"Be Persistent"

The author of Second Timothy advised bishops, teachers and parents to "proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching." (2 Tim 4:2).  Sound advice that we see lived throughout the Marist World in our schools and apostolates.  Cuba, for example, where the brothers are forbidden to run schools, has a vibrant apostolate with youth, creative, energetic, and ever-growing in effect and popularity.  Through youth groups and through the training of catechists, who in their fifties, have kept the faith passed on to them by their grandparents and parents despite the difficulties involved in a communist country, are passing the faith on to an eager generation who never heard about Jesus.  It is the Jean-Baptiste Montagne story lived over again on a larger scale.  There is even a Cuban novice!
In Haiti, a young brother just professed his final vows,  The Brothers and lay people in Aleppo continue their work with refugee children in a climate of war and impoverishment.  The lay Marist movement is growing around the world. The Marist charism prevails despite unthinkable odds.
And speaking of unspeakable odds and persistence, here at Central Catholic, a senior football player, Ryan Etter,  determined to return to the team after nearly losing two fingers in July, through hard work and persistence caught a pass by leaping with all his might and catching the ball with his now healed fingers, to  score his first ever varsity touchdown in the first game he was allowed to play since the accident.  Persistence pays off at all levels.
Bro. Rene