Service In Many Forms

Last evening, St. Michael's Church in North Andover, MA was the scene of loving support, family spirit, and service to those who mourn.  The love, respect and dignity with which the Central Catholic Family displayed in solidarity with the mourning Imprescia family was a clear sign the our mission, our family spirit, has sunk into the hearts of current students and classmates of Nick, Ricky and Olivia Imprescia.  They were there dressed properly, in large numbers and indeed brought comfort and consolation just be their presence.  It struck me that the family spirit we pride ourselves in is alive and well.
In Andover, another event took place immediately after the funeral Mass at the Wyndham, where the Exchange Club of Lawrence honored men and women whose lives are dedicated to service of the community, but who are not recognized or thanked enough: our police, fire fighters and EMT's.  Several were singled out for awards, but the evening was really dedicated to all those who serve in these capacities.  Although not conscious of their Marist connection, their daily jobs of service to "those in need, often the most neglected" or most threatened, are in alignment with our mission to serve "the least favored."  Three cheers to the Exchange Club for this public recognition and expression of gratitude in the name of all of us.
And today marks the Memorial of St. John Bosco, who like St. Marcellin, dedicated his life and founded the Salesians (men and women) to care for neglected youth by educating them not only in their faith, but also in practical technical skills which enable them to support themselves and rise above the poverty into which they were born.
Reflecting on these positive events could and should give us the impetus to gratitude and service ourselves as we begin this day.
Bro. Rene

Showing Compassion

A beautiful hymn describes God embracing all people, rich, poor, healthy, ill. All find a place in his loving arms:
The poor, the rich stand side by side,
to all, God's arms are opened wide.
God beckons us to come, draw near,
Then comforts us and dries our tears.
The hymn continues by admonishing us to do likewise:
And we, in turn, must show God's care
To all in need or in despair.
That when our earthly course is run
We hear these words of God's own Son:
"The least, to whom you gave your hand,
Will walk with you in God's own land."

Each day we hear of, we meet people in great need: mourners, sufferers from physical, emotional pain or spiritual dryness, victims of some kind of violence.  It is overwhelming.  We respond to their requests for prayers, but the burden" is too much for us to bear alone.  If we are going to show them compassion, give them the support they need, Jesus must be at our side, in our hearts, the backbone of our compassion.
Bro. Rene

"All Marists of Champagnat"

In his letter of January 2nd, marking the 196th birthday of the Little Brothers of Mary, "To the Ends of the Earth", our Superior General, Br. Emili Turu, uses the salutation, "All Marists of Champagnat" for the first time.  He is serious about including the growing number of Marist Laity in our Marist Family correspondence and mission.  In particular, he, as we have mentioned already, is broadening and extending our already successful Mission Ad Gentes program, which was basically centered on Asia, to include other parts of the world, not yet touched by Marist presence, and to include Marist Laity in these new endeavors.  A commitment might be as short at three months, and as long as five years or more.  It is exciting to think that brothers and laity would be living in community and working side by side to evangelize a people who, like Jean-Baptiste Montagne, have never heard about God, Jesus, and the possibility of eternal life.  Such collaboration already exists in part in our Marist schools, where more and more our lay colleagues are taking up the Marist mission and bringing their youthful energy to it.  Witnessing the zeal and passion of young adults and even teens on the March for Life, I am convinced that a new generation is maturing and readying itself to accept the challenge of Jesus to bring the Gospel "to the ends of the earth." (Mt 28:19).  Br. Emili encourages those who might be interested in this project to contact the local provincial.  In our case, (for those who read this in America), it is: Br. Ben Consigli, Marist Provincial Office, 1241 Kennedy Boulevard, Bayonne, NJ 07002; phone 201-823-1115.  Let us all pray that many respond to Br. Emili's invitation as they did to Br. Sean Sammon's, who inititiated the Mission Ad Gentes program.
Bro. Rene

Raising the Standards

Across the nation, Catholic schools are celebrating Catholic Schools Week.  This year the theme is: "Catholic Schools Raise the Standards".  This is a fact and a challenge.  For years it has been acknowleged that Catholic schools provide a healthier climate for academic proficiency because of the devotedness of their faculties, the good order that prevails because of the backbone of discipline and security found in most Catholic schools.  In some cases, as in Marist schools, the sense of family puts students so at ease that they love coming to school, and as a result, often exceed their potential, and later find themselves in top quality schools of higher education.  Sports play a high role in most Catholic schools, where the competitive spirit of youth is challenged and again, leads to high performance.  With all this being true, it still remains the basic truth that Catholic schools exist to enhance and foster the understanding and practice of the Catholic Faith.  Our Catholic Identity, our "Catholicity", should be evident everywhere in the school, from externals, such as crucifixes in each classtroom, statues, banners, chapels, to a permeating atmosphere of prayer, mutual respect, love and service to one another and to those within and outside the school, who are not as blessed in some respects, as others.  This Catholicity should be the main reason why students attend Catholic schools.  In truth, for many it is not, and it is in this area especially that we need to work to raise the standard and draw more of our students into it. 
Fittingly, we being this week by celebrating the memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas, who devoted his life to educating people in the faith through his writings and teachings, still used today.  His brilliant exposition of the Faith led him personally to a deeper relationship with God, and this is the highest standard we hope to achieve in our Catholic schools. 
Catholic education begins in the homes, with the parents as the natural and first teachers; schools only build on what the children receive at home.  So this is also a week to challenge families to raise their standards and make the practice of the faith a visible part of their family life.  Happy Catholic Schools Week to all!
Bro. Rene

