The Fulcrum
March 05, 2018 Edition
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Greetings!
Last Lent, I picked up Fr. James Martin's
Seven Last Words
. My intent was to read a chapter a week, but of course, the busyness of life & LIFE got the better of me. On Good Friday, I rode my bike out to the Wissahickon Trail and hikes a little up Forbidden Drive. I sat next to the creek for a solid hour or so, and I read the entire book. I was having a truly difficult year, and being able to reflect on the meaning of Good Friday, even if just for a short time, allowed me to put my challenges into perspective and move on.
I think the biggest blessing about that day, even more than reading the book, is that I got out of the city & had some desert time. I was alone, I had time to think in the quiet, and I was able to just "be" me. Sitting with nothing but the sound of the water, the birds chirping and the wind rustling through the trees reminded me that life does not have to be complicated. Choose your battles. Breathe. That is what this time of year is for. How can your life be simpler? How can your life be better because of this simplicity? How can you be of better service to others through this realization?
Whether you are giving up something or choosing to do a positive act through Easter, I pray for you. We all have our own crosses, and if we recall Jesus' seven last words, may we also remember that there is life and light at the end of darkness.
May your Lenten journey be blessed.
Peace,
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Archbishop Riordan Retreat
The Archbishop Riordan High School LIFE Team (San Francisco, CA) continues the tradition of visiting the Cupertino (CA) Marianist community for their retreat. Moderator Leo Magnaye writes:
The day started early, and when we arrived, we were greeted by Bro. Ed Longbottom, who led us in a wonderful prayer service that taught us more about Blessed William Chaminade and his mission and vision. We continued our retreat in the fireplace room, where we had an activity that helped us recount of our 'embers' from last semester as a team. We then created a yarn web of affirmations, and reiterated that we are all connected, and if one loses a grip, everyone needs to pick up the slack together. Afterwards we had a planning session to create leadership and themes for the remaining MLCs.
We then had lunch with the Brothers. We had a quick tour of the grounds, and finally returned to the fireplace to continue our work planning ARHS Marianist Heritage Week. The guys also split to record a bit about the pillars of the charism of Faith and Mary as our Model.
Our retreat ended exactly at 3pm when we recited the 3 O'clock Prayer with the informed Brothers and Priests. It was a very humbling and incredible experience.
It is wonderful to hear about this LIFE Team tradition. Many prayers for your LIFE Team and the ARHS community!
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Sacred Hearts Academy Blue Heart Campaign
On January 30
th
, The Sacred Hearts Academy LIFE Team (Honolulu, HI) sponsored a human trafficking awareness campaign on campus. LIFEr Alana Glaser shares:
The Sacred Hearts LIFE Team hosted a human trafficking awareness fair - the "Blue Heart Bonanza" - in order to raise money for victims and to educate our fellow students about this horrible crime. The SHA LIFE Team planned the fair, and we were fortunate enough to have the Saint Louis School LIFE Team help us set up and run the booths. For a donation of three dollars, students were allowed to come to school dressed in blue, demonstrating that as a school, we stand in solidarity against human trafficking. We had several booths at the fair with different interactive activities: a matching game, a "Myth or Fact" activity, and a ring toss. The purpose of all three games was to raise awareness, so each activity involved educating the students in some way about statistics and facts of human trafficking. Students were also able to watch an informative film and read personal stories from human trafficking victims.
We held a bake and craft sale, and we also sold temporary tattoos, and the profits of these booths will be given to Ho'ola Na Pua in order to help victims. Ho'ola Na Pua is a local organization dedicated to helping trafficking girls in Hawai'i and the U.S. in terms of health, education, and reintegration:
https://hoolanapua.org/
Well done, SHA! Thank you for continuing this work. Many prayers for you and the entire SHA ‘ohana.
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WANTED: LIFEr Reflections!
We are seeking submissions of one-page personal reflections of your summer experience. Share your thoughts, memories and how you might have personally and/or spiritually changed as a result of the week-long summer experience. Please include your full name, school/parish and indicate if you attended Central, Pacific our South summer program. Please also include a digital photo of yourself. We accept submissions throughout the year.
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Support Marianist LIFE
These are just a few of thousands of students enlivened by the Spirit at Marianist LIFE over the last 48 years. LIFE Alumni return as Marianist Young Adult Assistants, Staff, Coordinating Team members and school/parish Moderators year after year. As our current LIFErs describe, their week at the Summer Program had an impact on their lives, which is echoed by numerous LIFE Alumni throughout the years.
To support Marianist LIFE, please click on the image below.
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Marianist LIFE 2018 Summer Program
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Online registration for the 2018 summer program is open! School & parish moderators, please click on the appropriate links below to pre-register & register for a regional program.
Dates for the summer program are as follows:
Pacific (Occidental, CA)
Moderators – June 14-22
Students – June 17-22
South (Mountain Home, TX)
Moderators – July 8-17
Students – July 11-17
Central (Dayton, OH)
Moderators – July 13-21
Students – July 16-21
Schools and parishes are invited to register for a summer program in another region. Registering for two different summer programs in one summer is possible in order to accommodate large LIFE Teams. Contact Toni Mesina in the national office for more information.
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National LIFE Team Visits
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Part of my job as the National Coordinator is to visit LIFE Teams throughout the Province of the United States. Last month, I was blessed to go home for nine days to catch up with St. Anthony School (Maui), Saint Louis School (O'ahu), and Sacred Hearts Academy (O'ahu). These three LIFE Teams are doing wonderful things on their campuses, and they continue to serve their schools through community meetings, liturgies, service projects and retreats. Thank you all for what you do! You've taken #DoSomething to heart, and we are grateful.
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L-R: St. Anthony School (Maui) & Saint Louis School (O'ahu)
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Sacred Hearts Academy (O'ahu)
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If your Marianist LIFE Communities need some ideas for your gatherings, please check our website for some resources meeting ideas and prayer services for you and your communities to use throughout the year. We will continue to add more resources as long as moderators and students keep sending them our way! To access this valuable information
2.
Click on “LIFE resources”
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