PATH OF LIFE
GENERAL OBJECTIVE: TO ELABORATE THE PATH OF LIFE AND TO
LIVE IT AS AN ITINERARY WHICH AIMS AT LIFE ITSELF
Presentation of the material:
It aims at enlightening the Path of Llife through modules following the 2nd, 3rd and 4th chapter
which emphasize the charisma and life of the Assumption: The community life, life of prayer, the
mission and the service.
These 3 poles take their roots in the Word of God. They do not exist in the sense of living for the
sake of the word of God. It is they who tell us what we have to do.
MODULE 1: COMMUNITY LIFE
OBJECTIVE: To understand the meaning of community life according to the way of the Lay of
Assumption
THEME: The text of “The Path of Life”, 2nd. Chapter, selected choice.
- A community in unity is able to give out from the joy and goodwill which it experiences.
“We live a style of simple, true relationships that leads to peace, according to the specific family
spirit tradition of the congregation.1 “chap.2, 2.1
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This community is a community of faith, held together by faith. The engagement as Lay of
Assomption means that I want to join in a relationship with the members of the community
and that I engage myself to the meetings and the activites of the communal life.
“We form a community with other Lay people of the Assumption…” chap.2,2.3
This implies a mutual acquaintance, mutual helpfulness, support and always an attitude of learning
more about friendship. A friendship which does not close around itself, but is open towards the
group.
“Our Assumption Fraternities/Communities are places where two objectives are pursued and
reinforce one another : fraternal love among the group, and fraternal love outside the group…”
chap.2, 2.4
Texts from the Word of God
- 1.M. 12,23
- Nb. 15,24
- Act. 2,42
- Act.4,32
- Eph. 2-6
- Qo. 9-12
“…your flocks are ours and ours are yours…”
“…If it is an inadvertence of the community…
“These remained faithful …to the brotherhood...”
“The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul…”
“…one body and one spirit…”
“…If one should fall, the other helps him up…”
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MME 18.08.1884: ”Always guard the spirit that has marked our beginnings, a spirit made up of openness of
heart and simple friendship.”
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Exercises
1. What will these texts teach me about the life in communion?
2. What does community mean in the context of Lay of the Assumption?
3. Will life in community change my exsistence?
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MODULE 2: LIFE IN PRAYER
OBJECTIVE: TO FIND THE PLACE OF PRAYER
THEMES: The text from “Path of Life”, 3rd chap., selected choice
The prayer is a gift of the Spirit which helps us in our weakness (Rom.8,26), but it is also an act of
our freedom, an activity, an art in which we must exercise ourselves.
This Life of prayer makes us experience the presence of Christ and makes us able to understand our
surroundings.
Through the means of adoration, the regular listening and reading of the Word of God , the
celebration of the of the divine office, we, the Lay of Assomption, learn to recognize the
sovereignty of God in history and in our lives and also to carry a positive view on the world, on our
own environment, on our natural family. In the words of the engagement it says “I want to be
faithful to my Baptism keeping united to Christ present in all my brothers.” Thus our prayer will
become uninterrupted. The Lay of Assumption should thus feel prompted to make a schedule for
taking part in the divine office, the adoration, for a life in personal and familial prayer.
Texts from the Word of God
- Matt. 18,19-20
- Sir. 37,19
- Job 33,26
- Ws. 7,7
-1.K. 8,30
“…where two or three meet in my name…”
“And besides all this beg the Most High to guide your steps in the truth”
“He prays to God who has restored him to favour…”
“I entreated, and the spirit of Wisdom came to me…”
“Hear your servant and your people as they pray in this place…”
METHOD
Learn to pray with Marie-Eugénie.
Try the different methods of prayer proposed by her.
Read module 5 “The Prayer”
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MODULE 3: THE MISSION AND THE SERVICE
OBJECTIVE: TO UNDERSTAND IN WHAT WAY GOD CAN MAKE USE OF US
THEME: Text from “The Path of Life”, 4th chapter, selected choice
As Lay of Assumption we engage in the search of “in what way God can make use of us” in order
to realize his Kingdom in the world.
No matter what profession we have, which role in the fraternity, our age, our health, our talents, as
Lay of Assumption “we are apostles by vocation” cf.. chap.4,4.1
It is a mission which aims at service and the opening up to our weaknesses, to the poverty, to the
miseries of our fellow brothers and the world and makes us wish to do something to change and to
transform these situations of death into life for our brothers, for the world, because we ourselves
have found the path of life. The engagement for others is also important because it shows the truth
in our fraternal life and our life of prayer. And the peculiarity of the Assomption is to live the
mission in community.
The Lay communities are called to define their engagement and to contemplate the projects of
service for the society and the world. The Path of Life names the Lay of Assumption communities
“cells of the Church” cf chap.2. It is said in chap. 1,1.1: ”We are Christians, who want to live our
baptismal commitment at the heart of the Church and grow towards holiness.” And in chap 4,4.2:
“We want to be prophetic voices of the Church in our personal environment…”. Our engagement as
Lay of Assumption does not separate us from the Church, on the contrary, we are rooted in this
Church in order to help us in a better way to live our Christian engagement, our babtism. To MarieEugénie the Church is the place of the revelation of Christ: It is in the Church that we meet the
Christ whom we want to learn to know, to love and to serve.
What does the Church tell us about the spirituality of the lay? (cf. On the spirituality of the lay
according to the Church: On the nature of the apostolate in “apostolate of the Lay” chap.4)
Texts from the Word of God:
2.Co. 5,18-20
2. Co. 10,13-16
Col. 1, 25
“…God gave us the work of handing on this reconciliation…”
“…we shall be carrying the Gospel to places far beyond …”
“…God made me responsible for delivering his message to you…”
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