2012-08-30
Province of Southern Africa – Província da África Austral: Newsletter / Bolletim Informativo
From the Provincial’s Desk …
Dear Brothers,
In the June newsletter I wrote about the spirituality of the evangelical use of goods. Allow me to share some more thoughts on the topic. Since I started to write and think about this subject I have done further reading which has helped me to clarify my thinking on this theme.
In Joe Paprocki’s book, 7 Keys to Spiritual Wellness, I found an interesting term “lifestyle inflation” that is worth elaborating on.
When we are in the novitiate we do not set out to be materialistic, it just seems to happen. This change is a reality for many religious even if we wish to live simply as Marist Brothers. Let us consider four “effects” that we need to watch if we wish to avoid slipping into a materialistic lifestyle. These effects are very subtle and, if we are not careful, our simplicity can be jeopardised.