Page 266 - 聖母軍團員手冊（英文版，2014年5月-2022年1月更新版）

Legion HANDBOOK D10944_1 26/02/2014 15:53 Page 261

CHAPTER 38 THE PATRICIANS 261
In this department, Mary presides. It was she who brought
Jesus down and gave him to the world. She has charge of all
subsequent communicatings of him to men. This dominance
of hers is signified by the Legion altar which must form the
centre-point of the Patrician meeting. The Patricians gather
round her to talk about the Church in all its aspects, that is
about Jesus who is present in their midst according to his
promise. This is a high form of prayer which is made easy by
the variety of the meeting; it would not be easy to spend two
continuous hours in regular prayer. This is one reason why
the Patricians spiritualises while it instructs.
In the praesidium, the primary requirement is the obtaining
from each member of a verbal report. The Patricians strikes the
same note; its primary aim is the eliciting of a vocal
contribution from everyone. The setting and handling of the
meeting are to be directed towards that end. The atmosphere is
to be friendly, appreciative, in fact that of the good family in
which, though some are more talka tive than others, all are
found expressing their opinions. That tone depends on the
absence of its opposites. The ordinary tactics of public debate
are based on attack, condemnation, ridicule. If these appear in
the Patrician meeting, the members will disappear.
If the family spirit is established in which the “smallest
people” feel at home, then the Patrician foundation has been
laid. Each contribution will tend to ‘spark off’ another one, as
each link of a chain draws another along. Gaps in knowledge
are filled in, detached items are formed into the mosaic of
Catholic doctrine. As knowledge and interest grow, the
individuals merge more into the oneness of the Mystical Body
of Christ and are penetrated by its life.
In its other features, too, the Patrician procedure represents
the application of legionary doctrine and technique. It is
important that the legionaries should fully realise this so that
they will throw into the working of the Patricians the same
sort of conviction that they give to the praesidium. Then they
will be well-armed for the task which confronts them.
It is the sorrowful fact that Catholics do not speak about
religion to those outside the Church, and seldom to those
inside it. A term has been devised for this Christian
disorientation: Mutism. Cardinal Suenens sums up the
position thus: “It is said that those outside the Church will