3. 'Instruments of Divine Mercy'
From their own experience the first Marists believed that once a person had 'tasted God' everything else would fall into place. This 'tasting God' in prayer is to be an inner experience even in the busiest moments of a Marist's life. Through that experience we develop a willingness to put all our trust in God alone. In our many activities and concerns we trust more in God than in ourselves. This gives us purity of heart.
Whatever the Marist's situation in life, he or she will be a prayerful person. This does not mean saying long prayers or spending hours on one's knees - it rather means living in the presence of God, having deep faith in the love of God, and interceding for the world. A Marist is concerned particularly with those who are lost and seem to be far from God and seeks to point them to Christ in the gentle way of Mary. There are a thousand ways of praying and caring for people what is essential for the Marist is to be prayerful and apostolic like Mary.
Next - 'The Work of Mary': a Missionary Spirit
