|
Journal of Spirituality N. 5
Introduction
(translated from Italian)
By + Angelo Acerbi
In the Order of Malta’s meetings, and especially in those of its
Chaplains, mention is often made of the meaning of its members’
vocation an identity as well as the obligations of their spiritual
life and charitable works implicit in its membership. These themes
were also discussed by working groups in the International Seminar
on Strategies and Spirituality held in Malta at the end of January
2004. We thus thought it useful to dedicate the 5th issue
of our “Journal of Spirituality” to these subjects.
The Order of Malta is a religious Order and in its tradition and
charisma offers its members a route to Christian perfection. Thus a
common spiritual directions exist for all members of the Order. But
the three ‘classes’ of which it is composed also have their own
distinctive features which merit further study, and in particular
with regard to spirituality. We have attempted here to reflect on
their identity and ensuing obligations.
This Journal therefore presents two articles, one more conceptual
and the other more practical, for each of the three “classes”: the
professed members, those “in obedience” and all the others.
The Year of the Eucharist form October 2004 to October 2005, desired
by Pope John Pal II, has prompted some considerations that are not
unrelated to the theme of this Journal, they are proposed by
Cardinal Pia Laghi with his customary doctrinal authoritativeness
and conviction.
The “class” of the knights of Justice is of fundamental importance:
the Holy See and His Most Eminent Highness the Grand Master of the
Orde have urged us to pay special attention to h=this category, and
it is hoped that their number will increase. Mons. Fra’ Giovanni
Scarabelli, Chaplain Grand Cross, well-known for his studies and
words in the Order, treats the theme of the spirituality of the
Professed Knights, and H.E. Fra’ Matthew Festing, Grand Prior of
England, outlines some paths, prompted by personal experience, for
reflecting on the practical aspects of the Order’s First Class
members.
The “in Obedience” class undoubtedly requires closer examination to
understand better its true condition. Prof. Fr. Costantino Gilardi,
O.P., Chaplain of the Turin Delegation, competently deals with this
theme, placing the second class on the high and demanding level to
which it belongs, and Baron Johannes Heereman von Zuydtwick, Regent
of the Sub-Priory of St. Michael, in his turn offers valid
considerations for the Order’s members “in Obedience”.
The identity and spiritual commitments of members of the Third Class
are examined by the French Association, whereas John Bellingham of
the Baronets of Castle Bellingham, the Order’s representative to
France, offers persuasive suggestions for practical life and actions
inspired by the Order’s charisma.
The reflections on spirituality proposed in this issue of our
Journal do not exhaust such al vast and complex subject applied to a
religious-lay Order present in so many different places and
cultures. It also involves studies, recommended by the Malta Seminar
mentioned above, on Hospitallers or welfare activities or on other
sectors, such as the diplomatic missions. They are all underpinned
by a basic motivation that goes beyond the purely humanitarian
aspect because it responds to the evangelical ideal of loving one’s
neighbor, which inspired our fonder and has distinguished the Order
of Malta in its almost millenary history. This is a lofty ideal,
requiring a high level of spiritual life in those who pursue it.
2005 – Eucharistic Year
Following the year dedicated to the most Holy Rosary of the Blessed
Virgin Mary, John Paul II exhorted us, last October, to place the
real presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist at
the centre of our spiritual lives. The Holy Father’s wish was and is
that 2005 be the year of the Eucharist in the church, a year during
which each one of us is called to make the effort to live this
sacrament, to meditate on it, to deepen our understanding of the
church’s teaching on this mystery, and to welcome it as the gift of
Christ par excellence.
The Pope’s invitation is directed to us, knights an Dames of the
Order of Malta, to every member of the three degrees that constitute
our Sovereign Institution. We should be ever mindful that The
Eucharist is at one and the same time “the real presence of Jesus
among us, His immolation and Calvary for us, a communion with us,
under the form of consecrated bread, food for our souls”. In a world
in which everything seems inconsistent and in which ‘appearances are
everything’, the presence of Jesus under the species of bread and
wine is “true, real and substantial”. In a world in which men and
women suffer great loneliness, Jesus at het Last Supper, just before
his death, performed the impossible and this in order to remain
close to us.
%2010%20scudi.jpg) |
|
Postzegelvel uitgegeven door de Orde van Malta.
Emissie 286 (2001). Nominale waarde 20 Scudi.
IL SANTO ROSARIO (Maria
met kind). |
On Holy Thursday, 2004, John Paul II addressed to the bishops,
priests an all the faithful an encyclical letter entitled “Ecclesia
de Eucharistia” in which he develops the theme, “The Eucharist in
its relationship with the Church”. As Knights and Dames of the Order
we have a duty to read this encyclical in order to acquire a more
profound knowledge and appreciation of the Eucharistic mystery.
The Church, writes the Pope, lives on the Eucharist, lives by the
Eucharistic Christ, is nourished and enlightened by Him. It lives
continually on the redemptive sacrifice of Jesus and it enters into
this sacrifice not only by means of faith-filled memory, but also
through actual contact, because this sacrifice is made present and
perpetuated sacramentally in every community which offers it through
the hands of an ordained minister.
When Jesus established the Eucharist, having spoken the words over
the unleavened bread and the chalice of wine, he added a phrase in
the form of the command, ‘do this in memory of me’. Thus, the
Eucharist is not only a memorial of the passion and death of Jesus,
of his sacrifice on the cross, but a memorial indeed of Himself, of
his prefiguration in the Old Testament and of his fulfillment in the
New. The Eucharist is not only a memorial of an event that took
place two thousand years ago, which can be a source of spiritual
meditation, not merely a source of psychological evocation but a
sacramental making present, a ‘re-presentation’ of the sacrifice of
Jesus, of his death and resurrection.
The Pope, in the encyclical, recalls the teaching of the Council of
Trent when he affirms that “the Mass makes present the sacrifice of
the cross, not adding anything and not multiplying it”, and cites,
in this context, the beautiful phase of St. John Chrysostom: ‘We
offer always the same lamb, not one today and tomorrow another, but
always the same: for this reason the sacrifice is always only one.”
It is not the Church nor its ministers which ‘do’ the Eucharist,
but, on the contrary, it is the Eucharist that forms and builds up
the Church and gives it life. In other words, the church, being an
institution made up of the community of believers, headed by the
Pope and bishops, does not give life from or of itself, nor does it
produce itself from itself, but lives from its participation in a
reality that precedes itself. “the joint and inseparable activity of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit, which is at the origin of the
Church, of her consolidation and het continued life, is at work in
the Eucharist”. (cf. n.23). So, the Church does not originate ‘from
below’, bus from ‘above’, that is it comes from the Father, through
the Son and in the Holy Spirit.
John Paul II’s exhortation, given at the end of the encyclical is
addressed also to us, Dames and Knights of the three degrees of the
Order. “The mystery of the Eucharist – sacrifice, presence, banquet
– does not allow for reduction of exploitation; it must be
experienced and lived in its integrity, both in its celebration and
in the intimate converse with Jesus which takes place after
receiving communion or in a prayerful moment of Eucharistic
adoration apart from Mass.”(cf.n.61).
(Translated from Italian)
The Orders of St. John the Baptist, commonly known as Order of
Malta, is a religious order of the Catholic Church in the strict
sense of the word since its origins and until today. At the very
beginning of the first Rule, which was written by Raymond de Puy and
thereafter consistently drawn on in all subsequent codifications, it
is stated that: “the brothers who choose to serve the poor and to
defend the Catholic Faith shall deep and observe the three things
they promised God, which are chastity, obedience (i.e. they shall
fully comply whit everything commanded by the Master) and life
without property”. The vows of chastity, obedience and poverty and
the charisma qualify and specify the details of the religious status
of the brothers belonging to the Order as such through all times.
The current Constitutional charter unequivocally states and
determines in Article 12: “It is a lay religious Order”. This
awareness must be clear and unambiguous in every member of the Order
of St. John (according to the various classes and at different
levels of commitment), since all of them serve in a religious order.
This also requires that all of them – and I stress ALL – possess a
special vocation that is consistent with the charisma.
The above applies to the whole Order, while the reference to a
diversified responsibility according to the various classes leads to
another consideration on the specific spirituality of the Knights of
justice, i.e. of those persons who have directly taken religious
vows and who therefore represent the essential and irremissibly
element for the very existence and survival of the Order. Without
them – the Professed Knights – the Order loses its life and its
reason for existence.
