Saints: How Would They Live In Today's World?

[Jeanette_L]

Finally, though he is not a saint (yet!), I think it is necessary to say a word about Pope John Paul II. I have my doubts about some of the things that he did, particularly in the practice of ecumenism (although, with the help of an extremely wise and generous member of this forum, I am beginning to overcome these doubts), but no one can deny that he was fearless in proclaiming the name of Christ to every man, woman, and child upon this Earth. Until the very hour of his death, he remained firm in his belief in the immortal words of the Gospel and the teachings of the Holy Catholic Church lies the only road to true peace and brotherhood among men. He was a giant, and I think the true measure of his impact is contained in this story: one hundred years ago, most Protestants were convinced that the Pope was the Antichrist himself, and the Church the Whore of Babylon. But John Paul II was so obviously holy, so devoted to the preaching of the Gospel of Christ, that even the Protestant evangelist Billy Graham could say, “I firmly believe that Pope John Paul II was the greatest man of the 20th century.” He did more than anyone else in recent memory to bring our separated brethren closer than ever to the Church. Intercede for us, Holy Father, at the throne of Heaven, as we pray for the day when you are raised to the glory of the altars!

What wonderful insight you have Mickey and I really appreciate your words here. If it weren’t for the witness of John Paul II, not only his great love for Christ and all humanity, but his unusual humility, I may never have allowed myself to be drawn to the Church. As a Protestant, I knew many leaders who truly loved Christ, but John Paul II had the whole package, great love, great humility and a passion to extend the hand of peace and the message of mercy to all people. A true saint, whether canonized yet or not!

 

[catharina]

What wonderful insight you have Mickey and I really appreciate your words here. If it weren’t for the witness of John Paul II, not only his great love for Christ and all humanity, but his unusual humility, I may never have allowed myself to be drawn to the Church. As a Protestant, I knew many leaders who truly loved Christ, but John Paul II had the whole package, great love, great humility and a passion to extend the hand of peace and the message of mercy to all people. A true saint, whether canonized yet or not!

Beautiful, Jeannette. Thank you.

 

[chewchoo]

one thing i have noticed reading about the daily saints is that, as we all basically know, the world’s problems really don’t change or go away. we have saints thruout time that work much in the same way as the prophets of the old testament.

the human condition is to become indifferent. we need yesterday’s and today’s saints to pull us back into God’s sphere, wake us up to our life of sin. the world is and has always been full of corruption. we desparately need these holy people to guide us.

one of today’s saints is St. Hugh of Grenoble . he was one of the many saints thru out time who was called to reform the church and the people. he was blessed with a strong faith and a strong character to persevere in his duties. he got fed up and left his see, but when the pope called him back, he obeyed. basically my point is he got frustrated but he was still successful in his efforts.

 

[catharina]

one thing i have noticed reading about the daily saints is that, as we all basically know, the world’s problems really don’t change or go away. we have saints thruout time that work much in the same way as the prophets of the old testament.

the human condition is to become indifferent. we need yesterday’s and today’s saints to pull us back into God’s sphere, wake us up to our life of sin. the world is and has always been full of corruption. we desparately need these holy people to guide us.

one of today’s saints is St. Hugh of Grenoble . he was one of the many saints thru out time who was called to reform the church and the people. he was blessed with a strong faith and a strong character to persevere in his duties. he got fed up and left his see, but when the pope called him back, he obeyed. basica

lly my point is he got frustrated but he was still successful in his efforts.

V good - and when did Hugh do these things and more?

St. Hugh of Grenoble (1052-1132)

We’re on a long journey!

 

[JReducation]

Mickey,

Thank you for your beautiful post. I disagree that you cannot add anything to this thread. You already have. To see a young person speak with so much wisdom is spiritually uplifting. I liked you from the moment I met you in another thread; but knowing that you are a young adult, now I like you even more. I have spent the last 40 years in ministry to young people between the ages of 12 – 22. When I was not ministering to them directly, I was teaching others to minister, especially catechists, religious and deacons.

You mentioned John Paul II. I’m so glad that you brought him up. Our Holy Father the late John Paul II and John XXIII are two of my favourite popes. I heard you loud and clear when you said that you have some questions about some of the less conventional approaches that John Paul took to Ecumenism and I’m paraphrasing you here. I will point this out to everyone here.

Saints are people who often step outside the box.

