All the rules of religious life, from the oldest to the most recent, have a common denominator: the way of the beatitudes. It is good to remember that a rule is an instrument of freedom and reconciliation. During a meeting on this theme (Rome, January 14 2008) two specialists in spirituality - Carmelite Father Bruno Secondin and Dominican Sr. Catherine Aubin (see photo) proposed some ideas which struck home. The sister presented the beatitudes of Mt 5 as a "autobiography of Jesus", to which all rules, from the historical ones of St. Augustine, St. Basil, St. Benedict, St. Francis to those modern ones of the nineteenth century, can be brought back to this: Jesus was the first poor one, the first meek one, the first peacemaker. That is why the beatitudes are Jesus’ biography. Those who profess a rule today are asked to imitate that mode of being of Jesus, on the basis of his biography. It is not an easy undertaking. Living in obedience, with nothing of ones own, and in chastity (Rule of St. Francis) is still today the way respond to a superabundance of divine love, experienced throught the encounter with Christ. Therefore, the radical way of life lived by St. Francis, while still fully involving the way of sacrifice, is characterized by a participation in the way in which Christ crucified already fully owns all things.
The social changes in particular, pointed out Fr. Secondin with some effective "provocations", have left their traces in community life and how to live the rule today. Among these can be mentioned especially the movements of political and social emancipation, the claim to personal freedom and human rights, the advancement of women, the enormous spread of the media, and unfortunately the invasion of consumerism. All these trends have been and are a challenge for the fraternal life in community. But it is precisely the rule, maternal and liberating, which recuperates the value of each person and of his initiatives and remains the most true means to form new generations in the sense of community and fraternity, by means of which everyone carries the weight of the other, thus fulfilling the law of Christ (Gal 6:2).
Then we will have communities still able “to bear witness to the reconciling power of grace, which overcomes the divisive tendencies present in the human heart and in society” (John Paul II, Vita Consecrata 41).

A law of freedom
Speaking about “rules” to a culture that seems to know of any law other than that of do-it-yourself, is painful and risky. Just the term “rule” by itself evokes, albeit vaguely, something imposed: and this is not acceptable to those who think they ought to be able to choose and act totally independently. Total autonomy, being a “law unto themselves”, inevitably leads not only to clash with the autonomy of others, but what is no less worse and perhaps even more, to the disintegration of the person. The human being is endowed with will and reason, and if the first leads one to satisfy his or her desire, whatever it is, the second warns that in this may be hidden pride and often contempt for others. Of course, considering in area of Christianity, the Gospel of law came first, but we are able to see that the temptation to use Word for its justification is always vigilant, subtle and terrible (see Mt 4;6 where the tempter does not hesitate to use the same Word albeit to bring about division and disintegration). Maybe precisely because of this subtle cunning of evil there have arisen, through the centuries, among the groups of Christians who united to live more fully the Gospel, rules, in other words pathways, road signs, directions for proper use of the unparalleled gift of freedom. The rule is then like a protection and defence of freedom, not as a limitation of it; where it a life in common is formed, by an initiative which is often unintentional, of a "founder", the adoption of a common style is indispensable for the actualization of the plan. Professional and courageous witnesses of common life and free and united cooperation are (let’s say they should be) the "religious". They are those who, by putting away fears and doubts, enter into a fraternity of new socio-economic, human and spiritual relationships.
  
A law of fraternity
The founder is usually also the compiler of the rule, which has the right to citizenship only in a fraternity. It is not easy even today to speak of brotherhood in a world in which the value and meaning of it appear very tenuous. When we consider that a high percentage of households has only one child, what meaning can the very word “brother” still contain? It is necessary, therefore, to demonstrate that fraternity still has all its attractiveness, in richness, in sharing, in reciprocity, in overcoming divisions, as an experience of peace. In the Church and in today's world, especially among young people, there is a strong desire for fraternity and communion. Religious communities are now more than ever called to respond to the worries and inconvenience of the times converting them into places to experience God, in which one seeks to live according to Gospel values. The implementation of this program is entrusted to the rule, recognized by all members of the fraternity as vital common signs, which makes brothers and sisters of men and women of different origin, age, education and culture. All the founders - or they are called "initiators" - thought of a rule. One hundred years ago - March 1878 - St. Joseph Marello, giving life to the "House of S. Joseph "; first drew up a roadmap that gave its young men a very broad spiritual dynamism, based on both interior life and activity; in the rules of 1892 this mutual support - brotherhood – will be made evident, the goal of the education of Christian youth besides assistance to the clergy; St. John Bosco did the same, so did Cottolengo, all of those who believed strongly in fraternity as a place of the presence of God.