The following summaries and discussion questions are to help you, as a sponsor, orient yourself to the conversations your aspirant has been having. It is intended as context and a conversation starter, not as a checklist or limit to your conversations. You are encouraged to use your own knowledge of your sponsored aspirant and follow the movement of the Spirit in your conversations.
This unit on Spirituality is meant to challenge participants to look at their spiritual journey and identify their own relationship with faith and spirituality. Our formation program provides tangible ways to engage with Marianist spirituality while emphasizing that spirituality is important because we must grow in our interior lives in order to support our community and our own Marianist vocation. Participants will gain a proper understanding of Marian theology, specifically how we work through Mary to end in deeper relationship with Jesus. This unit will be broken into the concepts of intentional presence through the guidance of Fr. Quenten Hakenewerth, the Common Method of Prayer, and the System of Virtues — all of which are unique to Marianist spirituality.
The goal is to strengthen our interior lives in order to grow in intentional presence to others. The six principles are as follows:
1. The quality of our presence is more important than our work.
2. The essential is the interior.
3. Radical change is gradual change, seldom sudden.
4. Collaboration between God and us.
5. Double action: balance of dying and new life.
6. A virtue is not complete until expressed in service.
Common in the sense that everyone can do it — very practical and a collection from many different people. The unique feature of the Common Method is the emphasis Chaminade placed on preparation. The majority of the prayer is spent in the preparation (20 minutes). Participants practice the Common Method on their own, as well as in a 30-minute class session. The basic framework can be described in five steps:
1. Determination of a Subject
2. Preparation
3. Consideration of the Subject
4. Concluding Prayer
5. Examen and Resolution
To become more intentionally present to others, we must cultivate the 5 Silences. Participants learn about the System of Virtues and gain understanding of the 5/2/1 Method. There are three orders of virtue in the Marianist system: Preparation Virtues, Purification Virtues, and the Consummation Virtues. The Preparation Virtues include the 5 Silences: Silence of Words, Silence of Signs, Silence of Passions, Silence of Mind, and Silence of Imagination. Participants spend significant time with the 5 Silences because they overlap with the Common Method of Prayer. If participants struggle with the preparation in the Common Method of Prayer, they may also struggle with the 5 Silences within the System of Virtues. The Purification Virtues are condensed into two groups: struggles against the obstacles of the interior world, and struggles against the obstacles of the exterior world. Lastly, and most importantly, union with Jesus and Mary is the final Consummation Virtue.
An important note is that the Common Method of Prayer and the System of Virtues mirror each other, especially in regard to preparation: the Preparation phase of the Common Method corresponds to the Preparation Virtues; the Body of the Meditation corresponds to the Purification Virtues; and the Concluding Prayer corresponds to the Consummation Virtues.
Discuss Hakenewerth's principles. Of the six, which stood out to you the most? What do you think about the quality of our presence being more important than our work?
What is your relationship with prayer?
How was your experience with the Common Method of Prayer, both on your own and in class?
Of the 5 Silences, which come easy to you and which are a challenge to your spirituality?
