In the master’s footprints

“I supported the Church as it was being born, and I will do so again at the end of time.” They are our founding words, The Society moves in that direction so to speak. They always served as an encouragement to us. Early on in this retreat, we reflected on the first part of that, […]

A dangerous memory

St. John’s gospel says, “He handed over his spirit” and at that very moment of handing over his spirit, the church was born. Jesus in his poverty, a poverty whereby he actually died, triumphed  over death. As the German bishops, in that wonderful letter on poverty wrote, “He outwitted death.” In the very act of […]

A creaking hinge

Most of the many, many other congregation’s dedicated to Mary have great respect for Mary and would look on her as more or less the boss, etc. etc. but we seem to be the only one to make such an explicit mention of Mary as superior. Moreover, it’s one of those threads of the tradition […]

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 […]

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 […]

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