“Two hundred-fifty words?” “I talk that much in my sleep on any given night!” I chuckled to myself as I first sat down to begin our communication for the Marist Brothers Website we had recently redesigned. “That should be no sweat,” another comforting thought assured me, when I first reflected on my answer to the request Brother John Klein had made a few weeks ago. So what happened?
Why, in the meantime, had I been so reluctant to stay seated long enough to type it up?” What had stopped me from pounding out a few coherent and perhaps, “profound” thoughts for the province and the potential world of bloggers who have taken to communicating in this way? By now, this was attempt number five, or six… What was the delay?
After all, this blog’s initial entry had been penciled in the month of June and June 6th is the Feast of St. Marcellin Champagnat, which seemed a fitting time to launch such a project with the blessings of Our Founder, Mary, and whatever heavenly influence they would bring to it by their presence there. Also, it seemed far enough in the future to get it done… Then why the reluctance to finally “Just Do It!”--Nike’s timeworn but fitting reminder--which I’ve often repeated as a personal mantra over the last 10 years?
Most probably because this was personal, public, and possibly as permanent, as anything produced in cyberspace can be. Sharing thoughts with friends, confidants and colleagues has been fairly easy for this extrovert, and semi-exhibitionist. Teaching, making public announcements, singing and scripted speaking in public, have always provided outlets for getting my attention-seeking needs met. Responding to surveys, or even commenting on the sports blogs I follow in the Chicago papers have been anonymously non-threatening. But this? The U. S. Marist Brothers-sponsored blog, that could be seen by all? The prospect of my ideas being judged as clear, concise and coherent? In this medium such angst may not really be that important…
What is essential is that I introduce and inject some aspect of “Marist Spirit,” our charism and gift to our world, and invite you to respond. In fact we’d encourage you to react to these words, or anything that draws your attention on this Marist Site. You have obviously found www.maristbr.com. Another great place is our international website at www.champagnat.org from which you can access links to Marist Websites around the world. We welcome Brothers, Sisters, members of the Marist Family, GMC members, colleagues, friends, alumni, parents of students and students who know us from the U. S. Marist World. We welcome also those of you who may be new to the Marist World…Welcome to our family and virtual home here. May you come to share our spirit and our mission of “making Jesus known and loved.”
Finally, we wish you a happy feast day (whenever this is posted) and the blessings we celebrate on the 167th Anniversary of St. Marcellin Champagnat’s death and rebirth into resurrected life. Be assured of our prayers and God’s desire that you grow to know and live life worthy of your calling as men and women created and called to be the image of God in our world. I’ll end for now with the 3 short prayers we use to ritually end our prayer together:
St. Marcellin Champagnat, pray for us.
Mary, Our Good Mother, pray for us.
Let us remember, to pray for each other.
