From Advent to Christmas to the end of 2007

Last Sunday's readings for the 3rd Sunday of Advent had to do with PATIENCE. At least for me, that is how I felt God speaking to me. I consider myself a very impatient person, so it was a neat challenge.

Advent is all about waiting and waiting joyfully. How can we wait joyfully if we are not doing it patiently? Patience, it seems, brings true belief, a stronger conviction. As Christmas nears, I feel called to see what role "patience" is playing in my life. With an upcoming trip home, have I been patient enough to be to truly present to each Advent day?

Our Novitiate Community had a Desert Day this past Monday. I found it initially difficult to enter the desert day experience, after all it was only 3 days before heading home. Should I use some of my desert day to pack? Does anything need to get done before I leave? I put questions like these aside and asked God for the grace to embrace the desert day. God granted the grace in a beautiful way. My day was filled with reflection, prayer, walking around the beautiful property here at Mont La Salle, and even a nice conversation with Br. Alexius, who, approaching 90, is a man of deep faith, always seems to be in contemplation. It was a grace-filled day that also challenged me personally and allowed me to really prepare myself for spiritual direction, which was to take place on Tuesday (yesterday).

Yesterday, the novices headed to Berkeley for Spiritual Direction with Sr. Kathleen, our spiritual director. It was a powerful session for me that focused on the gift of love, especially the gift to give love whole-heartedly!

Today is Wednesday and it began as usual, prayer and mass. I found myself in deep prayer about love and my relationship with God. Another wonderful grace. After mass, it became "getting ready to go home day." This afternoon we'll have prayer, dinner, and our community Christmas celebration.

As Christmas nears and the Advent season fades, it gives me great joy. A joy to begin anew. The year will end. 1/3 of the novitiate year is completed.

Christmas will be a time for me to recommit myself to God in the joyous birth we await. In a sense, the waiting will end, and it will be time to act.

Act with hope. Act with faith. Act with love.

A Christmas resolution and a New Year resolution.

Strong Foundation

Today's readings and much of my reflections throughout the day focused on building a strong foundation. What will sustain us? A strong heart.

Are our hearts strong enough to carry us through the thick and thin? We need to be able to rely on a faith and heart that is grounded. We need to rely on a heart that puts our faith into action and a faith that puts our heart into action. In the Gospel, Jesus says, "Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock." Jesus is calling us to action--we must walk the talk--grounded not in our desires, but instead follow Jesus when he says do "the will of my Father in heaven." Only this way will we enter the kingdom of God.

This is hard. This means letting go of our ways and looking for God's way. Do we open ourselves to find God's way? It is an Advent message. Mary did not choose to be the mother of our Savior, instead it was God who chose her. Mary only followed God's will. The Advent season is calling us to prepare our hearts to accept Jesus--his humanity and divinity; to accept Jesus so that he may become the path for us and lead us to the will of his Father. This must be our foundation or else"will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined."

If we choose to build the strong foundation, that is a faith and heart based on Jesus, we will be able to proclaim, like Isaiah:

"A strong city have we; he sets up walls and ramparts to protect us. Open up the gates to let in a nation that is just, one that keeps faith. A nation of firm purpose you keep in peace; in peace, for its trust in you."

Advent challenges me to strengthen the foundation of my heart and faith so that Jesus may make a home there without the house within me collapsing. Do I walk the talk?

Feasting

Today's readings for Wednesday of the 1st Week of Advent speak of "feasting."

In the 1st reading we here from Isaiah:

"On this mountain the LORD of hosts

will provide for all peoples

A feast of rich food and choice wines,

juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines."

In the Gospel we hear of the multiplication of loaves and fishes:

"Then he took the seven loaves and the fish,

gave thanks, broke the loaves,

and gave them to the disciples,

who in turn gave them to the crowds.

They all ate and were satisfied.

They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets full."

The readings speak to the satisfaction we receive in our going to God. The point is go to God. This requires humility. The humility to say that I can't do it on my own. The recognition of the need for others and for God. The Advent season is about the coming of Christ, but also a reminder of our own journey. We must not forget that we are on a journey back to God and Jesus came so that he might be our path back to him. We are a people on the way.

The readings also speak to this point. Isaiah says, "On this mountain he will destroy the veil that veils all peoples, The web that is woven over all nations; he will destroy death forever. The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from all faces; The reproach of his people he will remove from the whole earth; for the LORD has spoken." In the Gospel we have the beautiful image of how "Great crowds came to him, having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute, and many others." If Jesus is to become our path, if we are to go to God we must as we are. Sure, we have weaknesses, but Isaiah reminds us that God "will destroy the veils" and "will wipe away the tears." Jesus recognizes our faith as he did with the crowds who went to him, "They placed them at his feet, and he cured them" says the Gospel.

We must look to God. We must embrace Jesus with great faith. The joyful coming that is to come in the birth of Jesus is indeed our looking to God and embracing him in faith. Our hearts must be prepared to be filled with the Lord in deep faith. Let us truly be able to say, "Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us! This is the LORD for whom we looked; let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!"

To Be Chosen

For evening prayer last night our Director chose to do a method of Lectio Divina (Reading from Scripture) with Meditatio (Meditation).

The passage he chose was that of Jesus' call to the disciples--his call to follow him. Several words stood out from what he read: "Come," "See," "Hear," "Find," "Follow," "Chosen," and "Love."

These words came together for me in the following way: "Come and see and hear so that you may find and follow because you were chosen to love." Maybe a bit of stretch, but it speaks to me.

Today's readings for Tuesday of the first week of Advent, I think, speak to this: God call us, God chooses us, do we choose to respond to his love? Are we not always being invited to "come and see and hear so that we may find, leading us to follow because of our being chosen to love?"

The 1st Reading for today from Isaiah is the famous reading of the peaceable kingdom:

"Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;The calf and the young lion shall browse together,with a little child to guide them.The cow and the bear shall be neighbors,together their young shall rest;the lion shall eat hay like the ox.The baby shall play by the cobra’s den,and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair.There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain;for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD,as water covers the sea."

Are we not called to love so that we may create this peaceable kingdom? Are we not chosen to love for this purpose? We are given the gifts to make it possible in our being chosen, the first part of this reading, is clear about what the Spirit will provide us:

"The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him:a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, A Spirit of counsel and of strength,a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD, and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD. Not by appearance shall he judge,nor by hearsay shall he decide, But he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land’s afflicted. He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. Justice shall be the band around his waist, and faithfulness a belt upon his hips."

Has God not chosen us like Isaiah speaks of Jesse? Has not God allowed a shoot to "sprout from our stump" and from our "roots a bud shall blossom?" Are we not to be the "signal for the nations" Isaiah speaks about? We are chosen to make the peaceable kingdom alive in our lives. We are chosen to love so much so that we become that peaceable kingdom.

Continuing on the topic of being chosen--Jesus speaks of the same in today's gospel. Jesus says: "No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him."

The question is do we allow Jesus to reveal himself, to reveal the Father to us? Do we recognize that we have been chosen?

A wonderful Advent theme: to be revealed. We are preparing for the revelation of God the Father in his Son, Jesus. Let us prepare our hearts daily to recognize how Jesus is revealed to us at all times.

In this Advent season, let us recommit ourselves and our hearts to the revelation of Christ. Let us open our eyes and see Jesus being revealed to us, see the beauty it is to be chosen!

Salvation for All

The following stands out from today's readings.

From Isaiah 4:2-6

"He who remains in Zion / and he who is left in Jerusalem / Will be called holy: / every one marked down for life in Jerusalem."

"Then will the LORD create, / over the whole site of Mount Zion / and over her place of assembly, / A smoking cloud by day / and a light of flaming fire by night. / For over all, the LORD’s glory will be shelter and protection: / shade from the parching heat of day, / refuge and cover from storm and rain."

From Matthew 8:5-11

"For I too am a man subject to authority..."

"When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, / 'Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. / I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, / and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob / at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven.' "

I can't help but see a message of salvation being spoken in the passages. They speak of the salvation that will take place at the end time. It is then that "we will be called holy" and that "many will come from the east and the west" to "the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven."

For who will savation come? The Prophet Isaiah is clear, "For over all, the Lord's glory will be shelter and protection..." Jesus is just as clear, "many will come..."

