The Evangelical Counsel of Obedience

Following the obedient Christ

36.Jesus knew He was the Well-beloved of the Father, and His whole existence was centred on being one with the Father's will¹. He responded to that love by putting Himself entirely at the service of the redeeming mission given to Him. His food was to do the will of the one who sent Him². He took on the condition of a slave³ and learnt, through suffering, the price of obedience⁴. Raised from the dead by God, He became the saviour of all people.

Jesus is the perfect example that we try to follow. Prompted by the Holy Spirit, we seek to carry out the Father's will in all things, and, in this way, to enter into the Pascal Mystery of the Son⁵.

The Vow of Obedience

37.The evangelical counsel of obedience, undertaken in

faith and love in following Christ, who was obedient even unto death, obliges us to submit to our lawful Superiors, who act in the place of God when they command in accordance with the Constitutions¹.

37.1 A formal order invoking the vow can be given only by a major Superior, and only in exceptional cases.

37.2 When dealing with a serious offence by a Brother, the Superior, in exercising his pastoral care, has the duty of warning him in writing.

With Mary of the "Fiat"

38. Mary lived out her whole life in the spirit of her "Fiat"¹. By her obedience, she became the Mother of God and co-operated in her Son's redeeming mission. She is blessed because she listened to the word of God and carried it out².

As Marist Brothers, we come to Mary, the Handmaid of the Lord, to be schooled by her, and we respond to her call: "Do whatever He tells you."³ It is from Mary that we learn responsiveness to the Spirit and an obedience that is courageous and clear-sighted.

The Founder's Obedience

39. In whatever he undertook, Father Champagnat was primarily concerned to do God's will. This he sought in prayer, in consultation, in the mediation of his superiors¹, and in heeding the signs of the times. No matter the circumstances, and despite all contradiction and opposition, he obeyed his superiors, seeing in them the person of Jesus Himself.

Following the Founder's example, we base our obedience on the spirit of faith². This makes us ready to serve in whatever task the Institute entrusts to us³.

Obedience and Mediation

40. Our love for God's will and our desire to carry it out throughout the whole of our lives, lead us to accept a series of mediations.

Each of us is bound to obey the Pope by reason of our sacred bond of obedience¹. Among the other mediators are the hierarchy of the Church², and our religious family with its Constitutions, Chapters, and Superiors³. We make use of these, especially when important decisions have to be made.

Whether we be Superiors or not, we are all heirs to the Founder's charism, and hence it follows that we must all be mediators for one another, according to the grace and the role given us.

40.1 For the organisation of apostolic works, we are attentive to the voice of the pastors of the Church and act in harmony with the Bishop, in accordance with the Code of Canon Law. In this matter we respect our own charism and the proper law of the Institute. (c 678)

40.2 A Brother will not accept any work or position outside the Institute unless authorised by the Brother Provincial. (c 671)

40.3 If a Brother is working in an apostolate outside the Institute, he is still under the authority of his Superiors and must be faithful to the discipline of the Institute. (c 678, 2; cf 89.1)

Obedience in Community

41. Obedience in community requires each man to work at developing the spirit of communion and an inner fidelity to the action of the Holy Spirit.

Two important helps in coming to see things as the Father sees them are spiritual discernment¹ and sincere, frank dialogue² with the Superior and with one another. Time and again in this searching, we shall have to abandon our own point of view to accept what the community, together with the Superior, believes to be the will of God.

The Obedience of a Superior

42. When, after dialogue with his major Superior, a Brother is called to assume a Superior's role, he should put his trust in the Lord, who confides this mission to him, and accept it with simplicity¹.

He will carry out this responsibility as a service to be rendered². He should be foremost in living the Constitutions and should try to lead his Brothers along the path traced out by Christ. He will keep alert to the workings of the Holy Spirit by persevering prayer and by listening to his Brothers³. In his interviews, he helps each of them to discern the designs of the Lord.

The Obedience of the Community

43. The call to live evangelical obedience for the Kingdom involves communities, Provinces, and the Institute itself in a constant search to know God's will. It is not always easy to be sure of what He asks of us, especially in times of profound change and renewal. We discern it in prayer, so as to arrive at a decision in concert with our Superiors¹.

This discernment in the Holy Spirit calls for a spirit of faith, attentiveness to the word of God, fidelity to the charism of the Institute, an accurate reading of the signs of the times², and a putting aside of particular interests of individuals or groups.

Obedience and daily Life

44. In submission to the Father, Christ came to serve. By a similar submission, we learn to be of service to our Brothers. Whatever his employment may be, and according to his capabilities, each Brother takes part in community activities, putting his talents at the service of the community and of the apostolic mission¹.

We live out the mystery of obedience in the ordinary events and occupations of everyday life. It is a long road to walk, but we must not let the difficulties to be overcome discourage us. A humble fidelity will bring about the integration of our person in love, and lead us to spiritual maturity in the freedom that belongs to the sons of God². The acceptance of death will be our final act of filial obedience³.

The prophetic Role of Obedience

45. The exercise of evangelical obedience gives expression to our freedom and to our readiness to serve in the Church's mission. It makes us strong, even in our weakness¹. By it, we denounce any seeking after power or any abuse of power², and any ideology that encroaches on the rights of the human person or that makes an absolute of individual freedom. In all this, we proclaim that Jesus is Lord³, the obedient Servant in whom God brought to realisation His plan of salvation.

Our Journey as consecrated Men

46. Our life as consecrated men is a journey in faith, hope, and love.

Jesus has challenged each one of us¹. We have heard His words: "Do not be afraid"², and have set aside fears and hesitations in order to follow Him.

With Father Champagnat as our guide, we go forward together day after day, hearts filled with gratitude, encouraged by the example of the fidelity of the Brothers who have walked this way before us.

As we journey on, we may experience doubt, loss of enthusiasm, dryness of heart, or waywardness by pursuing false consolations. We shall fight our way through all this, especially by recourse to Mary, and with the help of our Brothers.

Secure in knowing that God is always faithful³, we do not harbour doubts about His call. Thus we come to know the happiness that springs from really living out the total gift of ourselves to God and to others.