Begin with the patriarchs and prophets in the OT, then go to Mary of Nazareth, John the Baptist, Our Lord Jesus, Paul, and go on from there. There is probably not a more enigmatic character in Christian history than John the Baptist. He was neither a traditional Jew nor a Christian. As we know, he never became a disciple of Jesus. After Jesus began his ministry, John continued to do his thing until he lost his head. Jesus said that there was never a man born of a woman greater than John the Baptist. If you try to fit John the Baptist into the Jewish or the Christian mode, he does but does not fit, if you know what I mean. He’s outside the box.

The same happens with John Paul II and John XXIII. Both of these holy men had such faith in God, love for the Lord Jesus Christ and love for the world, not just the Catholic Church, that they took great risks and pushed the envelop. They stepped outside the box. This is why many traditional Catholics have such a difficult time understanding them. They are looking at their actions and words. We have to look at their lives.

Mickey, you explained Our Holy Father John Paul’s life with great eloquence. I’m not going to make a fool of myself here by trying to explain it better than you did.

But John Paul II was so obviously holy, so devoted to the preaching of the Gospel of Christ, that even the Protestant evangelist Billy Graham could say, “I firmly believe that Pope John Paul II was the greatest man of the 20th century.” He did more than anyone else in recent memory to bring our separated brethren closer than ever to the Church.

If anyone in recent times truly deserved to be called His Holiness, it was John Paul II. He was a mystic. He saw possibilities that other people had missed, even some of his most saintly predecessors. He did not change what they wrote or said, as some claim. On the contrary, he took a treasure chest that had gathered dust and dusted it.

When previous popes and councils said that there was no salvation outside the Church, John Paul did not dispute this. This teaching was a treasure chest. However, over the years this chest gathered dust. The dust to which I’m alluding is the misunderstanding of what the Church is. John looked at what his predecessors and previous councils said and decided that he was not going to challenge those teachings, because truth does not deny truth.

He did however step outside the box. He was going to focus on what does the term Church actually mean. This was a question that he inherited from John XXIII. That’s what Vatican II was about. It tried to answer the question. What does it mean to be the Church? That’s how John Paul found that not all was lost.

With this discovery he stepped into the world to proclaim the good news to people of all faiths. His name served him well. Like the Evangelist, St. John, the Pope was a mystic whose thinking can only be understood through an understanding of mysticism. Like St. Paul, he was a missionary. He was a missionary mystic. We’ve never had such a pope. This makes him difficult to understand. One has to understand mysticism and evangelization and how they are linked in this man’s life and mission.

Thanks for making us reflect on him, Mickey.

JR

 

[Jeanette_L]

.
the human condition is to become indifferent. we need yesterday’s and today’s saints to pull us back into God’s sphere, wake us up to our life of sin. the world is and has always been full of corruption. we desparately need these holy people to guide us.

We have seen some of these in our time, as we have been discussing, as in Mother Teresa, Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, so many Blessed’s and Saints over the last century for us to study and learn from, to take inspiration from to live our spiritual lives to their fullest potential.

And I’m even thinking that there are many great saints all around us, not noticed in big ways, but saints nonetheless, guiding people through their lives one at a time. It’s exciting trying to spot them.

 

[jbuttrey]

Spend time with babies
Encourage Grandparents
Smile at strangers when the LIGHT is in us
Where there are babies being harmed plead for mercy
Where there is intolerance ask for understanding
Where injustice go for a walk with the downtrodden
If not at the Where every day; say the Lord’s prayer and
HE will go, the great I AM is every Where

John

 

[JReducation]

It’s exciting trying to spot them.

I really like this idea. What a hobby!

Thanks

JR

 

[chewchoo]

We have seen some of these in our time, as we have been discussing, as in Mother Teresa, Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, so many Blessed’s and Saints over the last century for us to study and learn from, to take inspiration from to live our spiritual lives to their fullest potential.

And I’m even thinking that there are many great saints all around us, not noticed in big ways, but saints nonetheless, guiding people through their lives one at a time. It’s exciting trying to spot them.

exactly

 

[Jeanette_L]

I really like this idea. What a hobby!

Thanks

JR

exactly

Beats trying to count VW Bugs going down the highway!

 

[Jeanette_L]

Saints are people who often step outside the box.

