If you want to build a ship, don't herd people together
to collect wood
and don't assign them
tasks and work but rather,
teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery
 
 
Community is for us, a gift and a task. Marianists are very good at tasks. Too good! We travel many miles to gather and meet. We connect by emails and conference calls.  We evaluate past goals, and strategize future challenges. We make lists of tasks and parcel them out.

The support of community energizes us, but the burden of too much work and too few hands can overwhelm us.
 
Blessed Chaminade, Mother Ad�le, and Marie Th�r�se all had a greater vision that fueled their work, a vision of faith-filled women and men gathering together to build the Church and work for peace and justice in our world.

We are called to continually re-vision the Marianist charism to meet the needs of our present time and place. Our vision becomes an invitation to others to join us in our work.
 
As 2009 begins, our writing team in Spain continues drafting our 5th international document, "Marianist Lay Communities in the Church and in the World". This document will attempt to articulate our vision, a vision that acknowledges our unique gifts and challenges us with ever new tasks. 

Our 5th International Meeting of MLC in Nairobi in August will be a graced time to continue and affirm this vision conversation around a truly global table of participants.
 
My hope and prayer as this New Year begins, is that we will all take time to ponder the boundless potential our Marianist charism holds for the world today. And, as we go about our tasks, may we be nourished and inspired by our "longing for the endless immensity of the sea".

May the love of God, the peace of Jesus, and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit guide us as we go forward in mission with Mary.

Affectionately,