Opera Omnia

DISCERNMENT: PRIESTS AND BROTHERS
The Prefect of Discipline and the Spiritual Master

The question is asked: What distinction is to be made between the Prefect of Discipline and the Spiritual Master of the Aspirants in the Pauline houses? their powers and their restraints?
The answer is that there is no distinction. There is only one person who oversees everything; in other words, he oversees both the spirit and discipline. Thus two roles are fused into one. So it is for all religious Institutes.
In seminaries instead there are two distinct roles and two distinct persons.
The problem was studied in depth and at length by experienced and learned persons. It was resolved by the Apostolic Constitution for Religious, Sedes Sapientiae. Here we read: In the centres of clerical studies the office of Spiritual Prefect or Master of the spirit may never be dispensed with… It is the duty of the Spiritual Prefect or Master to form the minds of the students to a religious life… and, according to the Constitutions or Statutes of the Institute, immediately to oversee, under the Superiors, the work of moral, religious, clerical and apostolic training. The various and numerous paragraphs of article 28 say the same thing; it is always the Spiritual Prefect or Master, or simply the Spiritual Prefect. Almost

the same offices and burdens assigned to the Master of Novices are assigned to the Master of the Aspirants, who has to see to discipline and form them spiritually.
Why this difference between Seminaries and religious Institutes? Because in the former the aspirant to the diocesan priesthood enters to be trained and then to leave the seminary. In the religious Institute the aspirant enters to be trained and to remain in the Institute for life.
Diocesan priests live separately, independently; their dependence on the Ordinary is quite broad; they are not bound by vows. The religious has much stricter commitments, such as common life, the vows, a continual living and working together; a bond so close it extends even after death.
Religious profession is a kind of contract, a contract sui generis, between the Institute and the candidate. So there has to be a profound and mutual knowledge and love which will ensure a joyful and holy living together. Therefore the aspirant's first act is to submit himself completely to the Institute. To act differently (to direct oneself, or by means of even laudable externs) means he is not suited to the common life.
In religious Institutes there are masters or fathers who, in view of an integral formation, exercise fatherly discipline. The aspirant's aim is to consecrate himself to God through the Institute; his sole program is perfection, by means of religious observance.
Therefore, setting aside the variety of opinions, the Master or Prefect will experience the whole weight of his role before God, the Congregation and the aspirants; he oversees their combined spiritual, intellectual, apostolic,

human and religious formation. He is to see himself as Jesus among the Apostles, candidates to the religious and the apostolic life.

In the light of the Gospel

The topic of this instruction is Priests and Brothers.
Points for consideration are their life, formation, and apostolate. Here we shall consider their life.
(Constitutions articles 6-12; see above I:114-115).

In chapter 6 [vv. 12-16] of Saint Luke we read: In these days he went out to the mountain to pray; and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called his disciples, and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles; Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. He conferred on them a threefold power: to preach, to oversee, and to sanctify, saying to them (Mt 28:18-20)

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore, instruct (or make disciples) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. Thus the role of the priest.
Instead in chapter ten [vv. 1-4] of Saint Luke we read: After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others, and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to come. And he said to them: 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and salute no one on the road'… Further on [17-20]: The seventy-two returned with joy, saying: 'Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!' Jesus cautioned them, and went on: Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.
Thus they are designated Disciples [Brothers], precisely because the harvest is plentiful.
Why this distinction? It is clear from the Gospel and from the Constitutions that it is by divine disposition; it is not a human viewpoint or whim. It is what Jesus Christ established; no one, not even the Church, can alter the distinction.

The choice

Can a young man choose either of these ways offhandedly? Or because his parents make the choice? Or out of ambition or convenience? No, there has to be a vocation. According to Sedes Sapientiae, issued by the Holy See, there are three vocations: the religious (contemplative life), the apostolic (active life),

and the priestly. Now the Brother has the first two: a vocation to sanctity and to the apostolate; the religious priest has also the third, that is, the priestly vocation.
Where do priests and brothers merge? Both must have physical health, prayer life, intelligence, tried and tested proof of aiming at perfection, a sincere desire to undertake an apostolate for the salvation of people's souls.
Where do they diverge? In the choice of means, for their inclination depends on nature and grace. One young man thinks of celebrating, baptizing, confessing, preaching, assisting the sick, doing editorial work, teaching catechism, giving spiritual guidance, and so on. Another loves his machine, the bindery, the typography, the many facets of distribution. These inclinations surface in carrying things out prompte, faciliter, delectabiliter,¹ with a supernatural spirit, and overcoming inevitable difficulties. The former has the third vocation as well; the latter has the first two.
Parents, guardians, and lay people in general, are bad judges of a vocation; they are unqualified. They know many things about married life, but not about the religious, apostolic, priestly life. Becoming holy does not depend on doing one thing or the other; it depends on doing properly what the will of God is for each one of us. The person called to be a Brother would become an unfulfilled priest, and he would give no satisfaction even if he made the effort and did something. The same would be for the Brother who was called to the priesthood.
The choice must be made before Profession; our Congregation does not allow a transfer from the brotherhood to the clerical state; instead, a concession may be granted to clerical students, even if

perpetually professed, and for a serious reason, to transfer to the brotherhood. The prudence required by article 89 is to be observed.
Everyone must be happy and grateful to the Lord for their own vocation. Could Saint Joseph perhaps be envious of Mary's privilege, since she was Jesus' natural mother, while he was only his foster father? On the contrary, he admired her. Or could Mary take a less reverent attitude to Saint Joseph? On the contrary, she was subject to him. When they found the child Jesus in the Temple, Mary said to Jesus: Your father and I were searching for you. She did not say I and your father.
What merit has the priest if God has willed to call him to such a state, giving him a triple vocation? And what discredit is it for the Brother to have a twofold vocation? Can the brother and the priest glory in being called to their respective vocation unlike the great mass of ordinary Christians? It is solely and wholly God's mercy; so, even if we were born of Christian parents while two billion people were born of non-Christian parents, quid habes quod non accepisti?² If you have received everything, why do you glory as if it is not all a gift? So says Saint Paul. Our obligation is humbly to acknowledge our talents and to respond generously to what we have received.
In his letter to the Romans, having described the condition of the chosen people vis-à-vis the pagans and their respective graces, Saint Paul concludes: O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements and how inscrutable his ways! 'For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his

counsellor?' 'Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?' For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory for ever. Amen (Rom 11:33-36).

