MLNNA July E-News

With July 4 just behind us I've been thinking about living in the land of the free and found myself pondering about rights and responsibilities, what we take for granted, and the fact that even in the land of the free we are burdened with possessions, difficult situations, and for some people prejudice and discrimination (both personal and systemic). I think rights and responsibilities go hand in hand. Life isn't just about me. It's about me in the context of relationships... with family, with community, with society, with the environment and with the world.

Summer is a great time for yard sales. They are wonderful opportunities to purge those things we no longer need (or to find those things we've been looking for that were owned by someone else!). What most of us need, however, is intentionality. We need to not just get rid of the clutter in our homes but also the clutter in our lives. We need to find ourselves in that place where we question and analyze our needs versus our wants. This relates to physical things, how we spend our time, how we spend our money and other resources, how those actions impact the world around us and so forth.

Be inspired! Follow these links to websites about voluntary simplicity, 72 ways to simplify our lives, 21 other ways to simplify our lives, green living, and more green living. Lay Marianist Susan Vogt for a year gave something away every day, and has since given away more. Read her blog to follow her journey. If you're interested in fair trade and supporting the makers of certain goods check out Catholic Relief Services. I hope you find the sites as helpful as I did!

Finally, as Marianists we are called to an intentional lifestyle that leads us to embody a life based on the values of the Gospel. To read more about a Marianist way of life read the document Marianist Lay Communities in the Church and in the World.

It's summer time and the living is easy. How easy is up to you!

Peace,

Matt Dunn
Editor

LIFE is a Celebration!

Brian Reavey

Marianist LIFE invites you to attend Marianist Family Gatherings this summer.

Join the LIFE communities for prayer, fellowship and food, as well as to say farewell to Brian Reavey (outgoing national coordinator).

Dayton, OH July 16

Mountain Home, TX July 17

Appreciative Inquiry

The MLNNA Leadership Team wants your opinion. We are embarking on a strategic plan and are gathering input from members around the country. These members are being invited to participate in an interview about their experience of MLNNA, commmunity life, and life as a Lay Marianist. If you have not been contacted but would like to be please notify Kay Stone who will be happy to arrange for someone to be in touch with you!

Marianist Formation Opportunities

Marianist Studies: The Life and Legacy of William Joseph Chaminade

Course Dates: August 7 - August 27

Registration: June 21 - August 3

2011 marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of William Joseph Chaminade. NACMS is commemorating this event by offering a special three-week webinar exploring the events in his lifetime and the legacy of his vision today. People new to the Marianist Family will find this course offers an easy entry into the life of Blessed Chaminade while veteran members of the Marianist Family will be challenged to reflect on how they are consciously participating in the legacy of the Founder in the 21st Century. Click HERE for more details.

Marianist Manna: Feeding Ourselves in Further Formation

The Edgar and Nassau Communities in Dayton invite those in the area to join them as they welcome Carol Ramey to join in potluck dinners and presentations about the history, vision, and charism of the Marianists. The first gathering was on June 30th. 25 people from various Dayton communities joined together to discuss the life of Fr. Chaminade. The hosts would like to see their house bursting at the seams. So feel free to attend in the future even if you didn't make the first one. Attend any or all of them! See the full details here. RSVP or get more information by contacting Caitlin Cronin Bennett at caitlincro@gmail.com.

MarianistManna

Read a Good Book Lately?

Summertime is also great for reading! The following books, though a couple years old, are wonderful stories with great insights.

The Secret Life of Bees (great images of Mary and role of strong women)

The Shack (great images of God and the Holy Trinity)

Nickled and Dimed (reporter lives out of hotels and works at Walmart making minimum wage and documenting her lifestyle along the way)

Discussion questions for all three of the above can easily be found on the internet.

A good Marianist read is Our Marianist Heritage by Joe Stefanelli, SM and can be purchased from NACMS. It's a short book and a great primer on Chaminade, Christ, Mary, three offices, system of virtues, etc.

All the above are great personal reading and also good for community conversations. If you know of other good books, share your suggestions with us by emailing us at laymarianist@gmail.com.

To purchase the mainstream books, please consider using the GoodSearch link below!

good search

If you enter a business' website through the GOOD SHOP link - a percentage of each sale goes to our organization. There's no extra cost to you. More than 1,300 top stores participate.

Remember MLNNA when you do your on-line shopping!!

Each web search done can bring MLNNA a penny

http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/

In Conclusion

This newsletter exists for you, as a lay Marianist, as a member of the Marianist Lay Network of North America. We exist to connect people and communities to one another and the newsletter is one way we do that! Please share with us things that inspire you and things that are happening in your community. Articles and pictures are always welcome! Send them to laymarianist@gmail.com by the second Wednesday of the month.

Thanks for reading to the end!