Begin with the patriarchs and prophets in the OT, then go to Mary of Nazareth, John the Baptist, Our Lord Jesus, Paul, and go on from there. There is probably not a more enigmatic character in Christian history than John the Baptist. He was neither a traditional Jew nor a Christian. As we know, he never became a disciple of Jesus. After Jesus began his ministry, John continued to do his thing until he lost his head. Jesus said that there was never a man born of a woman greater than John the Baptist. If you try to fit John the Baptist into the Jewish or the Christian mode, he does but does not fit, if you know what I mean. He’s outside the box.

The same happens with John Paul II and John XXIII. Both of these holy men had such faith in God, love for the Lord Jesus Christ and love for the world, not just the Catholic Church, that they took great risks and pushed the envelop. They stepped outside the box. This is why many traditional Catholics have such a difficult time understanding them. They are looking at their actions and words. We have to look at their lives.

Mickey, you explained Our Holy Father John Paul’s life with great eloquence. I’m not going to make a fool of myself here by trying to explain it better than you did.

If anyone in recent times truly deserved to be called His Holiness, it was John Paul II. He was a mystic. He saw possibilities that other people had missed, even some of his most saintly predecessors. He did not change what they wrote or said, as some claim. On the contrary, he took a treasure chest that had gathered dust and dusted it.

When previous popes and councils said that there was no salvation outside the Church, John Paul did not dispute this. This teaching was a treasure chest. However, over the years this chest gathered dust. The dust to which I’m alluding is the misunderstanding of what the Church is. John looked at what his predecessors and previous councils said and decided that he was not going to challenge those teachings, because truth does not deny truth.

He did however step outside the box. He was going to focus on what does the term Church actually mean. This was a question that he inherited from John XXIII. That’s what Vatican II was about. It tried to answer the question. What does it mean to be the Church? That’s how John Paul found that not all was lost.

With this discovery he stepped into the world to proclaim the good news to people of all faiths. His name served him well. Like the Evangelist, St. John, the Pope was a mystic whose thinking can only be understood through an understanding of mysticism. Like St. Paul, he was a missionary. He was a missionary mystic. We’ve never had such a pope. This makes him difficult to understand. One has to understand mysticism and evangelization and how they are linked in this man’s life and mission.

Thanks for making us reflect on him, Mickey.

JR

I love this explanation JR. We so often get distracted by people putting every word and gesture under a microscope these days. It’s the gluttony of information age we live in. Every word, every expression, every movement is recorded and analyzed to death. And always with such drama! lol

It takes away from the broader perspective of what and who a person is in their entirety.

Thanks for reminding us of the bigger picture (which you all know is where I love to live. )

 

[JReducation]

After a rather tumultuous weekend, I was thinking about this thread and how the saints (the one’s who are in Heaven) would have handled these conflicts that we face in today’s world and especially among Catholics.

Brother Charles de Facould kept coming to mind. Charles has not been canonized yet, but there is little doubt in my mind that his turn will come up soon. For those who are not familiar with him or his spirituality, he lived in the mid-twentieth century. He was originally a Jesuit. He asked for a dispensation from religious life, but not from the priesthood. He wanted to found a religious community of monks who live among the non-believers without preaching. He took the Holy Family of Nazareth as his guide to the life of perfection and became Brother Charles.

Brother Charles moved to one of the Arab countries. I can’t remember if it was Palestine or Saudi Arabia. He lived among the people, but never tried to convert them with words. Instead he prayed for and served whoever approached him. He spent most of his time in solitude and silence as did the Holy Family, which is why we know very little about their family life. They did not draw much attention to themselves. Their attention was focussed on doing God’s will.

Charles also focussed on doing God’s will. He took the words of St. Benedict to heart, to pray and to work. He believed that if one prayed and worked one would win souls over for Christ by one’s virtue. He was convinced that the practice of virtue was the most eloquent sermon. He loved the Muslims and wanted nothing more than to draw them to Christ. He also understood that it would be foolish to engage in a religious conflict with them, because of their strong religious convictions. Charles felt that the only way that one can change the convictions of another is to make that person stop and think about your own convictions. The best way to preach your convictions was through how you lived the Gospel.

Apparently, Charles was making some progress, because after many years of living among the Muslims some radical Muslims snuck into his hut one night and murdered him.