This is a beautiful Advent message. As we "wait in joyful expectation" the spirit of the season is one of hope. When Jesus comes he is hope for all, that is, salvation for all. God is calling us to holiness by following the path completed in the birth of his son Jesus. Jesus is the path. It was the coming that made salvation possible for all.

If salvation is possible for all, then what is required of us? Faith. A lived faith. A faith that recognizes, like the centurion in today's gospel, that we are all subject to authority. Not an authority to fear, but one to recognize. Daniel Harrington, S.J., writes: "It [Advent] is an occassion for us to examine ourselves and try to see where the works of darkness may have entered. But moral conversion is not the whole story. Rather, the positive challenge is 'to put on the Lord Jesus Christ.' That means allowing our lives to be shaped even more by and better conformed to the person of Christ."

Let us then be hope for all, Jesus for all. Let us truly be Catholics, let us be universal. Who are the Gentiles of today that we are called to love? Who are the Gentiles that have much to teach us and instead we make Gentiles out of them? Let us love all.

Faith, Hope, and Love--and the greatest of these is Love.

WAIT!

It is a cold, Sunday night here in the novitiate. It's been a nice weekend. A lot of celebrating.

Yesterday, we "celebrated" the life of Br. Antonio Gonzaga. Br. Antonio died last Monday at the age of 84. It was a beautiful funeral. The eulogy, given by Br. James Riordan, focused on Br. Antonio as a man who was ever-present to life, to the present moment. In the evening, the LEO Center (Oakland) celebrated their friends (donors) with a nice presentation and dinner held here at Mont La Salle. Seven students spoke about their experience of LEO and how much of an impact it has had on them--one even brought us all to tears.

Today, we celebrated the beginining of Advent--the beginning of our preparation. Various Brothers have told me how much the novitiate year lends itself to really entering into the liturgical year and its seasons. It's been a gift to already feel that experience. I think one of the practices that helps make that possible is our "shared prayer" based on each Sunday's readings. Once a week, usually on Saturday mornings, we read the upcoming Sunday readings and each of us shares a reflection on them. A very good practice.

With the beginning of Advent, it is a great opporunity to really enter into the season and not rush into the Christmas season. This Sunday's reading came from Isaiah, Psalm 122, Paul's letter to the Romans, and the Gospel according to Matthew.

A couple of phrases struck me in the readings.

From Isaiah: "Come, let us climb the Lord's mountain,/ to the house of the God Jacob,/ that he may instruct us in his way/ and we may walk in his paths./ O house of Jacob, come,/ let us walk in the light of the Lord."

From Psalm 122: "Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord." (one of my favorite Spanish liturgical songs is based on this verse of Psalm 122)

From Paul's letter to the Romans: "It is the hour now for you to awake from sleep./ Let us then throw off the works of darkness/ and put on the armor of light..."

From the Gospel: "Therefore, stay awake!"

As I reflected on these passages, the Interior Life document from the Brothers' recent General Chapter in Rome came to mind. The Interior Life document speaks of being Brothers with "eyes wide open;" Brothers who live a spirituality of "mystical realism;" and Brothers who are "captured" as a result. I think this is very much an Advent message: "eyes wide open," "mystical realism," and "captured."

The readings call us to the people on the way ("Come, let us climb the mountain of the Lord"), on the way with eyes wide open ("...awake from your sleep") going toward the mystical realism, toward the light rejoicing so that we truly are awakened by the light, that is, captured by Jesus. The Gospel speaks of the end of time, the end of the world and our need to prepared. Yes, an Advent message: We should be captivated by the light this season, captivated by hope, by the coming of Jesus, that we may live with eyes wide open, awakened, so that hope triumphs over fear, light prevails over darkness. All this so that Jesus becomes the path in our life, the path to the Father. We are from God and are a people on the way back to God.

The Advent season is all about preparation. Preparing our hearts to once again renew our commitment, welcome again Jesus and let him once again be that path that leads us "rejoicing to the house of the Lord."

I titled this reflection WAIT because of the need in our world today to really prepare for the coming of our Savior. Let's not skip to "Christmas" without taking the time to wait and prepare our hearts. Let us WAIT to truly have the opportunity to realize what the "happiest time of the year" is all about.

I have made it a goal of mine this Advent to practice waiting in the practical ways of life. I was inspired by a reflection I read by a Jesuit priest who gives some "first advent-week hints:"

"Contrary to popular expectations, Advent decorations are more helpful than Christmas decorations. What might these be? Unlit candles placed in windows are a good Advent symbol. One lit Advent candle gives its little illumination during these first seven days. An empty cup or bowl placed near the Advent Wreath speaks of longing. One small sweet at the end of the evening meal can speak of the fuller joy that is coming. A good joke or word puzzle can be shared, but not the punch line or solution is spoken until the next meal. We need to grow in our sense of reaching for and not demandingly having it."

Toward the end of his reflection he writes about the Apostles in today's gospel who question Jesus about when the end will come. Jesus response to the Apostles (the gospel reading) is all about simply waiting and being prepared. The reflection ends with some practical advice for us in light of this:

"“Now, when is this going to happen, what day, where and just what exactly is going to happen?” Don’t ask! Just keep watching, keep learning, keep waiting. After all it is the season of Advent."

Photo Update (September - November)

Life atop Mont La Salle continues to move along. Novitiate life continues with the usual schedule of classes, workshops, personal time, spiritual time, and the gift of prayer. But, there's always the unplanned that keeps us alive. So here are some photos, just follow the different links!

Community rest and relaxation time at St. Joseph's Camp at the Russian River,

Mont La Salle's commemoration/celebration of the Martyrs of Turon,

our Halloween Festivities, and

our time at the Senior Vocation Retreat

Hope Again

Being a big Dodger fan, I am reading a lot of the news on the hiring of Joe Torre to manage the Dodgers. Everyone seems so alive with HOPE!

It's the way I feel, and not necessarily for my baseball team, but for my real team these days: the Brothers.

Vocation ministry is probably one of the biggest priorities today in religious orders, reaching out to men and women who might be discerning a religious vocation. In our case, finding out what men out there, young and old, may be called to the vocation of the De La Salle Christian Brothers.

From Thursday, Nov. 1 - Saturday, Nov. 3, the District held its annual High School Senior Vocation Retreat. Of the twelve young men expected, 7 showed up. Marilyn Paquette, coordinator of Lasallian student programs, responded with great faith saying, we have the seven for a reason. The three days certainly showed it was great to have those 7 there.

For me, the seven young men who showed up and the adults that accompanied them represented HOPE. It was great to share our vocation story with them and see them open to God's spirit in their lives as they move towards college.

It left me very hopeful.

I also have been working with Br. George VanGrieken on some projects he's working on to get the name out there. This too makes me hopeful.

Faith is an incredible gift, since it allows us to HOPE.

Faith, Love, and the Good Samaritan

Faith gives us hope--hope in all the we do and in all we encounter. Ideally, this hope leads to love, which in turn leads back to faith.

For me, living must somehow include faith and love because it is what allows us to live more fully so that we may live in light of our gospel call.

I think of today's gospel: the parable of the Good Samaritan. If we are to be good Samaritans are we not required to have faith and love? A faith and love that is rooted in the gospel. After all, the gospel itself is rooted in faith and love.

As Brothers, educators, our salvation of young people is centered around the faith and love found in the gospels. A salvation that allows young people to live more fully.

To bring faith and love to our students, we must be rooted in the gospel, in love, and in faith--for it is the way to live. Jesus said, "I came so that they may have life and have it more abundantly."

Let us live abudantly in faith and love.

Increase Our Faith

Reflecting on the week's readings (Mon., Oct. 1 - Sun., Oct. 7)

“Increase our faith…” is the request of the apostles to Jesus. Throughout the week, the readings spoke very much of FAITH. I want to begin by saying that faith does not make sense, it is illogical.

Monday’s first reading is from the prophet Zechariah. It ends: “Lo, I will rescue my people from the land of the rising sun, and from the land of the setting sun. I will bring them back to dwell within Jerusalem. They shall be my people, and I will be their God, with faithfulness and justice.” God seems to be saying, “stick with me,” and “I’ll have your back, I won’t let you down.” Thursday’s reading comes from the prophet Nehemiah. It deals with Ezra sharing God’s word following the return of the Israelites from exile. The reading is rather detailed about Ezra sharing the Torah with the people, but one line stands out, “…rejoicing in the Lord must be your strength!” The people are reminded that this great joy of returning from exile must begin with “rejoicing in the Lord” for God provided the strength during the time of hardship.

