Click here for a downloadable PDF version of “Marianist Family Quotes on the Charism.”
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Marianist Charism: Quotes based on the Marianist Charism of Mary, Faith, Mission, Inclusivity, and Community
“Our primary objective is formation in faith. In particular, we aim to motivate and train apostles and to foster communities of dedicated lay people.” [Rule of Life, 2006 revision, Art. 71.]
“The Society has in reality but one object in view: the most faithful imitation of Jesus Christ, Son of God become Son of Mary for the salvation of all.” [Constitutions of 1937, Art. 6.]
“In Mary is summed up the longing and searching of the whole human race.” [Rule of Life, 2006 revision, Art. 7.]
“Our Marianist vocation calls us to follow Jesus Christ and to work at the transformation of the world in accord with the Kingdom of God, with Mary as our inspiration and model of faith. We express this vocation through a deep personal life of faith and through a desire to share this faith with our brothers and sisters.” [Vision and Journey, 3.]
“When the needs of others completely dominate our lives, when we are consumed by the desire to give oneself to others for their good, then we will know by experience the mystery of Christ‟s humility.” [Quentin Hakenewerth, SM, The Grain of Wheat, 77.]
“The radical change that our Marianist vocation demands is usually gradual and progressive. It is seldom sudden, and it is never violent. It is Mary's way of forming us.” [Quentin Hakenewerth, SM, A Manual of Marianist Spirituality, 21.]
“Presence is not sterile or inactive. It is a relationship which communicates what we are. If we sustain our presence in love or compassion or kindness, it will tend to generate life. If our attitude is one of indifference or envy or hate, our presence will tend to destroy. Only loving and caring presence generates life. So we want to do even our most ordinary work with presence that generates life…in abundance.” [Quentin Hakenewerth, SM, A Manual of Marianist Spirituality, 20.]
“To pray in union with Mary means to open our hearts to her formative presence during prayer.” [Quentin Hakenewerth, SM, A Manual of Marianist Spirituality, 35.]
“As you know, for Father Chaminade the silences were really positive virtues. For him, „silence‟ did not mean just keeping quiet; it did not mean not using our imaginations; it did not mean to stop thinking. He refers to silence of speech, silence of action, silence of thought, silence of emotions, and silence of the mind – and he defines each one as a positive thing. What he is talking about is disciplining our faculties so they do serve us and in fact help us to do what we are trying to do. He is not talking about some way of deadening them.” [Joseph Stefanelli, SM, Our Marianist Heritage, 79.]
“Self-examination, heart-to-heart conversations with associates, counsel from a spiritual director, and periodic reviews at work are all aids to help us do the difficult thing: to face the truth. Obeying that truth ultimately culminates in obeying God, who is truth itself.” [Joseph Lackner, SM, Virtues for Mission, 30.]
“All the members of the Marianist Family are missionaries, insofar as each one contributes in some way to the permanent mission of the Family as a whole. It is not only a question of how faithful we are to our personal call, but also what we contribute to making our community a permanent mission.” [Quentin Hakenewerth, SM, A Manual of Marianist Spirituality, 63.]
“By our Baptism, we are called to build and foster God‟s Mystical Body in today‟s world. We are called to „be‟ Mary‟s openness in a society too often fragmented and cynical; to „be‟ Joseph‟s fidelity in times of uncertainty; to „be‟ John the Baptist, pouring out both physical and spiritual water to the thirsty; and finally, while we doubt our worthiness, to „be‟ the imitation of Christ, healing through our actions and putting our full trust in God.” [“What Do You Mean, 'I‟m a Missionary'?" Things Marianist]
“One way to live this virtue [silence] is to look to Mary, the woman who conceived the Word within her own flesh, and to meditate on her words and her silence. At the Annunciation she says, „Let it be with me according to your word‟ (Lk 1:38). At the Visitation she testifies, „My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior‟ (Lk 1:46) and „God has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly, he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty‟ (Lk 1:51-53). In Cana, at the wedding feast, she notifies her son that „They have no wine‟ (Jn 2:3), and she says to the workers who would assist Jesus, „Do whatever he tells you‟ (Jn 2:5). These words are spoken in response to and in praise of God, words on behalf of others. But at Calvary (Jn 19:26-27) and in the upper room, she is silent (Acts 1:14). In the face of the mystery, there was nothing to be said.” [Joseph Lackner, SM, Virtues for Mission, 13.]
