Reflections on Our Unfolding Heritage
by Brother André Mathieu, C.P.
Introduction by Fr. Rob Carbonneau, C.P.
We all attend meetings. We know the drill well. We take our seat in the conference hall, small group, or round table. We talk. We share. We listen. Routinely, we all come to meetings with our active imagination. In some cases we pursue the data before us with intense detail. In other cases we daydream.
In this case Brother André Mathieu challenges us to be honest about what goes through our mind during and after a meeting. His unsolicited essay—sent to the Heritage Newsletter this summer—makes us all aware that we bring our historical experiences to any meeting we attend.
It is not uncommon to think about events of the past at meetings. Planning meetings, especially, for a religious order, a corporation, social organization or club operate along similar dynamics. Often young members have all the excitement to move ahead with vigor and risk. Veteran (old) members have much the same energy. However, activating plans often requires that we listen to their personal stories. With patient impatience we listen. Both camps have individuals who make us react. Some conjure up a groan of frustration from our psyche when they speak. Others offer wisdom and perspective from experience that sets the context with precision.
The essay of Brother Mathieu is important because it offers us a history that comes alive as a result of his attendance at a planning meeting. The value is that this historical reflection compels us (old) Passionists to look at the past with honesty. On the other hand the essay asserts that all Passionists at the next meeting should listen to those in attendance who have experienced cultural changes. For example, the picture that accompanies this essay is a reminder of the distinction between the life of a Passionist brother and the life of a Passionist priest prior to the changes that took place in the 1960s.
Finally, in the last section—entitled "the challenge"—Brother Mathieu expands the parameters of planning to Passionist and the laity alike. Today, whether we uphold the traditional or the progressive values of religious life and the Church it does us well to ponder that our meetings do not operate in an historical vacuum. In my view, and why I decided to publish this essay, the combination of history and future serves as a valuable leaven that might nourish us at the next meeting we attend.
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