George Matulaitis Journal

and unified, governed by higher motives: the glory of God, the good of the Church, and the welfare of our own Community. Diversity of talent, education, tasks, and duties notwithstanding, we must all be united by the firm discipline without which community life is impossible. We must be bound together in one spirit: love of God and neighbor, devotion to our Congregation, a zealous spirit of sacrifice, a desire to serve the glory of God in self-renunciation and self-forgetfulness. Let us be united by an obedience that does not spring from coercion but from a humble heart, full of love for God and the Congregation. As we cultivate and develop our various God- given talents and gifts, let us learn to use them with love wherever needed for God, for souls, and for our Congregation. How weak a person is when he stands alone by himself, but how strong he becomes when his individuality is merged with and blended into the whole Community. How miserable a person often is with no one to rely on but himself and how rich he becomes when he deposits his talents in the common treasury. The more a person is able to renounce himself and merge with the other members of the community, with its common life and work, the stronger the community becomes and in it the person himself. May our Congregation be a miniature society in which each member can be employed purposefully and productively, where each can use his gifts in the service of God and man. There is no physical or mental ability which, if properly developed, cannot be useful in the Congregation. But then again, each member should be careful not to allow himself to be deluded by unrealistic aspirations. Often a person does not really know himself: he imagines that he has the ability for this or that work, that he has the skill to perform one task or another, when, in reality, the opposite is true. He has the gift for something entirely different. Then too there are people who doubt their own ability and lack self-confidence. They think that they will not be able to perform the task assigned to them. Each one, therefore, should be submissive to the judgment of his superior, whose duty it is to understand us and our talents and to place us accordingly. Superiors can often be more objective and know us better. From their own observation and the reports of others they can put together a pretty accurate profile. That is why we should trust our superiors. Inspired by the Spirit of God, they are not seeking any other end but our own good, 87