The Movement Of The Holy Spirit - Part 2

(Also posted at Peguy)

Continuing the theme I began  yesterday, today I would like to talk about how those of us involved in CL can deepen our understanding of our own charism by examining the witness of our brother ecclesial movements and the way that they are living out the charisms entrusted to them by God.

As I previously stated, the phrase "The Movement" has, for me, come to be far more appropriate as a moniker not for CL only, but for the activity of the Holy Spirit that is being witnessed within the Church.  It is difficult for me to look at the birth of so many ecclesial movements, with their commonalities, and to think otherwise.  Consider these words of Pope John Paul II:

"They [the movements] represent one of the most significant fruits of that springtime in the Church which was foretold by the Second Vatican Council, but unfortunately has often been hampered by the spread of secularization. These movements are marked by a common awareness of the “newness” which baptismal grace brings to life, through a remarkable longing to reflect on the mystery of communion with Christ and with their brethren, through sound fidelity to the patrimony of the faith passed on by the living stream of Tradition."

Yet, I have discovered to my surprise that many involved with CL are unaware of the other ecclesial movements, sometimes not even knowing the names of the other large movements.  To an extent, this is to be forgiven.  After all, how many Catholics respond with a confused look when we try to explain our life to them?  Still,  I had mistakenly assumed that those in an ecclesial movement, knowing of the existence of one, would have sought to learn about others.  In some ways, this is a consequence of the different path I followed to CL.  As I mentioned in this post, I became interested in the ecclesial movements in general long before I knew of CL, and have had some experience with other movements. Returning to our late Holy Father's words again, we see that he defines the crux of what an ecclesial movement's charism is all about:

" The charism’s own originality, which gives life to a movement, neither claims nor could claim to add anything to the richness of the depositum fidei, safeguarded by the Church with passionate fidelity. Nonetheless, it represents a powerful support, a moving and convincing reminder to live the Christian experience fully, with intelligence and creativity. Therein lies the basis for finding adequate responses to the challenges and needs of ever-changing times and historical circumstances.  In this light, the charisms recognized by the Church are ways to deepen one’s knowledge of Christ and to give oneself more generously to Him, while rooting oneself more and more deeply in communion with the entire Christian people."

It is my contention that my following of Christ through the charism of CL can be aided by seeing how other movement's follow Christ through their charisms.  There should be nothing shocking about this idea.  It is the same principle that rests behind why the Church offers the lives of the Saints to us as models of the Christian life.  Just as one might be more drawn to the lives of Saints who shared similar life experience, it seems natural that an ecclesial movement might look to other ecclesial movements for edification.

I think a wonderful example of this can be seen in how the Schoenstatt Movement has experienced CL's charism and the funeral of Fr. Giussani.  Schoenstatt is an ecclesial movement that traces its origins to Germany and Fr. Joseph Kentenich, a survivor of the Dachau concentration camp.  It takes its name from the town in which it started.  Like many of the movements, Shoenstatt foreshadowed Vatican II's emphasis on the call of the laity.  An identifying characteristic is the role that the Schoenstatt Shrines (replicas of the original Marian shrine that have been constructed throughout the world) and the Unity Cross (a cross that shows the "two-in-oneness" of Jesus and Mary by depicting in its outline both the figures of Christ crucified and the Blessed Mother at his side) play in Schoenstatt's spirituality. A couple of month's ago I happened across two wonderful articles (#1 and #2) about Fr. Giussani and CL on the Schoennstatt website.  Both are reflections written by a Fr. Alberto Eronti on the occasion of Fr. Giussani's passing.  Fr. Eroniti writes of his first encounter with Don Giuss and CL:

"I got to know him in September 1985, on behalf of the centenary celebrations of Father Kentenich, in Schoenstatt. Together with Dr. Roberto Formigoni, and Prof. Rocco Buttiglione, he participated in the festivities in Schoenstatt. The encounter and dialogue made us exclaim: "What a beautiful surprise to meet with a Movement that has so many contact points with the thinking and vision of Father Kentenich!"

Now, I cannot speak to whether Don Giuss was familiar with Fr. Kentenich's writings or not, but I don't think that is Fr. Eronti's point.  Instead, I take him to mean that he saw in our life a reflection of the Schoenstatt charism.  This is possible given that all true charisms are rooted in Christ and deepening one's attachment to Him.  Something in the example of Don Giuss and others of CL corresponded to his own charism and way to live out the faith that we share.  Looking at some of the writings of those associated with Schoenstatt, this isn't surprising.  For example, consider this introduction on a page about people involved with Schoenstatt over the years: 

"In depth, christianity means to follow someone. It is no first embracing an idea. This is a consequence and comes later. The first that the apostles discovered was the person of Jesus. And this Jesus caught them and changed their lives. God comes to man through man. In this case, the initial principle was the Son of Man. God continues to follow this incarnational principle through the history of the Church. The great saints attracted and created other great saints."

Rings with a certain familiarity, doesn't it? Fr. Eronti went to Fr. Giussani's funeral in Milan.  He recounts some wonderful stories about his experience of CL's life during that time:

"I left Rome on the Euro Star train at 8:30. The weather was cold and damp, the sky was cloudy. After traveling a while I thought that I probably wasn't the only one traveling to attend the funeral of the Founder of "Communion and Liberation", so I began to observe my surroundings. A while later I saw that the young man seated at my side had begun to read the book "Un caffe in compagnia", that contains conversation between Giussani and Renato Farina (vice-director of "Libero"). On the other side of the aisle, a couple read and commented about the articles of "Corriere della Sera" and "La Repubblica", about the subject.  A while later we began to converse, which made the trip very pleasant and of great interest to me. I was able to hear very beautiful testimonies and to more deeply understand the nucleus of this Movement that just completed 50 years of existence. 
...
I entered the Church through the access that was designated for the bishops and priests. Since I arrived almost two hours before the celebration, I was able to situate myself in a place close to the altar and a few meters from the sacristy. The church was completely filled, a priest from Milan said that there were more than three thousand persons. I was able to make use of the time and the silent atmosphere to pray and to meditate about the gift of the Spirit to the Church: the plural Movements and concretely about the charisma of "Gius", as his spiritual sons affectionately called him. Without a doubt the entire Italian Church - and the whole Church- would be different without them, the Focolares, and others that came later.
...
While over 100 priests distributed the Eucharist, I was impressed by the force with which "Cristo resucite" was song. It is a clear expression (along with "Povera voce") of the spirituality of the Movement. "Christ resurrected in all hearts. May Christ be celebrated, May Christ be adored (...) there are dense clouds in our thinking, Christ is the brilliant light of Truth".
...
Outside it rained and it felt cold as afternoon fell. Under the multitudes of umbrellas the people bid farewell to the "man of God". Conversing with some members of the Movement about Giussani, I heard concurrent voices: "He was a father:, "he was my father", "he was our guide", and I was touched by one young girl when she said, "I felt him as my father". I began on the way to the Central Station with cumulus feelings and thoughts. One September 1968 I had experienced a similar reality, that is why I was able to understand them, I had also lived along with my Schoenstatt brothers the experience of "a father", our Father!, and his going Home."

I was very moved by reading Fr. Eronti's account of his experience of Fr. Giussani's funeral.  It speaks so clearly for me about how the movements are complementary and not oppositional.  How, in seeing the faith as lived through CL's charism, Fr. Eronti's life in Schoenstatt's charism could be strengthened.

Comments

[W.]

Just found your site. Looks good. I am involved with CL out in LA.

I have a running post on WYD events/links. You can check it out at http://eagleandelephant.blogspot.com/2005/08/benedicts-1st-world-youth-day-wyd.html