Everyone's objective is holiness

In some ways it is easier for the Brother to become holy. Humility is a virtue which underpins all holiness. The Brother has only to comply fully with his twofold vocation. The way to great holiness is open to the priest if he complies fully with his gifts and his multiple vocation. God does not reward the gifts he has granted us, but the merits of those who use their talents wisely.
Each one can conclude: If I want to I can be holy, a real holy person, and quite quickly too. Banish thoughts, gossip, desires, and comparisons that serve only to stir up envy, spite, discontent, and result in a waste of grace and time.
What is the exact role of the priest and the brother in the Pious Society of Saint Paul? It is set down in the second article of the Constitutions: the special aim consists in propagating Catholic doctrine, by the apostolate of communications with technical procedures, audiovisual means. It is the docete,³ reproducing the teaching of Jesus Christ and the Church so that it reaches people more quickly and on a broader scale. This is a threefold apostolate: the editorial [conception], the technical, and the distribution. These three elements together form our apostolate and make the writer, the technician and the distributor an apostle. The writer

and the editorial team alone do not constitute the apostolate of publications; the technician alone becomes simply a worker; the distributor, a salesperson.
Therefore the Constitutions say: colaborers in the same apostolate. And so, the eye cannot tell the heart that it is blind and of no use; nor can the lung say to the head: you don't do anything. We are an organism, not a mechanism; even so, in an automobile each part has a role, the wheel just as much as the carburettor. The Congregation itself is a social body, part of the mystical body. Often the least visible members assume the most necessary roles, the humble, the pious, the martyr; whereas if they were more on show the opposite might be the case.
Noise does little good. Good makes little noise. Who will be the holier? It will be the person who has greater love for his vocation and responds more generously to it. The way that surpasses all others is that of greater love towards God and towards our fellow human beings.

Reciprocity: as in the Family of Nazareth

What are the duties of priests towards the brothers? They should show them goodness, provide instruction, spiritual direction, and the means of sanctification (the sacraments) and excel in good example.
What are the duties of the brothers towards the priests? They should profess a sincere respect and reverence towards them, and be steadfast in their collaboration.
In everyday life, whether priest or brother, there must be religious fellowship, mutual understanding and service; each one in accordance with his status, talents, and office.

The Family of Nazareth is the model of every religious family: in chastity, poverty, obedience and community life. Each of these three holy persons carried out the duties of his or her condition; all three cooperating and preparing for the redemption of the world, in accordance with the designs of our heavenly Father. And so are we Paulines, in bringing to humanity light, peace and grace, by means of our apostolates.
We are in the Divine Master House, in the church dedicated to Jesus Master; here present you are united as priests and brothers of Jesus Master, who wanted priests and brothers, who united priests and brothers to share the one reward.
In these few words are summed up the principles for living close-knit religious life, inspired by the charity which Saint Paul drafted as a law: enlightened, respectful, constant, joyful collaboration; a mutual program of giving and receiving; receiving and giving, in accordance with one's condition.

Esteem one's own gifts

It is a grave mistake to envy the condition of others; instead, a secret of merit and peace is to love one's own state, and to fulfil joyfully one's duties.
If the priest were to enjoy greater freedom of action, it would only be in view of doing greater good.
At God's judgement the brother's report concerns the religious life and the apostolic life; the priest's report concerns his priestly ministry as well, and the responsibilities that go with it.

From a human point of view the life of study and writing requires a great deal more sacrifice.
A good Brother in the Congregation, who is always geared to holiness and the apostolate, can be chosen for roles of greater responsibility.
The development and the effectiveness of the publications' apostolate depends, quite clearly, apart from the conceptual stage, on promotion. This is what brings the conceptual and the technical aspects to completion and their goal.
The Brother will always be able to praise the Lord who, in having associated him with the priest, has raised him to the rank of apostle. Saint Joseph was neither a doctor nor a pope, but among the saints he is pre-eminent and, after Mary, the one who enjoys greater glory and power in heaven.
To love one another, to collaborate, to show mutual respect as two complementary components, two beings who form the new being in the Church: this is the publications' apostle. The soul has to love the body which it uses in order to merit; the body has to love the soul which guides it along the ways of holiness; after the resurrection they will be conjoined in a single and complete beatitude.
I must say a few words to priests and brothers together:
a) We need to live by faith, always pondering things in God's light; and to live fervent lives. Thus both priests and brothers will enjoy the many and very precious fruits of the religious life; otherwise they will meet with troubles and a veil of mutual discontent.
b) In accordance with God's plans, the government of a clerical Institute, as is ours, falls to the priest

by reason of his ministry - the regimen animarum.⁴ Our Institute is not one only of Brothers. I am not going to answer the objection that there are examples of Institutes in which priests and brothers are conjoined; I can't spell out here the things that ought to be said. In our Institute the Brothers already give to the government the contribution open to them, one which the Congregation also desires. This is a consequence of the articles added to the Constitutions, following the concession granted by the Holy See ad experimentum for twelve years. Questioned in April 1960, the Holy See replied that If the experiment has a favorable outcome, these articles can be inserted definitively in the Constitutions.