Marianist Lay Community
of North America
Being Church in the Modern World
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Greetings!
I just finished reading
Tattoos on the Heart,
by Fr. Greg Boyle, in anticipation of our North American Marianist Lay Continental Assembly. If you haven’t heard, Fr. Greg, founder of Homeboy Industries, is one of the keynote speakers during the Assembly and I couldn’t be more excited! It is not an exaggeration to say that the stories contained within the 212 pages of this book have completely changed, or at least enhanced, my perspective on life, faith, God, and humanity. Fr. Greg talks about the power of kinship, building communities of compassion, and standing with the marginalized. I am eager to see how a room full of Marianists who are already grounded in community, inclusivity, and mission, will respond to his message.
While Fr. Greg weaves dozens of challenging and thought-provoking themes among the emotional, and often funny, stories about his experience with gang members in L.A., the one I am currently pondering is the idea of restoring people to themselves. Reflecting on the Gospel passage when Jesus says “You are the light of the world,” Fr. Greg shares, “I like even more what Jesus doesn’t say. He doesn’t say, ‘
One day, if you are more perfect and try really hard, you’ll be light.’ He doesn’t say “
If you play by the rules, cross your T’s and dot your I’s, then maybe you’ll become light.’ No. He says, straight out, ‘You are light.’ It is the truth of who you are, waiting only for you to discover it.”
How many times have you heard this passage? How many times have you heard that you are made in the image and likeness of God? How many times have you actually taken it to heart? Wrapped your head around the power of that message? Allowed it to transform how you live, feel, think, and act? How many times have you applied this passage to every other human being you encounter?
Earlier in the book, Fr. Greg says, “Everyone is just looking to be told that who he or she is right and true and wholly acceptable.”
What if you spent today telling people “You are the light of the world,” “You are enough just because of who you are,” “I love you and wholly accept you as a child of God.” Choose one of those affirmations today and, if nothing else, say it internally, in your own mind, to every single person you see. Your spouse, child, community member, co-worker, cashier at the coffee shop, homeless person on the street corner. Apply that same message to those you consider enemies, to politicians you disagree with, to the people who voted them into office.
It’s not easy… especially the further you go across the divides and barriers our society has constructed. But God is saying it to each and every one of us, calling us to be the people he created us to be. If we start by restoring ourselves, recalling our own sense of belonging to God, then, we can turn to our neighbor and help restore them to their original, whole, and fully loved selves.
I think this is what we mean when we, as Marianists, say that everyone has a place at the table. It means remembering that we are all in this together, sharing one human experience. We can’t just leave open spaces at our table, though. We need to go out, encounter, and ask others if we can stand with them as children of God.
Peace & Blessings,
LeeAnn Meyer
Head of Temporalities
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As a faith community, MLC-NA is the national association to which all Lay Marianists in North America belong. It is self-supporting through contributions from individuals and local communities.
Your support helps us to:
- Employ a part-time Administrator
- Maintain communication tools such as the newsletter, database, and Zoom accounts used by numerous committees and communities
- Support the Marianist Social Justice Collaborative and the International Organization of Marianist Lay Communities
- Support the creation and launch a new lay formation process for initial and on-going formation
Contributions can also be sent to the address at the bottom of this newsletter.
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Register to Explore Spirituality and Social Justice in Business
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The conference April 3-5 is sponsored by the Marianist Business Network and will be held at the Bergamo Retreat Center in Dayton, Ohio. This conference was originally scheduled for October 2019, but was just moved to April 2020. The Marianist Business network is a group of business people who are associated with the Marianist Family and Marianist sponsored institutions. They are interested in exploring Business as Vocation.
The purpose of the conference is to:
- To provide an introduction to the nature and purposes of the Marianist Business Network
- To explore how the Marianist Charism and the Catholic social justice tradition provides a foundation for:
- The role of business in building the common good
- Building communities of work
- Addressing some of the complex and difficult issues of contemporary business.
- To explore how the Marianist Charism and Marianist Spirituality can support the call to a business vocation and to a work-life balance
- The Marianist Business Network is new. At the conference we will critique and develop its nature, its purpose, and its future agenda.
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MLC-NA echoes the US Bishops' call for peace in wake of escalated tensions with Iran as expressed by Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles:
"In the face of the escalating tensions with Iran, we must pray urgently that our world’s leaders will pursue dialogue and seek peace. Please join me in asking our Blessed Mother Mary, the Queen of Peace, to intercede, that Jesus Christ might strengthen the peacemakers, comfort the suffering, and protect the innocent and all those in harm’s way, especially the men and women in our military and diplomatic service."
