Sometimes it is good to look a bit more closely at words we use on a daily basis without necessarily giving much thought to the meaning behind them. One such word is “Charism”. Years ago, when the word first became popular, we were often asked – especially at inter-congregational retreats and sessions – to describe our Charism in a sentence. The reason for this was probably to avoid over-long sessions, with charisms being described at length. But, in fact, it was an impossible task and perhaps gave some people a rather distorted idea of what a charism really i
A charism is what gives a group its identity. It contains all the elements which make us a distinctive, recognisable group. It comprises Spirit, Spirituality, Mission and Structure. (This is what Marie-Paule Chauvin meant in the 80’s when, in her Circular on the Charism, she said “The charism is the Association”.) So, what does that mean for us, members of the Family of Pierre-Bienvenu Noailles?
Our spirit is the Spirit of God Alone which, in modern language, could be described as a spirit of enthusiasm and selflessness lived to a heroic degree. Our spirituality consists in imitating the Holy Family of Jesus Mary and Joseph who loved, desired and sought God alone in all things. It is important to remember that our Founder gave us the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph as our model rather than the Holy Family of Nazareth. Far from confining us to Nazareth, he told us very specifically that we are called to follow them “from Bethlehem to Calvary” thus opening us out to a mission that goes beyond our comfort zone. Also, focusing on God alone does not exclude others, as our Founder tells us very specifically, and must now include all of God’s creation. Our mission in the 21st century is to promote communion, a communion that goes beyond the human species and includes all that is. Our structure at present is an Association of five equal Vocations – (in numerical order) Laity, Apostolic Religious, Priests, Seculars and Contemplative Religious. It is those four elements, intertwined and interconnected, that constitute our Charism and make us who and what we are.
So, let us remember that when we use the word “Charism” we are not referring to an aspect of who we are, but rather to the very essence of our identity. It touches the very core of our tradition. For many years now, theologians have been saying that we must “re-work tradition” if it is to be true, relevant and inspiring for our times. Such re-working, of course, calls for much reflection and a deep awareness of our world today on many levels. Perhaps now is the time to take this challenge seriously.
Áine Hayde HFB