Start Your Day with a Daily Gospel Meditation from
Father Bert Buby SM 
Link to the blog for his Scripture Reflections.
http://scripmed.blogspot.com
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Quicklinks
E-News (this document) and Saying Yes Archive
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Wedding Announcement
Andy Badinghaus and Jama Brown, members of the Summons Community, were married October 3 at the Queen of Apostles Chapel in Dayton.
Birth Announcement
Aaron Josiah Fowler, grandson of Joan McGuinness Wagner and A.J. Wagner came in to this world on September 16th weighing 7.5 lbs..
Please Pray for the Healing of
Corporal Samuel Pera wounded in Afghanistan (Michael Pera's brother)
Rich Csarny
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September
Contributors to MLNNA
- John Eise
- Michael Gillespie
- Bill and Ann Hirt
If you would like to support MLNNA
Donations to the Marianist Lay Network of North America can be sent electronically through this link to Network for Good.
Your contributions support this publication. We want to do more but our funds our limited.
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Something Fun
Take a look at this video. Go ahead. I'll wait.
Now look at this one done by Mark Anderson, a member of the Embers Community (with longer hair in the video) and Jim Cosgrove who will be entering Lay Marianist formation in January.
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THINGS YOU DON'T NEED
This month I lost my gall bladder. After weeks of pain in my abdomen and pain in my chest, which caused a trip to the emergency room, my doctor told me I didn't need it. So it's gone.
My President's Report for this past year given to the MLNNA Leadership Team at our annual meeting will soon be posted to the MLNNA website. The Leadership Team has reduced expenses considerably this past year causing progress to slow, a pace slower than I would like. I say this, however, in the context of knowing that we are moving forward. We have a new web site on the horizon. Planning for the Continental Assembly in Honolulu is going well and should pay for itself without breaking our budget or yours. We met with the Nassau Community in Dayton to discuss the possibility of promoting organic urban gardens in cities where we have strong communities. Thanks to Kathleen Henriksen we will soon post a Google Map of our communities allowing you a quick view of where we are and a quick means to contact communities where you live or visit. We are building stronger relations within the Marianist Family.
We raised about $8,000 during last year's fundraising drive, $5,000 less than the year before, yet we continued our financial support for the Marianist Social Justice Collaborative, the Marianist Lay Formation Initiative, and the International Organization of Marianist Lay Communities. We did not have the Area Representatives at our September Meeting which saved some money, but they were dearly missed.
I would say 2009 is the year we lost our gall bladder. It was painful but our vital organs are still in tact. We still have you, a lively and responsive membership that continues to be the lifeblood of our joint mission. You will be receiving a letter soon for this years campaign, please consider helping us or go to this link and plop down five or ten bucks a month to keep us going.
It has been almost two weeks since my surgery and I am feeling better but not at 100%. I know I will be there soon and so will MLNNA. God is good and so are you.
peace and love,
aj
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CALLING ALL MARIANISTS!
We are currently in the planning stages for the next gathering of the Marianist Lay Formation Initiative the weekend of April 9-11 2010.
Do you know anyone who may be interested in deepening their commitment to Marianist life through forming a Marianist Lay Community?
Are you currently in a community that could use a little boost?
Need a way to re-energize your community?
Are you someone who may like to be involved with our mentorship program for new communities? Have I got an offer for you!
Call me at 215-634-4116, for more information,
Or visit our website at www.marianist.com/mlfi.
I'd love to talk with you!
Pati Krasensky-Director
pkrasensky@sm-usa.org
Enter the Upper Room . . .
The roots of Marianist lay communities trace back to the "upper room," where the first Christian community gathered after Jesus' Ascension (Acts 1:13). Fr. Chaminade's mission to rechristianize France began with small communities of faith patterned after these first disciples.
The Marianist Family Council invites you to enter the upper room experience through the Marianist Lay Formation Initiative (MLFI). This one-year program supports laity who are passionate about the Marianist charism and desire to spread the Marianist spirit in their area.
Called to Mission...
"You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the Earth."
