DISTRICT OF WEST AFRICA * MARIST VOCATION YEAR
November, 2004:
Topic: St. Marcellin’s dream –
Brothers close to children and young people, caring for them.
Ideas: The educational dimension of the Marist vocation.
Prayer Service 3
“To bring up a child properly, you must love him”
Introduction
St Marcellin dreamt of Brothers who were present among children and young people, caring for them. Faithful to his charism, our Marist tradition has developed ways and means to stress this loving presence. We are going to pray with some extracts of our Constitutions; let us allow the Spirit of the Lord to touch our hearts in order to make Champagnat’s dream alive today, in the concrete circumstances we live.
Entrance hymn
Spirit of God in the clear running water,
blowing to greatness the trees on the hill.
Spirit of God in the finger of morning.
Fill the earth, bring it to birth and blow
where you will
Blow, blow, blow till I be
but breath of the Spirit blowing in me.
Spirit of God, ev’ry man’s heart is lonely,
watching and waiting and hungry until.
Spirit of God, man longs that you only
fulfil the earth, bring it to birth and blow
where you will
Blow, blow, blow till I be
but breath of the Spirit blowing in me.
Praying with our Constitutions
(I suggest reading each text, and to pause some moments… Feel free to echo some words, to add a prayer or a refrain, after each text)
Marcellin often said: “Every time I see a child, I long teach him his catechism, to make him realise how much Jesus Christ has loved him” (Const. 1)
Father Champagnat was sensitive to the needs of his times, especially to the ignorance concerning religion among young people and the poor circumstances in which they were placed (Const. 2)
Marcellin saw the mission of a Brother as helping children and young people to become good Christians and good citizens. (Const. 81)
Being a man of faith, Marcellin believed that it was prayer above all that influenced the children to become gentle of heart. (Const. 81)
Good example and constant presence are other important elements of Marist pedagogy, which Fr. Champagnat summarizes thus: “To bring up a child properly, you must love him”(Const. 81)
Father Champagnat felt himself called to form religious for the Christian education of little country children whom no one bothered about (Const. 81)
Let us pray
Lord Jesus, our Master and Brother,
We thank you today
for the gift of St Marcellin
to the Church and to our Institute.
This gift is a grace of your Holy Spirit,
forever relevant to the world.
We thank you, Jesus, for giving us a share
in St Marcellin’s vision and charism.
St Marcellin is the life-giving root
of our Marist mission.
You chose him to bring hope
and your loving message
to the hearts of young people.
Inspire us to do the same
in our time and place.
St Marcellin was a born teacher;
he knew how to attract children;
he showed personal interest
in each one of them.
Inspire us great simplicity
to relate with young people,
and great confidence in them.
St Marcellin took Mary as Model and Mother;
he experienced the cross in his life,
but his hope and vision remained strong.
Help us to take up his project
with enthusiasm and love,
in a similar spirit of faith and apostolic zeal.
Amen
Praying with our Constitutions
(I suggest reading each text, and to pause some moments… Feel free to echo some words, to add a prayer or a refrain, after each text )
Our vocation as Brother is a special call to live the Brotherhood of Christ with everyone, especially with young people, loving them with selfless love (Const. 3)
As consecrated men, we reach out to others, especially to young people, to make Jesus Christ known and loved (Const. 17)
We make young people welcome, our hearts open to receive them and ready to serve them. (Const. 21)
Mary inspires us to have constant concern for young people’s welfare, and to respond with selfless love to their appeals for help (Const. 21)
Faithful to Father Champagnat, our Institute works to evangelise people, especially by educating the young, particularly those most neglected (Const. 80)
Our attitudes towards young people find their inspiration in Mary, bringing up Jesus at Nazareth (Const. 84)
Marist Litanies
Mary, our Good Mother, our Ordinary Resource, you who were an inspiration for St Marcellin,
-Be with us, good Mother, bless us and bless our mission in the District
Marcellin Champagnat, whom the Spirit inspired the charism and mission of the Marist Brothers,
-Keep alive in us your charism, your dream and your love for young people.
Brothers François, Alfano, Basilio, and Brothers who preceded us on the road of fidelity and service,
-Intercede for us in our daily lives, and help us to carry out our Marist mission.
All former students who welcomed Christ and witnessed to Him,
-Grant your special protection to our current and former pupils.
All you parents who entrusted us with children already blessed by your faith and love,
-Pray that our educational and apostolic work may always be paternal and maternal.
All you who worked with the Marist Brothers, attracted to the charism of Father Champagnat,
-Allow many others to discover this charism and to serve the Lord and youth with joy.
Other intentions may be added.
Final hymn
As I kneel before you
and I bow my head in prayer
Take this day, make it yours,
and fill me with your love.
Ave Maria, gratia plena,
Dominus tecum, benedicta tu.
All I have, I give you,
ev’ry dream and wish are yours.
Mother of Christ, Mother of mine,
present them the Lord.