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Legion HANDBOOK D10944_1 26/02/2014 15:53 Page 64

64 THE LEGION APOSTOLATE CHAPTER 10
The priest who does not comprehend this law of priestly mission
will go through life realising only a fraction of his power, whereas it is
his true destiny in Christ to measure the horizons.” (Canon F. J.
Ripley)

5. THE LEGION IN THE PARISH

“In the present circumstances the lay faithful have the
ability to do very much and, therefore, ought to do very
much towards the growth of an authentic ecclesial
communion in their parishes in order to reawaken missionary
zeal towards non-believers and believers themselves who have
abandoned the faith or grown lax in the Christian life.” (CL
27) It will be found that the growth of a true community
spirit will be greatly promoted by the establishment of the
Legion of Mary. Through the Legion, lay people become
accustomed to working in the parish in close union with their
priests and participating in pastoral responsibilities. The
regulation of various parish activities through a regular
weekly meeting is an advantage in itself. A higher
consideration, however, is that those involved in the work of
the parish will be provided, through member ship of the
Legion, with a spiritual formation, which will help them to
understand that the parish is an Eucharistic com munity, and
with a methodical system, which will enable them to reach
out to everyone in the parish, with the aim of building up
that community. Some of the ways in which the Legion
apostolate may be under taken in a parish are described in
chapter 37, Suggestions as to Works.
“The lay apostolate must be considered by priests as a definite part
of their ministry, and by the faithful as a duty of the Christian life.”
(Pope Pius XI)

6. ITS FRUITS ARE INTENSE IDEALISM AND ACTION

Again, the Church by exhibiting only a cautious routine
would place the Truth, of which it is the custodian, in a very
dis advan tageous setting. If the young once form the habit of
looking to purely worldly or even irreligious systems for the
active idealism for which generous natures crave, a terrible
harm has been done, for which future generations will pay.