Living the Mission

With colleges and universities still on semester break, many alumni have dropped in to see their alma mater and replenish their souls with a dose of Marist Spirit. Speaking with them I cannot say how pleased and impressed I am with their growth in maturity, their current activities in and out of school, and their plans for the future. The Marks of a Marist Student are very much alive in them and they remain true to who they are, their family upbringing and their Marist education with is spirituality and values deeply embedded in their souls. It was like coming into a garden in early summer after the seeds have sprouted and the promise of beautiful flowers is already visible. These students have learned more about themselves and seek how best to employ their talents in a meaningful way in adulthood. One student is going to Chile as part of his college course, to help people become more aware of the need to care for the environment. Another student, already in Guatemala in a small village with a team of other students to help in the school teaching English, writes about his experience so far. He confessed to the people from the get-go that they had a lot to teach him: their language, their customs and culture. His openness to this simple exchange in the midst of heat and droves of mosquitoes is admirable. Others are looking into the medical field not to make money, but to help with the diseases that plague the Third World. How enriching are these experiences not only for them and those who will benefit directly from their presence, but for us, their educators, to hear how our lessons have been taken to heart. I can sense the joy and satisfaction of St. Marcellin as he looks down from heaven 195 years after the founding of the Marist Brothers to see how Marist students are living the mission he envisioned, for in giving so totally of themselves, these graduates are making Jesus known and loved in a very real and concrete way. May they be an inspriration to us!
Bro. Rene