We have as our goal to establish Christian communities and Churches deeply rooted in the local culture and fully responsible for their own development and growth.
CC&RR, Constitution 7
“Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.” Acts 2:41-43
From the day of Pentecost until today we find the same pattern constantly repeated: the proclamation of the Word of God leads to personal transformation which creates community.
Oblate evangelization fits into the same pattern, as Father Jetté writes:
“Finally, a twofold ecclesial concern, characteristic of our times, is to be present in our ministry: “…to establish Christian communities and Churches deeply rooted in the local culture and fully responsible for their own development and growth.”
Here we have a clear invitation to promote inculturation of the faith in every domain where we are carrying out our ministry, especially in countries where Christianity is new; and to promote among the faithful with whom we work a sense of responsibility, the will to personal commitment and the desire of a faith appropriate to a grown-up person. We want to establish local communities that are very much alive.” (The Apostolic Man, p 81 – 82)
“Christianity means community through Jesus Christ and in Jesus Christ. No Christian community is more or less than this.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer
“We have as our goal to establish Christian communities and Churches deeply routed in the local culture and fully responsible for their own development and growth.” I return over and over again to; ‘fully responsible for their own development and growth.’ Not to be spoon-fed all of our lives, not to simply wait to have it all handed to us on silver platters, but to eventually take what has been offered to help to grow that in others. I remember when I first joined AA and had to start making some decisions – they were small ones but so hard for me to do and I balked at those who were walking with me and guiding me in sobriety. Before that point my decisions were not made by me but for me and they came out of the drugs and alcohol, pain and hopelessness.
It was not about personalities – mine or someone else’s – it was about me as a member of the community and my becoming responsible for myself so that I could share it with others. The same as a parent helps grow their children so that their children can become responsible for themselves.
Not just about me, but about me and the others around me. If I am given what I need to grow then I must turn and share that with others so that they too can grow and become a part of something so much larger than ourselves.
This would seem to be the goal of this space and if not the goal, most certainly the result. How do I take this to my community in my daily life?