1. Father Chaminade's basic idea was to get the cooperation of the faithful in rebuilding the French Church, which had been in turmoil after the Revolution. To that end, he encouraged people to join the faith community and share their faith. By practicing their faith, they set an example for those around them and used it as a means to rebuild the Church. The basic activity of Father Chaminade and his disciples was to build a faith community and invite people to join.
2. The community of believers had two principles: the first was to be universal and the second was to discern the signs of the times.
"Universality" means neither limiting nor excluding the means and possibilities of evangelization, because time, capacities and human and material resources are limited.
"Discerning the signs of the times" means identifying what kind of activity is needed in this place and at this time. Father Chaminade describes it as "responding to the spirit of the times and its needs."
3. How can the “signs of the times” be discerned?
Basically, it is about "paying attention to the needs of the people in that time and place." Father Chaminade witnessed the state of French society and the Catholic Church after the Revolution. For Father Chaminade, the "sign of the times" was to build a faith community in French society, just as the early Church formed a faith community based on the Gospel.
4. What do we see when we apply these principles to modern society? The world is full of difficult problems and questions. The gap between rich and poor, justice and peace, ethnic and religious conflicts, the negative effects of information technology, and many more. The Catholic Church must accept these as signs of the times and work to resolve them.
What are the "signs of the times" for me? What are the "signs of the times" for Marianists? How should we respond?