After this brief, but fundamental and clarifying preamble, I now
whish to dwell upon some specific elements regarding the
spirituality of the first class, which includes the Knights of
justice and the Professed Conventual Chaplains. The main elements we
shall deal with here are two: the vows and the charisma.
The experience that “God first loved us” (John 15, 16; I John 4, 19;
Eph 2, 4 ff.) in spite of our condition as sinners, enhanced by
Jesus’ words “come and follow me” (Lk 5, 23), is the starting point
of religious life that develops into an answer to God’s own
initiative. The exemplary nature of Jesus, consecrated by the
Father, who “didn’t keep anything form himself” and became
“everything to everyone” (cfr. Phil 1, 5 ff.) with an undivided
heart and purest love, is that continuous point of reference through
which the vows turn into a concrete form of imitation of Christ –
obedient, poor and chaste – without any reservation, completely and
irreversibly.
The fact of being called to “stay” with Jesus requires continuity
and depth in prayer (resulting in ufficiatura canonica); it demands
a transforming knowledge of one’s personality (meditation on the
Word of God); daily nourishment with the Eucharist (the sacrament of
one’s Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord and Savior);
frequent receiving of the sacrament of reconciliation (as an
experience of the unlimited forgiveness of the Father); filial love
towards the Blessed Virgin Mary (prayer of the Holy Rosary);
acceptance of the saints and a special, loving devotion towards
those who belonged to our Order; trustful loyalty to the Church
“Mater et Magistra” as unfailing guarantee of the Revealed Truth;
feeling of deep brotherhood and genuine communion with all professed
members of the Order with whom we have established an authentic
community, a “place” in history for our asceticism and
sanctification; conscientious responsibility towards all other
members of the second and third class for whom we have to embody (of
the highest degree) the values of the Gospel under the specific
conditions of the enlightened tradition of the Order of St. John,
supported and justified in the present form of the charisma.
That charismas, as St. Paul says in the First Letter to the
Corinthians (12, 7) are gifts of the Holy Spririt to individuals and
communities for joint edification, in order to build up the Church
and make it ever more effective in its evangelizing mission and to
make humanity ever more human through the light of revelation. This
means that the charisma of our Order represents for all members, but
especially for the professed members, the means available to them in
order to cooperate in the work of salvation and to announce and
testify to the Gospel.
“You always have the poor with you” (John 12, 8); “Whatever you did
for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Mt 25,
40). The imitation of Christ our Lord obviously requires Faith in
the first place, but (as its primary consequence) it also requires
active charity, as St. Paul writes: “Caritas Christi urget nos”, and
“Fides operator per caritatem”. Obsequium pauperum is therefore the
means to make the heart of the professed knight visible, it allows
him to enlarge his heart without any limitation, and he experiences
the love of God – living is, communicating it to others, testifying
to it and receiving its substance.
The Knight of Justice is an expert in Divine Mercy, and he himself
turns into mercy for all mankind in which he recognizes his brothers
and sisters in that Lord Jesus, “mitis et humilis, longanimis,
patiens et multum misericors”.
Founded in Jerusalem, in the Near East, the “Fratres Hospitalarii
Hierosolimitani Sancti Joannis” were certainly very well acquainted
with the experience of St. Basil the Great, and they connected it
with that of St. Benedict of Nursia. These were their roots that
allowed them to develop a realistic outlook on humanity, constantly
“sick” at all levels (physical, intellectual, spiritual) as the
historical result of the original sin. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the
“heavenly doctor” for such illnesses, and the Church is his “Grand
Hospital” on earth. The view on man must always be at 360 degrees in
order not to be reduced to an ontologically limited vision of mere
material necessities and not to betray that “unconditional humanism’
to which the Holy Father John Paul II has been calling us constantly
“so that they might have life and have it more abundantly” (John 10,
10). These are the pillars, the essential and indispensable point of
reference of our Hospitallers spirituality, both yesterday and
today! This means the actual exercise of the classical seven works
of mercy in the spirit to those famous words “Give them some food
yourselves” (Lk 9, 13) that Jesus has left us as mandate for his
faithful disciples.
It is true that medieval and later culture led to interpret and live
the second part of the charisma – Thuitio fidei – for various
centuries as armed battle against the Unfaithful, but during the
last two centuries we have developed a very different vision. In our
days, the defense of the catholic faith must be implemented above
all through a visible rootedness of our charitable actions in our
ever deeper experience of Jesus, our divine model, In second place,
it needs a detailed and discerning knowledge of the theological
(Catechism) and social doctrine of the Church: we may credibly
testify only to those matters that we are well acquainted with and
have deep knowledge of. As a consequence – and as a third point – we
are called to “express” our Faith through all means of
communication, both in our private, personal relationships and in
the public ones (whether of not official). In our mind’s eye we
always have to keep the image of our patron saint John the Baptist
who openly declared his function towards Christ: “oportet Illum
crescere, me autem minui” (John 3, 30). Always!
I believe that the above outline, even if it is very brief, has
nevertheless set forth the essential guidelines and the basic
elements of the spirituality of our professed knights. They ought to
be shared in a spirit of service and authentic brotherhood. I wish
to add one last remark, so obvious it may not even be necessary: the
principles summarized above in a fraternal spirit are already and
completely contained in the Constitutional Charter an in the Code of
our Order. We know that these two documents are written in the
required legal language, but they nevertheless form the Rule of our
specific religious life, and this should not be forgotten.
Knight of Justice, a vacation for the III Millennium?
By Frá Matthew R. Festing
In the early 21st century world the vacation of a knight
of Justice sometimes takes a bit of explaining to the casual but
interested observer. Why should this be? Why should people find it
peculiar that a man should be called to be “a monk in the world’
rather than just an ordinary layman, or what many Catholics world
regard as “an ordinary monk” in a monastery?
The informed member of the laity may be forgiven for seeking an
explanation but, interestingly, the clergy, both secular and
regular, often seek clarification too. Indeed when I first became a
novice in 1986 a Benedictine monk who had taught me at Ampleforth
questioned me closely about why I did not want to become a monk of
that monastery. My spiritual director, a chaplain to the Order for
many years, said tat, on the face of it, what I was seeking seemed
to him to be no different from what het sought as a priest. If we
were all living in 15th century Europe – I believe that
no explanation would be needed – the life of a Professed Knight
would be regarded as quite normal. The fact however is that, for
some peculiar reason known only unto The Almighty, the Order of
Malta is almost the only part of the church where the vacation of a
“lay religious” still exists. To me this seems very strange indeed
because, in my experience, the life of a Professed Knight fits in
perfectly with daily life as a Catholic Bachelor in modern times.
Indeed it seems peculiar to me that the Order does not get many more
vocations to the rank of Justice.
A frame of spiritual life neither extraordinary nor difficult
At a practical level the requirement for leading the life of a
Professed Knight are simple and easy. You should go to daily Mass –
not difficult if you live in a city in Catholic Southern Europe –
more difficult admittedly if you live deep in the country in the
Protestant North.
You must recite Lauds, Vespers and Compline. When not sung in choir
this takes only minutes. You should “devote a suitable amount of
time daily to meditation and spiritual reading”. Sometimes this is
more difficult but surely we all at least have plenty of time for
meditation, perhaps in the train of while driving the car. You
should recite the Rosary daily. To me this seems so easy as to be
entirely natural. My parents, whom I never regarded as particularly
pious – just good Catholics – never set off in the car to go
anywhere, either together or alone or with my brothers and me,
without quickly and purposefully saying the Rosary. Doing so is
exactly the dame as putting on a seat belt or even closing the car
door. Monsignor Alfred Gilbey, that much loved and supremely
practical and sensible chaplain to the Order, once explained to me
that the Almighty had given one five digits on each hand precisely
so that the Rosary could be said quickly, quietly, easily and
unostentiously. The knight of justice should examine his conscience
daily. Is not every child taught to do that too? He should make the
Stations of the Cross on suitable occasions. Is that not true of
every Catholic? He should have a regular confessor. Is that not part
of the practice of being a Catholic? He should make an annual
retreat of five days. He is not encumbered with a wife and children
wishing to be taken on holiday and that is not difficult to arrange.
Indeed his Priory or Sub Priory will arrange it for him. Lastly he
should “take part in pilgrimages, visit the sick and … fulfill ones
proper duties by means of alms giving and visitation among those in
need either in body or spirit”. Perhaps I am naturally gregarious
but it does seem to me that going on Pilgrimage is particular is the
greatest possible fun and most entertaining.
