Source of La Salette Spirituality

Editor: This article originally appeared in December, 1966, just a year after the conclusion of Vatican II, in the La Salette publication, Reconciliare, (vol. 2, #2) and has been reduced in size for republication. Fr. Novel obtained a Doctorate in Theology and Scripture.

The Event of La Salette… has caused a chain reaction of “salettine” spirituality, more especially a movement (centered on reconciliation) which Bishop Ginouilhac attributed to La Salette. The grace has left its mark, profoundly so at times, upon certain religious communities of priests, sisters and laymen. It is still happening.

A New Grace

It has been said that “La Salette is not a new doctrine, but a new grace”; and so it is. It adds nothing new to revealed truth, but it sheds new light upon that truth; it highlights certain aspects of it which, while not exactly forgotten remained nonetheless overlooked, in spite of their direct bearing on our God-centered life. The grace of La Salette has been designed to bring vanishing Gospel values back into focus.

As the people of God, ours is the unfinished task of reinterpreting the "sign" of La Salette over and over again; we will always need to think it over anew and to draw fresh inspiration from it.

Mary, who speaks at La Salette, is thoroughly well versed in matters of faith; she speaks to her people, a believing people grown forgetful of the mystery of its faith. Once reminded by its Queen, this people delve into the mystery once again, since it remains anchored in faith.

 …La Salette spirituality, a common patrimony, grows richer from generation to generation.

Contemplative vs. Missionary

Fr. Sylvain-Marie Giraud, M.S. (1830-1885)

(From our earliest years,) our founding fathers faced a dilemma: some opted for a more contemplative life (Father Giraud and the spirit of sacrifice); others preferred a more active missionary life.

The missionary spirit won out…Yet, Father Giraud, due to his own special grace, was able to discover in the event of La Salette values of faith that remain meaningful even for our own age. His ideas can still nourish (us), especially (his ideas about) Our Lady of La Salette, Reconciler.

In any event, both aspects originally considered by the founding fathers, the missionary spirit and the spirit of sacrifice, can be traced to a common source: the event of La Salette.

In the eyes of the Church we are missionaries. Yet to live this missionary life more fully, not only do we wish to saturate our lives with spiritual values, prayer, sacrifice, the spirit of (reconciliation), but we go further and consecrate ourselves to God in the religious life. In so doing, we wish to labor more effectively for the glory of God by working for our personal reconciliation and the reconciliation of (all people) with God…

Religious life, priestly life and missionary life blend together more harmoniously if we realize that they make us better qualified to glorify God, the final goal of our religious, priestly and missionary life.

The Place of La Salette Spirituality in the Church

There is but one Christian spirituality though there are many ways of being a Christian. These expressions of Christianity lived by a group of Christians constitute spiritualities and schools of spirituality. Each school has its own way of perfection; it accentuates Christian values which give it its own personality in the Church.

By presenting us with her vision of faith, at La Salette, Our Lady Reconciler integrates us into the mission of the Church as Missionaries of Reconciliation. This is how the Church identifies us. From these basic notions we can draw the leading ideas of our spirit and spirituality…

There is no denying that a certain grace abides and operates on that mountaintop: (people) are overwhelmed by the narrative regarding the apparition and by the teachings we draw from the message of La Salette. This impression is corroborated in the confessional, in private conversations with the pilgrims, or by the testimony of the many who have been helped. In this respect, La Salette remains a privileged spot.

My pastoral experience has taught me that we La Salettes always stand to gain by preaching about Our Lady Reconciler's miraculous intervention in the life of her people… The La Salette event, situated in the vision of faith (surrounding) it, gives a lift to my pastoral (ministry).