What projects and plans are you making or implementing? Simply maintaining is never really maintaining. It looks like the status quo but often is really masked decline. Making and implementing plans does not mean envisioning things that are unrealistic. Religious life, while dwelling in ideals, is often realistic and practical. Our monastic brothers often note that they tend to be practical. At the same time, though, they are living a life that is quite evangelically radical.
Charisms of communities are ideals. The practical ways in which we live them is where the projects and plans are found. Simply maintaining, from the perspective of lived charism in mission, does not work. The reality in which we live changes and so our way of doing mission will change over time. The core aspects of our lives such as prayer, fraternal life, common apostolic work, do not change. How we do them does need to change over time. Leaders in religious communities are the ones who assist the members in developing a way forward that is not simply staying put but realistically addressing the needs of today in continuity with the charism and life of the community.
This is not an easy task, but a necessary one. It needs to be done in good collaboration with the members of the community and others who share in the realization of our efforts in mission. All of it is done in prayerful discernment with openness to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
We might then be guided to decisions that can move beyond simply maintaining into more profound mission for Christ.
In prayerful solidarity,
Frank Donio, SAC
Executive Director
This is an excerpt from the September 2026 Items of Note. Items of Note is a monthly email for CMSM members and partners. If you are not receiving Items of Note once a month via email, please email contact@cmsm.org.