Who is a lay a marist?
The lay Marist vocation is a gift that the Spirit has poured out on many people who have found their special way of following Jesus in living the Marist charism.
The reference text, Gathered Around The Same Table, puts it this way: “Lay Marists are those people who, after a personal journey of discernment, have decided to live their Christian spirituality and mission in the manner of Mary, following the insight of Marcellin Champagnat.” (GATST 11)
As is true for all other vocations in the Church: “The initiative for our vocation comes from God. God loves us and wants our fulfillment, which is why God invites each one to follow a unique path (…) It is a personal call to a specific way of being disciples of Jesus.” (GATST 13)
You do not become a lay Marist by just working in a Marist ministry, or by length of service, or by being a friend of the brothers. You become a lay Marist because you live a profound experience of faith and engage in a process of vocational growth leading to a personal decision to live the Marist charism consciously, fully and co-responsibly.
Following Christ in Champagnat’s way, then, means committing yourself to living the three fundamental and inseparable dimensions of the Marist charism: mission, shared life and spirituality (cf. GATST 34); and giving witness to this way of being a disciple of Christ in the Church and in the world at the service of the most needy and marginalised.
The document Being a Lay Marist contains thoughts on providing each person with the accompaniment they personally need to discern the call to live the lay Marist vocation, with guidelines regarding formation pathways and concrete steps to take to express this vocation.