Indeed the whole life of the Knight of justice is not meant to be
some form of lugubrious, over self conscious, exercise in self
denial and penance. Life in the Catholic church and in the Order of
Malta is entertaining, intriguing and above all a source of constant
laughter and good humor.
“Oh”, I hear you say – “you make it all sound a bit too easy, a bit
too simple”. Well all I can say in reply is “yes – it is easy and
simple – it really is up to you to allow the Almighty to lead you
forward. He is simply waiting for you to put your hand in His”.
Point of reference
From time to time, it is very profitable for the Knight of justice
(and other members of the Order too) to re-read “The Code and
Constitution”, the “Spiritual Recommendations” and the text of the
taking of Solemn Vows, the promise of Obedience and that of their
own reception into the Order. On those occasions we all “sign up” in
public to certain norms of conduct and behavior. It is well that we
should be frequently reminded of them. Other parts of the church
follow the same practice and, for instance, visitors to Benedictine
monasteries will hear small extracts from the Rule of St Benedict
read in choir every day. When a knight makes his solemn vows he
undertakes to protect widows and orphans and, in general terms, to
look after the interests of those disadvantaged in modern life
wherever he may find them. This is really no different from the
behavior expected of every Christian, but how very often it seems to
be forgotten in the hurly-burly of modern business. In my business
fife I have been sometimes quite appalled by the treatment given to
people and by the fact that profit counts for all and decent
behavior is regarded as weak and foolish. Here, I believe, is an
area where the Professed knight can make clear what is and what is
not acceptable behavior however unpopular het may make himself in
the process.
The daily recitation of the Divine office is a great source of
inspiration and the Psalms in particular are full of good things.
Psalm 14 is worth reflecting upon because it provides a key to “Life
in the World”.
“Lord who shall be admitted to your tent and
dwell on your holy mountain?
He who walks without fault:
He who acts with justice and speaks the truth
From his heart;
He who does not slander with his tongue.
He who does no wrong to his brother
Who casts no slur on his neighbor
Who holds the godless in disdain but honors those
Who fear the Lord.
He who keeps his pledge come what may
Who takes no interest on a loan
And accepts no bribes against the innocent
Such an man will stand firm forever”.
Psalm 18 too provides us with a template:
“The law of the Lord is perfect
It revives the soul
The rule of the Lord is to be trusted
It gives wisdom to the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right
They gladden the heart
The command of the Lord is clear
It gives light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is holy
Abiding for ever
The decrees of the Lord are truth
And all of them are just.
They are more to be desired than gold
Than the purest of gold
And sweeter are they than honey
Than honey from the comb.
So in them your servant finds instruction
Great reward is in their keeping…”
Look no further than Psalm 23:
“… who shall climb the mountain of the Lord?
Who shall stand in his holy place?
The man with clean hands and a pure heart
Who desires not worthless thing
Who has not sworn so as to deceive his neighbor.
He shall receive blessings from the Lord
And reward from the God who saves him…”
If you are lucky enough to see these words on a frequent basis then
most of your life and conduct should, even allowing for the horrors
of a fallen human nature, fall into place! What a tragedy it is that
so very few of those responsible for the conduct of everyday affairs
in the Word ever see them for themselves.
Professed Knights in arms
Up until the end of the 18th century the Knights of Malta
provided much of the training for the officers of the Catholic
Navies and Armies of Europe. In addition, the Knights proved
themselves sailors and soldiers of the very highest quality. The
Order’s galleys were commanded by Professed Knights and, as an
Englishman descended from several Naval Officers, I am particularly
conscious of the defeat of the British fleet in the Indian Ocean in
1782-3 by Fra’ Pierre-André de Suffren de Saint-Tropez. He had
served in the galleys of the Order’s Navy and then with the French
navy during the American War of Independence. As our confrere
Desmond Seward in “The Monks of War” records, he succeeded in “out
sailing and outgunning a British fleet far larger than his own”. No
wonder he is still regarded as one of the greatest of all French
Naval tacticians. The point of course is that it is natural that
life as a Professed Knight and life as a soldier or sailor can be
combined. Indeed, I believe that they go together entirely
naturally. Both require a small degree of self-discipline, both
require a regular timetable. Both require a sense of service to
others; both, in very similar ways, require at least a degree of
natural leadership. No English member of the Order can forget the
death of Fra’ Nicholas Upton, Turcopolier in 1551, at the head of 30
Knights and 400 Maltese cavalry when he defeated the corsair Torghut
trying to besiege Mdina. Unfortunately the gallant Fra’ Nicholas,
being immensely fat and wearing heavy armor, expired from heat
strike at the moment of victory!
In the psalms inspiration and strength
In the same way as the Business man and Professed knight may find
inspiration in the palms, so, too, does the Soldier and Professed
Knight.
“Blessed be the Lord, my rock who trains my arms for battle who
prepares my hands for war.
He is my love, my fortress.
He is my stronghold, my Saviour, my shield, my place of refuge.
He brings people under my rule….”
(Psalm 143)
“The nations all encompassed me
In the Lords name I crushed them
They compassed me, compassed me about,
In the Lords name I crushed them
They compassed me about like bees
They blazed like a fire among thorns,
In the lords came I crushed them.
I was hard pressed and was falling
But the Lord came to help me.
The Lord is my strength and my song
He is my Saviour
There are shouts of joy and victory
In the tent of the just…..”
(Psalm 117)
“To me you give the wild ox’s strength
You anoint me with the purest oil
My eyes looked in triumph on my foes
My ears heard gladly of their fall….”
(Psalm 91)
“…He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly
Who despises the gain of oppressions
Who shakes his hands lest the should hold a bribe
Who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed
And shuts his eyes from looking upon evil
He will dwell on the heights
His place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks
His bread will be given him
His water will be pure”.
(Canticles of Isaiah)
A light from the Benedictine rule
The monastic tradition whether in community or as the Professed
Knight generally finds it, outside the convent, is one of immense
antiquity, It is hardly surprising that, down the centuries,
different traditions and practices of the ideal should have emerged.
We are inclined to think of St Benedict as a founder but of course
he is in reality more an interpreter of the collective wisdom of the
monasticism of his day. He has much to teach us all and, in
particular, the Professed Knight. To begin with, in the prologue to
his rule the saint quotes Psalm 33 – “Who is the man who desires
life and is eager to see good days?” He goes on – “What can be
sweeter to us than the voice of the Lord as he invites us, dearest
brothers? See how in his loving mercy the Lord points out to us the
Way of Life”. Elsewhere he says in a misquotation of St John
(12-35), “run while you have the light”.
Note that he does not say “Walk”. He says, most empathically, “RUN”.
Of course, much of the Rule of St Benedict is written for the monk
living in community, but the Professed Knight will gain from a study
of it. In his chapter on Humility I am struck by Benedict’s
reference to the Angels going up and down the ladder of Jacob’s
dream. “We go down through pride and up through humility”.
We are told of 12 steps of humility – what a journey of self
deprecation we are invited to undertake. Above all I believe that
Benedict has a wonderful series of lessons to teach those in our
Order to whom are entrusted various offices and responsibilities.
“More is demanded of him to whom more is entrusted”. The same
chapter is full of sound advice to all in authority, both within the
church and in everyday life. In another place, he says “The care of
the sick is to be given priority over everything else, so that they
are indeed served as Christ would be served…. “
What could be more applicable to the members of an Hospitaller Order
such as our own? Religious superiors are given the best advice of
all: - “…He should know, too, that he ought to be of profit to his
brethren rather than just preside over them”. “In correcting he
should act prudently, and not overdo it, for fear that as he tries
too hard to get rid of the rust, the pot gets broken”. “….he should
so regulate everything that the strong may desire to carry more and
the weak are not afraid”. In another place the Abbot is told: “…he
must adapt and fit himself to all, so that not only will be not lose
any of the flock entrusted to him, but he will rejoice as his good
flock increases”.
Almighty God has called men to be Professed Knights of St John for
nearly a thousand years and ther seems to be no particular
indication that het will no longer do so in the future. Ours is a
vacation which should thrive and develop, perhaps increasing once
again in sheer numbers. W must all pray that that is His will.
By + Fr. Costantine Giovanni Gilardi
(Translated from Italian)
The Promise of Obedience was first introduced by the Provisional
Constitutional Charter of 1956 with the intention of establishing a
class of Knights who could undertake commitments and offices
previously reserved only for Professed knights. The Constitutional
Charter (art. 8, 1B) and the Code (art. 94), reformed by the Chapter
General of 28-30 April 1997, made two innovations: the introduction
of Dames in Obedience an the introduction of three categories in the
Second Class.