“Mary‟s conception of Jesus was not merely a human act or a mere physical generation. It was an act of faith and of spousal love. Consequently, it embraced much more than giving to Jesus his humanity. Her act of conceiving through faith in the power of the Holy Spirit embraced the entire process of bringing the life of Jesus to anyone who would believe.” [Quentin Hakenewerth, SM, A Manual of Marianist Spirituality, 26.]
“To save the world, God‟s love must be incarnate. Jesus took a human nature from Mary so that God‟s love could touch and change people. Jesus sent his Holy Spirit into the hearts of disciples who were willing to receive that Spirit. Mary‟s love needs people to embody her love and allow her presence to work its influence.” [Quentin Hakenewerth, SM, A Manual of Marianist Spirituality, 30.]
“Always preserve the peace of your soul. Always go to God with an entire simplicity. Despise and reject everything that might trouble you. In all your uncertainties over your interior conduct, make up your mind promptly to do what you would counsel another to do.” [Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, Letters, 1820.]
“This faith which I have come to treasure and which Marianist spirituality has consistently nurtured in me leads me to sense that my quest for meaning, for the more about life, for some resolution to my uneasiness is met by the gift of meaning and life. And so on good days, I believe that there are more than my own re-sources available to me to discover meaning in my life and some resolution to the uneasiness. „I have come that you might have life, and have it more abundantly‟ (John 10:10). It is the gratuitousness of this gift, initiated by God, that confronts my time-conscious and Pelagian purposeful-ness.” [Thomas Giardino, SM, “The Time of Our Lives,” in The Promised Woman, 348.]
“The journey of Mary of Nazareth and her story of faith are motivation for my own journey… She said „yes‟ into an uncertain future that gradually bore fruit in a mature, stable self for her and Jesus. I find this reassuring in a culture that revels in a plethora of new and sure-fire therapies for quick transformations of the self.” [Thomas Giardino, SM, “Marianist Spirituality: The Time of Our Lives,” in The Promised Woman, 349.]
Marianist Founders: Quotations from William Joseph Chaminade, Adèle de Batz de Trenquelléon and Marie Thérèse de Lamourous
"Ours is indeed a grand work, a magnificent work, and if it is universal in scope, it is because we are missionaries of Mary, who says to us, 'Do whatever He tells you.'" [Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, Letters, August 24, 1839]
"O my God, my heart is too small to love you, but I will see to it that you are loved by so many hearts, that their love will compensate for the weakness of mine." [Adèle de Batz de Trenquelléon, Letters, May 4, 1818]
"Well then, let us multiply ourselves for the greater glory of God and may the name of the Lord be blessed from East to West, may He be known everywhere, loved by all hearts and served by all creatures!" [Adèle de Batz de Trenquelléon, Letters, August 23, 1821]
"Father Chaminade was completely convinced that he had created a highly integrated system of doctrine, of organization, and of action which was uniquely powerful and effective, not to be changed without serious risk of working in vain." [William Ferree, SM, Texts of Capital Importance, 1966 ed, #74 (52.1)]
"Let us then courageously put our-selves to work, not letting ourselves be frightened by the greatness of the task. Let us think only of what we are doing at the moment, of doing it well, for it is only in the fidelity and perfection with which we do our ordinary actions that our progress in virtue consists." [Adèle de Batz de Trenquelléon, Letters, August 3, 1814]
"Faith, especially faith of the heart, is a great gift of God; and it is for that kind of faith that we should always pray: ‗Lord, increase my faith.‘ God will give this grace readily, when we endeavor to perform acts of faith. ‗The just person lives by faith.‘ What happiness for us if we walk for the rest of our lives on the beautiful pathways of faith, action only by faith, and living only by faith!" [Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, Letters, January 23, 1833]
"Let us peacefully follow the path traced out by Providence and all will turn out for the best." [Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, Letters, May 21, 1824]
"She was tempted to repeat her prayers, her good actions, and her promises for fear they were never quite good enough; she often asked questions in her doubts, then doubted she had explained the situation with sufficient clarity. When she did follow the advice given, she was subjected to new worries as to whether she had followed it correctly. Little by little, she would learn to trust her own judgment more, not to return again and again to what was past, and to place her confidence in the goodness of God rather then in her own perfection or accomplishment." [Joseph Stefanelli, SM, Mlle de Lamourous, 42.]
