This section starts of by emphasising the simple truth that our legionary work is already part of our fundamental Christian vocation: “Concern for the missions is an integral part of a truly Christian life”. What is the goal of the Christian life? To imitate Christ & to lead others imitate Him as well. In his elaboration of how this is done, Frank Duff says that “it comprises prayer”. We usually think of the active dimension of missionary work, but it is clear that the interior life takes primacy. A strong foundation and relationship with Christ is what gives me the supernatural means to be able to engage in the work for the missions. Simply put, in order to sanctify others, I need to ensure that I myself am sanctified by the grace of God. This is impossible without prayer and the sacraments.
Whatever concrete work a praesidium decides to adopt (in this chapter, sewing was chosen as an example), Frank Duff warns that “[n]o praesidium is to be turned into a mere collecting agency for any purpose whatsoever.” This does not refer to collecting items, but to collecting people for the sake of performing a certain activity. There lies always the temptation (not usually explicit) to use the Legion for other things: eg. As a social group, bible study gathering, to be “faith friends”, social justice work, etc. When the praesidium falls into this temptation, that particular begins to detract from the main aim of the Legion.
While missionary work is expected from the Legion, that is not its primary purpose. The second chapter of the handbook makes it clear: “The object of the Legion of Mary is the glory of God through the holiness of its members developed by prayer and active co-operation, under ecclesiastical guidance, in Mary’s and the Church’s work of crushing the head of the serpent and advancing the reign of Christ.” Once again we see the primacy of prayer which then has the “advancing [of] the reign of Christ] (ie. missionary work) as a natural consequence.
Duff continues the example of sewing to warn the Legion about losing focus: “The work of sewing, by itself, is not deemed to represent substantial active work…except in very special circumstances”. The work of the Legion (which is missionary in nature) requires that what we undertake be substantial. Concretely: during the meetings we must be focused, following the prescribed elements as laid out in the handbook; outside of the meetings we must engage in the required active, contact and allocated works. A simple fidelity to the guiding principles of the Legion will ensure that its missionary dimension is not lost to either extreme of inactivity or sheer activism.
As university students, what concrete work can be done? “The work of the missions” easily conjures up in the imagination certain images of far-flung places or of people who have never heard the gospel. But from the word missio, to be on mission means to be sent. The first people each of us are sent to are our families, whom God has chosen for us.
As Christians, and more so as legionaries, we ought to take seriously this mission to our immediate circles (family, friends, classmates) by word and example. Firstly, through personal prayer, which then allows us to cooperate with God’s grace to be a living testimony from our conduct, and finally by inviting others to join us for Mass or other events where they can come to know and love Christ.
Allocutio by Fr Bartolo
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