Knights and Dames in Obedience
The Constitutional Charter of 1961, reformed in 1997, divides the
members of the Order into three different Classes (art 8) with three
different forms of religious commitment:
·
The members of the First Class make Religious Vows;
·
The members of the Second Class make the Promise of Obedience;
·
The members of the Third Class make a Commitment to the Church and
to the Order.
The Code (art. 94) defines and specifies the vocation of the members
of the Second Class:
1.
According to the state in life and in conformity whit their own
vocation and the directives of their legitimate Superiors, knights
and Dames in Obedience oblige themselves by a special promise, which
binds in conscience, to a life leading to Christian perfection in
the spirit of the Order and in the sphere of its works. Conscious of
the spiritual value of such a commitment before God, they must
diligently observe the divine law and the precepts of the Church so
as to be a constant example of piety and virtue, of apostolic zeal
an of devotion to het Holy Church.
2.
Knights and Dames in Obedience undertake to utilize their temporal
goods according to the spirit of the Gospel.
3.
Knights and Dames in obedience do not enjoy privileges of precedence
with respect to other members of the Order.
The Special Chapter General of 17-28 November 1969, in application
of the directives of the Vatican Council Decree “Perfectae caritatis”(3)
and the Pope’s Motu Proprio “Ecclesiae sanctae”, drew up an
“Interpretation and Commentary on the Rules” that is the most
authoritative and extensive text on the spirituality of the Second
Class.
We propose a brief commentary on the main spiritual foundations of
the Regulations for Knights and Dames in Obedience (Code, art.
94-107).
The promise
Knights and Dames in Obedience hold an intermediate position (ReC,
p. 28) within the three Classes of the Order, with regards both to
their commitment and to their responsibilities. With reference to
other ancient religious orders, the commitment in the Third Class is
comparable to that made by the Oblates of monastic order and the
Tertiaries of mendicant orders. The Promise of Obedience is a kind
of intermediate bond between the First Class vows and the Third
Class commitment and is thus stronger (ReC, p.30) than the latter
and, with respect to one of the evangelical counsels, is comparable
to some forms of the promise approved by the Holy See.
“The church has always given permission and has accepted the fact
that a special group of the faithful might spontaneously bind
themselves by a particular Promise to pursue a useful spiritual
objective”.
In creating the knights and Dames in Obedience, “the Holy See has
given to the Order of Malta the authority to institute a Class whose
members are bound by the observance of one of the three evangelical
counsels, namely obedience, and this not by a temporary or perpetual
vow, but by a special promise that can be withdrawn. The members who
make this promise are seeking to attain Christian perfection, by
limiting their full liberty – within the possible limits imposed by
their profession and their family status – by the promise to obey
their superiors in the Order, by following the prayers and spiritual
exercises specially established for them in this Rule and by
cooperating in an exemplary manner with the realization of the aims
of the Order”.
Obedience
Obey derives from “ob-audire” (for hearing) and thus Obedience has
its first and most important reference in listening to the Word of
God “Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path”(ps.,
119, 105) and to the Word of Christ (ReC., p.36). Obedience for all
Christians is the imitation of Christ who has become obedient
(Phil., 2,8) and has prayed to His Father “not al I will but as thou
wilt”(Mt., 26, 39; Mk., 14, 36;Lk., 22, 42). Mary, the mother of the
Lord, received the word of the messenger of God who came to her and
told her something that was unthinkable and impossible for men, but
with God all things are possible (Lk., 1, 27; Mt., 19,26). The
Special Chapter of 1969 reminded the Knights and Dames in Obedience
that obedience is “access to the supernatural. It is grounded in the
recognition of God – through faith -, in the trust in God – through
hope- , and in the adherence to God – through love”.
The Promise of Obedience is a special form of sequel of Christ who:
“who, though he was in the form of God, (…) emptied himself, taking
the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being
found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto
death, even death on a cross.” (Phil., 2, 6-8), according to the
charisma of the Order of St John of Jerusalem, “in conformity with
their own vacation and the directives of their legitimate
superiors”(ReC, pp. 35-36).
Greater Service
Obedience, inspired by the imitation of Christ, becomes a spirit of
grater service to the faith and to the poor, guiding and molding the
life of Knights and Dames in Obedience following the example of the
Son of man, who “came not to be served but to serve”(Mk., 10, 45).
The intermediate position of the Knights and Dames in Obedience
signifies they are required to perform duties strictly connected to
the Order’s religious and sovereign nature (Const., tit. I, art, 3
ReC, pp. 28-29). Hence the Promise of Obedience brings an honorific
status with it, but a higher honorific grade always entails a
greater commitment and a more intense Christian life. To stress that
is involves a greater service the code, revised in 1997, has added a
paragraph stating that: “Knights and Dames in Obedience do not enjoy
privileges or precedence with respect to other members of the
Order”(art. 94,3).
A live leading to Christian perfection
The term perfection often gives an impression of something too high
or unattainable. But if we realize that perfection derives from the
Latin “perficere” which means “to complete” this can help us to
understand and accept a path that involves a gradual perfectibility,
according to our human abilities and aided by grace, a journey never
fully completed in a lifetime and leading to that time in which “God
may be everything to everyone” (1 Cor., 15, 28).
“According to the constant teaching of the Church all Christians
have the duty to strive after Christian perfection observing the
commandment to love God and their fellow men: “You, therefore, must
be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Mt., 5, 48)”.
Christian perfection does not consist of counsels and those who wish
to achieve perfection do not necessarily have to belong to orders of
institutions recognized by the Church. Perfection consist of charity
and its highest possible degree can be achieved in any state and
condition of life. Those who undertake the path of evangelical
counsel place themselves, by principle, in the best conditions and
want to eliminate obstacles to the growth and manifestation of
charity”.
The constitutional charter (art. 9, 1-2) uses the expression
“perfection according to the Gospel” for members of the First Class
and “perfection of Christian life” for members of the Second Class.
The Regulations and Commentary specifies: “in the text of the
Constitutional Charter a distinction is made between “evangelical”
and “Christian” perfection (…) this is done without regards to the
degree of perfection towards which all classes of the Order must
rend”. This is the only charity for which all must strive, with
different means according to each person’s vocation.
In the Spirit of the Order
This important clarification in the Regulations and commentary
“means that Christian perfection is pursued in the spirit of the
Order. There is no doubt about the fact that one can take different
paths to strive for perfection, but the Christian who chooses to
belong to a religious order shows through this choice the desire to
follow its traditions as specified in the Council decree “Perfectae
Caritatis”. Knights and Dames in Obedience shall make the spiritual
values of the Order the subject of their contemplation and
meditation with a view to giving a particular direction to their
activities, as for example:
·
“The presence of the lord in the Sick”(Raymond du Puy, chap. XVI).
·
“The care of the Sick as Our Lord” (Roger des Moulins, Statute of
1182).
·
“Because you promise to be the servants and slaves of our Lords, the
Sick” (Customary of 1290).
·
“The prayer in the place of our Lords, the Sick, at Acre”- Where the
invocation ”Your, our lords, the Sick, pray …” is repeated eleven
times (Customary of 1290).
Naturally, the spirituality of the Order is not limited to these
examples. The history of the Order teaches us to be the outposts of
the Church and to place ourselves on the borderline (Rec, p. 33) of
the Church and also on the new frontiers which the Holy Father John
Paul II indicated in his Apostolic Letter “Novo millennio ineunte
(n. 50) and in his address on 12 January 2001 to the Order’s
Ambassadors to the Holy See, exhorting that: “Now is the time for a
new ‘creativity’ in charity”.
Within the Sphere of its Works
The sphere of the Order’s works lies in its motto “tuition fidei et
obsequium paupereum”.
“Throughout the centuries the Order has fought with the weapons that
were at the time most suitable” to defend the faith and to serve the
poor.
The Holy Father John Paul II, in his magisterium to the Order of St.
