The 6th Counsel
What do we want and what are we
2. ” And what you want them to do, do it yourselves first.”
3. How will you reprove or admonish them for some defect lf it is still in you?
4. Or counsel them and urge them to any virtue which you do not first possess?
5. or at least, do not then begin to practice yourselves together with them ?
6. Act therefore in such a way that, also following your example, they may stir and spur themselves to virtuous living.
7. And willingly do, as they do, every act of integrity and virtue appropriate and possible for you especially with regards to behaviour, to going frequently to confession and communion and other similar good works.”
What do we want and what do we desire for the daughters and sisters entrusted to us?
The leader desires for sure that the “daughter” lives a life pleasing to the Spouse… Meanwhile she herself must begin to please the Spouse the Lord.
In renouncing evil, in choosing good, virtue, faithfulness to our commitments…let us be the first to put them into practice.
It is necessary to overcome the pharisaic attitude:
“…they say but not do. They tie up heavy loads and place them on the people`s shoulders, but they themselves do not care to move them with their finger.” (Mt. 23, 3-4)
Perhaps we are not always in a position to do it first…how many failings in daily fidelity…What do we do? At least let us practice them together with them and then let us not expect the impossible.
Even the Gospel of Luke reminds us of this teaching: “Whatever you want that men do for you, do it first to them.” (Luke 6, 31)
When we look deep down in ourselves we discover our faults, we verify our spiritual life and our commitments of fidelity.
Even when the result is perhaps scarce, we shall have at least tried a journey together and we would have given the example of our effort and commitment. Deep down it’s the Lord who will evaluate the result.
It will become a journey which together leads us to Him. St. Angela knows that we shall never be perfect leaders but it is necessary to be committed and coherent; we can always journey together with our daughters in the way of the Lord.
“This treasure, however, we possess within utensils of clay — evidence that the unparalleled power is from God and not from us.” (2 Cor. 4,7)
Introduction
The seventh Counsel is a counsel which helps us how to behave in public with simplicity and prudence. A whole chapter of the Rule of St. Angela has this heading: On the manner of behaving in public. Together with that chapter of ` how should we be dressed` there is a chapter on the external behaviour, on our attitudes regarding the relationships for a life in the world fitting as a spouse of the Son of God, fitting of the one who is searching to be `holistic` in her own life.
Let us take in hand the teaching of the third chapter of the Rule, which according to my idea should be read together with the seventh Counsel.
What one must not do…
- “Exercising” bad deeds and sharing experiences and consequences of a choice of life of persons involved in a life contrary to the Gospel `women of bad reputation.`
- Listening and acting “secretly” at the risk of Truth, transparency and charity. Enjoy hearing about vanities…” and worldly pleasures”.
- Today we are living in a heterogeneous i. e.( having no common measure) world and we find ourselves inserted in different surroundings and often even in difficulties. In this reality God has granted us the grace of setting us apart from the darkness of this miserable world and of uniting us together to serve his Divine majesty.
What would St. Angela suggest today?
Perhaps once more prudence…which has the capacity of a critical perception of the situation which leads to the gift of discerning and evaluating the good and the bad and to choose what is good and pleasing to God.
Prudence goes together with the capacity of self study for the knowledge of oneself and others without fear or false fears, yet avoiding evil, but also superficiality, to fill one`s time and life well.
What one must avoid….
To avoid letting ourselves falling into trivialities, chattering, criticism, indecency….curiosity, distractions…filling the day easily with `nothing` or with `dangers`.
Time is a gift too much precious and must be spent well…”that you strive with all your might to remain as you are called by God.” (Rule pro. 9)
Avoid being distracted, filling your eyes, your head and your heart with stupidity, with the risk of not enjoying what is good, beautiful, great (cinema, TV, internet, magazines….)