Upon Us All

When Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news of him spread throughout the whole region, He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all. (Lk 4:14). As on one occasion early in his ministry, Jesus took up the scroll and read from the prophet, Isaiah:  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anoninted me to bring glad tidings to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives, and recovery of sight to the blind. to let the opperessed go free, and to procaim a year acceptable to the Lord. (Lk 4: 19-20).
The same Spirit that was given to Jesus, was given to us, as was the same mission.  No numbers are in yet from the March for Life, but estimates were running around 500,000, the largest group ever in the 40 years since Roe V. Wade. The Spirit was almost tangible as high schoolers, most on the ground, but some on the strong shoulders of friends chanted over and over, "Hey, hey, ho, ho, Roe V. Wade has got to go."  Not exactly the same style as Jesus, the in the spirit of bringing glad tidings to the poor, freeing captives, bringing sight to the blind, freeing those bound by fear to have their babies, and freeing the path to natural birth for these babies.  The energy was almost nuclear as marchers walked in the frigid temparatures with snow falling on their heads.  Nothing was able to stop the wave of enthusiasm that stretched from the Mall to the Supreme Court. What a demonstration to the nation of the same power of the Spirit that spread through Galilee!  May we all be inspired to let this same Spirit be upon us in our families, communites, workplaces and country.
Bro. Rene

Finding the Lord

God has promised to be with us always, but often in the clutter of our lives, we disconnect from him, as when a prolonged cell phone conversation is abruptly cut off (in older cell phones) after twenty minutes.  In this case, we simply dial again to reconnect, but how can we re-dial with God?  One suggestion is to take one event, one person, one of the day's many happenings or exchange of e-mails, and reflect on it.  If we try to reflect on many, we get lost and remain disconnected, but focusing on just ONE, works.  How did this event come to be, was it a surprise, or something planned?  If it concerned a person, did it bring you closer to him or her?  Was God trying to say something to you through it?  Were you instrumental in bringing a smile, hope, or encouragement to that person?  When we take a good, deep look at a single event, we come to see it as a blessing, and naturally want to give thanks for it.  And thus, we find that the Lord truly has been with us all the time as he has promised.
Bro. Rene
We are leaving for the March for Life in Washington at 5 am on Thursday...I may not have time to post a slice of bread until Sunday, January 27th.  Pray in solidarity with the thousands who'll be marching and praying for a greater respect for life at all stages of it.  Thank you.

Day of Prayer for the Protection of the Unborn

Forty years ago today, the Supreme Court handed down the now famous Roe V. Wade decision which declared that abortion was strictly a matter between a woman and her doctor, opening the door to an estimated 55 million abortions since.  Dioceses in the United States have declared January 22 as a day of prayer for the legal protection of the unborn, and since 1974, groups have assembled in Washington, DC. to show the government and the nation that a large percentage of the nation support the right to life, and perhaps influence legislation to guarantee that right.  A group of students and teachers from Central Catholic will be part of the Archdiocesan contingent, led my Cardinal Sean, to the March for Life.   While all of us can't be in Washington, today and Thursday, Friday and Saturday could be days of prayer and fasting to be in solidarity with the marchers and with all who uphold the rights of the unborn.  The climate in the country, now certainly clear from the president's second inaugural address, is one of progressive liberalism, so the efforts of those who wish to protect the rights of the unborn, and of all living human beings, face greater challenge.  Prayer can do wonders, even the impossible, so let us join the Church in praying:
God our Creator, we give thanks to you, who alone have the power to impart the breath of life as you form each of us in our mother's womb; grant, we pray, that we whom you have made stewards of creation may remain faithful to this sacred trust and constant in safeguarding the dignity of every human life.  We make this prayer in the name of Jesus your Son. Amen.
Bro. Rene

