CELEBRATING OUR 2006 BROTHER JUBILARIANS So we are ambassadors and ministers for Christ, God making an appeal through us. - 2 Corinthians 5: 20 + Coming together as the Lasallian Family, we pause and remember that we are always and everywhere in the holy presence of our God. In the name of our God Who is Father and Creator, in the name of our God Who is Son, Brother and Redeemer, and in the name of our God Who is the Spirit calling us to life and to holiness, we give thanks, we rejoice and we sing praise, both now and forever. Amen. Congratulations to and God s blessings on our Brothers who are celebrating significant years of service as Lasallian Christian Brothers. DIAMOND 70 YEARS Brother Mark Gault (Hilarion Mark), FSC RUBY 60 YEARS Brother Edward Everett (Hilarion Dominic), FSC Brother Nicholas Geimer (Joel Nicholas), FSC Brother Pius Kamphefner (Humphrey Pius), FSC Brother David Pieters (Lupinian David), FSC GOLDEN 50 YEARS Brother Jerome Cox (Jerome Vincent), FSC Brother Roman Jarosz (Jordan Edward), FSC Brother Raphael Mascari (Joseph Raphael), FSC Brother Norman McCarthy (Leonidas Norman), FSC Brother Kevin Ryan (Kevin Malachy), FSC SILVER 25 YEARS Brother Anthony Gajewski, FSC
The Summons Will you come and follow Me if I but call your name? Will you go where you don t know and never be the same? Will you let My love be shown, will you let My name be known, Will you let My life be grown in you and you in Me? Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name? Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same? Will you risk the hostile stare should your life attract or scare? Will you let Me answer prayer in you and you in Me? Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name? Will youi set the prisoners free and never be the same? Will you kiss the leper clean and do such as this unseen, And admit to what I mean in you and you in Me? Will you love the you you hide if I but call your name? Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same? Will you use the faith you have found to re-shape the world around? Through My sight and touch and sound in you and you in Me? Lord, Your summons echoes true when You but call my name. Let me turn and follow You and never be the same. In Your company I will go Where Your love and footsteps show. Thus I will move and live and grow in You and You in me. - John Bell, Iona Community. GIA Publications, Inc. Psalms 40 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD. Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after false gods! I have not hid Your saving help within my heart, I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your steadfast love and Your faithfulness from the people. O LORD, do not withhold Your mercy from me, let Your steadfast love and Your faithfulness ever preserve me! As for me, I am poor and needy; but the Lord takes thought of me. You are my help and my deliverer, O my God! +
O Spirit of the Living God, open our minds and hearts to hear Your Holy Word and live it each day. Ephesians 4: 7, 11-15 But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ s gift. And His gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mat u re manhood, to the measure of the stat u re of the fullness of C h r i s t ; so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the cunning of men, by their craftiness in deceitful wiles. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ. Thoughts of De La Salle Since you are ambassadors and ministers of our Lord Jesus Christ in the work that you do, you must act as representing Jesus Christ Himself. The Spirit of the Living God acts in you and by you. Frequently give yourself to the Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ to act only under His influence. Reflection: True Cooperators With Jesus Christ - Brother William Mann, FSC By our vocation as Christian educators within the Lasallian tradition, we are those who stand with John Baptist de La Salle and consecrate our lives to procure God s glory - the salvation of children as far as we are able, without counting the cost, and in the manner required of us because we have the confidence that the work we do is truly God s holy work. This is the time, then, to re-commit ourselves to the Christian and human education of youth, confident that, not alone, we are surrounded by our beloved Founder, by the young people for whom and with whom we toil, by the parents of our students and all of our Lasallian colleagues all around the world, and by the very real human brothers and sisters with whom we work every day, all of us impelled by that mighty energy of Christ s which is so powerful a force within us.
Intercessions Response: With shouts of joy, we give thanks, O Lord! For the gift of these dedicated Brothers For the dream and vision of John Baptist de La Salle and the first Brothers For our Christian Brothers throughout the world For our Lasallian Family. For Catholic education and most especially Catholic Lasallian education For the gift of family and friends who stand by us For our benefactors who support us through their generosity For those considering a life of service to You, Lord and Your people. For our colleagues in ministry For a continued creative response to the educational needs of the working class and the poor For each of us that we may use our giftedness to build up the Kingdom of G o d For true brotherhood among all men and women For the leaders of our Church and of our Institute For those who have gone before us and on whose shoulders we stand Litany of Lasallian Saints Christ hear us. Christ graciously hear us. Heavenly Father, Creator of heaven and earth, have mercy on us. Jesus, our Master Teacher and Savior, have mercy on us, God the Holy Spirit Life and Grace-Giver to Your Church, have mercy on us. Our Lady of the Star, Queen and Mother of the Christian Schools, pray for us. Saint Joseph, Guardian of all families and patron of the Brothers, pray for us. Saint John Baptist de La Salle, our father and founder, pray for us. Saint Brother Benilde, apostle of vocations, pray for us. Saint Brother Mutien (mew/shun) Marie, man of prayer and teacher of religion, pray for us. Saint Brother Miguel, teacher and scholar, pray for us. Saint Gabriel, exemplary Lasallian student, pray for us. All you saintly Brother Martyrs of France, pray for us. All You Saintly Brother Martyrs of Spain, pray for us. Blessed Brother Scubillion, (sku/be/lee/own) missionary and teacher of the slaves, pray for us. All you holy Brothers who have gone before us, pray for us. All you holy men and women of our Lasallian family, pray for us. All you men and women, saints of God, pray for us.
Formula of Vows Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with profound respect before Your Infinite Majesty, I consecrate myself entirely to You to procure Your glory as far as I shall be able and as You will require of me. For this purpose, I, Brother., promise to unite myself and to remain in society, with the Brothers of the Christian Schools who are associated to conduct, together and by association, schools for the service of the poor. I promise to go wherever I may be sent and to do whatever I may be assigned by the body of the Society or its superiors. Wherefore, I promise and vow chastity, poverty, obedience, association for the service of the poor through education, and stability in the Institute according to the Bull of Approbation and the Rule of the Institute I promise to keep these vows faithfully all of my life. Psalms 132 Ecce quam bonum! Ecce quam bonum, et quam jucúndum habitáre fratres in unum. Sicut unguéntum in cápite, quod descéndit in barbam, barbam Aaron. Quod descéndit in oram vestiménti ejus: sicut ros Hermon, qui descéndit in montem Sion. Quóniam illic mandávit Dóminus benedictiónem, et vitam usque in sæculum. Psalm 132 Behold How Good It Is! B E H O L D, how good and joyful a thing it is, for bro t h e rs to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head that ran down unto the beard, even unto Aaron s beard, and went down to the collar of his clothing. Like as the dew of Harmon, which fell upon the hill of Sion. For there the LORD promised his blessing, and life for evermore.
Let us pray: O ever-present Triune God and Creator of unfailing light and wisdom, Give that same light and wisdom to those who call to You. As Catholic educators and Lasallian ambassadors of Jesus Christ may our lips praise You; our lives proclaim Your goodness; our works give You honor; and our voices celebrate You forever. May the Spirit of the Risen Lord Jesus be forever in our hearts and may this same Spirit shine in and through us as we enlighten, educate and guide the youth entrusted to us. Amen. May the Spirit of Christ be our hope through the day, be our guard through the night, be our companion on the way. We give thanks to God always for all of you, Brothers, remembering you in our prayers, unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love, and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ. - 1 Thessalonians 1: 2-4 + Saint John Baptist de La Salle and all you holy Brothers who have gone before us, may we always be faithful to the dream. Live Jesus in our hearts. Forever!