John, has more than once pointed out how “tuitio fidei” is presently
understood: “Today the defense of the faith is expressed above all
in giving witness by word and action to the Christian truths. This
presupposes as a preliminary condition that you are well instructed
in these truths and thoroughly convinced of the duty to profess them
with courage and firmness, as is required of a ‘knight’ who keep his
word. In this perspective, I would like symbolically to entrust to
all the members of the Order of Malta the “Catechism of the Catholic
Church” which has recently been published in the Latin typical
edition. Defending the faith often means, especially in our time,
defending the great values that human reason without the light of
Revelation risk misunderstanding in their integral and radical
nature”. On 24 June 1999, during the jubilee, the Holy Father
addressed the Knights of every nationality present in Rome: “You are
convinced that defending and bearing witness to the faith is the
basis of evangelization, and you would like to make your
contribution so that the Gospel message will also illumine the now
imminent third millennium of the Christian era.” The Pope encouraged
the Order to “a new ‘creativity’ in charity”, and with these words
he is also encouraging a new creativity in the defense of and
witness to the faith. The Holy Father extended a special invitation
to the knights and Dames in Obedience to become “catechists”, that
is teachers of the faith, without limits of age, seriously engaged
in organized forms of catechesis both inside the Order (especially
addressed to the young, to co-workers and to candidates) and outside
the Order (especially addressed to those distant from the faith).
The Regulations and Commentary propose the obsequium pauperum for
our time, with two basic guidelines: never separate the obsequium
pauperum from the tuitio fidei and pay special attention to the
sick, the poor and those who are away from Christ.
The members of the Order cannot separate the duties of the
apostolate from those regarding assistance to the sick and the poor,
as it is their duty to fight not only disease and misery but also
religious ignorance and error.
At present, we use the most modern scientific means to help the sick
as well as those who are in danger. Let us take care of both our
friends and our enemies, bearing witness to Christ wherever we
happen to be. The poorest leper, as well as anyone who suffers and
does not know Christ of denies Him, is our neighbor.
Whatever we do “must be subordinate to the aims of those great and
ancient, but always present, traditions: the care of the sick, the
assistance to the poor and the apostolate among those who are away
from Christ, particularly in cases of emergency.
Prayer will be your most important aid. Do pray, since even when you
laymen are very much occupied by your professional secular
obligations, every action taken to help the unfortunate in case of
disaster, and in view of the fight for the truth, will be well
received by the Lord who is present in the sick and in those seeking
the light of the truth”.
Utilizing Temporal Goods According to the Spirit of the Gospel
Unlike roman law that contemplated ‘ius utendi et abutendi’, the
Jewish-Christian conception of possession is based on two strong
pillars: God donated goods to everyone and those possessing them
must consider themselves responsible administrators of these God
given goods. The Special Chapter General of 1969 states that: “in
the spirit of the evangelical counsel of poverty {Knights and Dames
in Obedience} should set aside whatever might compromise their moral
responsibility, to be used in accordance with the precepts of
justice and charity, by recalling that all they possess comes from
God”.
Assignment of the Scapular
In the Rite of the Promise of Obedience the scapular is assigned
“for the propagation of the faith and for service to the needy”.
The scapular is an “apron” for work and for service, as attested by
the Benedictine Rule that speaks of the “Scapulare propter opera”,
and it is the visible sign of a greater dedication of Knights and
Dames in Obedience in the propagations of the faith and a greater
service to the needy. The Lord Jesus gave us an example: “he rose
from supper, laid aside his garments, and girded himself with a
towel. Then he poured water into a basin, and began to wash het
disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which he was
girded” (Jn., 13, 4-5).
With this gesture, Jesus Christ imprinted in his disciples’ mind the
memory of his love and his service to men, asking his disciples to
imitate him.
Year of preparation
The Regulations (art. 94) lay down that Knights and Dames in
Obedience, “conscious of the spiritual value of such a commitment
before God, must diligently observe the divine law and the precepts
of the Church”. The Special Chapter General of 1969 comments thus:
“In order to observe the divine law and the precepts of the Church,
it is obviously necessary to know them. First the Knight in
Obedience shall devote himself to humble reading of the Holy
Scriptures, of the Sacred Tests, of the acts of the Magisterium of
the Church, and particularly of the documents of the Council”(ReC,
pp. 36; 46).
During the year of preparation (Code, art. 97) the person charged
with spiritual guidance will help the candidate to discover the
specific nature of the vacation of the vacation of the Knight and
Dame in Obedience with explicit reference to the Christian vacation,
to baptism and to confirmation and to the various ways of living out
the universal call to holiness, proposing a detailed reading with
commentary of the Council documents, of the pontifical documents and
of the documents of the Order specification.
In particular, they should read the parts regarding the laity, the
Lumen Gentioum (30-38) and Gaudium et Spes (33-45) constitutions and
the Apostolicam astuositatem decree on the Lay Apostolate (ReC., p.
36).
The most significant Pontifical documents include the post-synodal
apostolic exhortation “Christifideles laici” on the vacation and
mission of the lay faithful in the Church and in the world ((30
December 1988) and the apostolic letter “Novo millennio ineunte” (6
January 2001), with which the Holy Father John Paul II proposes a
“fresh enthusiasm for Christian life” that every local church, every
institute and every believer should show in the new millennium.
The official documents of the Order should also be studied, with
particular reference to the Class of Knights and Dames in Obedience:
the Constitutional Charter, the Code, the Regulations and Commentary
(Special Chapter General of 27-28 September 1969, the Missal of the
Order and the Guidelines for the Life of the Members of the
Sovereign Military Order of Malta.
It would be useful to have a detailed catechesis on the Word of God,
the Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours with particular focus on
the Christian interpretation of the Psalms.
 |
|
Een
maltezerridder |
By Johannes Freiherr Heereman von Zuydtwick
The charisma of the Order of Malta
The Order of Malta is one of the old-established Orders of the Roman
Catholic Church. The physical and spiritual needs of pilgrims in the
Holy Land was the specific cause which inspired the Blessed Brother
Gérard and his companions to devote their lives to the service of
the poor and sick. In them members of the Order recognized Jesus
Christ the Lord, and served Him. The brotherhood drew op a rule for
itself, and this formed the basis of what was later recognized by
the Church as the Rule of the Order. Through the changing forms
their service has taken through time, the Knights Hospitallers of St
John – have remained true to their founding principle, in accordance
with the word of the lord: “Ye have the poor with you always” (Mk
14, 7). The mission to help those in physical and spiritual need is
valid through the ages, even though this may take different forms.
Thus the two essential pillars of the Order of Malta’s service,
Obsequium Pauperum an Tuitio Fidei, represent a fundamental mission
of the church, at all times and in all ages, which the Order of
Malta sees as its duty to fulfill.
Life in Obedience
The mission of the Order of Malta is carried through in the first
place by the Professed knights of Justice. These have dedicated
their lives to God, in order to live in accordance with the
Evangelical Councils and true to the directions of the Church in the
service of the Order.
Alongside this first estate of these Professed knights, some decades
ago – in accordance with the needs of the Order – a second estate of
Knights and Dames in Obedience was established. It came into being,
not only on account of the lack of Professed knights at that time,
but also – and more important- in response to deeper but more
significant cause.
It is true that the diminishing number of Professed knights made it
difficult to fulfill the growing responsibilities of the Order. But
there was a group of people with responsible careers, often in a
social or charitable field, who led exemplary married and family
lives, were involved in the life of the church and were looking also
for a closer bond with the Order of Malta.
It was thus appropriate to open up a suitable form of members of the
Order to those ordinary members of the Order of Malta who wished to
commit their life to the mission of the Order within the scope of
their professional and family obligations.
The Promise to live in Obedience is a explicit expression of the
baptismal promise. It becomes a commitment to the striving for
Christian perfection in the spirit of the Evangelical Councils in
accordance with the mission of the Order of Malta.
Aspects of spiritual commitment in Obedience
The principles of the spiritual commitment of the members of the
Second Estate are governed by the Constitution and Codex of the
Order of Malta. These obligatory rules must be fulfilled through the
individual priories and sub-priories. It sets up some specific
guidelines, based on the above.
Readiness for obedience
The search for the concrete expression of the will of God in one’s
life leads one to seek assistance in the interpretation of God’s
will. There are the commands of the Gospel, as revealed to one in
the teachings of the Church. There are obligations arising from the
sacrament of marriage and concern for the family. In addition there
are unavoidable professional and social duties. Those who live in
the Obedience of the Order of Malta commit themselves additionally
to the specific service of the poor and sick, and to witness of
their faith to the best of their abilities. In every case a
readiness for obedience is required, in order to uncover God’s
mission in the everyday things of life, and not to decide according
to one’s own desires of aversions, but to seek to know the will of
God.
