I. Charism - La Salle.org

IV. DISCOVERING, LIVING, SHARING THE GIFT OF GOD 111
Monsieur Bricot tried to move him aside, but “the Brother who was
spokesman for all, remained calm for his part and stayed where he
was”. Passive and respectful resistance! “The Community’s
spokesman repeated in a louder voice what he had just said more
softly raising the tone, repeated in a louder voice what he had said
more softly”. 73 The other Brothers, when the Grand-Vicaire finished
speaking and ordered them to receive their new Superior; the
Brothers “their patience exhausted and unable to hold back their
emotions patience and giving in to the strength of their affliction…
They all lifted up their voices to protest the orders given them.
They all cried out that they had no Superior than De La Salle and
his Eminence (!)” 74 The novices joined their voices to those of the
Brothers and added to the tumult… John Baptist de La Salle tried
to convince the Brothers that they had to accept, but they replied
that it was precisely because of their vow of obedience that they
could not obey him on this point.
A personalised understanding of the vow.
Even if we must take into account the pompous style of Canon
Blain’s discourse, what he reports is very revealing regarding
the interpretation which the Brothers made of their vow of
obedience and of the link it established with John Baptist de
La Salle.
Those who had made a vow of obedience to De La Salle, considered
this vow as a personal one binding them to him; They did not think
they were under any obligation to pay the same submission to a chief
who was not a member of their organization, whom they had neither
selected nor asked for, who did not possess their unique spirit or ways,
who was ignorant of their customs and procedures, who was not fit to
73
Blain, op. cit., Book Two. p. 435. (CL 7, p. 413).
74
Blain, op. cit., Book Two. p. 436. (CL 7, p. 414).