Friday’s reading returns to the Babylonia exile as the people admit sin to the Lord, “For we did not heed the voice of the Lord, our God, in all the words of the prophets whom he sent us…” In Saturday’s reading from the same book, the Prophet Baruch speaks, “Fear not, my children; call out to God! He who brought this upon you will remember you. As your hearts have been disposed to stray from God, turn now ten times the more to seek him; For he who has brought disaster upon you will, in saving you, bring back enduring joy.”

In all that is said above there seems to be this idea of having faith in God even though life may be tough at the moment. Doesn’t faith make even less sense when life gets tough? Yet, the prophets very clearly push their people to have faith, their words push us to have faith and even “rejoice in the Lord!” Sunday’s Old Testament reading from Habakkuk presses on, “if it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late. The rash one has no integrity; but the just one, because of his faith, shall live.” A very clear message that takes it to another level by saying that in order to simply live we must have faith. How do we then make sense of faith?

If Habakkuk is saying “…the just one, because of his faith, shall live,” then I say the one who lives has faith. Therefore, how we live will give us faith, how we live will allow God’s grace to come upon us and give us faith. That is the challenge: to live. It is not easy to simply live. I turn to the gospel readings of the week then for guidance on how to live.

We can say that the gospel themselves are our guide for living so that we may gain faith amongst much more of God’s grace. But, again, I think the readings of this past week point to some specific examples for us.

This week we hear two versions of the same gospel reading where the apostles ask Jesus who is the greatest. Jesus turns to a child for his response to the apostles saying, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.” “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. For the one who is the least among all of you is the one who is the greatest.” A very clear message from Jesus about how we should live. Living to the point where we are able to humble ourselves in such a way that “children” / “the least” become the greatest. The faith received because of directing our lives in this way helps us accept and truly receive Jesus who is our path to God the Father.

Using some other gospel passages of the past week, I believe we desire to follow Jesus like the one who speaks to Jesus and says, “I will follow you, wherever you go.” Jesus’ clear message to those who want to follow is, “Go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.” That is to live. Jesus adds, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.” To live then means to go forward and let go of what is preventing us from proclaiming the Kingdom of God. We must look at our lives and see what is getting in the way. In Paul’s second letter to Timothy (Sunday’s 2nd reading) he reminds Timothy, “…God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control.” To be humbled to point of being childlike, of being the least is to use God’s gift “of power and love and self-control.” Yet, it is very easy to live without using these gifts, life is just much easier without having to worry about loving all, taking self-control over our desires that steer us away from God, and why worry about the power to bear our “share of hardship for the gospel.”

Let us live such that we may open our eyes to see and ears to hear, for faith is a grace from God. Jesus reminds us, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”

If we hear and see, Jesus’ message to “Go and proclaim the Kingdom of God” becomes God’s call to live. Live so that we might recognize faith, gain faith, and live faith. Live so that on that day we may say to God, “We were unprofitable servants; but have done what we were obliged to do.”

Meet the Community!

The U.S.-Toronto Regional Novitiate officially began on August 19, 2007.  Three novices are preparing for the first vows in this stage of their vocation journey.

The Novitiate year takes place at Mont La Salle in Napa, CA.  The community lives together and accompanies each other.  It is a year of great spiritual growth, personal development, and religious life studies.

The Novitiate Brothers' Community...

Br. Richard Moratto, FSC

Director

Br. Brendan Garwood, FSC

Sub-Director

Br. John Luczkowski, FSC

Novice--District of Baltimore

Br. Peter Nguyen, FSC

Novice--District of Baltimore

Br. Chris Patino

Novice--District of San Francisco

Our Incarnate Mission

If you are willing
to bear serenely
the trial of being
displeasing to yourself,
then you will be
for Jesus
a pleasant place of
shelter
St. Therese of Lisieux

We were given this quote today in our Religious Life course. We have read two articles on self-esteem and self-acceptance, and so this quote fits in with the topic.

When I first read the quote, three words came to mind: openness, peace, and grace. This quote could be taken apart and looked at from a Christian perspective in many ways. I chose to look at the line, “to bear serenely.” If we are to bear who we are serenely, it requires openness. If we are open, I think it allows us then to bear our individuality with peace. Finally, if we bear it with peace, then a grace will enter us that will come to a genuine, loving acceptance of ourselves. God desires this of us. He has created us uniquely, lovingly and our relationship with God must be an open one, in which we love ourselves.

James Martin, S.J. wrote a book called, “Becoming Who You Are.” In this book, he reflects on the true self from Thomas Merton and other saints. It is very clear from the beginning that he is making a very simple, yet complicated point: to be a saint is to be yourself. St. Therese at a very young age understood this and I believe this quote shows her understanding of loving oneself. For if we do this, Jesus will find “a pleasant place of shelter.”

Creating “a pleasant place of shelter” for Jesus allows us to love and to be loved. As a De La Salle Christian Brother, I think of this in the classroom. If we as Brothers, as teachers, are loving of ourselves, of our vocation, and of our God—we can share it with our students.

For me, what comes into play is a sense of vulnerability. As Lasallian educators, we believe in the power of the student-teacher relationship. The power of this relationship has to do a lot with the vulnerability we offer, obviously a “healthy vulnerability.” Our students believe in this relationship because they see the humanity in us. Part of the beauty, the freedom if you will, of the incarnation is Jesus’ humanity. This gives us the freedom to be vulnerable, yet live out De La Salle’s mission as he called us to save the souls of those entrusted to our care. We have an incarnate mission. Our Founder reminds us:

“Be satisfied with what you can do, since God is satisfied with it, but don not spare yourself in what you can do with grace; and believe that, provided you want it, you can do more with the grace of God than you think. Do not forget to thank God for all the blessings he bestows on you.”

Reflecting on the Sunday Readings

In the movie Spiderman, the grandfather of Spiderman gives him some advice just before his death: “With power, comes great responsibility.”

In reflecting on the readings for this Sunday and of the past week, this line came to mind in the following form: “With vocation, comes great responsibility.” Throughout the week, the readings speak of being called, invited, and chosen. Yet, it comes with great responsibility: the kingdom of God. The glory of God’s kingdom is great, but I think a lot of that glory is only possible if we build the kingdom of God here on earth.

First of all, the Sunday readings remind us that God’s kingdom includes many. In the first reading from Isaiah we read, “…I come to gather nations of every language…” Reminding us that God’s kingdom indeed is vast. The word “nations” is used three other times in this short reading. These nations are not all followers, one may call them Gentiles, but God will prevail so that, even “some of these [God] will take as priests and Levites…” Not only is God’s kingdom vast, but there is hope for all.

The second reading is also a sign of hope. One may think how can all this talk of discipline, used five times in 6 verses, give hope. The letter to the Hebrews includes lines like, “Endure you trials as ‘discipline’…all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain…” However, it is the end of the reading that gives hope: “So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees. Make straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be disjointed but healed.” We are all broken, yet with courage and “discipline” come “peaceful fruits of righteousness…”

Today, it is commonly heard “no pain, no game.” What will we do for the kingdom of God? What will we do today to follow the path towards the Kingdom?

Earlier in the week, we heard the reading where the young man goes away sad for he had many possessions, but in a later reading Jesus reminds us “And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred time more, and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

Sunday’s gospel ends the same way, “For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.” I believe this is Jesus inviting us to build his Father’s kingdom here on earth. As De La Salle Christian Brothers, we have the great responsibility for the salvation of souls, of bringing others to the Kingdom. Therefore, we need the “discipline” and the faith to accomplish such a task. Our own Founder reminds us “not to look upon anything but with the eyes of faith…” This faith is what will give us the daily courage to go about building the Kingdom of God here on earth.

De La Salle’s reflection on St. Bartholomew calls on us to tear off our own skin, “which St. Paul call the old man, in order to be clothed with the spirit of Jesus Christ, which is according to the same Apostle, the new man.” How else can we do this but with the eyes of faith? I agree with Br. Richard that the novitiate can in some ways be God calling us to put on this new skin and in fact, throughout our lives we must work on putting on the new skin in a responsive love to God. This response is to God’s invitation to build his kingdom, for as the psalm verse reminds us, we are called to “Go out to all the world and tell the good news.”

