Charismatic fervour

Fr Ray Blake has posted about Vocations - or rather, for the most part, the lack of them. Except when it comes to communities - be they Diocese or Societies and Institutions - which are unashamedly orthodox and traditional (Here for example). It seems to be the case that a diocese where the bishop welcomes the orthodox and the traditional, he finds that he has a great increase in vocations. Fr Blake points out that: 

"young religious communities have a sense of mission and growth, a hopefulness about them. I was speaking to a young SSPX priest some time ago, he was full of hope and spoke about the development of their mission about rising numbers, he had an almost charismatic sense of excitement about him."

My own experience echoes that. Certainly the young traditional communities I have come across are full of very hard working people with a great sense of mission and zeal, wanting to make contacts, start new endeavours and reach out to new audiences. There is a sense of excitement and building for the future - they are charismatic, in the secular sense of the word. 

Considering the word derives from the Greek χάρις (charis), which means "grace", this seems entirely appropriate. It is God's grace, freely given, at work. Traditionally, in the terms of Religious Communities, each one has a particular "charism" - nursing, preaching, material poverty, etc. Since the Second Vatican Council there has been a call for Religious to look BACK and rediscover their original charism. It seems to me that very few appear to have done this.  The charism that charms and attracts throughout the new communities is, strangely, orthodoxy and tradition. It is this that gives the driving force to their various ministries - because it is new and different from what we see all about us.

How strange that a particular charism should now be orthodoxy and tradition in a Church which has defined itself by these principles since its earliest times.

With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter.

Thessalonians 2:15