Is the La Salette Apparition a Charism?

Editor: This is the first in a series of three talks, based on notes taken by Fr. Donald Paradis, M.S. and expanded by Fr. Ron Gagne, M.S. These talks, entitled “La Salette – Charism as Mission,” were delivered at the Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette Attleboro, MA, by Fr. Johann Roten, S.M., Director of the Marian Center at Dayton University, Dayton, Ohio. They were given on two occasions: August 17, 2002, and April 23, 2005.

St. Paul mentions the source and distribution of charisms, understanding these as divine spiritual gifts to individuals or groups for the good of the community. He explains: “To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit . . . But one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing them individually to each person as he wishes” (1 Corinthians 12:7,11).

Charisms have a triple function within the church: first, they have a transforming effect on the persons who receive them; second, they bear witness to the nature of the Church; and thirdly, they embody the various ways in which the Spirit functions in time.

The La Salette event, message, history, spirit, and spirituality have made — and continue making — their mark on the life of the Church with significant effect. In a broad sense, we can consider the La Salette Apparition as a charism

The qualities of Mary’s La Salette message, in true charism fashion, include that:

•  La Salette is attractive and moving — in the affective and existential sense of this word;
  • Jesus said: “Let the children come to me. . .” (Luke 18:16);
  • Mary said: “Come closer, my children. . .”
• La Salette is well-suited to revitalizing the Christ-life of the pilgrims and to sustaining them on their continuing journey:
  • Jesus said: “Everything is possible to one who has faith” (Mark 9:23);
  • Mary said: “. . .don't be afraid. I am here to tell you great news.”
• La Salette proposes a concrete and practical spiritual dynamic:
  • Jesus said: “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name. . .” (Luke 11:2);
  • Mary said: “Ah, my children, you should say [your prayers] well, at night and in the morning. . .”

In addition, the La Salette Apparition:

• It has shown remarkable resilience by spawning two religious orders and many well-attended shrines worldwide to this very day;
• It holds tremendous potential for in-depth Christian transformation of lives through its ministry in parishes and shrines;
• It has a genetic code — a DNA — the La Salette charism of reconciliation, proclaimed by the Church Universal, understood as mission, heeding Mary’s final mandate: “Very well, my children, make this known to all my people.”

The qualities of the La Salette charism include that:

• it has its source, as do all charisms, in the Holy Spirit:
  • Jesus said: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always. . .” (John 14:16);
  • Mary said: “I am obliged to plead with [my Son] constantly.”
• it is concrete, down-to-earth, and practical:
  • Jesus: “When [Jesus] had said this, he spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his eyes, and said to him, ‘Go wash in the Pool of Siloam”. . . So he went and washed, and came back able to see” (John 9:6);
  • Mary asked: “Do you say your prayers well, my children? Ah, my children, you should say them well, at night and in the morning. . .”
• it goes to the heart of spiritual change, or conversion:
  • Jesus said: “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32)
  •  Mary said: “If they are converted. . .”
•  it is eminently helpful to the ecclesial community, to the well-being of humanity, and the needs of the world—faith:
  
  •  Jesus said to the Twelve: “Do you also want to leave?” Simon Peter answered him, ‘Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:67-69)
  • Mary said: “A great famine is coming. . .”
• it is genetically far more than a pious devotion but instead claims the whole person:
  
  • Jesus said: “I have come that they may have life and have it more abundantly” (John 10:10);
  • Mary said: “rocks and stones will turn into heaps of wheat . . .”

Both the La Salette Event and Message are central in our life of faith and reflect visually and existentially the essential elements of our faith. They are as inseparable as mother and child, love and marriage, speaker and word.

Things to remember about La Salette. . .

About its grace: The La Salette Event is an essential element of La Salette’s founding grace or charism. It needs to be explored and translated into theological and spiritual principles. It is a genuinely revelatory event.

About its function: It fulfills an essential bridging function, providing a link between popular religiosity and sound theology. Its message is rooted in a life-giving message that becomes readily available to the masses in words they can easily understand.

About Mary: La Salette reminds us that Christianity is a religious tradition based on mediation. Though God gives himself to be shared, God is not immediately present. God entrusts his message to Mary, the Mother of God’s only Son. Then she shares her message with her young witnesses. After that, the young witnesses pass God’s message on to God’s people — her people — including many La Salette pilgrims. These, in turn, are asked to share it with all those they meet.