CHARTER OF THE TEAMS OF OUR LADY

THE TEAMS OF OUR LADY - WHY ?

We live in an age of contrasts. On the one hand, divorce, adultery and selfishness in marriage are increasing; yet on the other, the number of married couples who aspire to a thoroughly Christian life is growing. Some of these couples founded the Teams of Our Lady (Equipes Notre Dame).

They intend to fulfill their baptismal vows.
They are determined to live for Christ, with Christ, and in Christ.
They give themselves unconditionally to Him.
They agree to serve Him without hesitation.
They acknowledge Him as Lord and Master of their home.
They base their family life on His Gospel.
They want their love, sanctified by the sacrament of matrimony, to give glory to God, to bear witness to men that Christ has redeemed love, and to atone for sins against the marriage bond.
They aim to be missionaries of Christ at all times and in all places.
They wish to express their devotion to the Church by being always ready to respond to the requests of their clergy and bishops.
They strive to be competent in their professional calling and daily work.
They desire to turn all their activities into a collaboration with God in His work and in the service of mankind.
Because they are aware of their weaknesses and limitations, because they experience daily how difficult it is to live up to the Christian ideal in our modern world, because they have unflinching faith in the power of fellowship and mutual help, they have decided to form themselves into Teams.

The Teams are not nursery schools for respectable adults, but groups of freely committed anddedicated Christians.

No one is forced to join the Movement nor to remain in it. But those who do belong must abide by the rules.

The Meaning of the Title

The word "Team" has been chosen in preference to any other because it signifies that those who belong to the Movement have a specific aim which is jointly and vigorously pursued.

The Teams have Our Lady as their patron, thereby emphasizing their desire to serve her and affirm that there is no better guide to God than His Mother.

THE MYSTIQUE OF THE TEAMS

Fellowship and Mutual Help

1. There can be no Christian life without a living faith. There can be no living, growing faith without thought and reflection. In practice most Christian couples give up all efforts to study and to meditate, either because they fail to realize their importance, or because they lack time, guidance or training. As a result their faith remains undeveloped and weak, and their knowledge of God's will and of the Church's teaching remains superficial and incomplete. They have little understanding of the ways to achieve union with God. They are insufficiently informed about such realities of family life as marriage, love, parenthood, education and the like. As a consequence, they have little religious vitality and a very limited range of influence on others. Couples in the Teams wish to counteract this tendency. They endeavor therefore to deepen their religious knowledge and to discover the extent of Christ's demands on them in order to live up to such demands at all times. They pursue this aim in common with the members of their Team.
2. It is not enough to know God and His teaching; there must be a personal encounter with Him. Prayer is needed in addition to study. Members of the Teams help one another not only to study but also to pray - to pray with one another and for one another.
   
   "Again I say to you, if two of you join your voices on earth to pray for anything whatever, it shall be granted you by My Father in heaven. For where there are two or three gathered together in My Name, there I am in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:19-20)
   
   Strengthened by Our Lord's promise, the members of the Teams try to remember Christ's presence in their
   midst and to pray together joyfully and confidently.
3. It is unrealistic to claim to help one's friends to lead a spiritual life if one does not first help them to overcome their worries and difficulties? This is why the Team couples help each other materially as well as spiritually, obeying the precept of St. Paul: "Bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ." (Gal. 6:2)
   
   They strive to satisfy the four demands of brotherly love: giving, receiving (which is harder than giving), asking (which is harder still), and knowing how to refuse (couples will not ask for help, if they are not certain of obtaining a straightforward answer, which may be a refusal).
   
