READING THE

CIRCULAR 469 The documents of the 45th General Chapter

RELEM relem@lasalle.org

A Guide for reading and reflecting on Circular 469

For Brothers and Lasallians

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March 2015

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Model for Reading the Circular 469

The Documents of the 45th General Chapter

(Adapted from the PARC REGION)

**This can be done individually or as a community. Each Chapter can be taken for half a day or the full day. Community and individual prayer times can be incorporated into the process of reflection and sharing. **It is highly recommended that this process can be taken side by side with the personal annual plan, community annual plan, and/or District Plan.

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Chapter 1: Life of the Brother in the 21st Century

1 Make a SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) with regard to our life as Brothers in the 21st Century

(This can be done individually and can be shared in small groups or as a community)

2 Read Chapter 1: Life of the Brother in the 21st Century 2.1 Underline or write down words or phrases that inspire you today.

2.2 Underline or write down words or phrases that speaks about our aspirations for

the Sector/District.

2.3 Looking at the 2 icons: a) Emmaus, b) Parmenie (1714) - what icons/stories in our

Sector/District would carry us forward as Brothers in the 21st century?

3 Read 1.16 and 1.17: What do we want to happen? What might be different in

the next 3-4 years as I reflect on these statements?

4 Read Proposition 2 in relation with 1.19-1.24. 4.1 How would we see this happening in our communities and the Sector/District as a

whole?

4.2 What are we willing to do as a community to make the revitalization more real and

concrete?

4.3 What new models of community living can we propose?

4.4 What new models or ideas of community leadership can we propose?

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Notes:

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Chapter 2: Association for the Educational Service of the Poor

1. Read 2.1-2.7: What is the text inviting us to do “by association”? What inspires

us?

2 Read 2.8-2.13:

2.1 What in our Sector/District brings us together as Lasallians for the sake of the

mission, and inspires us live “for the greater glory of God”?

2.2 What kind of experiences bring us together or contribute to our story of

“association”?

2.3 What are the “new grounds” that make association more real and concrete?

2.4 Who are the poor in our midst? What kind of education do they need?

3. Read Propositions 3-6.

Read carefully and see if you a) strongly agree, b) strongly disagree, and c) agree with certain ideas and disagree with other (Note that these are statements with which it is difficult to disagree and which usually emerge from Chapters. The challenge is to own them personally and accept personal responsibility. How can we take personal responsibility?)

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Notes:

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Chapter 3: One Family, One Mission

1. Personal reflection and Community Sharing:

Tell a Lasallian story that best describes your experience of what it means to be “One

Family, One Mission”.

2. Traits/Characteristics of a Lasallian Mission

2.1 The vitality and guarantee of the shared Lasallian Mission

2.2 Called to safeguard the rights of the children and young

2.3 Evangelization and Catechesis

2.4 Proclaiming the Good News

2.5 Lasallian education (Traits/Characteristics)

2.6 Higher education and the lasallian educational Mission

2.7 Beyond Borders

2.8 Communication in the 21st Century

3. Read 3.6 - What criteria should we consider as “non-negotiables”?

4. Read 3.8-3.11 and Proposition 14: On what should our

community/Sector/District focus?

5. Read 3.12-3.14: What do we consider as urgent calls in our

community/Sector/District?

6. Read 3.19: What would we consider as essential and “non-negotiable” in

understanding Lasallian education?

7. Read 3.20-3.25: What are our universities doing with regard to Lasallian

Mission? What else might they do to be more responsive Lasallian educational needs?

8. Read 3.26: Where are the urgent needs in our context and what should our

community/Sector/District do? What does the metaphor “beyond the borders” mean to

you? How should we respond to Proposition 19?

9. Read Proposition 16: What else can we do in the area of catechetical formation

to address contemporary needs of religious education?

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Notes:

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Chapter 4: Our Lasallian Vocation

1 Personal Reflection and Community Sharing: What makes my vocation story a sign of hope for the Church and the poor? Describe your experiences of being a sign of hope for the Church and the poor.

2. Read 4.1-4.5: What areas in our life can attract others to the Lasallian Vocation?

3. Read Propositions 21, 22, and 23:

What can we do as a community to promote our vocation as a Brother?

4. Read 4.8, 4.9, 4.10, 4.11 and Proposition 24:

What structures and dynamics can we encourage to promote the Lasallian vocation in

general and the Brother’s vocation in particular? What are the new models of promoting

vocations that work in our community/Sector/District?

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Notes:

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Chapter 5: Formation and Accompaniment to be Disciples and Apostles

1 Personal Reflection and Community Sharing:

1.1 Describe formative experiences that best facilitated your personal growth as a

Brother/Lasallian.

1.2 List those Lasallian programs that have helped you in your formation as a

Brother/Lasallian?

2 Read 5.7-5.8 and Proposition 28:

2.1 What has our community/Sector/District done to contribute to the creation of

formation programs for Brothers and Partners for the Lasallian mission?

2.2 What are the new models of formation and accompaniment in the light of

contemporary needs?

3 Read 5.12-5.13 and Proposition 30:

3.1 What kind of formation programs can we propose to strengthen the culture of

accompaniment?

3.2 Where is the area of greatest need at this point in time when we want to create

a culture of accompaniment?

4 Read 5.14, 5.15, 5.16, 5.17 and Proposition 31

4.1 What are the new conditions that we experience as Brothers that were not

present 10 years ago?

4.2 What kinds of changes are needed in the life of the Brother in the 21st century?

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Notes:

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Chapter 6: The Government in the Service of Vitality in the Institute

1. How should we understand leadership and authority today?

2. What stories or images can we share that best describes the vitality of our community/Sector/District?

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Notes:

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Chapter 7: Stewardship of resources in the Life of the Mission and of the Brothers

1. Personal Reflection and Community Sharing:

1.1 In what ways do we as individuals and as a community take responsibility in

the use of our talents and resources?

1.2 What does “solidarity” mean for me and for my community?

1.3 What is the importance of the following terms “stewardship”, “accountability”,

and “transparency” in religious life today?

2. Read Proposition 43-48

2.1 What do you think is the basic rationale underpinning these propositions?

2.2 How should we understand these propositions as a

Community/Sector/Delegate/District?

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Notes:

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Chapter 8: The Revision of the Rule

Personal Reflection and Community Sharing:

1. What are the changes in Lasallian life and mission that I have experienced since

1987?

2. What kind of future would I like to see for Lasallians?

3. What inspires me today about the Lasallian Mission?

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Notes:

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Chapter 9: Young Brothers

1. Underline words or write the words/phrases that inspire you as a Brother/Lasallian.

2. Underline words or write the words/phrases that best describes your reality.

3. Share your chosen words or phrases.

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Introduction and Closing Message:

Choose phrases that help you live the Joy of the Lasallian Mission. Share these with your community.