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In the Spirit of our first Beginnings
49. Father Champagnat formed the community of the first Brothers into a real family1. He shared their life at La Valla2 and at the Hermitage, and he spent himself on their behalf. "You know," he told them, "that I live only for you, that every day I ask God to give you everything that is genuinely good for you, and that I would give anything, even at the cost of the greatest sacrifices, to procure that for you."3
In their turn, the Brothers loved him as their father4. Living with him, living close to our Good Mother, they grew steadily in the sense of brotherhood, of devotedness, and of self-renunciation in the service of one another.
Faithful to this heritage handed down by generations of Brothers, we live our community life in a great family spirit, thus fulfilling the wish of our Founder: "Love one another as Jesus Christ has loved you. May there be among you but one heart and one mind."5
49.1 To keep this family spirit alive,
1. we live our brotherly relationship with joy, mutual respect, and warmth;
2. we offer a ready welcome to our confrères of the Province and of the whole Institute;
3. we express our sense of brotherhood especially on family celebration days - jubilees, birthdays, Province gatherings;
4. we willingly give time to the setting-up and to the maintenance of the house and property;
5. we take part in community recreation and leisure activities.
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