Don Bosco, "Apostle of Youth"

Just two years before St. Marcellin founded the Marist Brothers, Giovanni Melchior Bosco was born to a poor family in a village near Turin, Italy. One of three boys whose father died when John was 2 years old, he was forced to work in the fields to help support the family despite his intelligence and desire to become a priest. He overcame those early obstacles and did become a priest, which signaled the beginning of greater trials and greater triumphs. His first assignment brought him into contact with "street kids" who were imprisoned with seasoned convicts. He fumed at the injustice of this kind of punishment, and determined to rectify it. Direct contact with a young boy of the streets who at first refused to serve his Mass, drew out a love that embraced this young lad and spread to others. Don Bosco founded the first "oratory" where prayer, community and education worked wonders. Thought insane by his contemporaries, he continued to expand his "Rifugios" while also founding the Salesian Order of Priests and Brothers as well as two orders of Sisters. The Salesian charism is much like the Marist charism: using love as the tool to help students reach their potential. Particular attention has typically been given to "vocational training", plumbing, carpentry, welding, electricity. When visiting a Salesian school in Nairobi, I was amazed at the ingenuity and practicality of the work being done with the boys. It was the old, "teach them to fish" story: give them a trade and they will be able to support their families. Always, the love of Jesus and Mary is present in these schools and takes root in the hearts of their students. Don Bosco out lived St. Marcellin by 48 years but the two of them hit the winning combination of what makes effective Catholic Education: Faith, Love, Compassion and Practicality.
Bro. Rene

Apostles to Youth

This morning major distraction set in; I accomplished a lot, but FORGOT about a slice of Daily Bread, usually my top priority. I'm trying now, but think this might appear tomorrow, not today; hence two slices on the last day of January. We'll see.
One of our most practical Marist Publications is entitled, In the Footsteps of Marcellin Champagnat; it was the result of the pooling of educational and Marist experise and was copyrighted in 1998. It is still extremely relevant today and serves as a basis for reflections during Catholic Schools Week.
"Following Marcellin Champagnat we seek to be apostles to youth, evanglizing through our life and our presence among them as well as through our teaching: neither simply catechists, nor just teachers of secular subjects." Marcellin is quoted in the LIFE stating our mission very clearly: "If it were only a question of teaching the children secular subjects, the Brothes would not be necessary, because secular masters could do that; if our only aim were to give religious instruction,we could confine ourselves to being simply catechists, bringing children together for an hour each day and getting them to recite their Christian doctrine. But, we aim at something better; we want to educate the children, that is to instruct them in their duty, to teach them to practice it, to give them a Christian spirit and attidudes and to form them to religious habits and the virtues possessed by a good Christian and a good citizen." Thus, it is the aim of our Marist Education to educate "the whole person". Due to the diminishing number of brothers in our schools, it becomes imperative that our lay faculty imbibe this same mission and spirit in order to maintain the Marist Identity of our schools. We all need to work together, parents, alumni, and faculty to understand and accept this mission. All can help with their prayers.
Bro. Rene

Why Catholic Schools

Catholic Schools Week is being observed in the United States from January 29 to February 5. This year's theme: "Faith, Academics, Service," highlights the purpose of our Catholic schools and underscores the need for their presence in our country, where closings are occuring at an alarming rate. Schools and churches were top priorities of the immigrant population of the late 19th century and early 20th century. Grateful for the opportunity to work even for meager wages, families put aside money each week to support their parish with its schools and convents, for they believed that the passing on of the faith to their children as well as the splendid education they would receive in the Catholic/Christian tradition was the best they could do for their children. Still today, families sacrifice to give their children the same opportunities. With an emphasis on our faith, as first and foremost in the educational experience, not only as an academic subject, but in an atmosphere where its values permeate the culture of the school, it is clear that Catholic schools are an important building block for the faith of the next generation. A school where faith, respect, compassion, love, acceptance, good order (discipline), strong emphasis on service, academic excellence, and over-the-top support exists, will result in happy, well-prepared adults who will be responsible, honest, caring and faith-filled citizens who will help our country maintain its ideals from generation to generation. I know I can say that in looking back at the Catholic education I received from grammar school through college and university studies...all in Catholic schools,,,, it had a profound and formative influence on me. May we support them with our prayers and our pockets. They are definitely worth the investment.
Bro. Rene

