I. Charism - La Salle.org

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III. CHARISM IN THE CHURCH
The Lasallian formula of vows, “as far as I will be able and as you
will require of me,” 12 anticipates the expression quoted above from
Lumen Gentium: “fit and ready” (aptos et promptos).
The decree Perfectae Caritatis (Adaptation and Renewal of
Religious Life), 28 October 1965, without using the word charism,
centers the religious life in the action of the Holy Spirit. The text
lists four essential elements of this action: (1) inspired by the Spirit,
(2) freely accepted by the individual, (3) dedicated to the good of
the Church, and (4) recognized by Church authorities. The spirit
(Paul VI will call it the charism) of an institute has an indefinite
duration, but the institute as an organization either changes or
remains static with respect to the force and the effectiveness of its
founding spirit.
The adaptation and renewal of the religious life includes both the constant
return to the sources of all Christian life and to the original spirit
of the institutes and their adaptation to the changed conditions of
our time. (Nº 2)
In the decree Apostolicam Actuositatem (Apostolate of the Laity),
18 November 1965, Vatican II provides the doctrinal basis for the
participation of all laypeople in the life of the Church. The Spirit
bestows charisms on “each believer”, who is free to accept or to
reject these gifts. The Spirit can choose to bestow on believers the
charism of an existing religious institute - the Lasallian charism, for
example. The text concludes by noting the urgency of the supervisory,
coordinating (but not stifling) role of pastors:
The Holy Spirit... gives the faithful special gifts 13 “allotting them to
everyone according as he wills” in order that individuals, administering
grace to others just as they have received it, may also be “good stew-
12
John Baptist de La Salle, Rule and Foundational Documents (Landover, MD: Lasallian Publications,
2002), p 204.
13
1 Co 12.7.