The call to serve has always been at the heart of Christian discipleship. From Christ’s washing of the disciples’ feet to the humble ministry of saints throughout the ages, service is not merely an act but the way to life.
In this International Year of the Pilgrim, we are reminded that our journey is both a spiritual and physical movement towards a deeper relationship with Christ and his people. The Marist Association of St Marcellin Champagnat is one of many ecclesial movements dedicated to living out Jesus’ Great Commission to go and make disciples in all the nations (Matthew 28:16-20). Marists continue this mission by forming those who feel called to serve in creative and faithful ways, alongside the Marist Brothers.
MOVEMENT OF THE HEART
Pilgrimage is not only about physical journeys to sacred sites; it is a daily movement of the heart towards God and towards others. The Marist Association continues to find new and creative ways to remain faithful to the charism in the modern contexts of education, solidarity and pastoral care. Like their founder St Marcellin, who sought to bring the Gospel to the young people of 19th century rural France, these lay Marists and Brothers are shaping a Church that is open, welcoming and deeply committed to service.
For many, service within the Church has been understood in terms of humility and obedience, to be a ‘servant’ of God’s will. However, Jesus offers a profound shift in perspective when he tells his disciples in John 15:15, ‘I no longer call you servants, I call you friends’. This friendship with Christ can transform the way we serve. Rather than being merely workers in God’s vineyard, we are called to co-responsibility, deeply loved by God and trusted to carry out his mission.
Marists, both lay and religious, embody this vision of friendship with Christ through their mission.
DEEP SENSE OF BELONGING
They do not serve out of obligation but out of a deep sense of belonging to God’s family. The Marist Brothers, who have dedicated their lives to education and evangelisation, have long lived this call to service, and the Marist Association continues to foster communities where members share life, faith, and mission as friends in Christ, supporting one another in their vocation to serve.
In a world that is rapidly changing, faithfulness to any charism requires creativity. Far from simply preserving the legacy of their spiritual founders, it’s about looking beyond and reimagining the mission in new contexts. St Marcellin was a man of action who responded to the needs of his time by founding schools and forming educators who would lead with love.
Today, Marists are called to continue this work in new and evolving ways and to courageously embrace new expressions of mission, deeply rooted in the Gospel. They teach, counsel, mentor and accompany those on the margins of society, responding to the signs of the times and being sustained by their spirituality.
WITNESSES TO THE GOSPEL
Lay associations provide pathways for people to live out their faith with purpose and become contemporary witnesses to the Gospel. Importantly, this lay vocation is not secondary to religious life but an essential part of the Church’s mission. At the 16th General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, Pope Francis reiterated that lay participation is not merely a symbolic gesture but a foundational element that strengthens the Church's relational and communal nature. He reminded the bishops that ‘we are making this journey together . . . with hope, humility, and trust in the Lord. Let us walk side by side, guided by the Spirit, for no one can fulfill this mission alone’.
The Marist Association affirms this by equipping its members to lead, minister and serve in ways that are authentically Marist and deeply rooted in the Gospel.
Marist Brothers continue to stand as an example of this commitment, working side by side with lay Marists to bring Marcellin’s dream to life.
We are all invited to move beyond mere servanthood and into a deeper friendship with God who calls us to love, serve and journey together. Whether in schools, parishes, communities or the everyday encounters of life, lay, religious and clergy are demonstrating that the Holy Spirit is alive and flourishing. When we place our gifts at the service of the community, we truly become witnesses of what it means to ‘live the dream’.
