6. DIFFERENT BUT ASSOCIATED

We have insisted on the fact that each component of the Lasallian Family has its own specific characteristics and must function in virtue of them. This is essential if everyone involved is to feel comfortable in what he is doing and if his work is to be effective. At the same time, we feel, however, that, in all this rich diversity, there must be a greater capacity and willingness to work together with others.

Faced with the urgent needs of his day, Saint John Baptist de La Salle began by gathering around him a group of men with whom he shared the process of building up a community and of mutual education.

With the schoolmasters, his first companions, he set up the "Society of the Christian Schools", and made the spirit of association a central aspect of his work. This was not merely a theory: it was a deciding factor in the running of his schools, in the founding of Brothers' communities, in the organisation of classes and of teaching. It was something that suited the situation admirably and it led to success. By insisting on this, De La Salle was well ahead of his contemporai-ies in educational practice, here as well as elsewhere.

Three centuries later, one of the characteristics and supports of the Brothers and of Lasallian educational communities is that all is done "together and by association", an expression which is often on their lips when speaking about their work, and which forms part of their formula of vows.

We believe that the life of the Lasallian Family can be and should be characterised by this spirit of association, even though the forms this takes may differ. Ways to achieve this must be found for each of the groups we have spoken about, care being taken, however, to respect their specific characteristics and the kinds of links that bind their members together.

This association exists at the level of ideas and shared convictions regarding education and evangelisation. It stems directly from our commitment to the educational mission of the Institute and our sharing in the spirituality of the Founder.

It is through the practical applications of association that common goals can be examined, made clearer and more worthwhile. We think that this is done best at a District level, for it is within this framework that the various groups belonging to the Lasallian Family can be brought together most easily; that a survey of these groups can be made; that personal contacts can be made and constantly renewed; that plans can be drawn up; and that a sense of mission can be experienced. For such a. living association to be effective there are, it seems to us, a few basic conditions:

· active involvement in Lasallian educational schemes or evangelisation; availability for everyday jobs, for working with others, for taking up positions of responsibility, for training others, for organisation, and so contributing to the completion of these schemes. This active kind of involvement could be called a modern form of practical solidarity;

· a dovetailing of the efforts of individuals and groups, whether these be within educational establishments or not. What is needed, therefore, is to find a practical way of working together with the same Lasallian base as a point of departure;

· coordination in planning so as to be able to draw up common schemes and define practical measures that can be taken, whether these be ad hoc or more permanent.

· It seems important for Lasallians, locally at least, to come to an agreement,. if only in general terms, about what they understand to be the position of man, the world, the Church, the essential values to promote, in God's overall plan, so that the main thrust of their spirituality and apostolic commitment can flow from it;

· Association is built on, and becomes more clearly defined and strengthened by shared study also. We must continue to explore together the works of John Baptist de La Salle, translate his thinking and express it in modem language. By working together in this way, we will lay down firm foundations for our convictions, mentality and guiding principles.

We do not, therefore, think that association is easy. If we insist on its importance for the Lasallian Family now and in the future, it is because we are aware that, in his work as a teacher, as one involved in pastoral care, and in his spiritual life, a Lasallian acts as a deeply involved member of a community.

For Brothers and Sisters, the structures of association are clearly defined by their religious life. As for the various groups of the Lasallian Family, it is up to them to devise a form of associa tion which reflects their own identity. It should be such also that it makes personal contact easy on a local, District and Regional level.

It is not difficult to understand, especially for those who have experienced it, that there are certain similarities between living "by association" and community life; and there are some who choose to take this further step. This type of community should not be confused with a religious community properly so called which has its own characteristics; rather it should be seen as a way of being together more closely. This could be the case, for example, of th~ members of an educational community who decide they wish to meet more frequently, to work more closely with one another and to make the internal organisation of the school tighter. This should be the case especially of communities of faith which we are setting up in our groups and establishments. The example of such close association can be a public witness of faith in the midst of everyday life.

This is how apostolic communities are born, communities that demonstr~te that people can live together in harmony and that God is alive and close to us. This can come about to the extent that our community life, our educational meetings and assemblies, in school or elsewhere, reveal a Church - or a group of religious - that is able to give a common purpose to a multiplicity of tasks, responsibilities and commitments, and so ensure that the entire structure functions effectively. Saint John Baptist de La Salle spoke frequently to his Brothers about the community style of life of the early Church.

And so, we are called to form living arid dynamic communities, capable of offering competent and efficient service to those with whom we work; communities of faith which foreshadow the Church of the future, a Church that serves, loves and preaches tbe Risen Christ.