Always Hope

This slice of bread marks the 1000th since our modest beginnings in 2010 and falls on a day where multiple events flow together.  It is the Memorial of St. Agnes, which brings to mind the impending closing of St. Agnes Boys School in Manhattan, which has educated students in the Marist Tradition for 104 years; We honor Dr.  Martin Luther King Jr. and renew his dream of a nation  where all are equally respected;  the Second Innauguration of our president takes place in front of the Capitol where later this week thousands will gather for the March for Life; it is the 61st. anniversary of the founding of the first Marist school in Rwanda (where I taught), and it is the 17th anniversary of the death of Br. Basilio Rueda, our Superior General from 1967-1985, whose cause for canonization has been opened.  It is amazing how marvelous people and events can converge on one day, although years and continents separated them when they began.  We live in a large circle and within that circle elements bounce around within it and often enough cross paths more than once.  No matter how many loose ends we might be dealing with just today, there is always hope that in God's good time they will all be accomplished.  We just need to look at this day as a sign of reassurance.
Bro. Rene

Signs

St. John refers to the miracles of Jesus as "signs", for they reveal something deeper than is at first visible.  It is not only water that changes to wine in today's Gospel, but it is the disciple of Jesus who must be transformed into "the new man whom God has created in justice and sanctity." (Eph 4:24). These disciples are not simply to be preachers of the word, but doers,  people whose lives reflect this transformation, people who exude joy that comes from their faith and their relationship with God.  If they are truly new men and women, it will show in their actions. Interestingly, it is at Mary's bequest that Jesus works his first sign...ahead of "schedule" at that!
At other times, we receive signs as confirmations that our prayers are heard.  This morning I received two such signs...from people I rarely hear from, but who are in my daily prayers.  Grace is at work!  One is on a long retreat, the other is a novice with the Holy Cross Fathers.   Just hearing from them gives me confidence that the other people I'm praying for will also be touched by God's grace in his good time.  We all need such signs. It would be wise and prudent to ask Mary for help in moving along a long delayed answer to these prayers of ours.  She seems to be able to "get things moving."  When prayers are answered, it is not only good to thank God, but to share the news with others, as signs that they might be needing at this time in their lives. All things work together for the building up of our fatih.
Bro. Rene

Marcellin's Web

Work on the renovation of "The Hermitage" now completed, renovations are going on at Le Berceau, the Cradle, that is, the house in Lavalla which opened on January 2, 1817 to welcome two young men who became the first brothers. The architect, Joan Puig-Pey, writes with the sensitivity of a poet, of the spiritual aspect of the project, having a grasp of the sacredness of the place and of the men who first lived there. One can feel the presence of St. Marcellin which combined great faith and great physical effort to make the house liveable.  A good example of the marriage of faith and works spoken of by St. Paul, and at the heart of all spirituality.  Works alone bear no fruit, but if they flow from a deep faith, then they are effective.
Jumping to Cuba where currently Marist Brothers are again working, this time in the formation of educators, Catholic and non-Catholic, not only giving them solid basic educational skills, but a spiritual formation that will help these skills educate "the whole person."  The brothers are not allowed (yet) to conduct schools, but this alternative is a clever way of passing on the Marist Legacy.  Faith is overflowing into this marvelous "work", which is now a work of evantlization. Marcellin's web of influence spreads everywhere, as he intended.  Where in our own lives can we inject a good dose of Faith so as to enhance our work and make it a means of spiritual growth for others as well as for ourselves?
Bro. Rene

What Does God Require of Us?

 1908, Fat her Paul Wattson, founder of the Society of the Atonement at Graymoor, New York, initiated the first "Church Unity Octave" from January 18th-25th, the Conversion of St. Paul. as a week or prayer for the unity of all Christians.  Fr. Paul was himself an Anglican who became a Catholic and his goal was to bring all of Christendom together again, as it was in the beginning.  "I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one--as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me" (Jn 17:21).  The idea took root, became an annual, ecumenical and global affair, undergoing a name change to the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in 1966.

This year's theme is: What Does God Require of Us?(Micah 6: 6-8)

The search for visible unity cannot be disassociated from concern for the poorest of the poor. It is in this context that this year's theme was chosen in order to explore the well known biblical text of Micah 6:6-8. 'What does God require of us?" Micah's strong call to justice and peace forms the theme of this year's Week of Prayer for Christian Unity as it sets justice and peace within the history of the relationship between God and humanity.
For 2013, this theme from Micah requires us to ask ourselves what God truly requires of us in our quest for Christian Unity. Please join us as we pray for and strive together to answer Micah's question in the movement towards the full visible unity of the Church.
Bro. Rene