His death called a great deal of attention on the part of Christians and Muslims. Today there is a growing congregation of religious brothers and sisters who live according to the spirit of Charles de Facould, The Little Brothers of Jesus and The Little Sisters of Jesus. They are contemplatives in the city. They never preach or try to convert with words. They live among unbelievers in any country. They go out everyday to their job: banks, stores, schools, factories, etc. When they get home they eat no meat, they fast every day, drink no alcohol and they spend their evening in prayer, silence and an hour of community recreation. When they go to work they wear a simple outfit of jeans and shirt with a wooden cross. People tend to ask them about how they live and dress. The sisters don’t even wear pantyhose, not even during winter. They live in extreme poverty.

Despite this very strange way of life, they have attracted many people to their congregation. Some people come to pray with them. Others have actually become Catholics and some have joined the Congregation. There are several thousand of them. None of them ever met Charles de Facould. Yet Charles continues to live through them and through those who come in contact with them and walk away talking about the depth of their prayer and their fidelity to the Gospel.

Charles and his followers would handle the issues in the Church through prayer, work, poverty, silence and brotherhood. They would answer questions when asked and return to their silence and work. This is probably one of the most peaceful ways to bring people to Christ in modern times.

JR

 

[Jeanette_L]

What I find so amazing about the Catholic faith is that there are so many ways to live out your faith within the same Church. It still floors me actually.

In the Protestant world, you would have a church split if one group decided it was called to a particular way of life and the others didn’t feel the same way. They didn’t have the concept that there are different spiritualities and that not only can they co exist, but must, they are charisms given by the same Spirit to compliment the entire Body.

When I started studying the Church, seeing how each group was not only allowed to operate using it’s particular charism, but encouraged to nurture it for the sake of the whole Church, it just made so much sense, I couldn’t deny the genius of it.

It is sad when we find the same quarrels within Catholicism over these same issues, not understanding how the Spirit works through this diversity and has always worked in this manner in order to maintain the health of the whole organism, the Church.

The system is BEAUTIFUL, I tell you.

 

[Mickey_Jackson]

After a rather tumultuous weekend, I was thinking about this thread and how the saints (the one’s who are in Heaven) would have handled these conflicts that we face in today’s world and especially among Catholics.

Brother Charles de Facould kept coming to mind. Charles has not been canonized yet, but there is little doubt in my mind that his turn will come up soon. For those who are not familiar with him or his spirituality, he lived in the mid-twentieth century. He was originally a Jesuit. He asked for a dispensation from religious life, but not from the priesthood. He wanted to found a religious community of monks who live among the non-believers without preaching. He took the Holy Family of Nazareth as his guide to the life of perfection and became Brother Charles.

Brother Charles moved to one of the Arab countries. I can’t remember if it was Palestine or Saudi Arabia. He lived among the people, but never tried to convert them with words. Instead he prayed for and served whoever approached him. He spent most of his time in solitude and silence as did the Holy Family, which is why we know very little about their family life. They did not draw much attention to themselves. Their attention was focussed on doing God’s will.

Charles also focussed on doing God’s will. He took the words of St. Benedict to heart, to pray and to work. He believed that if one prayed and worked one would win souls over for Christ by one’s virtue. He was convinced that the practice of virtue was the most eloquent sermon. He loved the Muslims and wanted nothing more than to draw them to Christ. He also understood that it would be foolish to engage in a religious conflict with them, because of their strong religious convictions. Charles felt that the only way that one can change the convictions of another is to make that person stop and think about your own convictions. The best way to preach your convictions was through how you lived the Gospel.

Apparently, Charles was making some progress, because after many years of living among the Muslims some radical Muslims snuck into his hut one night and murdered him.

His death called a great deal of attention on the part of Christians and Muslims. Today there is a growing congregation of religious brothers and sisters who live according to the spirit of Charles de Facould, The Little Brothers of Jesus and The Little Sisters of Jesus. They are contemplatives in the city. They never preach or try to convert with words. They live among unbelievers in any country. They go out everyday to their job: banks, stores, schools, factories, etc. When they get home they eat no meat, they fast every day, drink no alcohol and they spend their evening in prayer, silence and an hour of community recreation. When they go to work they wear a simple outfit of jeans and shirt with a wooden cross. People tend to ask them about how they live and dress. The sisters don’t even wear pantyhose, not even during winter. They live in extreme poverty.

