“Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,”
which means “God is with us.” Mt 1:23
Advent 2011
Dear Brothers and Partners,
For two weeks in early November, we shared two very special experiences, the first ever Mission Assembly of our District, and the Pastoral Visit of Brother Alvaro, our Superior General. These two experiences touched many of our lives and were widely covered through our District and Ministry media.
I think it is fair to say that these experiences were a great witness to the vitality of our Lasallian mission across the District and a generous source of grace, hope, and blessing – Thank you, Holy Spirit, for an early share in Pentecost!
The recurring theme in Brother Alvaro’s conversations with us throughout these days was that “We need to see in one another and in the young people entrusted to our care, especially the poor, the face of God. And the young need to discover in us the compassionate love of God for them.” This is a key aspect of the deep longing and the hope of our Advent days: the coming of Emmanuel, God-with-us, the experience of God’s presence in our lives.
How blest are we that, of all the names of God, the one most associated with this Advent season is Emmanuel. Its beauty lies in the reminder that our God is a God-in-relationship with us, who desires intimacy with us, and whose coming is ever-incarnational and ongoing.
What we ponder in our hearts in these Advent days is not that God came to us in Jesus 2000 years ago, but that every day He continues to come among us, and through us, in many different, but just as real, ways. Because of this we live and journey together in hope!
As Disciples and Lasallians, this is our legacy written large in De La Salle’s words to us in the Meditations for the Time of Retreat: “Earnestly ask Jesus Christ to make his Spirit come alive in you, since he has chosen you to do his work”. (MTR 4.1)
While the mission that we undertake is demanding and faced with many challenges, it is lightened because it is shared and shouldered by many with whom we are privileged to minster and to serve. Together we are called to incarnate what remains invisible to so many, namely God’s grace and “compassionate love”.
Let us rejoice in the sure knowledge that where we come together in association for mission “to give a human and Christian education to young people,” that place becomes Bethlehem. It is a place where once again God’s presence becomes a reality, the birthplace of Emmanuel, God-with-us!
Advent Blessings!
Brother Dennis Malloy, FSC
Visitor