Poverty of Spirit

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Mt 5:3).  Poverty of spirit, one of the essential foundation stones of the spiritual life, and especially key for Marists.  Some of the saints of the past have done astounding things in seeking to live out this beatitude: St. Antony the Great, for example, who, upon hearing the Gospel story of the rich young man, set aside enough of the family wealth to care for his sisters, gave the rest to the poor and retreated to a life of solitude and poverty in the deserts of Egypt.  After 20 years of seculsion, he was discovered and hundreds came to join him to follow his example. 
St. Marcellin and our early brothers, though not desert dwellers, nevertheless, "left all behind" so that they could give their all to the young children entrusted to them.  Had they not been poor in spirit, they could not have endured the material poverty in which they lived.
Today we have become so accustomed to having "everything", more than we need, and the idea of living as simply as Antony or our first brothers is a challenge that is beyond the reach of most of us.  Yet, there are ways of keeping the spirit of poverty and simplicity that are within our grasp.  A trip through our closets, attics, cellars and garages might reveal a gold mine of things we haven't used for years and thus don't really need, which could fulfll the needs of someone else.  If we have even an ounce of poverty of spirit, or detachment, we can part with these things and share them with those who have less.  Perhaps this "trip" might be a weekend or on-going project, one which will free us up to grow into a poverty of spirit which might lead to a more generous sharing of our time, talent and treasure as well.  We will find we have less for ourselves, yet more in living the spirit of the beatitude and of the greats who have set the example for us.
Bro. Rene

Fueling Our Faith

Negative news and views that bombard us daily can wear us down and put our faith and optimism to the test.  Father Anthony J. Giambrone, O.P. writing in a little book of reflections for the Year of Faith offers some helpful advice in this regard.  "Faith needs fuel if it is to stay alive, and the fuel God gives it is hope.  Hope is the power of patient endurance, the engine that fires resolve.  Hope swells the spirit, after faith has filled the mind, while sanctified intellect and passion bear fruit as the saving deeds of charity.  The demons have dead faith, because the demons have no hope.  Nothing can drive them to suffer in heroic love.  But the Christian is bold, a martyr who steps smilingly to meet his fate.  In hope-filled faith he courageously live a life of loving greatness."--Magnificat Year of Faith Companion, p. 108. No matter where we are, what age we are, or what our occupation for today, we need to ask for hope, reflect on our own history, the life of Jesus, the history of the Church, and see again how despite the incursions of evil forces, good has always come out in unexpected but inevitable ways to prevail.  A daily dose of hope has the power to strengthen our faith and enable us to bring hope and deeper faith to others.
Bro. Rene

Superior General's Invitation

In a letter dated January 2, 2013, , Br. Emili Turu, our Marist Superior General, emphasized the need to follow in the footsteps of St. Marcellin not only for those consecrated as religious brothers, but to the laity as well.  The Marist Charism (spirit, gift, driving force, spirituality), is open to all and all are invited to share in it.  Interestingly enough, in his request that more brothers accept the invitation to bring the gospel to areas of  the world where it has not yet reached, a "second wind" to the already successful Mission Ad Gentes program initiated by Br. Sean Sammon when he was the Superior General, Br. Emili extends this inviation to our Marist Lay Colleagues as well.  It would be the Marist equivalent to the Peace Corps...a short-term commitment (2-4 years) for post-college to retired men and women.  How exciting to imagine brothers and lay Marists working shoulder to shoulder in some region of the world where the gospel would be heard for the first time.  One might also imagine such a "daring" move to be made right at home, where, although the gospel has been preached for centuries, there is an indifference to it which needs to be addressed.  Missionaries to foreign lands, home missionaries as well.  Something to chew on, think about, pray over.  If a strong desire arises, then please contact me or any one of the brothers at Central Catholic, and we'll help you move to the next step.
Bro. Rene

Ordinary Time

Now is the time, if we haven't already done so, we put Christmas away for another year.  Some might like to continue on till February 2nd as we did in the old liturgical calendar, but today is officially the first Monday in Ordinary Time.  This is a period when we focus on the nuts and bolts of discipleship, continuing the ever-on-going task of repentence, conversion, turning to the Lord and living according to his teachings.  We attempt to take seriously his invitation to "Come, follow me.".  This year, we have only four weeks before Ash Wednesday on February 13th, and if that isn't enough of a shocker, Easter is on March 31st!  Early for donning the Easter Bonnet, and moving up Ascenion Thursday and Pentecost to May 9th and 19th respectively.  The life of a Christian is serious business, leaving no room nor time for complacency.  So, to work we go, perhaps taking a hint from the term "ordinary time", and trying like St. Marcellin and other favorite saints, not to go off and convert every infidel on the earth, but rather within our circles and daily routines, to do ordinary things in an extraordinary way.  So many times in our ordinary dealings with others,  we inadvertantly offend someone by NOT responding to something they say or post on facebook, a photo, for example.  Yes, we have so many communications now...e-mail, facebook, etc., it's hard to pay attention to them daily, but it's amazing how sensitive some people are about hearing or not hearing a response.  Or even in ordinary conversation, we often don't listen to what people are saying and just blurt ahead with our own script.  Apologies may rectifiy the offense, but also help us become more aware of our insensitivity and help us avoid them in the future. May we proceed with confidence into Ordinary Time, knowing that God abounds in extraordinary love and forgiveness.
Bro. Rene