In this multiplicity of perhaps competing duties, the Promise is a
suitable means for recognizing the right order of priorities. The
directions of superiors also offer helpful advice in the sense of
providing encouragement and guidance. Thus a “duty of obedience”
means a willingness to listen to the words of superiors, in the
expectation of finding help from them in distinguishing the voice of
the Lord.
Duty of prayer
Prayer is the expression of faith in the living God, to whom one
gives thanks for ones life, to whom ones life is answerable, and
with whom one shares it in all things. The Christian’s daily prayer,
the celebration of the Eucharist and the taking of the Sacraments,
as covered by Article 101 of the Codex, are the objective side of
this life of God and the Church. This is to be supplemented by
personal prayer, in which one open one’s life before God, meditates
on the word of God, and prays to the Lord, In addition there is
participation in the canonical observance of the prayers of the
hours, as well as prayer for intercession for one another and for
the greater concerns of humankind. Before all action, the life in
Obedience demands a oneness with the will of the Lord in prayer.
Involvement in the Church
Those who seek for the will of God must come to the Church. For the
Lord is to be found in the community of the faithful, who are His
body. Every Christian contributes to its development through the
grace of the Holy Ghost entrusted in him. Thus a life in Obedience
must also include a readiness, within the scope of one’s own
possibilities, to undertake liturgical or organizational services in
one’s own parish and to participate in the life of the community.
Alongside their own family, this is the first and primary location
in which the members of the Order of Malta can bear witness to their
faith.
Brotherly community
Even though the members of a priory or sub priory of the Order of
Malta do not live together in a community, their common spiritual
path nevertheless gives rise to a bond of intensive togetherness.
Important aspects of this are the joint spiritual exercises an days
of meditation, as well as prayer groups, obligatory prayers carried
out together, and prayers for one another. The concern for one
another in both external and spiritual matters develops from this,
and so equally does its power of attraction for new members, It is
fruitful and helpful in this when Dames and knights mutually
complement one another in the different individual forms of
expression of their spiritual commitment. Especially for married
couples, this jointly lived spiritual commitment is a strong bond of
unity and a source of strength for the family.
Service to the members of the Order
The Knights and Dames in Obedience see themselves as under an
obligation to serve the other members of the Order especially in the
deepening of their religious life. What is learned in the community
of the sub priory or priory bears fruit for the Order as a whole.
For this reason the Knights and Dames in Obedience make efforts to
encourage prayer circles in their neighborhood, and to give a
spiritual stimulus at regional meetings.
Not least, through prayer and example they can encourage others to
discover and realize their calling. In this way, the Obedience can
contribute to the revival of the First Estate!
Service in the works of the Order
The Knights and Dames in Obedience are ready, each in their own way,
to serve in the works of the Order. In view of the fact that, amoung
the many staff of the Order’s works – whether in voluntary of
fulltime office – there is an ever growing number of people who have
little or no religious education, a major challenge for the Dames
and Knights in Obedience is to be found in the field of religious
training and the spreading of the Gospel. It is worth emphasizing
this pint. Through its willingness to accept the work of
“volunteers” and others, het Order also accepts the responsibility
to offer them a suitable education in Catholic teaching. This task
would seem to be ideally suited to be entrusted to the members in
Obedience. The service of the poor and sick – required of all
members of the Order – should be performed in whatever specific and
personal ways are possible for them. Here too, a life in Obedience
demands a willingness to put the interests and imperatives of the
Order, in accordance with the wishes of superiors, ahead of one’s
own personal desires.
Conclusion
As a result of the establishment of the second estate, of the
knights and Dames in Obedience, the Order of Malta is even more
clearly recognizable than before as a segmented community.
There is room within the Order for different callings and missions.
Professed Knights living in celibacy, and married and unmarried
Dames and Knights in Obedience, complement one another and thus
provide a more fully rounded picture of the church within the
overall framework of the lay order. This accords with the spirit of
the II Vatican Council, in a similar way to the new spiritual
communities and movements which developed as a result.
Thus the Order of Malta, while remaining as one of the old Orders
with their long and powerful tradition, is open to the requirements
of the situation in which the Church and society find themselves
today.
(translation from French)
By: + Abbé Bruno Martin
One may consider as truly original of the Order of St. John of
Jerusalem, the blending in its midst of members who are Religious
(the Professed), members who take a specific undertaking of
obedience (the Members in Obedience), and then members “who do not
make religious vows or the Promise but live according to the norms
of the Church and are prepared to commit themselves to the Order and
to the Church.”The latter forming the greater part of the 11,000
members of the Order.
Indeed the great religious orders have over time enrolled lay
associates wanting to participate in some fashion in their lives and
spirituality: Benedictine Oblates, Franciscan or Dominican Third
Orders… Since its origins the Order of St john enlisted members of
whom the statutes did not require religious vows “Donnés, “Donats”
or members of “Devotion. The Sanctoral of the Order has registered
the names of some amongst them, like Saint Toscana or the Blessed
Adrian Fortescue. But the revolutionary upheavals of the end of the
XVIII century considerably changed the physiognomy of the Order, the
number of members taking religious vows became far fewer, whereas
those of “honor” did not stop growing. Pope Pius IX ratified this
status quo by officially approving the existence of these lay people
in the midst of the first National Associations. During the whole of
the second half of the 20th century and until today there
has been a constant increase of Members of the Third Class, while
the works relating to aid and charity developed exponentially.
To understand better the spiritual demands of belonging to this
third class of the Order, it is absolutely necessary to the
fundamental texts: the Charter, the Spiritual Recommendations, and
the Regulations and Commentary.
A real belonging to the Order
The Rules of the Order underline certain important points. All its
members whatever their canonical status belong to this unique
“family”, and are invited to live its two charisms ‘tuition fidei’
and ‘obsequium pauperum’. As said in the Regulations and Commentary
“those who request, or are invited t enter the Order in one of the
categories of the third class must be aware that … although they are
not strictly speaking religious (like the Professed Knights) and are
not bound by a special religious promise (like the Knights in
Obedience), they yet become members of a religious Order.”(RC11) The
Spiritual Recommendations are just as explicit specifying that
members of the third class “who do not make vows of specific
promises are nonetheless obliged by their real belonging to the
Order to Maintain a tenor of Christian life and exemplary conduct
both privately and publicly.“ (SR7)
Many of our Grand Master’s recent speeches, as will as in
interventions in several working groups of the International Seminar
in Valetta in 2004, insist that joining the Order includes personal
obligations: improvement of one’s Christian life and formation, and
concrete participation in charitable works. It is not without
interest to note that the texts, which promulgate the real belonging
of all members to a religious order refer to the teaching of Vatican
II on the call to sanctity common to all baptized “whatever their
status or rank.”
The Order of Malta experience within itself what in the Church is
referred to as consecrated life: “The profession of the evangelical
counsels shine before [its members] as a sign which can and should
effectively inspire them to do so.”(VC 404) That is true of life in
the Order of Malta: the Professed Members as “authentic religious”
live “the most binding” consecration. (SR6) This way of life ought
to enlighten and inform other members also called to fulfill their
unique baptismal sanctity. In a passage of the SR we read: ‘given
the universal call to holiness and the apostolate on the part of the
baptized…” it follows that “every Knight, by virtue of his Christian
vocation and the special charisma of the Order of Malta to witness
to the Faith and to charity, knows and observes special duties and
the rule of Spirituality, in order to glorify God, to sanctify
himself and to build up the kingdom of God in the world.”(SR6) In
the same way the RC ends very significantly with a heading called
“Spiritual Guidelines for all the Members of the Order” noting that
a number were “the same for all three Classes”. (RC 29-30)
This demonstrates clearly that there is no “spirituality” specific
to Members of the Third Class, but only differences in the ways of
living this unique call to the baptismal sanctity. Often involved in
a stressful professional life, in family duties with all that these
imply, and also expected to take part in the local activities of the
church, members of this Class, have to bring to all these areas the
special grace received from two charisms, Faith and Charity.
