Gracious Choice

"Gracious Choice" is an important phrase to us Marists, It reminds us that we are part of Mary's family by her initiative and not ours. But earlier today, I was challenged to hear this phrase in a more personal way.


(A stone statue of Mary and teh Child Jesus -- La Neyliere is full of these in various nooks and crannies. I like this one because of it simplicity.)


Fr. Bernd asked me how I understood ‘gracious choice.’ I shared with him all the 'providence' that has gone into my being a Marist. My birth date, my connection with Mary, my not liking the feel of Cathedral Latin high school in Brooklyn where I thought I was going, Fr. George Wallace’s visit to OLA with 2 students from Marist Prep – inviting anyone who felt he MIGHT have a vocation to come to the minor seminary. All these ‘coincidences’ in the eyes of faith aren’t really coincidences – it was the finger of God. This is where I have been called to be by a gracious choice.

Then (there's always a then!) Bernd asked me to prayerfully imagine that Mary and Jesus come to me and simply ask me to join their family – to be a part of their family. Now that’s an image worth reflecting on! This is the gracious choice of Mary. She invites me into her family with her son, Jesus, and her husband, Joseph. No conditions about doing something first or changing something first. Just – ‘come join my family.’ Conversion, change, formation all can come later. I can learn it on the way. Gracious Choice!

(Visiting the l'Hermitage of the Marist Brothers.
Amazing that they built this place
with the sweat of their brow. It was Marcellin's way!)

This is what it means to be Marist (being part of Mary’s family). It means to invite others into this family -- a family with a spirit of humility, openness, and mercy. This literally is the ‘work of Mary’. This is probably what Colin meant when he talked about creating a new Church.

Tomorrow is free day -- to prepare for the trip to Rome. So, there'll be packing and things. Hopefully, a good run as well. Not sure how running will be in Rome. I'll miss the countryside. I'll do my best to keep the posts up -- for those interested, but I'm not sure about what the internet facilities will be like there.