The Baptism of the Lord

Today's Solemnity brings the Christmas Cycle to a conclusion, a rousing one at that.  Father, Son and Holy Spirit initiate Jesus on his earthly mission.  This is why he came, was born of our flesh, and experienced all that we humans do, save sin. When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too.  And as he was ppraying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove.  And a voice came fom heaven:  "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well-pleased."  (Lk 3: 21-22).  Imagine being on the banks of the Jordan to witness this.  Imagine being Jesus!  Not as dramatic as this scence, yet we were baptized and something similar happened to us:  God the Father claimed us as one of his children, giving us his Holy Spirit, and assuring us of his love and pleasure.  Yes, how truly adorable infants are at their baptism, who could not love them and cuddle them?  Years later, we come to a deeper understanding of this major event, as important as our physical birth, since we are reborn in the Spirit and the divine life dwells within us.  As Jesus was sent, we realized as adults, so are we.  To let the Spirit lead us "where he will" and to bring the good news of our salvation to others become our tasks they were for Jesus.  What would our lives look like, our families, our parishes if we all "lived by the Spirit"?  St. Paul tells us:  Do not extinguish the Spirit. (1 Thess. 3:19).  Theologian Jose Pagola elaborates:  "A church with the Spirit extinguished, empty of the Spirit of Christ, cannot live or communicate its true newness.  It can neither savor nor spread the Good News.  To develop a Christian spirituality is to revive our religion."  --Following in the Footsteps of
Jesus. p. 45. As we put away the creche and other Christmas decorations, may we ask the Spirit to stay with us and guide us on our mission.
Bro. Rene

Jesus

"He Must Increase, I Must Decrease"

In today's Gospel, St. John the Baptist presents one of the basic principles of the spiritual life:  "He (Jesus) must increase, I must decrease." (Jn 3:30). The life of the recently Br. Francis Regis Nubeck demonstrated that this ideal can be achieved.  Always a humble, self-effacing man, his quiet life was a powerful model for all who seek to walk in the footsteps of Jesus and especially for Marists.  Br. Dan O'Riordan beautifully captured the spirit of Br. Francis Regis in his eulogy, which is quoted in part below.  In reading it, may we be motivated to do likewise.
Bro. Rene
E. Witcraft, once said “One hundred years from now, it won't matter what car I drove, what kind of house I lived in, how much I had in my bank account, nor what my clothes looked like, but the world may be a little better because I was important in the life of a child.” I think it is fair to say that it would be impossible to count the number of lives Brother Regis has been important to and has impacted, but I know that all of us who were lucky enough to have known him can certainly say that our worlds were more than a little better because of him.

The Marist Brothers’ constitutions identify three Marist virtues that should be the goal of every Marist Brother. They are simplicity, modesty and humility. Brother Regis lived each of these characteristics maybe as well as any Marist Brother ever has lived them. Another characteristic of being Marist is to “do good quietly.” For more than 46 years at Molloy, Regis did amazing things with great love for anyone that ever needed his help and he was most happy if no one ever knew about it. Many will remember him for his outstanding works as a Freshman Guidance councilor, or for his love and dedication to Peer Group, or his influence in helping to create the Smile Program and all he did to support it for so many years. For probably the first 30 of his years at Molloy, he was the one and only Freshman Councilor. That meant that he was responsible for seeing every single freshman that walked through the doors of Molloy. He didn’t take this job lightly and no one was ever over looked.
St. Marcellin Champagnat in regards to teaching young people once said to his early brothers “Remember that their lives will always be an echo of everything you’ve taught them.” The echo of Regis’ life is an incredible symphony. So how did he accomplish it and do it so well? I’d like to suggest 2 thoughts and one challenge. First, it was his love for people. Regis loved his family deeply and always stayed very connected to them even after he became a brother. He faithfully would visit his parents when they were alive and in later years his sister and nephew weekly without fail. He looked forward to being with them on al occasions bust especially on holidays and vacations. Regis loved his fellow Brothers and was incredibly proud and committed to living and building community among them, whether it was at prayer, meals, having a drink at 5:00pm, staying up all night to care for a sick Brother. He loved to celebrate special occasions. For many years, he helped always ensure parties at Bellport, especially the July 26th celebration would be not only enjoyed and remembered, but often the highlight of those summers.
Second, I believe he accomplished all he did because of his dedication to prayer and his faith and total trust in Jesus and our Good Mother who never failed him. Of all the things I could say about Regis, the fact that he was one of the most prayerful people I’ve ever witnessed is I believe the true secret to most of his success. He prayed constantly for so many of us and trusted our Good mother to give us the graces we needed in our lives. I have no doubt he will continue to do so for us
– Bro. Daniel O’Riordan, F.M.S.