Despite this very strange way of life, they have attracted many people to their congregation. Some people come to pray with them. Others have actually become Catholics and some have joined the Congregation. There are several thousand of them. None of them ever met Charles de Facould. Yet Charles continues to live through them and through those who come in contact with them and walk away talking about the depth of their prayer and their fidelity to the Gospel.

Charles and his followers would handle the issues in the Church through prayer, work, poverty, silence and brotherhood. They would answer questions when asked and return to their silence and work. This is probably one of the most peaceful ways to bring people to Christ in modern times.

JR

Wow, I’ve never heard of this. Guess I’ll have to add Brother Charles de Facould to my litany.

We are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, on Earth and in heaven!

 

[JReducation]

To understand this concept one has to begin with an understanding of the physical world. Since most people of the written word, both Catholic and others, do not look beyond what is in print, the physical world does not concern them. Therefore, they miss what the saints saw.

Allow me to explain. I love this stuff. This is the stuff that Philosophy of Theology is made of. YES!!!

Science has shown us, through the Gaius Hypothesis, which is no longer a hypothesis, that the world is a living integrated organism. Even human beings are part of this organism, despite the fact that we have an immortal soul. Every organism in the world depends on the actions and reactions of another organism. This is called a symbiotic relationship. For example, animals (including humans) depend on plants for oxygen. Plants depend on animals for carbon dioxide. Plants need fertile soil in which to grow. Soil needs hydrogen. Humans and other animals produce hydrogen in many forms of waste which goes into the earth. Like this, the entire physical world is united, yet each part is different.

The same can be applied to the Mystical Body. Each member depends on something that another member produces or makes happen through his or her faith. The saints understood this. This is why we see so many spiritualities but only one Mystical Body.

Therefore, when we speak of Mysticism, we’re not speaking of multiple forms of mysticism. We’re speaking of one mysticism that gives life to the Body of Christ. The Holy Spirit gives us these diverse charisms to produce the one mysticism that gives life to the Body of Christ. Mysticism simply means spirit or soul. All of these spiritualities feed the soul, without a soul, the Body of Christ would be dead. The Holy Spirit keeps the Body of Christ alive by nurturing the soul. Like any other organism, the soul needs to be nurtured by many gifts, just like the human body and mind must be nurtured by many minerals, proteins, vitamins, acids, bacteria and so forth.

When we look at the physical world and how it functions, we find that our theology of the Mystical Body is not only demonstrable, but it is logical. Our understanding of the physical world sheds light on truth that can often be difficult to explain or understand.

This is why every saint feels free to bring his or her charism to the Body, because he or she is not taking anything away. Rather, the Holy Spirit uses him or her to nurture the Body of Christ. The Catholic Church’s view of spirituality and sanctity is proven logical through this understanding of the physical world. The physical world becomes a living sacrament of the Mystical Body. Thus, St. Francis wrote the Canticle of the Creatures and called every created thing Brother and Sister.

JR

What I find so amazing about the Catholic faith is that there are so many ways to live out your faith within the same Church. It still floors me actually.

In the Protestant world, you would have a church split if one group decided it was called to a particular way of life and the others didn’t feel the same way. They didn’t have the concept that there are different spiritualities and that not only can they co exist, but must, they are charisms given by the same Spirit to compliment the entire Body.

When I started studying the Church, seeing how each group was not only allowed to operate using it’s particular charism, but encouraged to nurture it for the sake of the whole Church, it just made so much sense, I couldn’t deny the genius of it.

It is sad when we find the same quarrels within Catholicism over these same issues, not understanding how the Spirit works through this diversity and has always worked in this manner in order to maintain the health of the whole organism, the Church.

The system is BEAUTIFUL, I tell you.

 

[JReducation]

Wow, I’ve never heard of this. Guess I’ll have to add Brother Charles de Facould to my litany.

We are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, on Earth and in heaven!

Find the writing of Jean or John Vanier, a Little Brother of Jesus. He writes about Brother Charles and their spirituality.

He’s awesome. When I have time, I’ll go through my library and find a title or two that you may want to purchase.

JR

 

[chewchoo]

To understand this concept one has to begin with an understanding of the physical world. Since most people of the written word, both Catholic and others, do not look beyond what is in print, the physical world does not concern them. Therefore, they miss what the saints saw.

Allow me to explain. I love this stuff. This is the stuff that Philosophy of Theology is made of. YES!!!