It is evident here, and confirmed by the indications of Angela that she is referring to modesty and of the research of essential things; that is what really matters. This also seems to perceive the desire of the Mother of a significant ‘presence’ of her daughters living in the world…” among the things of below with the look pointing to those beyond.”
“Invite them to desire the celestial joys and treasures to long for those joyful and new feasts of heaven, those blessed and everlasting triumphs.” (Counsel 5, 3)
“Let them set their hopes on high and not on earth. Let them have Jesus Christ for their only treasure for there also will be love which is to be sought not here in this world, but above, in the high heaven at the right hand of the Father.” (Counsel 5, 42-44)
Even the verbs used: practice, listen, be, go, say, fast, stop, look…indicated a dynamic reality of an effective presence in the world and for the ways of the world…nevertheless they hide the preoccupation for another reality as much important and as much true…the interior life, the spiritual life, virginity…which is safeguarded and guaranteed. It seems that St. Angela is saying; if you live with and for the Spouse, you cannot and must not stop to fill yourselves with other things or other presences. He is enough for you, live by Him and you would know how to live His will.
“And strengthen my affections and senses so that they do not stray, neither to right nor to left, nor turn me away from that dazzling face of yours” ( Rule 5,18-19)
From the 6th Counsel
“For it is right and fitting that the mothers be an example and a mirror for their daughters, especially in modesty, and in behaviour, and other actions, ordinary and extraordinary”.
A life that would be a mirror and that it must become an illuminated mirror for the daughters or rather transparent. Through us they must see Him, a living and true presence. It is a mirror that reflects the image of the Spouse.
For St. Angela `behaviour` must have been well at heart…very often she mentions it and even in the Rule in the chapter about virginity she emphasises
“And let her behaviour towards others be reasonable and modest…let all our words, actions and behaviour always be for the instruction and edification of those who have dealings with us.”
Today it seems that “edification” annoys people…very much is spoken about freedom from everything and by all…but I believe that St. Angela considered behaviour as a transmission of a great message…the message of love, that of a bride and bridegroom.. It is Christ who lives in us, who transmits himself, who comes into light through our behaviour.
We are called for the task of “building up the body of Christ, until we all may arrive at the unity of faith, and that understanding of the Son of God that brings completeness of personality, tending towards the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians: 4, 12-13)
Our life must not be repeated in our sisters, but it must be a life that mirrors the Lover. He is the Master, he is the Spouse for us and for them; he is the Truth and the Life.
[As taught by Fr Iker]
With gratitude, I read through again the notes I had made under the direction of Fr Iker way back in 2004 on 14 December. Let us listen as he talks to us on the general call to Discipleship, a call addressed to all of us, and the specific call of others. To these others, the Lords asks: Will you lay down your life for Me? Will you go where I lead you?
Mathew 11:28 Come to Me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 4:18-19 As He was walking by the lake of Galilee He saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew; they were making a cast into the lake with their net, for they were fishermen. And He said to them, ’Come after Me and I will make you fishers of people.’
However, there is a special call for some people to follow Christ. It is not for everyone and also it is not for everyone who wants to be called. There are some who are refused. After healing someone, Jesus tells that person to go home and tell what God has done for him. Jesus does not let the man remain with him.
The call of Christ entails some elements such as:
- to follow Jesus, the Person and to live His style of life, His spirit.
- to dedicate oneself to work with Him in His work in the kingdom. It is to be one in unity so as to save the world; to be obedient.
- to be in His community. He is the Good Shepherd and we are the sheep. This does not refer to the religious community or family. This means the church.
The various styles do not differ as there is one Christ, one gospel, one Spirit of Christ. There is only one teaching of Christ for all the people of God, from the Pope to the last one to be baptized. There is only a difference in dedication to the work and the living of the gospel. The work of Christ has three forms of commitment and dedication.
- There is spare time dedication. It is a hobby, not directly related to the work of the kingdom. It is aimed at taking care of the family. It is spare work and one does just a bit of it in the church. The next day, one goes back to work as usual.