Walking by Faith

"We walk by faith and not by sight;
No gracious words we hear
From him who spoke as none e'er spoke;
But we believe him near."

So begins a popular hymn, so begins our day.  Would it help if we saw Jesus and heard his voice?  Would that make our day better, easier, or is walking by faith an even greater preparation for growing in knowledge and love of him?  The answer has already been cast, for it is by faith we are walking, as weak and unbelieving as it is.  We have helpers along the way, the prophets, the Four Evangelists, the saints who have walked this same path, the Church, the sacraments, and one another.  It is not impossible. "The Magi sought the unkown king.  Faith seeks to know.  In this season, we are renewed in our desire to seek always to know Christ in whom we believe so that faiht, hope and love grow toward their fulfillment in God's kingdom." (Magnificat pp. 139-140)  In Deuteronomy we read:  "You shall seek the Lord, your God, and you shall indeed find him when you search after him with your whole heart and your whole soul." (Dt 4:29). We know not what lies ahead of us this day, but we do know that if we live it by seeking the Lord, by walking in faith, God will find us!
Bro. Rene

Action Up North

Our Canadian "cousins" recently held a massive meeting of Marist Lay People who wish to take on the tast of evangelization in an increasingly secularizing society by laity and for laity.  Amazingly enough, this rebirth of the Marist Mission is occuring in a country where there has not been a new vocation to the Marist Brothers for the last 40 years.  Marist Alumni and associates who were infused with the Marist Charism as students or faculty, want to take up the task of continuing "to make Jesus known and loved" and have chosen to formalize their desire by establishing "The Marist Lay Association".  They have also received encouragement from young people who have made the pilgrimage to Champagnat Country---the Hermitage, LaValla and other locations prominent in our early history. Gradually, more and more lay people around the world are stepping up to follow in the footsteps of St. Marcellin and take up the Marist Vocation as their own.  He dreamed of Marists in every diocese of the world, and via this lay movement, it seems like that dream will come true sooner than expected.  Those of you who chew on a slice of Daily Bread, can also consider yourselves as part of this movement, though not formally yet, but certainly in spirit. "Take, eat, and distribute wherever  your are.  You are Marcellin's ambassadors in the marketplace.
Bro. Rene

Marist Anniversary

150 years ago today, and 21 years after the death of St. Marcellin, Pope Pius IX gave official approval of the Marist Brothers of the Schools.  This anniversary warrants a prayer of gratitude as well as reflection on the slow unfolding of plans and dreams.  Through his years in the seminary, St. Marcellin dreamed of an order of brothers who would be as close to the ideal teachers as he could imagine, certainly the opposite of his first teacher. Gradually, this dream became reality as other seminarians talked about and planned an Institute dedicated to Mary that would counter the damage done to the Church during the French Revolution.  From the meeting of Jean-Baptiste Montagne, the dying teenager who knew nothing of God, to the Memorare in the snow, it became clear that the need for brothers was great and that by placing his little band in the hands of Mary, he would have a "winner."   In four years we will be celebrating the 200th anniversary of the actual founding of the Little Brothers of Mary, as today we celebrate our official title and approval. The formula of a dream, action, patience, and placing all in the hands of Mary for Jesus is one that all Marists have adopted, as our history verifies.  With today's challenges besieging us on every side, it is as relevant today as it was in our beginnings. 
Bro. Rene

We Are In God's Hands

No matter how often we hear this, "We are in God's hands" or say it to ourselves or others, we need confirmation from time to time that "God has a plan" and that "prayer does work".   We might go for years praying for someone or something without any evident validation that our prayer is being heard.  We keep on asking (remembering the 20 years it took for St. Monica's prayer for the conversion of her son Augustine), but our prayer might become stale or mechanical, until whoops, out of the blue, someone we've been praying for stops by with "a story"--one that confirms that our prayer has been or is being answered. 
Powerful stuff, especially when we consider how the God who created this vast universe, or the wonder of the human body, and the billions of individuals who inhabit this planet right now, all with unique personalities and distinguishing characteristics, has a plan for each one of us, and will go to extreme means to make sure that the plan is fulfilled.  "Why me?", the person asks,or "Who'd have ever thought?"  When it does become clear that God is there to make sure his plan is activated, such as the conversion of Saul or Augustine, the person might want to retreat from it, because of fear: "it's scary." -- Yes, it IS scary that the Creator of the unviverse should be interested enough to step into someone's  life, sometimes dramatically, to wake him or her up from their complacency or sinfulness, or indifference, and challenge them to use the gifts he gave them to fulfill his plan for them. Yet, seeing what has happened, they we will  want to go forward in humble submission and accept the plan and converstion, transformation takes place, gradually, slowly, but surely. 
What a lesson for us who have been praying for them,  that indeed prayer works, and even when doubt or roteness have invaded  our prayer life. The moral:  keep praying.  God is in charge and we are in his hands.
Bro. Rene

