Introduction
These three documents, the Foundational Principles of Lasallian Formation, the Principles of Lasallian Education in the Philippines, and the Principles of Lasallian Social Development, are products of an ongoing effort to define and clarify the nature of the Lasallian presence and mission in the country today. They are the direct result of resolutions passed during the First Lasallian Family Convocation of 2003 calling for the strengthening of the sense of Lasallian identity and the deepening of the Lasallian charism among individuals and institutions in the Philippine District. Each of these statements builds on three values which are fundamental to Lasallian identity: the spirit of faith, zeal for service, and communion in mission. The intention of each of the three documents is to articulate the commitments that flow from these values in relation to the training and formation of Lasallian associates and partners, the conduct of the Lasallian educational mission in schools and the socio-political involvement of the Lasallian Family.
The preamble of the Foundational Principles of Lasallian Formation articulates the core values of Lasallian identity.
In this sense, it is the ‘‘heart’’ of the three documents. The values of faith, zeal for service, and communion, taken together as dimensions of one spirit, capture an important dynamism that goes back to the time of the Founder and his first associates. It is this same dynamism that has given rise to the countless apostolic initiatives and innovations that have since grown out of St. John Baptist de La Salle’s initial response to the call of God discerned in the needs of poor and abandoned youth. Taken as one spirit, the spirit of faith, zeal and communion provide a paradigm for living the Lasallian story today.
These documents are intended to stimulate apostolic creativity, not to restrict it. The intention of the members of the three committees tasked with drawing up these documents was to provide a starting point for discernment regarding the way the Lasallian charism and mission are to be incarnated in Philippine society today. They are intended to provide principles and parameters rather than specific answers and solutions. It is the task of individuals and institutions using these documents to find ways in which to develop their own contextualized way of living out the Lasallian story in creative fidelity to the principles articulated herein.