Augustinian Charism And Personal Charisms

Introduction

Consecrated persons, as in the case of the Augustinians, commit themselves through the evangelical councils or vows for the realization of a particular charism or way of life. It is this charism, this particular way of life that gives the particular religious institute their peculiar identity and makes them different from other religious institutes in the Church. It is also this distinct charism that defines the contribution of the particular religious institute to the universal and local Church. The concept ‘charism’, therefore, is an important word in discussions regarding the consecrated life. It is the charism, not the vows that attracts a person to join a particular religious institute. It is actually the vows that helps a person to live out the charism. The charism, therefore, is the source of the spirituality of the religious institute and for some persons have proven to be a preferred concept for the description of consecrated life and the particular gift that they offer the Church.

The use of the concept ‘consecrated persons’ to describe the members of religious institutes has raised questions regarding the consecrated state of the other members of the Church who have been consecrated by virtue of their baptism. However, the idea of consecration within the context of the consecrated life comes from the evangelical councils through which the baptismal consecration of a consecrated person is not only strengthened but made more apparent and enabled to derive more fruits in an abundant manner while being more intimately dedicated to the divine service (Consts. of the OSA IV, 53; Lumen Gentium 44). This makes the distinction between the consecration by baptism and the consecration through the evangelical councils.

The use of the concept ‘religious’ has not made much difference in terms of the questions that arise. This is inevitable given that the original meaning of ‘religious’ consists in the relationship of the human person with God, which other members of the Church possess. This notwithstanding, the word ‘religious’ is used, within the circle of the consecrated life, to describe the totality and the depth of the relationship of a member of a religious institute with God, which is distinct in relation to other states of life. More so, the concept ‘religious’ speaks of the radical nature of the way of life of a consecrated person. This introduces us to another concept for consecrated persons: ‘Radical Followers of Christ’. This also questions if the following of other members of the Church is not radical. The Constitutions of the Order of Saint Augustine holds that “The radical nature of this self-offering is clearly brought out by the fact that it is a living oblation (Rom 12:1), a total offering of oneself to God” (IV, 53; En. Ps. 64, 4). It is in this regard that the Church in her liturgy links the sacrifice made by consecrated persons with the Eucharistic sacrifice (Lumen Gentium 45).

The questions bordering on the appropriate concept shows why some persons would prefer the use of the word ‘Charism’ to describe the peculiarity of the life of religious institutes. However, the concepts ‘religious’, ‘consecrated’ and ‘radical followers of Christ’, have beautiful nuances that they add to the identity of this state of life.

This notwithstanding, the question that often attracts attention borders on the relationship between our personal charisms and the charism of our religious institute. Should personal charisms die because of the charism of the religious institute? If it must live, in what way must it live within the charism of the religious institute? These questions and more will be responded to below.

Personal Charisms

Every Christian has a charism/gift that is personal to the person, whether he or she is a member of a religious institute or not. Thus, Saint Paul teaches that there are different charisms or gifts:

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ (1 Cor. 12:4-12).

These gifts are given to a person not for the self but for the building up of the body of Christ. The differences in gifts account for the differences of offices in the Church. These gifts also explain our different attractions to different ways of life: contemplative or active. It also explains why people understand the same text of Scripture differently, or like Saint Augustine, emphasizes the same text of Scripture in different writings. Our individual charisms point to our personal response to God’s call. It also forms our personal spirituality.

The Charism of a Religious Institute

Van Bavel teaches that the charism of a religious institute speaks of their mode of being, which is a gift of the Holy Spirit, their specific mission and spirituality. It is their style of fraternal life and structures that the institute adopts at the service of the ecclesial mission. He further describes it thus: “This gift of the Spirit is a dynamic impulse and it unfolds continually in harmony with the body of Christ in constant growth”.

For the Augustinian family, the charism is “community life”. The Rule of Saint Augustine holds that “The main purpose for you having come together is to live harmoniously in your house, intend upon God in oneness of mind and heart” (1. 3). It further maintains that “Let all of you then live together in oneness of mind and heart, mutually honoring God in yourselves, whose temples you have become” (1. 9). It is not a coincidence that the idea of a common life is emphasized at the beginning of the Rule, and re-emphasized at the end of the section on the common life.  It is to show the fundamental place that the value of common life occupies in the Augustinian way of life. Other sections of the Rule on prayer (Ch. II), moderation and self-denial (Ch. III), chastity and fraternal correction (Ch. IV), care of community goods and the treatment of the sick (Ch. V), asking for pardon and forgiveness (Ch. VI), governance and obedience (Ch. VI), and observance of the rule (Ch. VIII) are all meant to help a member of the Augustinian family keep to the charism of the Order: community life.

Personal Charisms and Collective Charism

A member of a religious institute while not abandoning his personal spirituality, that is, if such a spirituality is not in conflict with the spirituality of the group or the collective charism of a religious institute, must live out the charism of the religious institute that he or she has become a member. Van Bavel, therefore, writes that: “Even when belonging to a group, a person can hold to his or her spirituality when it is not in flagrant contradiction with the collective charism”. He writes further:

Besides personal charism, there exists a common charism, in so far as many different persons meet and communicate in the inspiration of a community… Consequently, personal charisms are not ruled out by the common charism; both can co-exist. To be sure, everyone who wishes to live in a group has to accept and follow the guiding principles that are at the heart of a group. If there is no consensus in this regard, there can be no community. The spirituality of an order or congregation has to be the source of common inspiration.

How then does this relate to the Augustinian charism of community life? It means that you can be a lawyer, a medical doctor, a farmer, a professor, a teacher, a tailor, a philosopher, an accountant, a canonist, a pastor, a librarian, an engineer, an exorcist, an educationist, etc., as an Augustinian, however, these must be animated by the Augustinian religious charism. When any of these comes into a flagrant contradiction with the Augustinian charism, it does not only threaten your personal commitment as an individual member of the Augustinian family but our collective identity.