- There is job dedication. It is an occupation. Married or single. The main occupation is apostolic work, remunerated with a salary, dedicated to teaching different groups. Catechism, for example. Most of the time the salary is poor. There is a limit to the time and to the salary given. Frequently under a contract such as in a Catholic school. Salaried deacons are possible and worthwhile having.
1 Corinthians 9:8-19 especially verses 13-15 Do you not realize that the ministers in the Temple get their food from the Temple, and those who serve at the altar can claim their share from the altar? In the same way, the Lord gave the instruction that those who preach the gospel should get their living from the gospel. However, I have never availed myself of any rights of this kind; and I have not written this to secure such treatment for myself;
3. Not a job or spare time dedication. It is a life dedication. It is for life. There is no other imposed occupation. Apostles are called to it. There is no salary. This is in line with John 10, the Good Shepherd. This is comparable to the religious life.
1 Tenth: I beg you with all my heart, please be watchful and most vigilant, like so many caring shepherdesses, for this heavenly flock
2 entrusted to your hands,
3 that no weeds of discord or among them,
4 and especially that they not sully themselves with any poisonous and heretical opinion in these pestilential times.
5 And consider that the devil thousand ways seeks our ruin
6 Be on guard, then,
7 and take care especially that they are united and one in will, as we read of the Apostles and other Chris-tians of the early Church: “Erat autem eorum cor unum”; that is, they were all of one heart.
8 In the same way, you also strive to be like this with all your dear daughters,
9 because the more you are united, the more Jesus Christ will be in your midst as a father and good shepherd.
10 And there will be no other sign that you are in the grace of the Lord than that you love one another and are united together,
11 for he himself says: “In hoc cognoscet mundus quod eritis mei discipuli, si diligeretis invicem”; that is, by this the world will know that you are mine, if together, you love one another.
12 And thus, loving each other and living in harmony together are a sure sign that we are walking the path right and pleasing to God.
13 Therefore, my sisters and mothers, be vigilant on this point, for on this point especially the devil will set snares for you under the guise of good.
14 So if you become aware of even the slightest shadow of such a plague, remedy it at once, according as God will enlighten you.
15 And on no account let such a seed grow in the Company,
16 because it would be a plague of bad example also for the city and even beyond.
17 For where there is disparity of wills, inevitably there is discord;
18 where there is discord, without any doubt there is ruin; as the Saviour says: “Omne regnum in seipsum divisum desolabitur”; that is, every government in discord with itself will fall into ruin
An adapted message from Blessed John Paul II’s on the 50th anniversary of Provida Mater Ecclesia
Thus it seems ever more apparent that the Christian mission in the world cannot be reduced to giving a pure, simple example of honesty, competence and fidelity to duty. All this is presupposed. It is a question of putting on the mind of Jesus Christ in order to be signs of His love in the world. This is the meaning and the goal of authentic Christian secularity, and thus the purpose and value of the Christian consecration lived in secular institutes.
In this regard, it is all the more important that members of secular institutes intensely live fraternal communion within their own institute and with the members of different institutes. Precisely because they are dispersed like leaven and salt in the midst of the world, they should consider themselves privileged witnesses to the value of brotherhood and Christian friendship, so necessary today, especially in the great urban areas where the majority of the world’s population now lives.
I hope that each secular institute may become this school of fraternal love, this burning hearth from which many men and women can draw light and warmth for the life of the world.
Lastly, I ask Mary to bestow on all the members of secular institutes the clearness of her vision of the world’s situation, the dept of her faith in the word of God and the promptness of her willingness to fulfill His mysterious designs for an ever more effective cotlaboration in the work of salvation.
Entrusting to her motherly hands the future of secular institutes, a chosen portion of God’s people, I impart my apostolic blessing to each one of you present here, and I willingly extend it to all the members of secular institutes scattered throughout the five continents.
February 1, 1997 Joannes Paulus II
