Manager or apostle?

As in previous polls, those who vote are anonymous. This makes the interpretation of the results more difficult. For practical reasons we have grouped the responses in two blocks.

Nearly half of the respondents are impressed by the availability that the brothers manifest towards the young (47%), an availability that is strongly marked by simplicity (23%).
A religious chooses chastity for the Kingdom as a dynamic force that, as in Jesus? example, helps to direct one?s life towards the total gift of self to God and to others. For a Marist Brother, the others are above all the young, all the young. Marcellin often reminds us that, ?to educate a child, you must first love him.? Could a higher percentage of responses be interpreted as a request for help, a clear invitation to consecrate more space, time, energy, sensitivity? and to open our hearts to those to whom the brothers are sent?

The two other suggested answers received fewer votes, especially concerning community life (12%). That is a fact that needs reflection, not only because in the life of all Marist Brothers living in common is an important element, but above all because, today, all agree to recognise that evangelisation is not so much the result of an individual activity but the visible witness of a concrete community. At this time in our history, when the Institute finds itself asked to spend extra energy to lead and look after many works, if we do not have the strong witness of community life, we run the risk of being perceived as managers rather than apostles.