In a world marked by individualism, Friar Hugo Badilla proposes an Augustinian and synodal reading: moving from the isolated “I” to the “we” as an experience of the Church. Consecrated life—together with the laity who share the charism—appears here as a true “laboratory” where communion, discernment, interculturality, and leadership understood as service are learned, to offer the world a horizon of reconciled humanity.
From the “I” to the “We”: Consecrated Life as a Laboratory of a New Humanity
There is an attitude in the world that seems to prevail: individualism, and in this context, an urgent question arises: Is it possible to live in another way? Saint Augustine, that seeker who transformed his restlessness into community, can bring us closer to an answer: “Do not seek outside, return to yourself; truth dwells in the inner man.” The framework is the path to move from the “I” to the “other,” towards the construction of a “we.”
Today, Consecrated Life, like the laity who share its charism, are called to be more than institutions, to become, guided by the Spirit, a “laboratory of the we.”
The “Charismatic Body”: Much more than a sum of people
Saint Augustine affirmed that the Church is a single body united by love, it is the “total Christ.” An image that today regains a wonderful relevance. Inspired by the reflection of Simona Brambilla and the Final Document of the Synod, we understand that a religious or charismatic community is not a “spiritual services company,” but a living organism.
Imagine for a moment the community as a body in which each cell counts. In our “charismatic body,” nothing is neutral. A kind word from a layperson, the intercession of an elderly sister, or the creativity of a young consecrated person are that energy that travels through an invisible network that unites us. Everything and everyone is connected, and consequently, if a part of the body stagnates, the rest feels it; if a part of the charism vibrates with the charism, the whole organism is filled with light.
The Mystique of the Orchestra: The Symphony of the “We”
The invitation of Pope Francis to move from the “museum statue” to “creative fidelity” still resonates in our hearts. The charism given by the Spirit cannot become a relic to be embalmed but a music to be interpreted here and now.
Augustine wrote in his commentaries on the Psalms: “Sing with the voice, sing with the heart, sing with the mouth, sing with your customs.” Synodality is precisely that: an orchestra in which diversity is the timbre, listening is the key, and the director is the Spirit.
Prophecy of Interculturality
Different languages, ages, and cultures coexist in our communities, and from this diversity they are called to become laboratories of a possible world. By learning to discern together, by forgiving each other, and by putting the charism above our tastes, we tell the world that unity is not uniformity. As Saint Augustine said: “In essentials, unity; in doubtful matters, liberty; in all things, charity.” This is the DNA of synodal life. A “we” that does not annul the “I,” but frees it from its own prison.
Caring for the vital flow: Against stagnant water
In nature, an organism that does not move becomes corrupt. That is why Augustine warned us that love is always on the way: “If you say enough, you are lost.” Leadership in our communities should not be a structure of power, but a facilitator of this flow of life. The leader—whether lay or consecrated—must have a high gaze and an awakened heart to be able to recognize where the charism blows today. Sometimes he will walk ahead to guide, at other times in the middle to support, and many times he will go behind, to make sure that no one is left behind and so that the people of God are the ones who guide his steps.
Conclusion: A Dance that Ignites the World
Consecrated Life and the laity in the world have a fascinating mission: to make the charism dance. May vital connections be fostered over rigid structures. More spirit and less geography. When we stop being isolated individuals to become a “we” that is immersed in the blood of the charism, the Church will recover its flavor. We must not be the sum of small solitudes but a body that walks, breathes, and loves.
Do you dare to let your note merge into this harmony? Well, it is time to inhabit the laboratory of the we. Because, in the end, as Saint Augustine well knew, only the love that is shared is the one that remains.