"Like the Magi, let us not return from the crib by the same route. That is, let us lead an entirely new life, a changed life, one transformed in God." [Adèle de Batz de Trenquelléon, Letters, January 6, 1807]
"Most of the filles who came to the Miséricorde were not hard-core professional prostitutes, although there were some. Most were young girls or widows who had been cast into the streets to fend for themselves; adolescents who had been seduced by the deceptive attractions of the life or forced into prostitution by families in financial need; or love-starved girls from unloving or broken homes who had run away simply seeking something better. But they had found their way to the loving arms of Marie Thérèse, and she could not turn them back into the streets." [Joseph Stefanelli, SM, Mlle de Lamourous, 186.]
"To make mental prayer is to raise my mind and heart to God in order to penetrate myself, in his presence, with some truth that will stimulate me to self-improvement." [Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, Letters, May 21, 1824]
"What is a sodality? It is a community of fervent Christians who, in imitation of the Christians of the early Church, endeavor by frequent meetings to have but one heart and one soul, to form but one family…the nature and essence is in the frequent gathering of the members." [Spirit of Our Foundation, vol. 2 § 657.]
"Let us limit ourselves, my good friend, to doing, each of us, what God would wish us to do…in our houses…let us take care to have the same purpose, the same spirit, and a union of hearts." [Marie Thérèse de Lamourous, in Joseph Stefanelli, SM, Mlle de Lamourous, 378.]
"So it was that by means of directresses and supervisors, councils and meetings, minutes and reports, as well as through her own personal daily contact with the filles, Marie Thérèse kept abreast of all that was taking place at the Miséricorde, guiding, directing, organizing, delegating, demanding accountability, managing, feeding, and caring for a household of some 300 people." [Joseph Stefanelli, SM, Mlle de Lamourous, 307.]
"To love each other in God, for God, and because of God is to be sure of a lasting love." [Adèle de Batz de Trenquelléon, Letters, February 2, 1805]
"It seems to me that we must not become discouraged if we encounter some obstacle in the way of the necessary change. Never has change been done, and never will it be done, without difficulty. With patience we will accomplish all. Go with simplicity. Do not worry about the troublesome or disconcerting things which you will experience. Do your duties, try to please God and keep your peace." [Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, Letters, March 23, 1833.]
"Let us work at becoming saints, and our communities will do well." [Adèle de Batz de Trenquelléon, Letters, December 11, 1821]
"As for the filles who come seeking admission and whom you hesitate to accept, I can only tell you what I have done, and what my conscience has always obliged me to do. I am not suggesting that you imitate me, but I think I should tell you: every time a stray sheep has come casting herself into my arms, if I sensed she had no other sure means of attaining her salvation and I had the least space available in the house, I would receive her without any other consideration, trusting entirely in him who said, 'Seek ye first the reign of God and its righteousness and all else will be added over and above.'" [Marie Thérèse de Lamourous, in Joseph Stefanelli, SM, Mlle de Lamourous, 338.]