Our vocation does come with great responsibility, but also with hope, faith, and love.

Let the Inner Journey Begin...

I guess much of the next year will focus on my inner journey. That is, my spiritual journey or relationship with God. My inner journey also means dealing with...ME!

I arrived at the Novitiate for the De La Salle Christian Brothers this past Sunday, August 19th. As I drove up the long windy road to Mont La Salle, I was in bit of a shock..."Wow, I am going to call this home for the next year!"

My time here has started off very smoothly...God is taking care of me! I began to move in and settle in as soon as I got here. We spent Monday and Tuesday getting ourselves organized as a community: responsibilities, schedules, and a good review of the purpose of this year.

Based on what I have been told by other Brothers, I think this year will include the following: deepening my person, my being in relationship to others and to God; it will be a year that is a gift and I am invited to "waste time" in the Lord; an opportunity to live the Church calendar (daily prayers and mass); and pushing me to deal with God and to deal with myself.

This year requires an openness of mind and heart. In the end, this year is about me and my relationship with Jesus Christ. Its about deepening of a gift, an invitation, with joy and peace. I want to look at this invitation/calling/vocation and solidfy my answer to God, while being able to somehow articulate it. Who will be, who is Br. Chris Patiño?

I will be able to do a lot of this through the time available and time required for prayer/mass, through classes I will be taking (Religious Life and Scripture), in the context of the community that is on the journey with me, etc....

We began with classes today and dealt with an introduction to a lot of the above--received some books and readings we will start with!

We do have some basic responsibilites as members of the community. Mine include: photographer for the community; loading the fridge with beverages; and kitchen coordinator/food shopper. This is in addition to our Friday house cleaning responsibilities.

The residence I live in is the Novitiate Residence of Mont La Salle, the headquarters for the District of San Francisco of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. Our residence has 10 rooms, a kitchen, showers/restrooms, laundry rooms, gymnasium, tv room, dining room, classrooms, offices, and a library.

On a side note, before my arrival, I did have the opportunity to take a family vacation to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. It was great to spend some time with my family.

Tonight was a special night, since we had an official welcome BBQ provided by the Provincialate Community and Holy Family Community of Mont La Salle--thanks Brothers!

As I settle in, I will try to post more regularly and share my journey.

Living it up in L.A.

I have spent the past week here in Los Angeles. When I arrived last Saturday it was simply nice to see my family. I visited my grandfather as soon as I got here, it was neat to see him.

There was also an uncle coming in from Mexico at the same time, so we played host to him.

Saturday night, after some time with my grandfather and settling in, we headed out to dinner at a Peruvian restaurant. Wow! Great/Entertaining service and food. I had a Peruvian stir-fry rice with a mixture of seafood. The evening weather was nice so we took advantage of it by walking a bit after dinner. The restaurant was located in Glendale which is only about 15 minutes from my parent's house.

Sunday we went out to breakfast in Glendale with my grandpa and uncle at a family favorite, Foxy's. We're pretty well known there. After breakfast we headed to the beautiful Our Lady of Angels Cathedral for mass. It was actually the quietest, most prayerful Spanish mass I've been to in a long time. Great music and a great homily topped it off.

Sunday afternoon we headed to Home Depot as my little sister wanted her room painted. We decided it would be our early week project. We bought the paint and supplies then headed over to my grandpa's house for dinner. We bought pizza at a new eatery in Atwater Village (about 10 minutes away). Great pizza!

While at the pizza shop, I ran into some high school friends of mine I hadn't seen since pretty much graduation (5 years!). It was neat to see them and just catch up a bit.

After dinner, we decided to burn off some calories by heading to our local park. Actually, this brand new, beautiful park opened up less than a year ago and it's great. Very active. My parents and little sister Denise all headed over. We did some jogging around the park, volleyball, and finally tennis. Quite the workout.

This past Monday and Tuesday was basically spent working on my sister's room. Not only painting, by getting rid of things, rearranging furniture, etc...

Wednesday we spent mostly at home. My sister Denise and I did head out for lunch at a great Sushi place, we made a stop at Border's and did a bit of walking. She's playing volleyball for her school team and so I also took her to pratice throughout the week.

Thursday was a long, but fun day. My former car, now my parent's, had the "check engine" light come on. So I took it in at 7:00 AM to get serviced. Well, I am glad I brought a book because I was there until just about 11:30 AM. It was actually neat to run into my cousin there and so we spent lot of time talking and catching up.

I must say the current book I am reading now is a great one. Well, at least the first 60 pages. It is titled, "Walking the Bible." It is the story of a scholar who journies through the Middle East focusing on the locations of the first 5 books of the Bible. It is such an interesting journey already, that it makes you went to read the Old Testament, it makes you want to travel to the Middle East, and I would say it even makes you desire to be Jewish! While the book focuses on the scholarly and physical journey of the author, it also lets you into his faith journey.

Anyway, so the week in L.A. continued. After my 4 plus hour stay at the car shop, I headed out to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Two of my friends and I had made plans for lunch and museum visit. An exhibition of colonial Latin American art is on display. Quite an amazing collection, plenty of religious art, my interest. We head down into the west L.A./West Hollywood/Beverly Hills/Hancock Park area for lunch at The Grove. The Grove is quite the happening place for eating, shopping, and entertainment. We had lunch at The Cheesecake Factory. It was during lunch that I got a great surprise: a phone call from SMHS students. Great to hear them!

So after lunch, we headed to the museum and had a nice time there. Actually, ran into one of the Cathedral High School brothers, Br. Ricardo. Br. Ricardo invited us to dinner at the Brothers' House the following evening.

On Friday, did some early morning house cleaning just to help around the house and then took my little sister out for lunch and a movie. We headed to another happening area, The Paseo in Pasadena. We had lunch at Rubio's Mexican Grill and then headed into the movie theatre to watch The Transformers, which ended being a long, but interesting, fun movie.

After that, I came home where my friend Ryan Resurreccion would pick me up to head over to dinner at the Brothers' house. It was great to see familar faces of Brothers, including some that had recently been transfered back to Cathedral. We had a great time at dinner, got a great tour of the new gym/science building. It is quite spectacular. We stayed around chatting there with Br. Ricardo until about 9:00 PM.

Ryan and I then headed towards Eagle Rock, the next neighborhood over from mine, to meet another friend at a local bar. We had quite a nice time talking about the Church, vocations, our Lasallian mission, and well other fun stuff. We didn't get out of there until about 1:00 AM.

Saturday was just spent at home with the family. Sunday we followed our usual routine mass and breakfast. Spent the rest of Sunday at home getting ready for our trip to Cabo San Lucas.

So we take off to Cabo San Lucas tomorrow for a family vacation, which I am sure will be very enjoyable.

I must admit, I miss the activity of the beginning of the school year, miss San Miguel, but I also realize I probably won't be seeing much of this kind of time in the future, so taking advantage of it.

Well, it's getting late on this Sunday night....I'll be heading off to Cabo tomorrow for a relaxing and enjoyable time with my family....Blessings to all!

Another Stage Ends...

I write from Berkeley, CA where I will be leaving from in about 30 minutes. I will be traveling to Los Angeles to visit with my family for 2 weeks.

I guess you could say today marks the end of the Postulancy. The Postulancy is the stage before the novitiate in preparation for the vocation of a De La Salle Christian Brother.

From previous entries, you could tell what the postulancy has been like in the last 2 1/2 months. I really have been at this stage since January.

All I can do is thank God for the gift. The gift of growing closer in my relationship with God, the gift of better understanding of this vocation I believe God is calling me to, and the gift of the people who have been there along the way.

In Tucson, Br. Steven Vasoli was my official postulant director from January - May. Our focus was the life of St. John Baptist De La Salle, which allowed me to gain a better understanding of the life of our Founder. During this time, I also traveled to Berkeley to meet with Br. Kevin and my spiritual director, Sr. Kathleen. It was a balance of my intellectual development, as well as my spiritual development.