Let us join the church and world and call upon the Blessed Mother in our prayer for peace..
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Lay Marianist Assembly Registration Now Open!
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Reflections on Marian/Marianist Feast Days
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As we begin this new liturgical year, reflections will be provided to heighten awareness of those feasts holding special significance for the Marianist Family and to allow for more focused reflection on the meaning of those days. The reflections are available at -
Reflections on Marian/Marianist Feast Days
We invite volunteers to sign up to provide a reflection for one or more of the dates via this link -
Marianist/Marian Feast Days
- or contact Margy Lisjak, at
[email protected]
with a request for a specific date or to be assigned one of the feast days.
Details regarding length and due date to meet publication deadlines will be shared with those who volunteer.
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Presentation of the Lord
Our Lady of Lourdes
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See more information and prayers for all these Marianist Feast Days
here
.
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February 2
In commemoration of the first members of the Bordeaux Sodality on their first act of consecration on February 2, 1801.
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Prayer For The Marianist Family
Mary,
Inspired by your readiness
to accept all the wonders God would work in you,
we offer you our desire to conceive in our hearts,
bear in our lives, and bring forth into our world
Jesus, Son of God, who became your Son
for the salvation of all.
May the Holy Spirit who came upon you
and overshadowed you be with us today
as we endeavor, members of one Family,
to live the Marianist mission
of building God's reign.
Amen.
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Bob Bouffier, S.M. and Cathy Olds
Marianist Family Prayer Book
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Lord, increase our faith…..
in a special way, we pray that those who are suffering from physical, mental, or spiritual struggles be blessed though the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes.
in thanksgiving for the staff of our Marianist Health Centers, who minister to our Marianist Brothers and Sisters through gentle and grace-filled actions.
that we may each learn to listen deeply and speak lovingly so that our “words may be seeds of goodness for the world.”
in gratitude for the first members of the Bordeaux Sodality who made their first act of consecration on Feb. 2, 1801, that we may likewise “do whatever he tells you.”
with a deep and strong faith of the heart, to guide us in Blessed Chaminade’s call to be in mission with Mary.
Lord, send us your gift of hope….
that Mary’s example of contemplation and reflection give us a model for listening more deeply to one another.
for new parents and those seeking to become parents, that the example lived by Mary and Joseph instill a deep joy, patience, and understanding of God’s will in their lives.
as we hold in prayer those who are enduring pain and suffering because of their faith, their race, or their differing views. May God’s healing embrace give them strength for their journey and comfort in their suffering.
for those suffering or in need of healing, may we wrap them in our arms of comfort and walk by their side in love.
as we pray for our departed Marianist Brothers and Sisters and Marianist family members who have enriched our lives through their presence. In a special way, we pray for….Bro. Bro. Thomas Deasy (Dec. 18), Fr. Ken Sommer (Dec. 17), and Fr. Bernie Lee (Jan 26). May they be held in God’s loving embrace as they join the fellowship of saints.
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Thank you to all who have visited our web form - we have hundreds of updated records.
If you haven't updated your information, please take a few moments to fill out this
brief questionnaire
(it's a Google form). Each member of a family should register separately so we have individual emails for future elections, etc.
Please also encourage your community members to keep their information current. Individuals may follow the link or a community rep can send us a community roster.
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MLC-NA Area Representatives
(Click on names for emails)
Southeast (FL, NC)
Northeast (PA, NY, NJ, MD, VA)
OH, KY, IN
Central States (CO, IL, KS, NE, MO, WI)
Texas
West Coast (CA, OR, WA)
Hawaii
Canada (French-Speaking)
UD-formed Communities (Many are virtual)
To Be Determined
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NEWSLETTERS
Read the Signs of the Times and Sign Up for these Marianist Family Newsletters
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Matt Dunn
Chair-Elect
Vacant
Head of Education
Jim Barrette
LeeAnn Meyer
Margy Lisjak
Rob Brodrick
Caitlin Cipolla-McCulloch
Maureen O'Rourke
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AMAZON DONATION PROGRAM!
Did you know that when you buy stuff at Amazon.com, Amazon will make a donation to MLC-NA?
How? By using Smile.Amazon.Com.
Please consider using smile.amazon.com and selecting Marianist Lay Network as your charity. There is no additional cost to you and it really is the same site as Amazon.
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