Witnessing through an exemplary life
The direction given by fundamental text of the Order is the
exemplarity of one’s Christian life. “The members of the Order are
to conduct their lives in an exemplary manner in conformity with the
teaching and precepts of the Church.” (CCC19) Here again the Charter
acknowledges fully the teachings of the 2nd Vatican
Council on the role in the Church of secular faithful, teaching
explained specially in the decree Apostolicam actuositatem
(VC766-798) expounded upon by Pope John-Paul II, in his post synodal
apostolic exhortation Christifideles Laci. The first call Members of
the Order should hear, is the one addressed to all faithful “to
endeavor to have the Gospel spirit permeate and improve the temporal
order, going about it in a way that bears clear witness to
Christ.”(VC768)
Even before any specific involvement in the Order’s charitable work,
the first area where its members activities must be exercised and
the first place for their spiritual life are, “the ordinary
conditions of life … Family cares should not be foreign to their
spirituality, nor any other temporal interests.” (VC770) The same
Council text praises the most basic virtues: “They should hold in
high esteem professional competence, family and civic sense, and the
virtues related to social behavior such as honesty, sense of
justice, sincerity, courtesy, moral courage; without them there is
no true Christian life.”(VC771) These ideas specifically mentioned
by the Council are truly in harmony with the spirit and the
traditions of the Order that “all members are expected to behave
like true Christian.”(SR9) The Council further underlines that moved
by the spirit of divine charity the faithful will “express
concretely in their lives the Spirit of the Beatitudes” (VC770)
words which bearers of the eight pointed Cross cannot but fully
appreciate.
Moreover it is not difficult to carry over to the Members of the
Order what is said about the unity of the conscience and behavior:
“the layman, at one and the same time a believer and a citizen of
the world, has only a single conscience, a Christian conscience; it
is by this that he must be guided continually in both domains.”
(VC772) RC summarizes everything saying all Members of the Third
Class are “bound to a life of an outstanding Christian, that is to
say, a profoundly Christian life, not merely formal and
superficial.“ (RC30)
Life of prayer and Christian formation
Destined to nurture an active spirituality, prayer within the Order
of Malta should be characterized by its intensity rather than its
scope. In his introduction to the British Association’s Book of
prayers, Archbishop Couve de Murville, comments, that if in the old
days the Knights of St. John used to pray in the roar of battles, or
the bustling of hospitals, the same problems present themselves
today to us busy people with a full complement of distractions.
Therefore what is only required from the Members of the Order is no
more than that which is asked of all baptized: frequent partaking of
the sacraments of penance and Eucharist, daily prayers, with a
special mention of the recitation of the Rosary, which in fact are
old customs of the Order. The Knight’s Prayer should be of special
importance. Far from being a routine or an easy obligation to
accomplish by its brevity, this prayer for members of the Order,
should play a dual role: first, to place the members daily face to
face their ideal, second to manifest symbolically through this daily
gesture the unity of brotherly communion within the Order.
For this life of prayer and for food for one’s spiritual life to
follow the Order’s charisms “in communion” with all the members,
great personal or communal use ought to be made of the Missal and
Sanctoral proper to the Order. Many national Associations, have
tried to put at the disposal of its Members these “spiritual”
treasures.
To follow the Order’s missal, is to discover the main patrons of our
Order: St. John the Baptist, Our Lady of Philermo, and Blessed
Gerard. It is to venerate those who distinguished themselves ‘as
hospitallers’ or as ‘defenders of the faith.’ It is to understand
the special place of women who illustrate the charisms of the Order
of St. John: St. Fleur, St. Toscana, and St Ubaldesca. It is to
discover that sainthood can still flourish. Added to prayer are the
requirements of Christian formation. In the VC texts already
mentioned, great emphasis is made on the point that lay faithful are
‘earnestly exhorted … to take a more active part, each according to
his talents and knowledge and in fidelity to the mind of the Church
in the explanation and defense of Christian principles and in
correct application of them to the problems of our time” (VC773)
terms in which one would have no trouble recognizing the tuitio
fidei dear to the Order. RC has taken up these very themes of
fostered requirements which the present situation renders all the
more necessary. (RC30) The Grand Master’s message in Valletta in
January 2004, contained these warnings “We should not that in many
places the traditional ties with the Church and its teachings are
becoming weaker. Even in the classes of society from which we
recruit our members, knowledge of the faith and spiritual experience
and practice are on the decline. Therefore our members, increasingly
need help to extend their knowledge about our religion and faith,
and to deepen their spiritual life in order to strengthen them on
their path to personal sanctification within the Order and to
provide them with a strong base for the tuitio fidei on outward
service.” The chaplains of the Order, according to their own
regulations, are particularly invited to help members deepen their
spiritual life and religious culture.
Many Members look with justifiable pride, to the Order’s history for
all it holds of prestige and honour. It is well to underline that
our spiritual life is also rooted in the Order’s 900 years of
charity.
Participating concretely in the works of the Order
Whereas this deepening of the faith and spiritual life represents
for members of the faith and spiritual life represents for members
for the Third Class a means to live out the ideal of tuitio fidei,
obsequium pauperum will be lived if possible, by hands on experience
in the charitable activities of the Order. “To devote oneself to the
charitable activities of the Order” is an essential part of Members’
duties. (CC19) Yet one should remember that this activity should in
no way be to the detriment of the family or professional life.
(SR10) The generosity of Members of the Order should manifest
itself, preferably, in the charitable activities of the Order
itself. Such participation will be all the more effective if Members
take the trouble to acquire the necessary qualifications. (SR10)
Needless to say that fullness of participation is achieved when one
has direct contact with our Lords the Sick or the Poor. When doing
so, it is Christ Himself whom we recognize and worship in them. What
is lived today by Members of the Order, working in hospitals, or
during pilgrimages with our Lords the Sick, unites us with the most
ancient traditions, when in Rhodes or in Malta Knights of each
Langue took their tour of duty in the Sacra Infermeria.
Much more could still be said if we proceed from the conviction that
the Order of Malta offers to its Third Class through the fundamental
texts referred to above as through its 900 years of experience, the
basic guidelines from which they can operate: baptismal sanctity
lived in the world, a life in prayerful union with the Order,
Christian formation, the latter to be understood as the basis of
“Fideo Tuitio”, active participation in charitable activities,
because through these we meet Christ himself in the person of those
who suffer.
It is necessary to point out that these spiritual guidelines are no
different to those proposed to members of the Order’s other classes.
There is one Christian vocation, common to all baptized, which is to
the call to sanctity. The same obtains within the Order of Malta
where we have but one ideal of defense of faith, and service to our
neighbors, performed in varied ways whether by Professed, Members in
Obedience of Members of third Class. It would be erroneous to think
that the latter may be content with fewer requirements, because
their commitments might not be considered as strong as the other
Members. If we follow all basic texts of the Order the contrary must
be affirmed, Because these members are an integral part of the
Order, they are also called to live in full the fundamental charisms
of tuitio fidei and of obsequim pauperum.
Obligations as Catholics
We in this class have no special obligations other than fulfilling
the injunctions of the Daily Prayer of the Order. However when we
ponder these, we realize that we have an agenda much in excess of
the minimum that is laid down for the ordinary practicing Catholic.
These minima are shocking by the little that is demanded, but we
should remember that the Church, ever mindful of the weaker
brethren, will not place too heavy a burden on us lest we find
ourselves technically in a state of sin and fall into despair, We
are asked to observe the Ten Commandments in which is rooted the
teaching of the Church and which cover all aspects of an upright
life; however, except for the fifth, the others are prohibitions:
‘Thou shalt not …,’ Such is the fallen nature of man. To the
Decalogue our Lord added two positive commands which ask that we
give love, and that is where, in addition to restraint, a positive
effort on our part is demanded.
The Church has always asked from her children more than the minimum,
but as we are frail creatures, we need a recognized structure on
which to build our activities. In former times this was the parish
and it should remain so, However, on account of prosperity and
mobility, as a unit it has lost much of its coherence: whereas in
the past our absence from the parish church on a Sunday would have
been remarked upon, now, if noticed at all, it would be assumed that
we were away for the weekend, This is where many of us can benefit
from a larger organization designed specifically for the laity, like
a Third Order, supported by a Regular Order, ‘the members of which
should be bound… to practice works of mercy more systematically than
ordinary persons living in the world.’- (St. Francis). The modern
Church has engendered many such lay organizations like the Society
of St, Vincent de Paul, the Legion of Mary, Opus Dei and the
Focolare Movement. We however have chosen to be affiliated to the
most ancient order of chivalry in Christendom.
Pietas Melitensis
When we say that ‘the Lord has seen fit to enlist us for His service
among the Knights of St. John’, we recognize that an all-seeing God
is proposing to our free will that it is in this Order dedicated to
His Forerunner, that, despite all the other obligations of the laity
– civil, economic and towards the family – someone of our average
ability, particular disposition, and station in life, can apply more
readily the gifts that He has given us to promote His Glory.