I would say that the summer was a more intensive focus on my postulancy. A lot of spiritual development, as well as intellectual development. It provided for me a better understanding of the Catholic Church and its teachings, spirituality, personal prayer development, understanding of consecrated life, and apostolic work.

This isn't your typical postulancy, which is why I am so grateful to Br. Kevin for his flexibility and support throughout the process.

Brothers, friends, and family have been very supportive through it all. Being in contact with my family was helpful, discussing the process with friends was encouraging, and the connection with Brothers was encouraging. There wasn't a week when Br. Nick didn't send me a card, email, or phone call--it was like saying I'm here with you. I am proud to say that Br. Nick will be my sponsor/padrino.

Of course, my San Miguel experience also served as strength along the journey. I know that I had much support in that community: teachers, staff, and students. It's why I'm here because of what God did through them in my vocation story.

I am thankful to God for my growth during the last 8 months. I feel ready to embark on the next journey, the novitiate. I will arrive with readiness and openness to Mont La Salle on August 19th.

Witness to Grace

I have been privileged to have witnessed much at San Miguel High School. I’ve witnessed challenges, moments of excitement, and even miracles. It seems to never end.

For San Miguel, the 2007 – 2008 school year marks the 4th year of the schools existence. We have come a long way from our inaugural school year in 2004 – 2005. Evidence of how far we have come is what I witnessed at the District of San Francisco’s Lasallian Leaders Conference. Eleven of our students attended the conference which took place at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, CA from July 22 – July 29.

We arrived on the campus on the afternoon of July 22nd. Right away, the students were taken aback by this Lasallian college, getting a sense of the much larger Lasallian world. The first day meant settling in, icebreakers, and introductions.

One of the first activities the students participated in was the introduction of each school. Each school was responsible for introducing itself through some sort of performance. The SMHS students struggled a bit with keeping up with an idea. However, after much deliberation they had it figured out. Next thing I know, I see this group of students form a line and slither up onto the stage hissing like snakes, like VIPERS! There they were showing their pride in front of 130 other students. Their performance included sharing their names along with some sort of Mexican food, i.e. Jesus “Big Taco” Gonzalez. All 11 students introduced themselves as the formed a “V” on stage. Taking Tucson for what it is, the final student yelled, “La Migra” and all of them scattered off the stage. They had done it. They showed pride in their school, their culture, and their city.

The conference continued Monday with a long day. Students attended different workshops and presentations. Students also began to meet in their committees. As a way to practice the skills they were being taught, committees were formed based on different categories (Rally, Prayer, Media, etc…). These committees would be responsible for some sort of event or project on Thursday and Friday, the end of the week. It also allowed students to acquire ideas they could take back to San Miguel.

School group check-in time had been built into the week as a way for schools to discuss ideas, issues, and plan for the year ahead. Our first school check-in was solely based on checking in. Alma Mejia-Garcia and I had noticed the students were a bit culture shocked. Most of the students at the conference could be described as white, affluent young men and women. San Miguel students certainly looked different. None of the students brought up the issue and so I brought it up. Well, as soon as I brought it up it gave them the opportunity to open up about the issue. After some discussion, we decided we had to take some risks and challenge ourselves. I spoke to them of my own personal experience while a student at Cathedral High School. I told them that 7 years ago when I was attending similar conferences, no San Miguel existed; no De La Salle North Catholic existed. Cathedral was the oddball, Cathedral students were different. I explained to them that a turning point will happen during the week, it simply requires effort and patience. Well, I would have called this the turning point, they just took off!

I think throughout the week I was so amazed and humbled by the continual pride they showed in being San Miguel High School students. In seeing, Dominiqua Gamboa get up and talk about what makes San Miguel special. In seeing, James Hayes give a speech on Quality Education at San Miguel, saying “we are true to the original mission of St. John Baptist de La Salle.” Watching our students united at all times, yet not exclusive. They engaged people in conversations about what it means to be Lasallian. They questioned me on what it meant to be a Lasallian school. Yet, they could articulate it so well. I saw a conversion in each of the students to a stronger commitment to being Lasallian leaders, commitment to pride in San Miguel, and commitment to the Lasallian mission. I witnessed them bond and unite, showing support of each other. They were observers and learners throughout the week. Their confidence shot up. They lived with great faith and strengthened their faith.

When I asked students to share what they experienced, learned, etc…here is what they had to say:

“It was an eye opener about social justice…it matters!”

“Our connection with De La Salle North Catholic needs to build.”

“Even though schools have much more money to work with, we do awesome with less.”

“It was great to get to know each other.”

“Learning leaderships skills like FAIR and ARFF. The conference helped us get organized. It taught us not to put each other down. It taught us about respect.”

“I wish Je’re and Krystal could have been here.”

“It allowed me to become more spiritual. It gave us many ideas.”

“We need to be able to share our experience with Je’re and Krystal. It helped me with my self-confidence, but it also helped us as a group with self-confidence. It allowed us to build a family.”

“We can have fun dances. Improve our dances, yet not freak dancing necessary. It will be hard to go back and convince others.”

“I think we need a more structured model in terms of leadership to help us get more organized and coordinated. It gave me new ideas. It was motivating in doing more for people who need it.”

“It taught me how chaotic things could get. Being on the rally committee, things get out of control, seeing ideas thrown out and people left out.”

“It was very supportive and gave me new ideas.”

“Ditto on everything. There’s so much more to what we do, the reality of the bigger picture, do it for the right reasons.”

“We were more social and branched out.”

“Got ideas to be creative with our activities.”

“Confidence booster.”

“Bigger world out there, world doesn’t revolve around brown people, real world experience.”

“New ideas, organization of ideas.”

“More people doing the Lasallian thing in a different way.”

“We need to go back and breakdown differences.”


Well, it was great to see the energy of the student leaders as they processed their experience. Who are they? Do they get it? If there’s ever any doubt if our students don’t know who they are as San Miguel students or if they “get it…”

Listen to the words
Comin’ out of my mouth
You can find San Miguel
In the heart of the south.

Helping out the community
Is what we do
Even though we are surrounded
By the red and blue.

Those who are recruited
Are the chosen few
People less fortunate
Like me and you.

Drop out rates
At an ultimate high
While our homies and friends
See us pass them by.

It tuly is a mess
What they make of their lives
But at SMHS we
Keep dreams alive.

Down here in the double six o’ one
We keep education
Number one.

The CIP hook us up with a job
While we take over the world like a Lasallian mob.

On our way to work with
A shirt and a tie
All the kids start clownin’
But we know we look fly.

Respect is what we’ve always
Been taught to show
From our parents to our Brothers
This is all we know.

Peace, love, unity, having fun…
It’s all about being a Lasallian son.

Keeping faith in the Lord
Is what we do best
We put our lives in God’s hands
And forget the rest.

Before I end y’all can’t forget
San Miguel is the place to be
Targeting families with no money.

The students composed this for the talent show during the conference.

It truly was witnessing God’s grace.

Youth...Web Design...and Cows!

The last few days has been very much all over the place.

Wednesday and Thursday I spent the mornings with students at La Salle. They really are good young people. I had a student compose a poem clowning on the Arizona Wildcats as his assignment. Another student hid another a desk as his mother came to my classroom to pick him up. Then a couple of students followed me to the car to make fun of what I was driving. High school freshmen they're funny!

On a more serious note, the assignment give to student on Thursday was to compose a poem on a topic of their choice. Wow! They were powerful.

I'll share one:

As I walked down the street
I see kids playing soccer
with no shoes
the step on the dirt with gravel and don't care.

As I walked down the street
I see the poor people
with their houses broken down.
I felt bad so I helped them.

I miss those good old times
when the streets were filled with joy
where everybody could walk freely.
I sure do miss those good times.

Those good times when everybody
trusted everybody.
Now the world is turning dark.
Now no one trusts anyone.
The world is sad and unhappy.

I wish everything can go back
to the loyal and happy people.
I wish I live in the good times
with family and friends.

This poem was composed by a student who lives with his mother and 5 brothers. I took him home on Thursday and dropped him off at a house, it looked like a 1 or 2 bedroom home. Yet, it was his home! He's a good young man.

A highlight of today was hearing from Ezequiel Santamaria, former student of mine at San Miguel High School. We were able to communicate on the phone.

Thursday is my cooking night, so I made a taco salad and corn on the cob.

Friday:
I spent Friday pretty much working on the San Miguel High School website. I am having fun with the project. Check out the new and improved website at http://www.sanmiguelhigh.com/.

I was also greatly relieved to hear that De La Salle High School in Concord will let us borrow two of their vans next week for the Lasallian Leaders Conference. Thank you De La Salle and a special THANKS to Marilyn Paquette at De La Salle Institute.

I also spent much time reading Thomas Merton's, "Contemplative Prayer."

We didn't go out Friday evening as we usually do. Instead, we ordered some pizza and watched a movie (Flag of our Fathers). Good movie! It was a Br. Dan order from NetFlix.

Saturday:
A day to sleep in was greatly appreciated. I began the morning by helping scrape some paint off the wooden porch, which is being refurbished.

I then headed to Michael's crafts to pick up some material for a prayer service. San Miguel is in charge of one prayer service next week at the Lasallian Leaders Conference.

I also had a chance to phone my family in L.A. We talk about 3 or 4 times a week. Mom, dad, and sisters are doing fine!

After Michael's, I headed to Starbucks to do some more spiritual reading spending about an hour and a half there.

I came home around 12:30 just in time to catch the Dodgers-Giants nationally televised game on FOX. Go Dodgers! They won 8-7.

I also spent some more time working on the San Miguel website.

In the evening, Br. James Joost and I headed downtown to check out the Folk Music Festival. We went the a bar, Bob's, had dinner and listened to some good music. We spent about 2 hours there, before heading to a different place for dessert and more music.

Sunday:
Yakima is surrounded by many smaller towns, which are anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 hours away. Br. James suggested we head to White Swan for mass. White Swan is about 45 minutes away. We made the drive only to find out that mass was at 8:30 AM and not 9:00 AM as Br. James thought. So Br. Dan, Br. James, and I headed back to Yakima.

I made myself an egg sandwich and then headed to mass with Br. James to St. Joseph's Parish downtown. It was a parish I was curious to check out. I also wanted to experience a mass in Spanish so the 11:00 AM was a good choice. I loved it! Great church and great community.

During our ride back, I experienced a "only in Yakima" moment: a herd of cows being moved across a street. Quite a site! Wish I would have had my camera with me!

After coming home, I picked up my reading material and headed to Starbucks for some more reading, finally finishing Merton's "Contemplative Prayer." It's a good book and resource. I also used my time to prepare for class tomorrow.

I then headed to the movie theater to catch a matinee.

I ended Sunday working on the SMHS website, again a project I am having a lot of fun with.

Well, it's late so off I go...good night!

Can You Hear Me Now?

It's God Calling…

This morning when I glanced at the first reading I didn’t of it much. In the Gospel, what captured me was: “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to out laborers for his harvest.” Vocation automatically came to mind, an invitation. When I re-read the 1st reading, it came to me, “wrestling with God.”

The Gospel in a sense challenges us to respond to the master’s call. Are we one of the laborers sent out for his harvest? Jesus is moved with pity for the “troubled and abandoned” for they were “like sheep without a shepherd.” There probably isn’t a day in our lives where we don’t have the opportunity to step it up—to indeed look around us and look for the troubled and abandoned. We are challenged to respond.

God’s is always inviting us to respond. How much time do we spend wrestling with Him? Yet, wrestling with God may be a good thing. Something that allows us to reflect, to deepen our relationship with God and in the end, like Jacob, ask for God’s blessing. Wrestling with God may allow us to see him face to face in our prayer, in our relationships with others, in our response to his call. God knows that we may wrestle with him, but in the end, in our own openness, in our own faith, God will prevail. Much perseverance is needed.

I am currently reading Contemplative Prayer by Thomas Merton. I paraphrase a passage I ran across today.

There is a movement of meditation, expressing the basic paschal rhythm of the Christian life, the passage from death to life in Christ. Sometimes prayer, meditation, and contemplation [dare we say…wrestling] are “death”—a kind of descent into our own nothingness, a recognition of helplessness, frustration, infidelity, confusion, ignorance; a profound distress of man in his nothingness and his total need of God. Then, as we determine to face the hard realities of our inner life, as we recognize again that we need to pray hard and humbly for faith, he draws us out of darkness into light—he hears us, answers our prayers, recognizes our needs, and grants us the help we require—if only be giving us more faith to believe he can and will help us in his own time.

It’s comforting to know it is okay to wrestle with God. Again, with great perseverance and openness, God in his time will give us the courage to respond, for “the master of his harvest” will send out laborers.

Trust and Courage

Summer classes started up again at La Salle after the 4th of July break. Students needed some help refocusing. We had a good day in class talking about classical drama and beginning the Greek Classic: Antigone.

Monday is 1 of our 3 mass days. In the last two days, I have really been struck by the readings and back-to-back, well-delivered homilies!

Today's readings come from Genesis and the Gospel of Matthew. Readings for Monday, July 9th.

I titled this entry "Trust and Courage" because of my reflection on the readings...

The theme of trusting in God comes up in today’s first reading. Yesterday, I found myself really connecting with the homily, which focused on the idea of “courage” and leaving behind our extra, unnecessary “baggage.” Which leads us to ask the question: “What is the baggage in our life that holds us back?” What a great reflection question.

I don’t know which is first courage or trust. My guess is that in our world today we are all guilty of being courageous for all types of reasons. We need to prove ourselves! You can do it! Yet, what good is our courage if we don’t trust in God?

In the first reading today, God speaks to Jacob in the following words: “Know that I am with you; I will protect you wherever you go, and bring you back to this land. I will never leave you until I have done what I promised you.” God asks Jacob to have courage, to take a risk, and go forth on the journey because he can trust in God.

We are called to do the same. How? Well, God came to Jacob in a dream, but sleeping and waiting for a dream may not be the most rational thing to do. However, if we “dream” by reflecting/praying and give God a chance to communicate with us might be something we can do before we go out and act courageously.

Jacob had already embarked on his journey, but God reassured him. Therefore, we too, must look for the signs God gives us to have courage, to indeed trust we are on the journey with Him. Our journey is nothing if we do not allow God to accompany us. Our journey will fail if we do not trust in God.

All this has great relevance for me at this present time in my life. I find myself missing the comfort of Tucson. I find myself missing the comfort of San Miguel High School and its familiar faces. I find myself “missing” a lot of people. Yet, it reassures me to know that the signs are there for me where I can see God. For example, in the last two days I find God challenging me to trust and to continue to have courage.

The end of the first reading gives us more to reflect on. I think it is important what Jacob does following his dream: he honors the place where he has experienced God in a special way. He makes a vow. I think it is important because it reminds us that we must honor God with great thanksgiving in the end. It reminds us to return to our roots, to the place (physical or spiritual) where God let us experience him in a special way. For me, it is obviously San Miguel High School where I felt God clearly spoke to me and gave me the affirmation to take this journey. I often return to SMHS in my prayers, thoughts, and imagination seeing how God called me. If God has called me, then I must trust he will remain with me and protect me on the journey, just as Jacob did. The responsorial psalm of the day says it clearly: “In you, my God, I place my trust.”

The Gospel is a great reminder of faith. These desperate people have come to Jesus with great faith. Sometimes our desperation allows us to have great faith, but we must practice faith outside of such circumstances, in order for it to come alive at those points where we find ourselves desperate. Faith thus allows us to trust, have courage, and continue on the journey towards God. And it is a cycle; trust and courage allow us to have faith.

Back at it!

So it's been a while since I've posted an update, mostly because not much has gone on than the usual. For me it was like a reflection on the past 3 weeks.

Br. Kevin, the Director of Postulants, arrived on July 4th to check in with me. We spent much of the time discussing life in the classroom this summer, community life here, my personal prayer life, and my assigned readings. It was a great time of reflection and sharing with each other.

We did celebrate the 4th of July here in the community here at house with a BBQ and friends of the Brothers. I got to do some of the grocery shopping and appetizers. It was a carne asada BBQ, so I also made some guacamole. Yum!

Thursday, July 5th was spent in discussion with Br. Kevin. It was also my cooking day so I used the left overs to make a taco salad.

Friday, July 6th was also spent in discussion with Br. Kevin. The community went out for our Friday routine. We caught a movie in the afternoon followed by dinner.

Today's been a slower day with time for some reading and a haircut. I probably had the "chatiest" stylist ever. However, she was very nice.

Br. Dat and I wrapped up our discussions on the Adult Catechism. He is taking off for Seattle where he will be flying out tomorrow for Paris. A good chunk of his family is in France.

I've also had time to grade throughout the holiday break. I'll use Sunday to prepare for the week.

It's been nice to hear from a lot of students and friends at San Miguel over the past couple of days.

Today, Clementina Fernandez (business manager at SMHS) got married to her long-time boyfriend and great man, Jerry! Congratulations Clementina!!!

Start of the Third Week

It's about 6:15 AM here in Yakima.

I had to get up early this morning to prepare a test review for my class. We only have two days of class this week and then they have a 4th of July break until next Monday. So works out perfectly to have test Tuesday before the break.

It was a nice weekend. Relaxing. Friday evening we went out miniature golfing. Wow, I did horrible! But it was fun. After golfing, we went out for a burger at the famous Yakima "Miners." Pretty good and massive burgers.

Saturday was a cleaning day. We did a lot of work in and out of the house. Br. Dan Morgan moved in his stuff on Saturday also. He and Br. Jonathan arrived from Portland. Br. Dan actually did officially move in until Sunday. Anyway, before Br. Dan and Jonathan left we went out for mexican food. It was my first Mexican meal here in Yakima. We went to a restaurant called "El Porton." It was pretty darn good!

Sunday we went to Selah for mass at St. John's. They actually have a very nice pastor who called the Brothers up at the end of mass to introduce them to the community. After mass, I did some reading and then went out to a movie with Br. James. Did you know that matinees here are only $4.00? Well, it didn't matter. Apparently, there is one lady who owns all the theatres in Yakima (3 of them). She give the Brothers an annual pass to watch movies free! So we saw "A Mighty Heart." It was a very intense and touching movie. I highly recommend it.

After the movie, I read some more and we prepared dinner. We had burgers! Well, Sunday kind of wound down from there.

Well, we leave for mass in about 20 minutes before heading to school.

Have a great day and week!

First Week of Summer Classes Concludes!

"Poor people are dangerous." That probably wins statement of the week.

Part of chapter 12: "Those Who Don't" from House on Mango Street reads:

"Those who don't know any better come into our neighborhood scared. They think we're dangerous. They think we will attack them with shiny knives. They are stupid people who are lost and got here by mistake....

All brown all around, we are safe. But watch us drive into a neighborhood of another color and our knees go shakity-shake and our car windows get rolled up tight and our eyes look straight. Yeah. That is how it goes and goes" (p. 28).

This selection, along with the comment, "poor people are dangerous" ensued an interesting discussion in class. It was very much a teachable moment, trying to get students to see the danger of ignorance. We are all guilty, "...That is how it goes and goes" I think refers to the cycle of ignorance. How uncomfortable do we get when were with people different from us (culturally, econmically, etc...)?

The stories we read this week in class (Amy Tan's Two Kinds, a selection from Night by Elie Wiesel, and House on Mango Street) had a lot to tell us. When I asked students to list some themes they saw in all 3 works they mentioned: "the need for respect," "you need to work hard to succeed," and "the effects of poverty" were a few mentioned. It made for an interesting Friday discussion and "Lasallian" lesson.


The students here are on top of things, well-prepared. About 45 of the 55 entering freshmen come from two parochial schools. Therefore, 15 of the 17 students I am teaching are from these parochial schools. Apparently, most of them are in the summer program for the math. Again, nice kids.


In terms of my readings, I am still doing my studying of the Catholic Adult Catechism. I am also in the middle of reading, Becoming Who You Are and one I really am enjoying, Traits of a Healthy Spirituality. There are 20 traits discussed in the book. These traits are basic and practical. So far I've read through the following traits of a healthy spirituality: Self-Esteem, Wonder, Friendship, Courage, Teachability, Tolerance, Joy, Interdependence, Perserverance, Freedom, Love, and Generativity. I will share some reflections on some of these in a later posting.

However, before the book begins describing each of these, it begins with the topic of Spirituality in general and asks the question, "Where are You?" It narrows down the definition of spirituality as "the style of a person's response to Christ before the challenges of everyday life, in a given historical and cultural environment." This is a Christian expansion on the initial, and maybe easier definition to understand: "our basic outlook on life."

For me, I interpret it as: who am I in the world today? How do I live in the world today? How do I respond to the world today?

The book adds, "Christian spirituality is lived everyday, in how we deal with the holy things of life, as well as the ordinary things." It mentions that Christian spirituality has three characteristics: "it is one, it is unique, it is ongoing."

Finally, it concludes, "God asks us the question today, 'Where are you?' God asks it not to learn something new, but 'to jolt us into examining our lives and taking responsibility for our way of living.' How far are along are you in your Christian journey."

I had a rather long reflection to all this. But I ended my reflection but trying to articulate my own spirituality at the current moment. My spirituality in light of what I have read and tying it to my ongoing vocation journey:

A spirituality that responds to the realities of the world today as a Christian individual who allows the young to be Jesus to him. He aims to continue to develop his understanding for the mission and spread the Gospel message that is the Lasallian mission. A message of direct service to the poor as a means to salvation, our own and that of our students, all by looking upon everything and everyone with the "eyes of faith, and in view of God, and attribute all to God."

I believe this spirituality can be lived in practical ways. Prayer, teaching (always), relationships, and the list goes on.

Besides teaching, reading, and reflecting, I have kept busy with community duties (making sure I'm pitching in), keeping in touch with people, keeping up with the Dodgers, and all the little details of life!

Midweek Update

The students have arrived! 17 of them!

I think I have all the names down by now. They are a good group. Nice students. We have covered Fiction, Non-Fiction, and have begun reading "House on Mango Street."

I actually found "House on Mango Street" to be an interesting story. It deals a lot with the role of women and the issues of inner-city living. The main character, Esperanza, which means hope in Spanish, is on a path to discover her world and role in it. All in 119 pages.

The length of our discovery story is probably much more than 119 pages and it probably does not lead to the eternal discovery of God, in this world at least. It is simply inching closer to God's magnificence. It is discoverying the goodness of the world and bringing it to others. It is discovering the Gospel call in our lives and then discovering some more.

I finally finished reading, The Work is Yours: The Life of Saint John Baptist de La Salle. You could say it is De La Salle's discovery story.

De La Salle's story included (quoting from the book): "the emphasis on the presence and the Providence of God; the importance given to obedience and self-abnegation in union with the mystery of the incarnate Word; the reliance—unusual for its time—on the guidance of the Holy Spirit; the centrality of the gospel message and its maxims; sensitivity to the divine voice to be discerned in the crying needs of the poor; the call to an apostolic mission and Christian ministry on behalf of young persons 'far from salvation'" (221).

Br. Luke Salm states "The spirit of faith is the core Lasallian spirituality. It is the spirit of radical faith in the Providence of God that leads Brothers 'not to look upon anything but with the eyes of faith, not to do anything but in view of God, and to attribute all to God.' This God is the one, true, real, and Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, prostate before whose 'infinite and adorable majesty' the Brothers 'consecrate themselves entirely to procure the glory of God as far as they are able and as God will require of them.' De La Salle urges the Brothers to nourish this spirit of faith by sensitivity to the presence of God, recalled frequently during the day; by fidelity to the practice of meditation; by self-discipline; and by serious doctrinal study and spiritual reading, especially in the Sacred Scriptures" (212).

I was deeply inspired by this. As I wrote earlier, in our church today, how will we be prophetic? De La Salle's radical faith is exemplifying of our need to be modern day prophets--we must proclaim the truth. For me, it means how will I be a prophetic Brother? How will I allow God to work within me in radical fashion? It must begin with a reliance and openness to the spirit. If we are to rely on and be open to the spirit, then we must begin, as De La Salle states, by nourishing our spirit of faith.

Br. Luke Salm ends his book by quoting the final article of the Brothers' Rule:

The Brothers bear witness to their love for Saint John Baptist de La Salle as their Founder. They imitate him in his abandonment to God, his loyalty to the Church, his creative apostolic spirit, and his definitive commitment to the evangelization of young people.

