “family” as it might be applied to the emerging understanding of “Lasallian Family” and today’s session asked us to revisit De la Salle’s scriptural understanding of the term “Brother.” I had a sense that these three themes – association/family/brother will prove to be the overarching “take aways” of the month; but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s much clearer (for me) than mud. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, there are differing understandings about Association based on what part of the Institute/world you come from (Western Europe and Central America seem to have an emerging interest in more structured arrangements of Association – sort of like “Oblates” or “Third Order Franciscans” – lay people who desire a deeper and more formal relationship with the religious congregation). The session on the sociology of family appeared to stir up competing doses of confusion, anxiety, and support while I don’t think any of the lay people see the term “brother” as anything more than proper to the Brothers themselves. Still, we are slightly more than half-way through the month and, I imagine, these things will make more sense as we continue.
Tomorrow, the Superior General and his Council will be meeting with us in the afternoon to respond to our questions. Thank God for simultaneous translation!
* I love this sculpture of Saint Benedict. He is dying and is being supported by two monks just before he joins the Saints in heaven. He faces a magnificent mosaic of Christ the teacher. Benedict's arms are raised to heaven but (to me) they appear to be reaching out to Christ in the mosaic. The sculpture is in the entrance cloister of Monte Cassino.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
When your head hurts, it's time to ask questions...
I have been tardy in posting comments about our sessions on Friday, Monday and today not because I’ve been too busy visiting Rome but because I’ve found it challenging to make sense of the sessions. Friday’s session asked us to read and reflect on a document coming out of the 43rd General Chapter (2000) entitled Associated for the Educational Service of the Poor. Monday’s session focused on a sociological view of the concept “family” as it might be applied to the emerging understanding of “Lasallian Family” and today’s session asked us to revisit De la Salle’s scriptural understanding of the term “Brother.” I had a sense that these three themes – association/family/brother will prove to be the overarching “take aways” of the month; but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s much clearer (for me) than mud. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, there are differing understandings about Association based on what part of the Institute/world you come from (Western Europe and Central America seem to have an emerging interest in more structured arrangements of Association – sort of like “Oblates” or “Third Order Franciscans” – lay people who desire a deeper and more formal relationship with the religious congregation). The session on the sociology of family appeared to stir up competing doses of confusion, anxiety, and support while I don’t think any of the lay people see the term “brother” as anything more than proper to the Brothers themselves. Still, we are slightly more than half-way through the month and, I imagine, these things will make more sense as we continue.
Tomorrow, the Superior General and his Council will be meeting with us in the afternoon to respond to our questions. Thank God for simultaneous translation!
* I love this sculpture of Saint Benedict. He is dying and is being supported by two monks just before he joins the Saints in heaven. He faces a magnificent mosaic of Christ the teacher. Benedict's arms are raised to heaven but (to me) they appear to be reaching out to Christ in the mosaic. The sculpture is in the entrance cloister of Monte Cassino.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment