Brother Paul

Happy Religious Brothers Day!!!

Happy Feast of St. Catherine of Siena! She is the source of one of my favorite lines from St. John Baptist de La Salle’s Meditations. “When Jesus Christ asked her to choose between a gold crown and one made of thorns, she chose the thorns. Would you make a similar choice? When will you love mortification and suffering as this saint did?” @PatrickMaryOP @frpatrickop @SistersofMaryOP @opvocations @frdeporres

from Merton's essay, 'St John of the Cross': Suffering, on the natural level, is always opposed to natural joy. There is no opposition between natural suffering and supernatural joy. Joy, in the supernatural order, is simply an aspect of charity. It is inseparable from the love that is poured forth in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. But when sanctity is not yet mature, its joy is not always recognizable. It can too easily be buried under pain. But true charity, far from being diminished by suffering, uses suffering as it uses everything else: for the increase of its own immanent vitality. Charity is the expression of a divine life within us, and this life, if we allow it to have its way, will grow and thrive most in the very presence of all that seems to destroy life and to quench its flame. A life that blazes with a hundredfold brilliance in the face of death is therefore invincible. Its joy cannot fail. It conquers everything. It knows no suffering. Like the Risen Christ, Who is its Author and Principle, it knows no death.

Blessings on our alumni and Bold Brothers!!

@jdflynn And to daily live the faith absent the support of a spouse or that which is provided in religious communities is difficult and impressive.

EXACTLY.

@jdflynn My Novitiate group still talks about being taught the “bacon weave” during one of our cooking lessons.

@theblessedsalt Actually, the craft of making simple foods beautiful is peasantmaxxing. Arguably the opposite of bougie.

This is just too bougie. What are you people thinking?

@Delta Today makes it my 3rd consecutive trip with a delay of over 4 hours, and only a $15 food voucher as compensation. Does @united have a status matching program for people who switch?

@BenThePCGuy @SecKennedy International terminal in the inter faith space. I think it went in in 2023. catholicvote.org/traveling-thro…

@pavvento @SecKennedy Wait, what? Which terminal? I’m in Atlanta for work a few times year.

3hr layover in SeaTac before my Tokyo flight. Airport really need gyms. Let’s make this happen @SecKennedy.

@NASA_TV Congratulations and great coverage! For next landing please consider helmet cams on the divers.

Faith, Service, Community! Our first day involved a tour of the local community at the educational center as well as the school. In addition, Br. Peter oriented us and introduced us to several locals. Lastly, a wonderfully delicious meal prepared by Ms. Doña. Thanks!

@unaffiliated00 That’s a great school! I ran a discernment retreat there a few weeks ago and am always impressed by the students and alumni. God bless!!

@pavvento Calvert Hall near Baltimore MD

Saint Jean-Baptiste de La Salle was a French priest and educator who lived from 1651 to 1719 and is recognized as the founder of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, commonly known as the Christian Brothers or De La Salle Brothers. Born into a wealthy family in Reims, France, on April 30, 1651, he received a privileged education and was ordained to the priesthood in 1678. Despite his comfortable background, de La Salle devoted his life to the education of poor and working-class boys, an undertaking that was unusual for his time. In the late 17th century, education for the lower classes was scarce and often limited to rudimentary instruction provided by parish schools or private tutors for the wealthy. De La Salle became involved in charitable education efforts when he helped establish a school for poor children in Reims. Over time, he gathered a group of dedicated lay teachers around him. What began as a loose association evolved into a religious congregation of brothers who took vows but were not priests. This was a significant innovation, as it created a community focused entirely on teaching as its primary apostolate. De La Salle introduced several revolutionary methods in education. He insisted on teaching in the vernacular French rather than Latin, making lessons accessible to ordinary students. He promoted simultaneous instruction, where one teacher would instruct a group of students at the same time, rather than the common practice of individual tutoring. He also emphasized practical skills alongside religious formation, discipline, and moral development. His approach stressed respect for the dignity of each student and the importance of training teachers properly. These ideas laid important groundwork for modern pedagogy. The congregation he founded grew despite opposition from some church authorities and rival schoolmasters who saw the brothers as competition. De La Salle faced personal hardships, including the loss of family members to plague and financial difficulties for the order. He wrote several influential works, such as "The Conduct of Schools" and "Meditations for the Time of Retreat," which guided the spiritual and practical life of the brothers. By the time of his death on April 7, 1719, in Rouen, the institute had spread to multiple cities in France and beyond. Today, Saint Jean-Baptiste de La Salle is remembered as the patron saint of teachers. He was canonized in 1900 by Pope Leo XIII and declared the universal patron of all teachers by Pope Pius XII in 1950. His educational philosophy continues to influence thousands of De La Salle schools worldwide, which serve students of all backgrounds with an emphasis on faith, service, and quality education for the poor. His feast day is celebrated on April 7, the anniversary of his death. Through his vision, de La Salle transformed the landscape of Catholic education and left a lasting legacy of dedicated teaching as a path to holiness and social improvement.

@PDiczok I’m so happy to hear this, thanks for sharing and God bless you!! Please pray for an increase in good vocations to the Brothers!!

@pavvento Incarnation Grammar School, Washington Heights. Brother Luke and Brother Francis taught me more than I can say, and Brother Andrew was Principal. They turned me over to Jesuits, in the late 50's.

@PDiczok Did you graduate from La Salle Academy? Live Jesus in our Hearts!

@father_rmv I am the product of FSC's and the better for it, though I did get clapped about the head once or twice. They, with the Sisters of Charity of NY, who polished up countless 1950's Manhattan street urchins, 60 to a class in free parochial schools, are great saints.

@unaffiliated00 Which school? Live Jesus in our Hearts!

@father_rmv I was taught by Christian brothers in high school.

Live Jesus in our Hearts…Forever!

Amazing that @MLBTV offered a free subscription that billed me immediately and didn’t give access to the game I was looking for. Such a racket.

A blessed day of retreat with our partners who love and live our shared Lasallian mission daily!!

@AlumniCCHS27 It’ll be a great night, I hope to see a lot of alumni there!!!

Br. Bob has a personal invitation for the Central Catholic community to join him at the 36th Annual Viking Victory Auction on April 18. Let’s celebrate Central and support our students together! 🎟️ Register now—tickets go fast! 🔗 VikingAuction26.givesmart.com