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MLNNA Leadership Team Meets
 MLNNA Leadership Team: Front row: Carol Weiss (Treasurer), Catlin Jacob (Co-secretary), Kathleen Henriksen (co-secretary), Susan Vogt (MLC Regional Responsible for N. America, Asia, Australia, and Ireland)
Back Row: AJ Wagner (President), Kay Stone (Community Development), Jacqui Griswold (Communications), Ann Petratis (Mid-West Area Representative)
The MLNNA Leadership met on the campus of the University of Dayton the weekend of September 25 - 27.
This was the first face to face meeting of the group since the new officers (Carol, Caitlin, and Kathleen) volunteered to service and Susan is changing roles, moving from secretary to the new International Regional Representative we have some new ideas and energy to approach the challenges.
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YOU ARE INVITED
Come relax and reflect with your fellow Lay Marianists. You will hear about the values of Aloha, Pono, and 'Ohana and how this spirituality is part of Hawaiian culture.
The Assembly registration begins Thursday July 22 from noon to 5 PM and will conclude on Sunday July 25 at noon. Registration cost is $150 and housing in a Chaminade University dorm $100. There will also be housing available in local hotels.
For a real Halloween treat check out our long awaited update to the MLNNA website. By the end of October, we will have the Assembly Registration Form posted online. www.marianist.com/lay
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SPIRITUAL ACCOMPANIMENT
FOR MARIANIST
A workshop for those seeking ways to deepen a community's under-standing of itself and to assist the community's movement toward the fullness of what it can be and do.
OCTOBER 31, 2009
9:00 AM TO 4:30 PMMOUNT ST. JOHN, DAYTON, OHIO MARIANIST HALL, MARIANIST FAMILY ROOM
THE GOALS OF THE WORKSHOP ARE TO:
- Define spiritual accompaniment. How does this role fit with other dynamics of a community?
- Delve into how individuals interested in spiritual accompaniment learn to recognize what is needed, what to do, and when to do it.
- Explore the benefits for a community with spiritual accompaniment.
- Articulate the value for the wider Marianist Family of spiritual accompaniment in each community.
The day will include presentations, case studies, and interaction with people experienced and knowledgeable about the gifts and impact of Marianist community.
Cost for the workshop is $30.00, including lunch
To Register, email RectorEvents@notes.udayton.edu
by October 15, 2009
More Information? Contact Carol Ramey, Carol.Ramey@notes.udayton.edu, or 937.429.2521
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 GREEN TIPS
Green Tips brought to you by the Mt. St. John Green Team
Less than 1% of the earth's water is available for human consumption. Here are ways to use water wisely so we can preserve this life-giving resource;
- Check for toilet tank leaks by adding food coloring to the tank. If the toilet is leaking, color will appear within 30 minutes. Check the toilet for worn out, corroded or bent parts. Most replacement parts are inexpensive, readily available and easily installed. (Flush as soon as test is done, since food coloring may stain tank.)
- Don't let water run while shaving or washing your face. Brush your teeth first while waiting for water to get hot, then wash or shave after filling the basin.
- Operate automatic dishwashers and clothes washers only when they are fully loaded or properly set the water level for the size of load you are using.
- Store drinking water in the refrigerator rather than letting the tap run every time you want a cool glass of water.
For more tips on preparing your home for the change of seasons go to planetgreen
Go to http://www.catholicsandclimatechange.org to be a part of the solution.
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 HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT OUR LADY OF THE PILLAR?
Brother John M. Samaha, S.M.
What do you know about Our Lady of the Pillar? Have you heard of her? She is not as widely known as the Blessed Virgin Mary of other famous shrines. Yet her story pre-dates the gospels and was told long before the gospels were written. This is an interesting story, seemingly unbelievable, about Mary's first apparition in history.
