Page 274 - 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 269

CHAPTER 38 THE PATRICIANS 269
do, they lessen the function of the ordinary members. They
stray towards the schoolroom. It is vital that the Spiritual
Director, the chairperson, and the reader of the paper keep
within the time and other limits specified for them, no matter
what the temptation to the contrary may be. Most people are
uncomfortable in the presence of expertness and authority.
Therefore those key-persons should act according to our
Lord’s own formula for the successful passing on of know -
ledge: “Learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart.”
(Mt 11:29) Prob ably it can be said that the more they efface
themselves during the actual dis cussion, the more freely it
will run. But this is not to restrict them drastically to their
own prescribed times; they may intervene as ordinary
members would, but with restraint.

7. The “interpreting principle”. Pre-eminent among the
Patrician characteristics is its “interpreting principle.” Thereby
contri butions, which for one reason or another are beyond the
complete comprehension of the bulk of the members, are
brought within the understanding of all. This means that
advanced thoughts and difficult ideas can be expressed and
eventually passed on to the simplest members in a form which
they grasp. This capacity to place the most learned and the
least learned on the footing of understanding each other is a
jewel of great price. Here is how it operates: Let us suppose that
the opening talk (or any contribution) is of such an advanced
character that only ten per cent of those present understand it.
Therefore if it were an ordinary lecture, it would be wasted. But
in the Patricians, some of the ten per cent who had understood
it, begin to discuss it. In practice they do this in a manner
attuned to the standard of the bulk of the members, so that the
difficult talk is in process of being reduced to the level of
general understanding. Others then begin to speak, and finally
an operation equivalent to that of grinding down corn into
fine flour is accomplished. All the obscurities contained in that
original talk have been, so to speak, interpreted or translated
into the mental capacity of all the members. In this way
nothing contributed to the Patricians is lost.
This feature of the Patricians possesses an unique value in
con ditions such as those of the missionfield. There the task of
the missionary is the teaching of the fulness of Catholicism to