   It is this fellowship and mutual help which should provide the Team couples with the security that so many others seek in material things alone.
   Testimony and Example
   The first Christians, as described in the Acts of the Apostles, “were of one heart and one mind” (Acts
   4:32). The heathens, puzzled by this, used to say in wonder “see how they love one another!” and this
   admiration led to their conversion. In this twentieth century, has brotherly love lost the influence and the 
   power of attraction that it had in the early Church? The Teams of Our Lady feel that today, as before,
   non-believers will be won over for Christ, if they can see Christians truly loving each other and helping
   one another to seek God and to serve their fellowmen. Such brotherly love goes beyond mutual help and
   bears witness to Christ. (1)
   THE DISCIPLINE OF THE TEAMS
   If the mystique of Teams is to be real and lasting, there must be a rule. Mystique and rule, like body and
   soul, cannot be separated. The mystique should inspire the rule; the rule should protect and strengthen the
   Mystique.
   The rule should be broad enough not to hinder the personality nor the mission of each couple, yet strict
   enough to prevent slackness.
   The Team
   Each Team is made up of four to seven married couples. One of them temporarily leads the Team and is
   known as the Responsible Couple. It is important not to exceed this number of couples, for if exceeded,
   an intimate atmosphere is difficult to achieve, and its quality is impaired.
   The Monthly Meeting
   Prolonged absence is detrimental to friendship which deepens through frequent contact. Hence the Team
   meets at least once a month, and attendance at the monthly meeting is an obligation. The following is an
   outline of the monthly meeting.
    1. A Meal Together
   It is highly desirable that the monthly meeting begin with a meal together, the host couples alternating
   as much as possible. There is no better way than a meal to bring people together and to establish
   friendly relations. After all, is it not at mealtime that families gather together, and at the Holy
   Eucharist that God’s children are assembled? The Act of the Apostles record that early Christians
   “broke bread from house to house and took their meal with gladness and simplicity of heart”
   (Acts 2:46).
    2. Community Prayer
   By praying together we deepen our friendships, acquire a common spirit and grow conscious of the
   presence of Christ among His own. But this can only be achieved when the prayer lasts long enough
   to banish distractions and to create silence. At least fifteen minutes must be devoted to prayer before
   going on to the next stage of the meeting.
   The couples first pool their special intentions. These petitions must be adequately presented so that
   everybody can truly make them his own. And it should be evident that the special intention be close to
   the heart of the person who expresses it.
   The members also voice the intentions of the Church and petitions of current interest to the whole
   Catholic family (e.g., persecuted Christians, missions in distress, apostolic endeavors, and vocations).
   In order that this community prayer may swell our hearts and keep them tuned to the heartbeat of the
   Church, Psalms, Collects, and hymns taken from the breviary and the Missal are included. They are
   given in the Monthly Letter.
   Another part of the community prayer will allow opportunity for everyone to express aloud his
   meditation and thoughts inspired by the reading of the Scriptural passage in the Monthly Letter. It is
   good also to allow for a time of silence, so that everyone can establish a more intimate and personal
   contact with God.
    3. Topic Discussion
   If conversation is not carried on with the awareness of God’s presence, it may degenerate and become
   superficial. Ideas will simply be bandied about and truths, which should be applied personally, will
   not be taken seriously. At Team meetings, couples aim at absolute sincerity and loyalty; each new
   truth, whenever better grasped, should be put into practice.
   Discussions are only fruitful when they are carefully prepared. For this reason husband and wife
   should work together on the study topic and send in their written answers a few days prior to the next
   meeting to the couple chosen to lead the discussion. This obligation, which requires that each couple
   give time to serious thought and study together, has proven to be of immense value.
   Mutual help on the study topic demands that all share in its preparation. In fact, mutual help is more
   important here than in material things. Moreover, in material things couples would hesitate to receive
   without giving.
   The study topics are not left to the free choice of the Teams but are proposed by the Leaders of the
   Movement. This is not done arbitrarily but is designed to help members to acquire as complete a
   picture as possible to Christian thought, and initiate them into conjugal and family spirituality.
   The first three years are devoted to the following basic topics: “Love and Marriage”, “The Gift of
   Life”, and “Ways to Union with God.”
   After these three topics, Teams have a choice of several subjects from which outlines, questionnaires,
