MSC Brothers’ Call and Life
As mentioned yesterday, we have been focusing on posts on MSC Brothers. We continue this weekend.
MSC Brothers by Warren Perrotto MSC
A Brother is a “man committed to living the Consecrated Life in response to a call from God.” (Religious Brothers Conference) Prompted and guided by the Holy Spirit, a Brother wishes to consecrate himself to Jesus, his Brother. He wants to become one with Jesus and imitate Jesus, as brother. Becoming one in love and commitment to Jesus, he imitates his Brother, Jesus - as the chaste person – having unconditional love for all persons; investing in integrity, intimacy and friendship, yet letting go of one-encompassing human relationship. He imitates his Brother, Jesus – as the poor person – renouncing radical ownership. He further imitates his Brother, Jesus - the obedient person to the will of God – always seeking and willing to do the same.
MSC Brothers' meeting, Bangalore 2010
The Brother comes to live out his call from Jesus, with his particular religious community’s charism and spirituality. It is a life of community, founded upon the common faith in Jesus, which is shared upon a vision of living faith through the traditions of his particular Congregation. The life as a Religious Brother is at the very heart of the Church in his intense prayer life, community living and apostolic service. (cf. Vita Consecrata, 60)
Brothers' meeting APIA Conference, 2018
A Brother’s ministry is varied according to his own particular talents and the needs of his Religious Congregation. He can be a teacher, theologian, lawyer, nurse, doctor, pastoral administrator, artist, cook, electrician, etc. What is important is not what he does, but who he is–a man consecrated to his Brother, Christ, one with his Brother, Christ, through the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience. It is a special gift, a unique calling to the Consecrated Life. A Brother at times appears at the altar with the ordained, assisting in lay ministries; however, he prefers being in the “trenches” with the laity, sitting with them as their brother. He is the special sign of the brotherhood/sisterhood of all humankind.
At Apia, Kensington Monastery, Sydney, 2018
Brothers are brothers in the fullest sense of the word. They possess a freedom to encounter both clergy and laity as true brothers and sisters—talking, laughing and sharing within their joys, hopes and sorrows. Their commitment to the Consecrated Life places them at the service of the whole human family. In Christ, their Brother, they give testimony to the “divine plan of gathering all humanity into the civilization of love, the great family of the children of God.” (Vita Consecrata, 35) They are Brothers to all of God’s children, serving all in the spirit of Christ’s own brotherhood.
Warren Perrotto is a member of the American province. For some years he has been based in Fiji.
