I. Charism - La Salle.org

IV. DISCOVERING, LIVING, SHARING THE GIFT OF GOD 51
in itself significant. This charism has been transmitted from generation
to generation. Each Lasallian today – Brother, Sister, lay person,
man or woman – is called upon to appropriate it and to say it
with words, gestures, the procedures of his time, of his culture, of
his state in life. Let it therefore be very clear here that the “Lasallian
charism” is not “the charism of the religious life of the Brothers of
the Christian Schools”, even if this “Lasallian charism” strongly
colours (or ought to colour) the manner in which the Brothers life
their consecration.
“Lasallian charism” is a bit like a coin. It has two sides which are
inseparable: one side turned towards the manner of living “association”,
which for a long time was almost exclusively community life;
and a side turned towards the mission: a way of living and making
lived the educational service of children and the young. In thus formulating
the dimensions of charism, one can clearly see that the
manner of living association as well as the manner of living the education
mission is not reserved to “religious”. And the manner of living
association as well as the education mission, is “fraternity”.
1. At the beginning of the story
An improbable pair: Jeanne Maillefer and Adrien Nyel.
It is not without interest for us today, to recognise that even before
Monsieur de la Salle took the step of accompanying the teachers in
Reims, before he embarked on the itinerary of foundation that we
know, it was two lay persons, Madame Maillefer and Monsieur
Adrien Nyel, who gave the initial impetus. Without them our history
would probably have been different. The Institute of the
Brothers of the Christian Schools was not the result of some reflection
in an office, nor did it arrive fully formed from the brain of a
holy man of genius. No, its beginnings are to be found in the apos-