A word from the Founder

Are we, who are members of a religious society, living well ?
We can answer yes if: We are living orderly lives; We are living in friendship with one another, as true members according to the society’s rules; We are living humbly.

We can judge for ourselves if we are living orderly lives. Our fellow members must judge whether we are living in friendship as true members of the Society, and it is for God to judge if we are living humbly.

Living orderly lives, with a great zeal to fulfil all our duties ; each one of us according to the measure of the grace we have received and according to our position, before God and before our neighbour, avoiding sin for ourselves and scandal for our neighbour.

Living in friendship as true members of the Society, making sure we do our utmost to be loved and also to love, showing ourselves to be kind and friendly ; in supporting our brothers’ weaknesses, both spiritual and physical, not only patiently but also gladly.

Living humbly, in carrying out a duty after having done everything to dispel the spirit of vanity, which usually rises up within us in such instances, and to refuse to allow it to do so, however deeply we feel the sentiment.

So, in coping with our 3 kinds of problem, we take 3 measures : as we will have to suffer for ourselves and for our neighbour, as well as for God. For ourselves, we suffer the severity of penitence ; for our neighbour, the conflict which can give rise to ill-will within us ; for God, the scourge that he sends us to correct us.

Who is the suffering meant for, that we have caused ourselves ? We should regard it as a voluntary sacrifice ; as for those sufferings that our neighbour causes us, we have to bear them with patience. Those which God sends us, we have to withstand without grumbling and with actions of grace.

Saint Michael Garicoits
Extract from Manuscript 482