Next we implore the intercession of His Holy Mother under her
particular manifestation of Philermo which unites Western and
Eastern Christendom. We recognize thereby that every venture of our
Order has been placed under her protection and we beg her to give us
the strength that we will need to lead an upright live, to be
generous to others and to fulfill our commitments to the Order and
elsewhere.
Next we ask the Blessed Gerard and all the Saints and Blessed of our
Order to keep us faithful to its traditions. But first we must learn
what these are. From the Code and Charter we learn that the Order of
St. John is a ‘persona mixta’ characterized by paradoxical twosomes:
it is both lay and religious, both military and Hospitaller, both
sovereign and subject to the Holy See, and by tradition
aristocratic.
The first gives us our privileges and obligations as a Third Order:
again to quote St. Francis, we ‘should … fast more strictly, pray
more regularly and hear mass more frequently …’When we think of our
Patron, St. John the Baptist, we think of his fasting and his
austerity. The reforms that followed the Second Vatican Council
greatly reduced our penitential obligations and left much, perhaps
too much, to the discretion of the individual.
As everybody knows, the fast and abstinence austerity has been
considerably reduced for all the Catholics. It may be good to remind
what are the obligations still valid. The only fasting days are Ach
Wednesday and Holy Friday (persons over 60 are exempted). Abstinence
from meat shall be observed on Ash Wednesday and all Ember Fridays.
During the rest of the year it is praiseworthy to abstain from
eating meat on Friday, but one can repair with some prayers or good
work. Of course the attendance to Mass on Sunday is compulsory as
well as in the Holy Days of Obligation whose number changes
according to the country. It is a praiseworthy habit to attend Mass
also on the Days of Devotion even if it is not obligatory, and it is
recommended to make some penitence even if it is not obligatory.
The charisma of the Order in action
The military and Hospitaller characteristics are translated
respectively by ‘tuitio fidei’ and ‘obsequium pauperum’. There has
been a tendency in recent writings within the Order to amalgamate
the two. Since the Order no longer has brethren-at-arms defending
Christendom, it is claimed that the most effective defense of the
faith is the witness of personal example in caring for the sick.
While in no way minimizing the value of personal example, this seems
to be a compression of history and a response to modern
squeamishness about having sometimes to defend the faith by force of
arms. For seven centuries the Knights Hospitaller provided both a
‘tuitio fidei’, in that they watched over the deposit of faith
despite the prevalence of false doctrines and the temptation to
abjure when seemingly overwhelmed by the enemy and when in the
captivity of the infidel, and also maintained a ‘tutela fidelium’ in
that they physically defended the faithful. To risk ones life
fighting for Christendom was described by a Pope of the time as the
greatest form of love.
Although the Order no longer has armed forces of its own, its
members serve in many armies and navies defending that in which they
believe; wherein there is no incompatibility. In Lebanon some years
ago the Order of Malta used its physical presence on the spot and
its diplomatic pressure to prevent the forced expulsion by the
Moslems of al local Christian population. There are many parts of
the world where today Christians are in physical danger simply
because they are Christians.
While apologetics are best left to authorized theologians, all
members of the Third Class should be able to defend in writing and
in conversation – always of course with charity and courtesy, but
with logical argument – those points of Church doctrine most often
under attack to-day, namely the wrongfulness of euthanasia,
abortion, contraception and the re-marriage of divorced persons,
remembering tat our Patron St. john the Baptist was beheaded for
doing just that.
The ‘obsequium pauperum’ covers all aspects of the Order’s
Hospitaller work. ‘The Holy Poor’ are both the poor and the sick,
and ‘obsequium’, implies that we should follow them right through to
their obsequies as was the ancient practice of the Knights
Hospitaller. The poor are not just the poor in material goods, but
also the ‘poor in spirit’ towards whom we must show a special
tenderness for they are among the must vulnerable. A person can be
comfortably off, yet housebound, lonely, bereaved and distraught.
However difficult they are, we must persist with tact and
imagination.
The sick are usually most appreciative and set us an example. But if
they should be impatient and appear ungrateful, it is a bonus for
us. ‘Obsequium’, besides ‘service’ also means ‘deference’, and
accords will with our reference to them as ‘our Lords the sick’.
They are entitled to tell us off, and it keeps us from becoming
self-righteous and complacent. We must remember that all we do for
them should be done in the name of the Lord, Whom we must see in
each one of them. As Our Lord is King, they are his courtiers before
whom we in the Order must also be prepared to play the role of Court
Jester and bring some merriment into their lives.
The Order’s various auxiliary Hospitaller Services and Ambulance
Corps will be in danger of descending into mere humanitarian
organizations, if the members of the Order who are responsible for
them do not insist on their remembering that they are a Roman
Catholic organization. The fact that non-Catholic character to be
watered down. Care of the sick is the particular charism of our
Order. From the time of the Crusades the Knights Hospitaller
distinguished themselves from the other Military Orders by setting
up a hospital wherever they fond themselves. Primarily these were
for the care of pilgrims, hostels for the healthy and hospitals for
the sick; thus it was providential that our late Grand Master Fra’
Angelo conceived the idea of making the annual pilgrimage with the
sick to Lourdes the principal event that brings together all
branches of the Order.
The diplomatic recognition
The subjection of the Order to the Holy See in spiritual matters and
its sovereignty in temporal matters, notwithstanding its having no
territory, continue to perplex many governments. Nonetheless the
integrity of the Order and its proven efficiency in providing
long-term medical aid, usually in collaboration with the Catholic
Church, has made it welcome in many developing countries which have
given it diplomatic recognition. The Order’s Diplomatic Service
offers a fantastic opportunity for members of the Third Class with
business an negotiating experience and with a talent for fundraising
and a taste for hardship an adventure, to rediscover the initiatives
which made the Hospitallers of former centuries a force to be
reckoned with.
The traditionally aristocratic character
The traditionally aristocratic character of the Order is one subject
which is rarely discussed openly and frankly. This is regrettable
because brushing a controversial subject under the carpet, or
disguising the facts with ambiguous phrases, only serves to maintain
confusion and mistrust. The word ‘aristocratic’ is sometimes
explained through its etymology and interpreted as the ‘rule by the
best’; this however could lead people to believe that we are
speaking of a ‘meritocracy’ which could not be further from the true
meaning.
The Order has been recognized as a noble descent body recruited
among those of historic nobility for a minimum of one hundred years
or three generations. This is what has given it its prestige because
people see it as embodying those qualities which that particular
social class has been bred to exemplify, namely courage and
courtesy, integrity and generosity – the ‘verray parfit gentil
knight’ of Schaucer. The fact that some individuals fail to live up
to the standards of their class does not alter the argument, because
historic nobility is not the only qualification for membership. The
Military Orders were founded to provide a cadre within whom those of
a particular class could best channel their aggressiveness and their
devotion in the service of Christendom.
The noble tradition of our Order deserves to be kept. However the
modern times request that it should not be exclusive, but that the
membership to the Order should be open also to individuals who,
although not noble by blood, yet have conspicuous intellectual and
moral qualities placing them on a prominent position in the society.
A spirituality of communion
Finally, members of the Third Class are enjoined to be charitable to
their neighbours. Among these, the poor, the sick and strangers pose
us less of a problem than do our confreres. Even among the Apostles
there was dissention and rivalry; St. Paul constantly urged the
members of the churches to refrain from quarrelling and to love one
another. All religious orders have experienced moments of internal
strife.
In joining the Order we meet some people whom we would have known
anyhow, and others whom we would never have met but for the Order;
among these we make some rewarding friendships, but there are others
where politeness is the warmest sentiment which one can muster.
Acting in community with all our confreres and consoeurs is one of
the harder tasks that are demanded of us, Thus our meetings and
committees are important for our spiritual progress; that is why we
try to ensure that they are preceded by Mass. This also keeps us up
to the mark; when we attend Mass on our own, no one notices if we do
not receive Holy Communion; indeed, if we do not believe ourselves
to be in a state of grace we should not receive. However attending
Mass in community and not receiving can cause embarrassment to
ourselves and be seen by others as a bad example. Consequently it is
very important for members to fight their habitual sins and to be on
watch for the unforeseen ones, so that they can have made full and
frequent confessing before attending Mass. Our chaplains have been
appointed by the Order to minister to our needs; we should consider
ourselves fortunate to belong to an Order that offers such a sound
and practical structure on which to build a part of our lives.
|
