Born in the shadows

“When God speaks to a soul, he says much in few words. For instance that phrase ‘unknown and hidden in the world.’” There’s a wealth of meaning here, a richness for each one of us to tap. Every Marist has puzzled over these words because, in a sense, his very identity as a Marist depends […]

All steamed up

The experience of decision in vocation, Fourviere, was followed by a deeper experience, a mystical experience for Fr. Colin which is symbolized for us by his years at Cerdon. His first appointment after ordination in 1816, was with his brother Pierre at this village of Cerdon. Peter Colin was the pastor and Jean Claude was […]

Extreme sweetness

The experience of decision in vocation, Fourviere, was followed by a deeper experience, a mystical experience for Fr. Colin which is symbolized for us by his years at Cerdon. His first appointment after ordination in 1816, was with his brother Pierre at this village of Cerdon. Peter Colin was the pastor and Jean Claude was […]

God Alone: A common vision

At the beginning of these reflections I said that the renewal of the Society is not in the first place a matter of individual con-version (cf. Ch. 1). It is a point on which there could be disagreement. I still hold that it is so. Even if all Marists made great progress in constant personal […]

Conclusion

Father Favre succeeded. He did turn the Society of Mary into “a congregation of pious priests, living under a broad and easy rule, organizing home missions, running colleges and available for apostolic works within a limited area and of a commonplace style.” (see Ch. 2) Also, it looks as if this Society of Mary is […]

Something that suits you

When doing the preparatory work for re-writing the Constitutions of the Society of Mary, I clearly remember Gaston Lessard one day wondering how Fr. Colin and the early Marists became Marists. None of them made a novitiate. All of a sudden, in 1836, bingo, they are professed. They made a profession all right, but what […]

The Root Metaphor

The beginning of the Society of Mary lies in Mary’s compassion for a suffering world. The Society began as a result of her initiative. Its origin therefore is an act of compassion on the part of Mary, the Mother of Mercy, for a torn and broken world. Our Constitution n.217, reminds us of this. “Jean-Claude […]

Here is what I want

“This is what I want.” As Fr. Coste says, “These are the words that are the detonator that will unleash explosive forces.” Extravagant language you might think. “Here is what I want,” a detonator that will unleash explosive forces, says our sober Fr. Coste. In 1809, Jean Claude Courveille suffered an attack of small pox […]

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