FROM COEXISTENCE TO FRATERNITY
There is a difference between living together and living in community. It is the difference in the closeness between two material things that are juxtaposed and the closeness between persons who feel called and sustained by a bond, a common project. As persons we all have needs for bonds. We feel fulfilled through our belonging to a community. That is our human vocation, no matter our chosen path or state of life. And here, our happiness is decided.
When Claret talks of spirit here he means the bond that arises from our condition as Christians. It is a bond of fraternity, because we know we are God’s loved children thanks to the work of Jesus. That means that there are a lot of things we can share, many experiences we are called to live together, which foster our maturity and happiness.
We all know that maturity and happiness result from our daily experiences. The little things that Claret talks about are more important here. They are much more important than possessing great intelligence, a prestigious profession, a good economic position. What fulfils us and helps us most to maturity in Christ are the little daily attentive gestures towards those around us: the fostering of dialogue, sharing of tasks, attending to the needs and sorrows of others, giving space to the heart, mutual affection… When we translate the conventual meaning of the word “inobservance”, we see that it criticises the negligence of these elements that consolidate – in everyday life – the bonds of evangelical coexistence. Because we are his children, God loves those who are faithful in nurturing daily this fraternity.
Maybe we need to make ourselves more aware of the bonds that knit our contacts and ask ourselves if we personalize our relationship with our neighbour; if respecting the other, appreciating him for their values, for their dignity as the image of God is important to us. Does evangelical fraternity flourish in our daily life, in our little things?
