Course XLIV - Teaching 14: Superiors and Sons at the Works

In Houses of Cafh’s Works, Superiors must be very watchful and avoid any influence from the worldly spirit.
Since certain Works are seemingly identical in their external form like other works that are executed in the world, there is a trend to turn over them with the same spirit of a natural work. But this spirit must be not only supernatural, but also the Sons have to act externally and not to lose any characteristic of an Ordained Son of Community. These characteristics are composed of habits and acts so simple that are beyond explanation, but that always create a supernatural atmosphere round the Ordained.
You may treat sometimes or usually beings of the world, but this never can excuse a change of your behavior with them.
An Ordained Son never stops being The Ordained Son, whatever are his contacts. Strange beings to the Community have to know and notice this difference.
The Sons must pay extreme attention to their external behavior because what they are outside reflects what they may be able to realize as Work: a perfect Son is sure token of a Divine Work.
Superiors must strictly control those Sons who lead Cafh’s Works and work for them, especially when these Sons must be far from the Observance in Community.
If it is difficult not to decline in one’s Observance when one takes part in all acts in Community, how much more difficult is when one does not attend to the ordinary act to keep ever in mind the spiritual duties.
As soon as a Son must remain separate because of some especial need, in the same proportion of his separation one observes an increase in his personality.
This would not occur if the Son remains always watchful in regard to this trend.
Although the only idea of the Son is Renunciation, this idea not always persists with the same intensity. On the contrary, it responds to quite defined cycles of efforts and relaxation.
Life of strict Community tends to eliminate that cycle because a regular Observance removes almost insensibly any internal polarity, whether temperamental or emotional, and transforms it into stable continuous efforts.
In this sense, the observance in strict Community is practically irreplaceable. But a watchful Son, who transforms his internal life into a simple and objective state of self-knowledge and Renunciation does not run any risk, whatever be the type of life he has to adopt.
Moreover, his day is harmoniously divided into cycles of six hours; manual work and mental work; active relaxation and passive relaxation.
When Sons enter the Seminary, there they find discipline, observance and way of life whose external aspects become unavoidable.
Any opposition to Renunciation finds just one possible expression: reactions, doubts, temptations, et cetera, since the observance and practices in Community hinder any external escape.
As the Son adapts himself, his internal opposition disappears, even though not totally: just a total Renunciation produces an integral assimilation in life of Community.
These oppositions that in different souls go from being more or less permanent to entirely sporadic, generally become manifested like certain annoyance when the Son comes in contact with the Community or with some Sons, to certain ordinary actions, and almost in the totality of cases, tends to a desire of staying alone and to a segregation from the Community as the visible result of an effective state of inner separation.
Any opposition to Renunciation should be united with a movement toward an external separation from the Community.
This is natural, since life in Community is structured in such a way that is like a mirror of Renunciation itself.
Even in some good and obedient souls, often one may observe how short instants by oneself become like respites of personal freedom, and then they are not so much affected by any dependence.
So, one may easily deduce how a usual separation, even to fulfill certain duties, can increase the personality of the Son. The latter can avoid it by being much more rigorous with himself than the Superior in the Community, since the Son has more occasions. He must consider that he is not only a Son, but also that in those cases he must be also a watchful and severe Superior as to himself.
Any concession quickly multiplies, and a development of his personality means in practice faults of Observance in ordinary acts: delays, omissions and negligence; and later, more defined aspects: personal opinions, replies and arguments. Inadvertently he can become judge and critic of the Community, blames other Sons for his own faults of personal responsibility, ignores natural troubles, difficulties or unexpected events in the Community or Work, and rejects any contradiction.
Besides, the relative independence of the Sons fosters multiple efforts and trends instead of unity of means and ends.
The Son must be very watchful and can measure easily his inner state in accordance with his greater or lesser desire of being subject to depend directly on common acts, or to be relatively independent of his particular duties.