Binder Of Wounds

No matter how hard we try "to be good" we inevitably or inadvertently inflict wounds on one another.  Sometimes it's a hasty decision with the thought that this might be the best, or sometimes it's a presumption that doesn't take into account another person's dignity or independence, but the resulting pain on both sides, once it has become apparent that "something is not right", demands reconcilation and healing before life can return to normal. Talking the matter over usually clears the air, but it is also important to remember that God heals through the gift of his Son.  He is the one who came to heal our brokenness, which constantly needs his attention, since it is on-going and won't be totally fixed while still walk this planet.  We pray for wholenesss, we strive for it, we fall, he picks us up and gives us the courage and strength to take the next step.  As we experience his soothing touch, we are enabled to help bind the wounds that we have caused in others.  Jesus, healer of my soul, bind up my wounds and help me bind up the wounds I have inflicted on others.  Amen.
Bro. Rene
P.S.  Two corrections:  1) Yesterday I referred to the feast of the Theophany in the Eastern Church as synonymous with the Epiphany..  Wrong... the Theophny refers to the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan, which the Roman Church will celebrate next Sunday.
2) on Friday, I said that Elizabeth Seton moved from New York to Philadelphia....No, she moved to Baltimore.  Sorry for both these mistakes.
Bro. Rene

"Following Yonder Star"

We are all familiar with the rousing Christmas Carol,  We Three Kings of Orient Are whose muscially stirring chorus, O Star of Wonder, Star of Night, Lead us to thy Perfect Light" sung by a men's chorus can easily get the adrenaline flowing. It also contains the basic truths that underlie this great Solemnity of the Epiphany. The Light of Christ is revealed to all, Jews and Gentiles alike.  The star represents this light who is Christ and leads us to salvation.  Like the Magi, we are called to pay attention to the "signs of God's purpose", and to move on them, despite the cost or because of unnecessary fears of anxieties, or even laziness, if we are to grow in our spiritual lives.  We will encounter oppostion from the Herods who cross our paths, and we can be tempted to discouragement as we look at the darkness of history or of the current day, but there is "another way to return home"   Jose Pagola writes: "Christians do not believe in any kind of new Messiansim.  So they are not prone to any disappointment.  The world is not a 'desparate case'.  It is not in complete darkness. The world is not only evil and thus needs to change; the world is reconciled to God and can change.  One day, God will be the end of exile and darkness, and there will be total light.  Today, however, we see him only in a humble star leading us to Bethlehem." --Following in the Footsteps of Jesus, p. 41.  Let us then sing with gusto, O Star of Wonder Star of Night, Lead us to thy Perfect Light."
Bro. Rene

Our Early Brothers

Our first brothers, young, eager men, had the advantage of  the living presence of St. Marcellin to inspire them and set the tone for the development of thier spiritual lives.  We read in Water From the Rock, one of of our hallmark publications, "Even more deeply the discovered the presence of God in their midst, and learned to rely upon Providence.  Togehter they developed a thirst for Jesus and for following him in Mary's way.  They developed a love of Mary as a sure way of centering their hearts on Jesus.  They competed with each other to help someone in need." These few sentence provoide a desription of what our own spirituality might become: one based on the Presence of  God (in our own hearts and in the hearts of others), total surrender of self to God, a thirst for Jesus along with a love of Mary whose role is to lead us to him, and finally, a passion to serve those in need.  Saturdays, especially First Saturdays, are dedicated to Mary, so this would be a good day to reflect on how we are measuring up to these simple standards, to make an effort to live them more fully in the future, and to ask the interession of Mary, St. Marcellin and the early brothers, now with them in heaven, to help us do so.
Bro. Rene