   and references are also provided. Of course, each Team is free to arrange extra meetings either for
   further discussions or just simply to deepen friendship.
    4. Sharing the News and Sharing on the Obligations
   At the monthly meeting, a time, perhaps during the meal, should be set aside for sharing news of
   family, professional or civic interest, successes or failures, discoveries, joys and sorrows, etc.
   After the community prayer, a time is also reserved for “sharing” on the obligations of the Charter.
   Each couple states quite frankly whether during the previous month, they have dept the obligations as
   laid down in the Charter. There exists, of course, a personal and intimate domain which should not be
   revealed on pretext of friendship. The Teams react against a certain lack of modesty - only too
   common in our day - which leads married couples to discuss all the problems of their conjugal life in
   public. But with this one reservation, the practice of “sharing” and of asking for mutual help in all 
   simplicity is well in line with true evangelical charity. Many married couples are rescued from
   mediocrity, and sometimes even disaster, the day they find they no longer have to struggle alone.
   Retreats and Days of Recollection
   If the monthly meeting is a powerful means for each and everyone to make close relationships of Christian
   friendship, how much more powerful then are retreats and days of recollection? Each couple (together, if
   possible) must make at least one closed retreat every two years for a minimum of forty-eight hours. The
   year in which they do not make a retreat, they must take part in two days of recollection.
   The Obligations of Each Couple
   As we have seen, the married couples come to the Teams for help, but this does not dispense them from
   doing their utmost themselves. In order to guide and strengthen their efforts, the Teams ask couples to
   keep the following obligations:
   1. To Establish for Themselves a Rule of Life which cannot be the same for everyone
   because of the great diversity of personalities. If there is no self-imposed rule, the
   religious life of the couple may easily give way to every whim and become chaotic.
   God has a purpose for each one of us, and such a rule of life consists of steps we decide
   to take in order to make our life conform to this purpose. Obviously the husband and
   wife each have their own independent rule.
   This is not a question of multiplying one’s obligations, but of defining them so as to
   strengthen one’s purpose and avoid diversion. Guidance and advice from a priest are
   valuable to prevent undertaking too much or too little.
   There is no obligation to reveal to one’s Team the rule adopted not the manner in which
   it is observed. It should be noted, however, that many have found it beneficial to go
   this far in mutual help.
   2. To Pray Together Once a Day With Their Children, whenever possible, because the
   family, as such, is bound to worship God and because community prayer has a great
   force.
   3. To Say Every Day the Special Prayer of the Teams of Our Lady in union with all other
   members of the Teams.
   4. To Carry Out Once a Month the Duty of “Sitting Down.” This provides an opportunity
   for each couple to evaluate their life and the pursuit of their goal.
   5. To Study as a Couple the Monthly Study Topic, to send in their written answers before
   the meeting, and to attend the meeting.
   6. To Read Every Month the Editorial in the Monthly Letter.
   7. To Give Annually by Way of Subscription the Equivalent of One Day’s Pay for the
   material needs and expansion of the Movement to which the couples are partially
   indebted for their deeper spiritual life.
   8. To Greet and Warmly Welcome Couples from Other Teams whenever the opportunity
   occurs.
   The Responsible Couple
   One short formula defines their role and underlines their importance: “They are the guardians of brotherly
   love.” It is their job to see that their Team successfully lives up to the ideal of evangelical charity, and
   that each couple finds in the Team the help they need.
   The Responsible Couples are strongly advised to prepare the monthly meeting with the Team Chaplain.
   And it is they who keep in contact with the Leaders of the Movement and in that way with the whole
   Movement.
   Each month, they send a report of their Team’s activity. These reports are a source of information and
   benefit to all the other Teams through the Monthly Letter. The reports also serve to reveal any slackness
   in a Team, which the Leaders of the Movement can proceed to correct. Any Team which cannot or will
   not cooperate will be asked to withdraw. Such discipline is necessary. How many organizations die out,
   slowly smothered by the weight of passive members who ought to have been asked to leave.
   If the Responsible Couple is obliged to ask a couple to withdraw because of their unwillingness to observe
   the obligations of the Teams, the Responsible Couple should make it clear to them that, although their
   leaving is in the general interest, the Team’s affection for them will not change. And the Responsible
   Couple will take care that contacts and friendly ties with them continue.
   The Responsible Couple is elected by all the couples of the Team when it is first formed and subsequently