The tradition tells us that seven years after the death of Jesus, on January 2, 40 A.D., The Apostle St. James the Elder, brother of St. John, sat tired and disappointed by the bank of the Ebro River in what is now Zaragoza, Spain. The people of the Roman province of Hispania (Spain/Iberian Peninsula) were not open and receptive to the Good News of Jesus and St. James was ready to give up his efforts to evangelize them. On that January day the Blessed Virgin Mary, still living in Palestine, appeared to James atop a column or pillar of stone. With encouraging words, she assured him that the people of Hispania would become Christians and that their faith would be as strong and durable as the pillar on which she stood. To remember the visit and promise of the Virgin Mary, the first Marian shrine was built around the pillar. And James began to convert the pagans of early Spain.
The feast of Our Lady of the Pillar is celebrated on October 12. Some will suspect this is simply one more occasion for selling glitzy, chintzy Marian souvenirs. Why would an enlightened person of this modern era believe such a story? Yet neither natural nor religious reasoning have been able to discredit and discard the story of Mary of the Pillar and relegate her to unbelief and something unworthy of genuine devotion.
For devotees of this and other Marian apparitions, Mary is not only the Mother of Jesus and of the Church; she is above all their mother - and our mother. Our Lady of the Pillar is immensely important in the history and mission of several religious congregations and movements, especially the Marianist Family founded by Blessed William Joseph Chaminade.
We learn to live with the seeming contradiction between reason and faith, between believing Mary is our mother and thinking all this is unbelievable. After all, faith is about love, mystery, and life. And those are real, even if we cannot understand them. Just because we do not fully comprehend all this and cannot fully explain it, does not mean it does not exist.
Let the thought and the image of Our Lady of the Pillar be a forceful reminder that we walk in the footsteps of St. James and the early Christians of Hispania in following Christ. May she be for us a pillar of faith.
Perhaps the conclusion penned by Franz Werfel in his popular novel, Song of Bernadette, says it best: "For those who do not believe, no explanation is possible. For those who believe, no explanation is necessary."
Our Lady of the Pillar, pray for us!
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 SAYING "YES!"
When they met in Nairobi, thirty-seven delegates from twenty countries pondered how it is, as an international organization, we can say one, collective "Yes!" The result is the document MARIANIST LAY COMMUNITIES IN THE CHURCH AND IN THE WORLD. Ushered in with the guidance of Tony Garascia as his last presidential act, Isabella Moyer will see to it's dissemination and use as the new president of the International Organization of Marianist Lay Communities.
Take a look at this important document. Share it with your community. It isn't long. It isn't remote. It is a realistic way our communities can continue saying "Yes!" to our Church and to the world.
peace and love,
aj
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ONLINE SHOPPING
Every time you shop online at your favorite stores you could be saving money and earning a donation for MLNNA.
The toolbar, developed by GoodSearch & GoodShop takes just a few seconds to download. More than 1,300 top stores including Apple, Best Buy, Gap, PetSmart, and Staples are pitching in and will donate a percentage of each sale to our organization. There's no extra cost to you and you may even save money as the merchants are providing us thousands of money-saving coupons!
The GoodSearch toolbar also includes a search box which is powered by Yahoo! Each time you search the web, about a penny is donated to us!
There's no easier way to help MLNNA. Please spread the word!
Here's a link to the new toolbar for more information: http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/
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Editor's Request
I'm working on the Prayer
BOOK resource that I mentioned a few months ago. I want to solicit
material from our members. Do you have a prayer or prayer service that
you have used in a community gathering? We want to collect these as a
resource for others to use. IDEA BOOK for Community Gatherings.
PLEASE SHARE!
NEXT MONTH'S E-NEWS
What's happening with your community? Send me a summary of what you are doing that might be educational or inspirational for another community.
Submit an article about the news from your community. Keep copy short and describe who, what, why, when and how. Deadline for the next E-news is Nov. 7th.
If possible provide a digital picture (JPEG format 100 - 900K) with your news story. Send to Jacqui Griswold, MLNNA editor
JOYFUL NEWS? Do
you want to share a big event in your life? New job, new baby, or
recovery from an illness. You can submit any information for the E-news Click here
PRAYER REQUEST? Submit a request for community prayers to the E-news here.
Thanks for reading to the end. | |