God Opens The Way Before Us

As Marists, one of our goals is to remain open to the plan of God, as Mary and St. Marcellin did. Turning over our wills, "dying to our self-centeredness", allowing our hearts to be flexible and supple as clay in the hands of the potter, is a common theme found in other religions as well.  Meditation and contemplation help us to quiet our urges to control, to "be in charge" of our lives, and thus follow the way that God opens before us.  Usually, the path is not one we would have devised, sometimes being totally beyond our imaginations.  Such was the case with Elizabeth Ann Bayley, a quiet young girl who loved to read and who came from a rather prosperous family in New York.  She met the love of her life, William Seton, whom she married and with whom she had five children. The future looked as bright as heaven itself, every girl's dream come true.  Then, William's merchanting business began to totter when his cargo ship was lost at sea. Eventually he had to declare bankruptcy and came down with tuberculosis.  A trip to Italy for his health was a major turning point Elizabeth's path, as William died, and Elizabeth, influenced by their Italian Catholic friends and guided by the Blessed Virgin,  became a Catholic. This move caused her to be ostracized by her brothers and sisters, forcing her to leave New York for Baltimore.  Her faith ever growing stronger, she answered yes when asked to start a small grammar school.  This was the first Catholic school in the nation.  Soon after, with two of her teachers, she began a community of Sisters now known as the Sisters of Charity.  Six congregations have sprung from this original group and have spread around the world. She buried three of her children, who died of tuberculosis, which also claimed her at the early age of 46.  Her main goal was to do the will of God, which she referred to simply as "The Will."  She strongly believed that God was the guide who opened the way before her, and all of us. She had no idea as a young girl immersed in her reading, that such a path was before her, as none of us know even what will transpire during the course ot this day, yet through tragedy, sorrow, and pain, she became a model of openness to "The Will" and left a legacy which still continues to touch thousands.  Lord, you open the way before me; help me to follow it with joy and confidence.  Amen.
Bro. Rene

The Holy Name of Jesus

An optional Memorial, the Holy Name of Jesus reminds us that the name, Jesus, Yeshua, Joshua, means Savior.  Hebrew culture and custom, as do many other tribal cultures, give much attention and importance to a person's name.  In their view, it summarizes who a person is.  It is like wrapping up a personl with a label that indicates what is inside the package.  The name was given at the time of circumcision, 8 days after birth.  Zechariah wrote the name, John , for his son, whom we know as John the Baptist.  The name means, Gift of God, and certainly he was a gift not only to him and Elizabeth, in there "old age", but to us as the precursor of Jesus. The angel Gabriel gave the name Jesus to the son who would be born of Mary, indicating to her his greatness as Son of the Most High and ruler forever over the house of Jacob. The power of the Savior, the Holy One, the Son of God,  is encapsuled in the name of Jesus, hence it deserves the utmost respect and reverence.  Hence the old practice of bowing our heads when we pronounce or hear his name.  There is no easier nor greater prayer than simply repeating this Holy Name.
Bro. Rene

Marist Birthday

196 years ago today, the 28 year old newly ordained curate of the parish at Lavalla, France, Father Marcellin Champagnat welcomed two young men into the house he had purchased with borrowed money and renovated with his own hands and began the first chapter of a saga which continues today:  the founding of the Little Brothers of Mary, or Marist Brothers as we are more commonly known..  A simple beginning for a vision which would eventually span the globe.  A purpose and mission:  to make Jesus known and loved by all, especially youth, and those most neglected or in need.  Life in those early days consisted in prayer, study: the catechism, practical teaching methods and classroom management, and manual work (the making of nails to provide income for the small community).  A brave and bold venture, not without its critics, yet based on the faith that this was not simply the dream of a young man, but the will of God.  Marcellin's faith was modeled after the faith of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whom he considered the real foundress and first superior of the group.  He had little idea on this day what was on the road ahead, but with faith, plunged forward "one day at a time," as so many of us do.  That great trust and faith has brought the Marist Brothers to 80 countries where their influence has touched the lives of countless students, coleagues and families over this nearly two-century span of time.  A question to consider as we chew on today's slice of bread:  "Where would I be today, if it were not for the Marist Brothers?"  Let us humbly give thanks for this great gift to the Church and pray that we all remain faithful to the example of this daring, humble Servant of God and the mission he gave to all who call themselves Marist.
Bro. Rene

Queen of Peace

We begin the New Year under the mantel of Mary. the Mother of God, her greatest title, her greatest role in the plan of salvation. The Church has also designated this day as the World Day of Peace. Prayers and Masses will be offered throughout the world for this goal which year after year seems to elude us.  Mary referred to herself many times in her apparitions at Medjugorje as "the Queen of Peace", a title also found in the Litany of Loretto. Groggy as we may be after our New Year's Eve vigil and midnight greeting of the New Year, we are called to be instruments of peace.  Indeed, as Marists with our mission to make Jesus known and loved to all, but especially to the "least favored", the most neglected, the most in need, we can be the ambassadors of peace by living as Mary did, in generous acceptance of God's plan for us, and by giving Jesus the central place in our lives. In following her footsteps, we are the Mary of the Visitation, carrying Jesus to thers in our daily contacts with them; we are Mary at Cana, noticing the needs of others and alerting Jesus to them; we are Mary of Sorrows, bearing the grief of those who mourn; we are Mary of Pentecost, receiving the Holy Spirit and as disciples, boldly inviting others to come to a new level of life in that Spirit. Our Marist calling, vocation, cannot be lived fully without on-going conversion, a conversion which will bring peace to our souls and have the ripple effect of bringing peace to others. May this be our primary New Year's resolution.   Mary, Queen of Peace, make me a channel of your peace.
Bro. Rene