Centering on Christ

When the chips are down, tragedy upon tragedy surrounds us, injustice overwhelms us, our own weakness and powerlessness, fears, and feelings of inadequacies paralyze us, there stands Jesus with this familiar and consoling invitation: "Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy-burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Mt 11:38-30). Many a time in our lives we have probably resorted to this passage and found the compassion and relief we could find nowhere else.
St. Thomas Aquinas, the great thirteenth century theologian, after discussing the nature of God, creation, ethics, and sacraments, focuses on Jesus in his unfinished section three of his famous Summa Theologica. In other words, all the thinking and reasoning, the explaining and defending we can do, make no sense unless they bring us to a deeper knowledge and love of Jesus whom God the Father gave us as Lord, Savior, Brother, and Bridge to him. With hearts centered on him, even our sins don't stand in the way, for he brings forgiveness, acceptance of ourselves as we are (unfinished!) and unbounded love. "Come unto me..." The invitation stands forever. How can we not accept it?
Bro. Rene

Addressing Needs

It takes boldness, daring and courage to step into the unknown. St. Angela Merici who began the Companions of St. Ursula, in the 15th century known better as simply "the Ursulines" wanted to meet the needs of her city, Brescia, Italy, and times by having her sisters educate students in their homes, for she saw that unless the whole family be engaged in education, what the students would receive would only be superficial. To make this happen naturally, the sisters would not wear habits nor would they be restricted to the cloister. All of this was very radical and, naturally, met with opposition. Eventually Canon Law requiring some restrictions and a habit was imposed, but the spirit of including the entire family in the educational process remained.
Our Marist schools, though not directly including the family, do attempt to keep the lines of communication between school and parents open and with electronic communication so available, this is becoming easier and easier. The world of techonology is opening doors perhaps never imagined and is allowing education to reach students more effectively and efficiently. What lies ahead could match the radical approach of St. Angela. May we not fear to do what's needed to meet the needs of the times.
Bro. Rene

The Price of Discipleship

In his second letter to Timothy, whose Memorial along with Titus, is commemorated today, St. Paul charges him (and every other bishop and disciple) "to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands" (2 Tim 1: 6). He goes on, "For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for the Gospel with the strength at comes from God." (2 Tim 1: 7-8). If indeed we "stir into flame", that is, be passionate about our mission, we will inevitably be misunderstood, cast aside as a fanatic, or openly opposed by those whom we seek to teach by word or by example. It takes bravery to "go against the flow" of current trends and values which contradict the truth. Yes, the truth will make us free, (Jn 8:32) but there is hardship involved as well, for the truth is not always the popular stance. The disciple is not better than the master...if they persecuted him, they will persecute us.(Jn 20: 21). The early Christians and even in some places today, persecution was real and tangible. Blood was shed, is being shed. But most of us suffer from the more subtle kinds of persecution: mockery, indifference, opposition from law and authority. It is the price of discipleship; Paul knew it and prepared Timothy for it. His warning remains as valid for us today as it was for him.
Bro. Rene

Conversion Is Possible

Our 700th Slice of Daily Bread. Fittingly on the day which concludes the Christian Unity Octave and is the Conversion of St. Paul, we see evidences globaly, that conversion is possible. A stauch opponent of "The Way", Saul of Tarsus was determined to stamp out this threat to his beloved Judaism and was a major persecutor of Jews who followed Jesus. Yet, a complete turn around in his life resulted from his personal encounter with Jesus on the Road to Damascus. Over the weekend, hundreds of thousands of people walked in Washington, San Francisco, Paris, to name a few cities, to call for a change of heart regarding the unborn, the disabled, and the elderly. In Washington alone, it is estimated that more than 400,000 people, of all ages, but mostly young, showed their desire for the end of legalized abortion. People from Australia and Germany flew in to support the March, and workers from the Russell Senate Office Building stood on their balconies with "thumbs up". Conversion does not always take place as dramatically as it did for Saul, but even in his case, he was blinded for three days, and after receiving back his sight, went into retreat for two or three years before beginning his heroic career as Apostle of the Gentiles. The movement for Christian Unity has been "in the works" for a hundred years, but slowly unity is coming about. Certainly the Marchers of all faiths gathered on the Mall or in front of the Supreme Court were united in their belief in the power of prayer and the power of the people to effect change, conversion. Significantly, at the head of the March were two Jewish Rabbis. Stories told by women who had had abortions, or doctors who performed them but were now "pro-life" gave confidence to the Marchers that these efforts of prayer and visibile unity are effective tools in fighting for Life.
Bro. Rene