2. AT THIS PARTICULAR MOMENT IN HISTORY

In the Past and Now

If, just for a moment, we were to imagine De La Salle here with us, at the end of the 20th century, we could point out to him quite easily a number of things that had changed since those years between 1680 and 1719, and others that had not.

As he worked with his hundred-odd Brothers, trying to build up his thirty or so "Christian schools", dotted around the Kingdom of France, he could hardly have imagined that, 300 years later, more than 8,000 Brothers and an increasing number of lay teachers, in 83 countries spread over 5 continents, would be inspired by his life, by his thinking and his spirit, and would be bound by close ties of affection to the "Brothers' schools", now increasingly called "Lasallian schools".

He was also very far from suspecting that thousands of lay men and ~omen, young people and adults, would take their inspiration from him, from his powerful example and from his teachings, in their commitment to live their lives as Christians.

John Baptist de La Salle and his first disciples were acutely aware of the social problems of their times. Struck by the educational needs of society around them, their response was to fot~d schools. As true disciples of Jesus Christ, they made them places where the "spirit of Christianity" could flourish.

Something very important is happening nowadays in Lasallian circles: for the last 20 or 30 years, there has been a growing interest in De La Salle, and in devotion to him. His work in education is being studied with great thoroughness and is very highly thought of. His insight into the educational needs of the most neglected type of children and adolescents, and his intuitive grasp of their problems, are something that is still very much valid today both in developed countries as well as in those which suffer from chronic underdevelopment.

What we are saying here is something that comes up nowadays in our conversations, and is reflected in our schools and communities. It is noticeable that many teachers these days share the spiritual ideals, aims and educational approach of De La Salle; and that as Christians like him, and open to the inspiration of the Spirit as he was, they too seek to promote spiritual values, in particular the dignity of the individual, and are committed to doing so.

We are all very much aware nowadays of the upheavals which affect us as citizens of a world in the process of rapid and radical change.

We are witnesses to the struggles of mankind to discover a new basis for a more genuine and lasting understanding between nations and between individuals; for a more stable and guaranteed form of justice; for more peaceful development, marked by growth which is more organic and just.

We feel - it is perhaps more a conviction - that we cannot simply sit still and be silent witnesses to what is at stake here, even if we feel inadequate and ill-equipped. As disciples of De La Salle, we have a source of wealth that enables us at the same time to stand for and actively promote unity, peace, dialogue and hope among groups of people and individuals, especially among those who are young. And this is a task we seek to accomplish in a great many different countries, cultures and educational systems where we Brothers work.

We see all around us various religious groups asserting their identity. Lasallian schools were founded and developed for many years in an exclusively Christian society. Now, however, they have opened their doors to other faiths, and a large number of Lasallian establishments pursue their apostolate in a context of religious pluralism.

Wherever it is, a Lasallian school sees its aim as being to improve our society, even if this means it has to cope with problems caused by indifference, opposition or even persecution stemming from religious values.

We are very pleased to see the extent to which Lasallian educational communities everywhere have helped to integrate and unite various religious and cultural groups, by promoting mutual understanding, respect, tolerance and support.

Many Christian teachers working in Lasallian schools are aware of the importance of Vatican II's teachings on the promotion of the laity in the Church: through it they rediscover the gifts they received potentially at baptism for their spiritual and apostolic life. They discover at the same time the originality of Saint John Baptist de La Salle, and the extent to which his mess-age is still valid today. By his words and actions, he pioneered the concept of the Christian teacher, perceived as the "minister of God", the "ambassador of Christ", the "builder of the Church", fully involved in the educational apostolate of the school pursued in faith and with the support of a community.

This continuing validity is for us a sign that the Spirit is at work in the world today. The Spirit is always and especially active when new forms of culture, new religious experiments, new styles of community life are called for in response to the needs of people. It is in fact the Holy Spirit who has brought about a new surge of energy in the Church to preach the Word of God, as well as new ways of making it come alive, of making it relevant and of sharing it.

And so the lord's will to save us all is making itself felt among us and at the very roots of our world: in culture, in the school, in science, in the economy, in our work and in family life.

Thanks to all this, different religious groups, and in particular, Christian groups, are living at an exciting time, caught up in a process of evolution which has only started. Many believers, in our educational communities or in Lasallian groups which are not part of an establishment, are seeking to redefine and strengthen their commitments, and to find nourishment for their faith and their experience of God.

Faced with the challenges of the modern world, they are led to re-examine their ideas about God, about man and the world, and their experience of each of them. That is why they feel the need to study the question and to have people who will help them understand the Christian message in terms that call for a personal and community expression of faith. In this way, they become more mature and deepen their life of faith.

What is now happening in our midst, centred on Brothers' communities and on Lasallian educational communities, is happening also in other religious institutes.

The Holy Spirit gave Founders the ability to create a body of teaching which could be adapted to any age. This is true also of John Baptist de La Salle; and in his spirituality we can find an appropriate and imaginative response to the educationaal and moral problems of our day. This same spirituality inspires the Brothers of the Christian Schools and other religious institutes that have taken their lead from them. It can offer inspiration also to the many lay people who belong to Lasallian associations or communities: teachers, helpers, present and former pupils, parents, friends and sympathisers. The motivation behind wanting to know more about Lasallian spirituality and to practise it is varied, as are the various forms this practice takes: as we know, the Spirit works in a countless number of ways. The Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools welcomes the great variety of forms this spirituality has inspired: many of these forms are bursting with vitality, and the Institute accepts the challenge they offer.

That is why in the General Council we feel the need to offer our help and support to a development that has produced such significant results and will certainly produce others even more extraordinary in the future.