As Hospitaller brothers we are called by Christ to make an offering of our lives, all vocations Called by Christ to make an offering of our lives, all vocations require the total gift of self for another. The “community life” within the human family has many expressions. Together with the people that God has placed in our lives, we work out our holiness, for the honour and glory of God, as we build up the Body of Christ. As religious, we look for Christ in our brothers and, through prayer, strive to reflect Him in our own persons as well. By becoming one with our Divine Spouse, we constantly seek to please Him, and by dying to ourselves, we hope to resemble Him. When the religious life is lived in a way that is balanced, fully engaging a person’s capacity to love and to be loved, the result is joy and a family spirit.
Our family is a large one, composed of a variety of brothers with their unique gifts, talents, and personalities. From our older brothers, we seek encouragement and admire the wisdom they have gained from years of prayer and experience. With the brothers who entered the community around the same time we did, we share the bonds made in the novitiate. With brothers of all ages we have common experiences from shared mission life and the apostolate. Our new members bring a fresh sense of zeal and energy while the more experienced brothers bring the example of perseverance and fidelity. In community life, all of the family dynamics are present, along with the help of grace and the power of a love that does not count the cost.
The brothers enjoy each other’s company. More than one brother in a room results in a certain energy level and joy that is tangible. One brother relates that on her first visit to the community, he was struggling with the question of her vocation. Years of apprehension were shattered when through a door he heard much laughter coming from the novitiate. He knew then that, in the context of all his desires and sense of mission, she could live this life and know joy as well.
The source of our bond in community life is the dynamic love of the Trinity. Such love expands our very being and enables our love to be personal, un possessive and joy