Sons of little spirit of dependence always find difficulties to fulfill the observance and indications of their Superiors, but when they are alone or other Sons are under their control, tend to make things in their own way and become domineering with their collaborators.
Sons: remember always that an Ordained Son never does his will, even though apparently he can realize freely his acts. The spirit of Renunciation becomes manifest when you fulfill the Observance precisely in cases when there are justified motives for a dispensation.
Observance not only is the timetable, Regulation and obedience, but also essence of life in an Ordained Son, his ineffaceable characteristic, and Renunciation made life, method and Work.
In Communities devoted to external Works, sometimes it is necessary that Sons who are not Superiors may possess authority in regard to the Work. Sons: never mistake this authority supposing that this authority grants to you certain right or power outside your specific work. Manifest spirit of humility and make use of that faculty just for what was granted to you, and do not believe that you prevail over other Sons.
All that does not concern strictly to his area of responsibility is not his responsibility but that of the Superiors. If he finds certain faults or mistakes in a Son, that are eventually important, he must report to the Superior to act in accordance with their advice.
When the Directors of the Work are not Superiors of the Community, the Sons must remember that are subject to them. Try to do your best in regard to your responsibilities, but do not forget that the Divine Mother inspire the spirit that must animate the Work by means of Renunciation and Obedience. Do not try to impose your opinions, expound with humility your reasons when you deem opportune, and keep silence when respect and reverence indicate it.
Even do not believe that your duties enable you to change the established schedule or to grant dispensations at will: what is not done through obedience and observance is worthless, although seemingly is otherwise to the eyes of men.
Neither judge nor criticize personally the work or actions of other Sons: remember that all of them are divinely inspired to fulfill their duties; see everything with impersonal spirit and dispassionately. Do not envy, compete or exceed anyone: none must know the source of that happy idea or who has solved properly a problem.
Those very personal Sons, who are quite attached to their own opinions, do not accept indications of their Superiors, and always seek examples and reasons to demonstrate that these Superiors can be wrong and not totally right. They would desire to be under another Superior, more in agreement with their own ideas, and feel that these way things would go better. These Sons must know that in Cafh there are not two Superiors or two ideas, but just one will and one orientation that the Divine Mother indicated through the direct Superior granted to them.
Whoever obeys never is wrong and is certain that he does the Divine Will. Sometimes, if you do not understand why an order was imparted, fulfill it and try to identify yourself with his spirit.
Sons who make a difference between Superior and Superior are those who would not wish other Superior except themselves.
Superiors: instill into your Sons, especially into those devoted to external works, deep spirit and great love of the Observance. Teach always by means of your example, and be model of correction, composure, silence and recollection.
Superiors: do not make use of your authority to break the Silence, schedule and common rules, except in case of real need; just as you behave, so your Sons will do.
Superior: your authority does not aim at breaking the observance but at fulfilling it and to making fulfill it.
To break the schedule is not only to be absent when the bell sounds, but also not to fulfill your duty hour by hour. When Superiors leave the House must return on time in accordance with the Observance. If something occurs when the Community is assembled, the Son on duty or whoever is in charge must assume the responsibility; this way, the Superior remains with the Sons and does not go to-and-fro. Any indication should be imparted at the moment indicated by the Interpretation; otherwise, so pretext of indicating, teaching or correcting, the spirit of silence in Community may get lost. If it is indispensable to talk when it is forbidden, the Superior will do it as an exception and always in a low voice. A characteristic of Houses of Community is that you never hear there cries, exclamations or conversations: just silent words of love and praise to the Divine Mother.
Sons: keep that spirit in the Work and be careful not to acquire worldly habits of useless movements and continuous conversations.
When you must solve something, do not seek personal solutions, but act in accordance with the way of the Ordained Son, which is always impersonal and reflection of his Renunciation.
Do not make difference between Observance of Community and Observance of the Works: Observance is always the same to the Son identified with it; Observance is life in an Ordained Son.