"Courage, my dear child. Let us take care that while we are working at the sanctification of others we do not forget our own!" [Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, Letters, March 29, 1820.]
"It had never been the clear intention of Marie Thérèse de Lamourous to found a religious congregation. At the beginning of her work with the penitents, she had simply wanted to recruit similarly-interested women to help her. Even when it seemed indicated that her house would be converted into a religious institute, she did not foresee it according to the model of so many other contemporary foundations. Not only were the penitents and their directresses to form one and the same community, but the latter were to exist only for the former." [Joseph Stefanelli, SM, Mlle de Lamourous, 332.]
"Take courage, be not dismayed by your disgust, your boredom, etc.; unite them to those of our Divine Master. What comparison is there between ours and those he endured for the salvation of our souls! Rejoice rather to share this little sample of his work, and thank him with all your heart for having chosen you to be associated with it in some small way. Courage, my dear child. Raise yourself above the feelings of nature by views of faith." [Marie Thérèse de Lamourous, in Joseph Stefanelli, SM, Mlle de Lamourous, 342.]
Social Justice: Quotations from Members of the Marianist Family Regarding Our Mission, Peace and Social Justice
"We are convinced that our particular mission, despite our weakness, is to perform for the welfare of our neighbor all the works of zeal and of mercy." [Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, Letters, August 24, 1839.]
"(The object of the vow of teaching) being to carry out the recommendation of Mary, 'Do whatever He tells you,' it extends to all classes of society of both sexes and of every age, but especially to the young and the poor, and in this it really distinguishes us from all the others who make this same vow." [Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, Letters, August 24, 1839.]
"Seeking to be sensitive to the sufferings and misery of others, we cultivate a special love for the poor, share our resources with them, and offer our personal talents to work together with them." [Rule of Life, 1960 revision, Art. 27]
"We must kneel, dear Brothers, because it is much bigger than our efforts. But our efforts must be big enough and creative enough to encompass what we see in our prayer." [Stephen Glodek, SM, Apostolic Imagination & Daring, Reflections on Vision 2020, Our Apostolic Mission, 3.]
"What are the things that make you decide to limit your generosity, to limit your forgiveness or your kindness or your openness to others? And do you limit it because you do not have the ability to go beyond it? This is the weakness we speak of." [Quentin Hakenewerth, SM, The Grain of Wheat, 42.]
"Each Marianist, each community, and each of our institutions must discern how it can best enter into the work of building a society marked by justice and charity." [Vision and Journey, 23.]
"A virtue is not complete until it is expressed in service." [Quentin Hakenewerth, SM, A Manual of Marianist Spirituality, 22.]
"When we experience God calling us, we also experience our world changing. Our call does not mean separation from the world, but it does mean dealing with the world in a new way." [Quentin Hakenewerth, SM, A Manual of Marianist Spirituality, 18.]
"We hunger for an opportunity to serve other people because, consciously or unconsciously, we have grown weary of being slaves to the secular, the material, and the comfortable." [Texas Bishops, "A Pastoral Letter on Evangelization," in Origins, 780.]
"The Fiat shows the power of poetry. Mary disregards what others keep insisting is fact. And, by using the 'as if' key, she opens the Messianic age. She disregards hate, ugliness, and injustice; living 'as if' the Magnificat were already fact." [Peter Daino, Stabat Mater, 30.]
"If poverty, seen only as a lack of possessions that are due to everyone, makes the development of a complete life impossible, evangelical poverty makes one fully human in two very complementary ways: dependence on God, who freely gives; and solidarity with others that leads to living a life of union with them." [Fernando Cano-Manuel, SM, "Poverty," in Commentary on the Rule of Life, 935.]
"The fortitude of Mary, standing beside the outcasts and standing against the 'mighty on their thrones,' is humble courage. It risks everything for love." [Peter Daino, Stabat Mater, 70.]