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TO BE LASALLIAN
David L. Hotek
On February 2, 1989 Brother John Johnston, Superior General of the Christian Brothers, and the members of the General Council in Rome, wrote a letter to the members of the Lasallian Family. This was the first time that the Superior General and his Council had written to the Lasallian Family worldwide. This letter was directed to all men and women who seek to become more clearly identifiable as Lasallian and to bear witness to this by their lives.

In this letter an attempt was made to describe what is understood by someone who is Lasallian. I would like to share with you the description given by the Superior General and offer their words for your personal reflection. What follows is taken from a Letter to the Lasallian Family (February 2, 1989, Rome, Italy).
    1. A Lasallian person is one guided by faith. These persons, men and women, single or married, lay or religious, are persons who look upon everything with the eyes of faith. They see their ministry as a vocation to be a Christian, called at the time of their baptism. It is through this vocation that they achieve their personal sanctity.
    2. A Lasallian person is zealous to spread the message of the Gospel through his/her work as a teacher. He/she shows a special concern for the poor and neglected.
    3. A Lasallian person is a member of the Church working as a minister in education to accomplish the salvation of the young people they meet each day.
    4. A Lasallian person works with others together and by association to accomplish his/her mission.


This description, however, does not in any way exclude persons of other faiths who believe that any education worthy of the name includes a religious dimension; who are convinced that, because of the quality of their lives, they are able to build up a special relationship with their pupils, by helping them discover the hidden values that govern their lives as members of another faith; who are willing to become part of a school community, and work together with those who draw their inspiration from De La Salle and consider him as their common model.

At the present time, whatever the situation, the commitment to Lasallian education and to the spirit of John Baptist de La Salle can take concrete form when the following guidelines are observed.

Show concern for the Young In all your work as teachers, as individuals or as members of a community, by your commitment as a Christian to the society and Church to which you belong, always be concerned about the way children and young people live. Be concerned about their emotional, educational and spiritual deficiencies, about the way they are accepted or rejected by society, about the respect owed them as individuals, and about their preparations for the future.

Exercise a social conscience Because of his faith, John Baptist de La Salle dared to face the social problems of his day and feel deeply about them. We cannot act differently, especially as there is so much serious poverty and deprivation in our rapidly evolving society. Let us be prepared to make a genuine commitment to tackle social problems in our own country and in those parts of the world where the need is greatest. Let us become more sensitive to the needs of the missions and offer them our help.

Evangelize culture Let us always show by our personal lives, by our dealings with society, by the commitments we undertake, that we respect the values that go to make up the culture of our country. Let us work together to ensure that, in our schools and wherever our work takes us, there is more justice, peace, friendship, solidarity and faith.

Engage in pastoral work We call upon those among you who are willing to do so -- and this may mean a very brave decision -- to involve yourselves directly in announcing Jesus Christ through catechesis, religious instruction and pastoral care. This can be done either from within or without the confines of a school. One of the principal aims of the Brothers of the Christian Schools' mission is to "announce the Gospel to the poor through education."

Form communities of faith Since we come together as believers to share in a common task, let us not fight shy of involving ourselves more fully in the practice of our faith. We will be led to live it more completely, to share it with others and express it with joy. In this way, we will be part of the living Church, a proof of its dynamism, its creativity and its influence.

At this point in our letter we would like to speak of two particularly significant words: faithfulness and creativity. For all those who lay claim to his name, brothers and lay people alike, John Baptist de La Salle is now, even more than in the past, a teacher and a source of inspiration. He teaches us to look ahead always, to never stop looking for new ways of meeting new challenges. A Lasallian person is a creative person! He calls upon us to examine our history, culture, and spiritual life with a sharp and critical eye, so as to be able to devise appropriate solutions to problems. A Lasallian person is a realist and has the courage of conviction! He helps us discern, through faith, the signs of the times, and to root our lives in the Word of God, which becomes the basis of our lives. A Lasallian, whether man or woman, brother or lay person, is guided by faith, constantly listening for the Spirit and following the Spirit's lead!

And so, by following St. John Baptist de La Salle, we learn to see more clearly, we increase our ability to be imaginative, and we strengthen our hope. The inspiration and spirituality of De La Salle have been entrusted to our faithful and creative care, but not as a fragile or immovable treasure to be carefully guarded. Together and as members of the same community, we wish to share them with the young people and teachers of our day.

Of course, in speaking in these terms, we are very conscious that we are addressing ourselves to teachers first and foremost. But we are, in fact, addressing ourselves also to all the other members of the Lasallian Family who belong to various groups and associations. They are all invited to deepen their understanding of the spirit of De La Salle and to live according to it more and more.

We must let time do its work. We know that it will take years to bring our plans to fruition, and perhaps even to change mentalities and the habits of a lifetime. As we go forward, we count on as many as possible of you to come with us. We count especially on the help of the Holy Spirit. We are sure that the Spirit will not fail us if we listen to his voice, follow his inspiration and read the signs he sends us. In this way the Lasallian Family will grow and develop. (Brother John Johnston, Superior General and the Brothers of the General Council)


QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1. How does my knowledge of St. John Baptist de La Salle affect my outlook on life? Inspire and support me in my work?
2. What are the ways that our school community shows the importance it places on De La Salle?
3. What specific activities and courses do we offer to our students to try to spread the knowledge of De La Salle?
4. What are some of the changes that have occurred over the last few years in society that have affected our apostolate as Lasallians in schools or in pastoral care?
5. What are the challenges of present day society to Brothers' communities? Lasallian educational communities? The Lasallian apostolate in general?
6. What attempts have been made by the Brothers' community and the lay staff to get to know one another better? To work more effectively together?
7. What is done to promote Lasallian vocations: teachers, brothers, other ministers?
8. How do we involve others in our work as teachers with children, young people and adults, in school and elsewhere? In our commitment to build a society that is more friendly, just and caring?
 

 

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