The life of an Institute is a continual challenge to be creative while remaining faithful to its origins. It can sometimes call for difficult commitments, as John Baptist de La Salle discovered at various points in his life. Today, as in the past, he challenges the Brothers, not only as the one who established the Institute but as the Founder who continues to inspire and sustain it.

Filled with the spirit which he left them as their legacy, the Brothers grow in the living tradition of the Institute. In communion with those who have gone before them, they continue to respond with ardent zeal to the appeals of the Lord, the Church, and the world, in order to procure the glory of God.

For me, a call for radical faith, radical commitment, and radical hope through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Weekend Adventures

Saturday, Br. Dat and I decided to venture over to Seattle. Seattle is about 2 and a half hours from Yakima. We left at about 8:30 AM. It's quite the beautiful drive from Yakima to Seattle as you could see from the photos taken from inside the car. Nice mountain views and lots of trees!

Our first stop was actually at Br. Dat's uncle's house where we dropped off some things for him. After that stop, we proceeded to Seattle.

We arrived around lunch time, so Br. Dat suggested we do the Chinese brunch of Dim Sum at a Chinese restaurant in Seattle's Chinatown. It was interesting, but good Chinese food. To the right, is a view from the parking lot of the Chinese restaurant. Being a baseball fan, it was cool to see Safeco Field, home of the Seattle Mariners.

After lunch, we decided to head down to the pier to walk. It was quite an amazing walk, lots of people too. We walked about 2 - 3 miles I would say.

After that walk, we headed over the the Pike Street Market, another amazing place with a lot of hustle and bustle. Bought some postcards to send out and a shot cup for my mom who collects them. We also made a stop at the original Starbucks. Wow! It is, sadly, a tourist attraction, says the guy who went in bought a drink and took a photo.

It was a nice Saturay!

Sunday, was a day to sleep in since mass was not until 11:00 AM. We attended mass at the St. Joseph Mission, doesn't compare to San Xavier Mission, but it was nice to see it. It was actually an outdoor mass because of the occassion. However, it was cold! Everyone warned me about how hot it would get (still waiting), but no one warned about about the cool weather. Not complaining, but let's just say the Sunday night low was 38 degrees and it was windy!

In the afternoon, I headed over to the school for the final preparations. The had been waxing the floors, and since my classroom was last on Friday, it means having to move all the furniture back in! Once that was completed and I got everything else set up, I headed over to Starbucks to read for a while.

Br. Dat prepared dinner, delicious fried rice, and then we took our 2 mile walk around the park. Br. James came in from L.A. in the evening. I did some reading and postcard writing before heading to bed.

Wrapping up the week...

The last two days have been very similar. A lot of reading and reflecting. It's amazing how much thinking one does when they're not working. I find myself pausing for a little prayer a few times a day. I pray for people, issues, etc... that come to mind. Usually, I begin "God please..." I also try so listen if God is saying "Chris please..." That one is a little harder. But we must come to listen to ourselves, to listen to God, to come to rest in God. As I've been reading the life of St. La Salle and the Catholic Chatechism I am more convinced, well more aware, that all must come from and come to God. Jesus and the Holy Spirit should be our guides that give us the grace necessary to continue along the path to God. Wow, that's a lot of work, but ever so rewarding.

In terms of preparing for summer classes, I have done a lot of photo copying and organizing myself. Making sure dictionaries are available, creating homework sheets, etc...

Thursday evening, I cooked some very spicy enchiladas (by accident!). We spent a lot of time talking about the vocation program. We followed our dinner with a 2 mile walk around the park in our backyard (4 laps). I'll post pictures later.

Friday morning, I made my presentation to the La Salle Yakima Board of Trustees on my journey through the Lasallian world and discovering my vocation.

Friday also consisted of a Target run, post office run, reading, and my Catechism class with Br. Dat.

The summer community decided that Friday would be a outing/dinner out day. Since Br. James left to L.A. for a wedding, Br. Dat and I were left to venture on our own. We decided on bowling and dinner. The bowling alley is only 5 minutes away, so we headed there and bowled two games. Chris scores: 134 and 120. We ate dinner at the "Flaming Asian Grill." I had the almond chicken with fried rice. Br. Dat has mentioned that the portions were substantial, but what I got was unbelievable. It must have been the biggest plate I have ever been served, about 12 inches in diameter. It really makes two meals, all for $12.00!

Finally, we headed out for a walk. We kept it consistent and did 2 miles.

Tomorrow, we will visit Seattle. Seattle is about two and a half hours from Yakima. Br. Dat has family there, so we will drop by for a visit before touring Seattle.

Amen!

Wednesday, June 20

Hi, Debbie! I got an email yesterday from Debbie Gordon (teacher at San Miguel; first one on left in picture). It was great to know that I'm not the only one reading my blog. Hahahaha. Anyway, Debbie, San Miguel is blessed to have you! I hope Debbie does not mind, but I wanted to share part of her email:

"I so enjoy working for the Brothers. It’s taken me 23 years to find the “right” school...I feel that God does have a place for me at SMHS and that he led me there. I feel so at home and I feel that I am growing spiritually."

I must reiterate San Miguel is a powerful place!

Yesterday (Wed., June 20), began with us making it to the correct mass this time at St. Paul's Parish. St. Paul's is about 15 minutes from the Brothers' Community. After mass, we headed home where I had some coffee and toast and even read the paper! It's unusual I do anything besides grab coffee and run out the door. However, one of my goals is to establish healthy patterns.

There was much "academic" work to do so I quickly turned to that. Currently, I am reading four books as part of my preparation for the novitiate. The Work is Yours: The Life of St. John Baptist de La Salle, United States Catholic Catechism for Adults, Traits of a Healthy Spirituality, and Becoming Who You Are. I have not begun the last two yet. However, I must say Br. Luke Salm's The Work is Yours is a powerful book looking at all he and the early Brothers went through in establishing the Institute. One of the recent things I found interesting is all the complaints and lawsuits against De La Salle for doing what he was doing. He was made to close schools, furniture was confiscated, and basically it was illegal to educate in the manner he was educating. Yet, in his own quiet way he persisted with a firm belief that if it is God's work, it cannot fail. What faith!

Anyways, I spent Wednesday morning blogging and reading. After becoming more indoctrinated, I headed over to the school. I basically spent a couple of hours there preparing for my presentation to the Board of Trustees on Friday. I was asked to focus on my journey and its connection to the Lasallian world.

After lunch and a little TV, Br. Dat and I sat down to discuss the first chapter of the Catechism. Chapter 1 discussed "The Universal Desire for God" where there are 3 paths through which every person can come to God: creation, the human person, and Revelation. It describes God as an intelligent, wise, and eternal Creator. We also discussed Thomas Aquinas' views.

Here are a couple of "did you knows" from what I read in the Catechism for Adults.

Doctrinal Statements on longing for God:

• God has planted in every human heart the hunger and longing for the infinite--for nothing less than himself.
• Only in God will we find the truth, peace, and happiness for which we never stop searching. Created in God's image, we are called to know and love the Lord.
• God can be known with certainty from his works in creation and from the spiritual nature of the human person by the light of natural reason, although there are many difficulties in coming to knowledge because of humanity's historical and sinful conditions.
• By our openness to goodness and truth, our experience, our sense of moral goodness, our listening to the voice of conscience, and our desire for happiness, we can discern our spiritual soul and can come to see that this could only have its origin in God.
• We can speak of God even if our limited language cannot exhaust the mystery of who he is.
• While we can come to know something about God by our natural power of reason, there is a deeper knowledge of God that comes to us through Divine Revelation.

After our session, I finally got to doing some laundry, reading some more of House on Mango Street, and worked on some details for the Lasallian Leadership Conference in July at St. Mary's College. 11 students from San Miguel will attend.

Wednesday evening we were invited to attend a potluck at a parish in the next town over, Selah. Our Lady of Lourdes holds a weekly potluck. It was nice to continue to explore the community, and realize how different people are here. I must say it was a very good potluck though. Selah is only about 25 minutes from the community. That's me in Selah!

When we returned home I did some more reading. I want to make sure I stay on top of things. Since San Miguel has one of the prayer services at the Lasallian Leadership Conference, I put together a rubric for the students to use as they put the prayer service together. Finally, I concluded the night my putting some finishing touches on the powerpoint for the Board meeting.

Another day in the Northwest!