Religious Brothers - Hidden Treasure: The Witness of Vowed Brotherhood in The Church
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Date
2003
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Tangaza University College
Abstract
Marcellin Champagnat once wrote: "A brother is one for whom the world is not
a big enough place." These words capture quite starkly the vocation of a brother. A
brother is in relationship with whomever and whatsoever is around him He is in
relationship with the whole universe.
The words of Champagnat, I believe, are about the heart of being brother, the
heart, filled with passion for love. The brother, I believe, is the one who opens his heart
wide to love, serve, and save humanity and nature from human destruction by being
sensitive. Sandra Schneiders comments: "What we do with our hearts, affects the whole
universe."2 These are powerful words, loaded with meaning. The human heart can have
an impact on the whole universe. The way one relates with people and nature can have far greater impact than one can imagine. The brother's heart is wide enough to embrace
the whole universe.
Brothers live and work amongst people. Their role in the church is not as evident
as compared to that of priests, sisters and the laity. They live together in communities
and most of them dress in a very simple manner. Most of these men are cheerful, and
filll of life and enthusiasm. Yet, quite ironically, religious brothers in the Catholic
church occupy an ambiguous position. Very few people know who they are. The
majority of Catholics simply confuse religious brothers with priests who, they think,
have similarities such as being unmarried men, celibate, and ministers in the church.
Catholic religious brotherhood is not valued highly by many people, neither lay
nor clergy. According to my observation, it is seen as an incomplete state of life -- men
who are not good enough for anything else. Brotherhood is seen as halfway towards
priesthood. Because of this ambiguity and the non-recognition of religious brothers in
the life of the church, I have a very special interest to explore, study and understand the
nature and dynamics of this lifestyle -- the very one to which I have been called. I hope
that this study might, in some small way, re-awaken the interest of laity, the brothers,
and the clergy in further exploration about, and recpgnition of, the gift of brotherhood in
and for the church. These factors now lead me to explore the identity of brothers and where they
"fit" in the church. Hopefully, this exploration will help brothers to respond to the needs
of the church and of the wider society. The whole of humanity is faced with the crisis of
identity. Are brothers an exception to this?
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Keywords
Religious Brothers, Hidden Treasure, Vowed Brotherhood