VII. What are the obstacles that appear when one sets out on the path of refounding?

Resistance to change can be open or hidden; however, it is almost always a reality, a reality that impedes or makes it difficult to reach the objectives and wastes much of the energies of the persons who are intent on it. These persons end up limiting their action to putting new patches on old garments, and in renouncing the great task of putting the new wine into new wineskins. There are defence mechanisms that are triggered to ruin the plans that we make when they lead us to an immediate "loss " in that we do not manage to see what we are going to "gain" In these circumstances resistance in us is increased. However, we invent new illusions for ourselves and begin to struggle with persons who have different ideas , even though we realise that these ideas come from an honest contact with reality. In short, this is to accept creativity and diversity. Other times the obstacles come from fidelity. There is no success in identifying clearly the charismatic centre of the group or interpreting it correctly or even less so of giving it new dimensions it in today’s cultural and social context. The demands of creative fidelity help us to identify more precisely the obstacles that we meet in order to begin or continue a process of refounding. Some people resist accepting the truth of the cliché that something new requires something new so, therefore dream and make that dream come true. "Congregations set out on the path with a vehement passion for the impossible, moved by the voice of the Spirit. There is a sense of newness in the air: people say: "We’ve never seen anything like this". There is a sense of the impossible in the air. People know that religious want to do what cannot be done. There is something that cannot be discussed: people realise that the past has nothing to do with reason, with business, nor with tradition. It is a time in which the Holy Spirit breaks in, opening new possibilities.

At the root of all these obstacles is not seeing that the deep revitalisation is the alternative to the chaotic situation in which we live because of our relationship with the current culture. We flee the chaos that the encounter with the present culture is producing in us and we offer simple solutions to the complex problems we can conclude that it is better to return to the past or expect everything from some "guru du jour" and proclaim that refounding is not necessary. This was one of the forms of Scholastic disputation and consisted of beginning by negating the supposition.

Many times the ill presents itself under the appearance of good and naturally tricks us. On the contrary, a good approach, vision and experience of the current situation allows us to consider it as an occasion and reason for refounding. It is fatal to prescind from the gravity of the present moment as it is, as well as to let oneself be trapped by the chaos. It is a question of treating not only the symptoms but the root of the problems.

This is the only way to be able to identify what is at the heart of the consecrated life and of the original intuition and to enter into a slow, difficult, demanding and risky process that leads to a new life. We can say in a few words that refounding is a community process through which an institute enters into the paschal mystery and thus decides to assume the mission of Christ. There are various obstacles that can be met when one sets out on the process of refounding.

Obstacles coming from the difficulty in accepting creativity. Among the obstacles that come from creativity we should point out "restorationism". Some times this process is preferred to that of refounding; in other words, "better the devil that we know" than the one we good that is still unknown. When one arrives at the root of these problems from the viewpoint of the Gospel we will see "new worlds" and the necessity of a profound revitalisation. This movement requires creativity. Placing the charism in interaction with today’s culture requires creativity; this charism can be the source of new life within this culture. Whoever opts for order and security, settlement and immobility, will not set out on the path of refounding. This requires renewing the faith in the creativity of the Spirit who is constantly at work in his Church and in the consecrated life. Through the Spirit’s action in each of us is born a creativity that must constantly be manifest in us. For me the process of discernment leads first and foremost to the discovery of this creative energy and to take note of the resistance found in me and/or in the community group that is participating in the discernment. Obstacles that come from the difficulty of assuming fidelity. Without a doubt it is necessary to find "terra ferma" to take a position regarding the new. Among the many obstacles we must point out that which comes from the confusion in some groups concerning the charismatic foundational core. If an institute is to clarify and resituate its charism, it is necessary to know the charism. In order to inculturate something, it is essential to know what it is they want to inculturate. This is the only way to delineate any possible new way of acting. The model or way in which we want to live the consecrated life today requires thinking it out in relation to the basic intuition of the founder. Clarity about the foundational vision is very important. No refounding will go if it tries to start "from scratch" and give life to a new foundational experience. Obstacles that come from the difficulty in combining fidelity and creativity. When this difficulty exists , we see the appearance of the obstacle of not wanting to "let go" or "let up". There are those who believe in the immortality of things and institutions and persons. This enters greatly into the evangelical dynamism of dying in order to arise or of the simpler one of losing in order to gain. It is necessary to learn the art of mourning, the ability to admit that something is lost and to try to visualise what has been gained. Through fidelity and creativity every process of profound revitalisation asks us to let to, and mourn a little what has been lost, to feel that one must close, leave, exit. By the action of the same movement that asks us to open, go, open, begin. It is not good for a group to do one without the other. We stop taking the automobile because we see that something is not right. …. And we begin to take the aeroplane because we have discovered that it is appropriate. Another difficulty that comes from this same perspective is forgetting mediation. The forms of mediation are many and great; among them we must count that of time, the formation that has been received, the activity that has been discharged, the place in which it is…; however, they cannot set the course for the process of refounding or else, in this case it would become a process of laying new foundations.