Science has shown us, through the Gaius Hypothesis, which is no longer a hypothesis, that the world is a living integrated organism. Even human beings are part of this organism, despite the fact that we have an immortal soul. Every organism in the world depends on the actions and reactions of another organism. This is called a symbiotic relationship. For example, animals (including humans) depend on plants for oxygen. Plants depend on animals for carbon dioxide. Plants need fertile soil in which to grow. Soil needs hydrogen. Humans and other animals produce hydrogen in many forms of waste which goes into the earth. Like this, the entire physical world is united, yet each part is different.

The same can be applied to the Mystical Body. Each member depends on something that another member produces or makes happen through his or her faith. The saints understood this. This is why we see so many spiritualities but only one Mystical Body.

Therefore, when we speak of Mysticism, we’re not speaking of multiple forms of mysticism. We’re speaking of one mysticism that gives life to the Body of Christ. The Holy Spirit gives us these diverse charisms to produce the one mysticism that gives life to the Body of Christ. Mysticism simply means spirit or soul. All of these spiritualities feed the soul, without a soul, the Body of Christ would be dead. The Holy Spirit keeps the Body of Christ alive by nurturing the soul. Like any other organism, the soul needs to be nurtured by many gifts, just like the human body and mind must be nurtured by many minerals, proteins, vitamins, acids, bacteria and so forth.

When we look at the physical world and how it functions, we find that our theology of the Mystical Body is not only demonstrable, but it is logical. Our understanding of the physical world sheds light on truth that can often be difficult to explain or understand.

This is why every saint feels free to bring his or her charism to the Body, because he or she is not taking anything away. Rather, the Holy Spirit uses him or her to nurture the Body of Christ. The Catholic Church’s view of spirituality and sanctity is proven logical through this understanding of the physical world. The physical world becomes a living sacrament of the Mystical Body. Thus, St. Francis wrote the Canticle of the Creatures and called every created thing Brother and Sister.

JR

way cool how true, we are all one body, with many parts.
and we (all of creation) exist in God’s domain. this adds much to the many orders that i see the saints creating. i was like, why add more orders? they are basically like more leaves on a tree. the more leaves, the more light the tree can obsorb and the more it can grow.

 

[Jeanette_L]

way cool how true, we are all one body, with many parts.
and we (all of creation) exist in God’s domain. this adds much to the many orders that i see the saints creating. i was like, why add more orders? they are basically like more leaves on a tree. the more leaves, the more light the tree can obsorb and the more it can grow.

We are all just really getting it aren’t we? I think this is very exciting.

 

[JReducation]

way cool how true, we are all one body, with many parts.
and we (all of creation) exist in God’s domain. this adds much to the many orders that i see the saints creating. i was like, why add more orders? they are basically like more leaves on a tree. the more leaves, the more light the tree can obsorb and the more it can grow.

Regardless of what some people around CAF say about Vatican II, there is a document among the decrees of Vatican II that speaks to religious and lay people. We should read it, because it’s sooooooooo cool, Perfectae Caritatis.

Vatican II declared that religoius life is the Perfection of Charity. Despite the many ministries that religious perform, from being contemplatives who pray for the world to active apostles who work among the People of God, the entire body of religious communities are one single example for the laity of how to perfect the charity of Christ.

In other words, the Church sees the religious communities as models that the laity can pick and choose from to bring charity to its perfection in our own lives. I don’t have to be a Dominican to preach, even though they are the Order of Preachers. If I observe them closely, how they live, pray, work and what they say, I can immitate that in my own life.

I don’t have to be a Caremelite to live a silent life of prayer and penance. I can do that in my own home by observing and learning from the Carmelites. My family can be my community and my home can be my monastery.

The same applies to the other great virtues and gifts that God gives the Church through the religious life. We can observe, read and apply which ever charism is more apporpriate for us.

I for one am addicted to St. Francis and Mother Teresa, but that’s me. The entire idea of Holy Poverty as Christ lived it on the cross amazes me. To become so detached from anything that does not serve the purpose of love or is not needed in order to love is stunning.

JR

 

[Jeanette_L]

So, when a person joins a lay religious order, what exactly is involved and what is the advantage (if that’s an appropriate thought, I’m not sure just now) of actually officially joining a group as opposed to just living your life according to it’s charism?