   before the summer vacation. The outgoing couple may be re-elected for another year of office. The
   Leaders of the Movement have the right to veto this election.
   The Responsible Couple cannot successfully fulfill their role without recourse to prayer. This is why
   husband and wife undertake, unless it is impossible for some serious reason, to go to Mass once during the
   week and to devote ten minutes daily to prayer.
   The Role of the Priest in the Team
   Each Team must secure the help of a priest. No program of work can take the place of the doctrinal and
   spiritual support of a priest. He not only lays down principles, but he also helps the couples to find ways
   to put them into practice in their everyday lives. This collaboration is rewarding; the priest and the
   couples learn to understand, appreciate and help one another. The couples adopt the apostolic intentions
   of the priest, and the priest, at Mass, remembers these couples whose efforts, struggles, and aspirations he
   knows so well.
   Starting a New Team
   A new Team must be started with care. If the beginning is made too hastily without a thorough
   explanation of the purpose and the methods of the Movement, almost certain failure can be expected.
   Careful preparation is necessary; at least three meetings should be devoted to reading and discussing the
   Charter, under the direction of a “Pilot Couple.” The new Team may then apply for temporary admission.
   After a period of no less than a year, the Team may ask to make its “commitment”. If this is granted, the
   members of the new Team, in the presence of a couple chosen by the Leaders of the Movement, will
   formally undertake to keep faithfully the Charter of the Teams of Our Lady, both in spirit and in the letter.
   Admitting a New Couple to the Team
   The newcomers must acquaint themselves with the Charter. The Responsible Couple or one of the Team
   couples will help them to study the Charter and gradually to practice the obligations. After a loyal trial of
   at least one year, they will ask to make their commitment. This they will do with the Team, when the
   other members renew their commitment.
   It may be asked how such newcomers can acquire the solid grounding that the others have obtained by
   studying the basic subjects of conjugal and family spirituality. It is the Responsible Couple who will help
   them study these subjects and, if circumstances require it, will excuse them from having to answer the
   present study topic of their Team.
   The Monthly Letter
   A close liaison is essential between the Leaders of the Movement and all the other Teams, no matter how
   far away them may be. No less important are the friendly links between Teams, built on mutual
   acquaintance, fellowship, and prayer.
   The Monthly Letter, sent to each couple, establishes and maintains this dual liaison-vertical and
   horizontal. It contains news of the Teams, a report of the most interesting experiences, the editorial
   (reference to which has been made earlier), the prayers for the monthly meeting, and general information.
   The Liaison Couple
   Although very useful, the Monthly Letter is not sufficient to ensure that the ties between the Leaders of
   the Movement and all the Teams be as close and as fruitful as possible.
   Each Team is in the care of a Liaison Couple; the Liaison Couples are each responsible for about five
   Teams.
   The frequent contacts of the Liaison Couples with the Leaders of the Movement enable the Leaders to
   pass on their directions and, as the same time, keep informed of the wishes and needs of the Teams. In
   this way, the Teams are linked to the Leaders of the Movement by bonds of mutual understanding and not
   by purely administrative chains of command.
   The Leaders of the Movement
   The Movement is in the care of a group of priests and couples, who form not merely an administrative
   body but also serve to give leadership to the entire Movement. Their mission is to keep the spirit of the
   Teams alive and the discipline firm.
   They must live close to God in prayer and close to the Teams in sympathetic friendship.
   For their part, members of the Teams should support the Leaders by their prayers and should help them by
   the observations and suggestions.
   Couples do not consider joining the Teams of Our Lady and accepting the Charter as a goal achieved but
   rather as a starting point. Love is the law of the Christian couple. And Love has no limits; love knows no
   rest.
   (1) We deliberately speak of “witness” rather than “apostolate.” Not because the members of the Teams shrink
   from the apostolate, but precisely because most of them are already, actively and diversely involved in numerous
   Catholic Action organizations, whether of a parochial, social, professional, or civic character. Their very action
   makes them feel the need for a strong spiritual life, and it is to deepen this life that they join the Teams. Those
   couples who may not yet be active in an apostolate, soon come to realize its necessity.
    On the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, 1947
    Revised and corrected, May 1962
    Translated from the original French, Dec. 1963
    Revised and corrected, Nov. 1967
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