Presence

Deepening the Marist Characteristics Presence

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Deepening the

Marist CharacteristicsMonday 18th May 2015


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Presence

Presenters

Br John McMahon & Mrs Gail Coates

18th May 2015Monday 18th May 2015


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OverviewPart A Origin of the Characteristics

Part B Description of Presence

Part C Understanding Presence

Part D The Invitation of God’s Presence

Monday 18th May 2015


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Part A. Origin of the

CharacteristicsMonday 18th May 2015


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How were the characteristics

formulated?International consultation about the nature of Marist education.

Coordinated by an International Commission chaired by Br Jeff Crowe.



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How were the findings

communicated?This Commission published its findings in the text In the Footsteps of Marcellin Champagnat.



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Part B Description of

PresenceMonday 18th May 2015


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ITF Ch 5 With a Distinctive Marist Style

‘we use a distinctive pedagogical approach which Marcellin and the first Marists initiated and which was innovative in many of its aspects.’ (N98)



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What is our ‘distinctive Marist

style’ ?



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Marist IntuitionMarists share the intuition that ‘to bring up children properly, we must love them, and love them all equally’. (ITF98)

‘From this principle flow the particular characteristics of our style of educating’. (ITF98)



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Characteristics of our Style of Educating

1. Presence

2. Simplicity

3. Family Spirit

4. Love of Work

5. In the Way of Mary



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Our Marist worldwide understanding of

Presence



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1. We educate through being present (N99)

How?



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We get to know each young person individually

We seek to establish relationships

We create a climate for learning

We endeavour to pass on values

We strive to enable personal growth



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2. We seek to immerseourselves in the lives of the young (N100)

We go out to meet the young in their own space

We create opportunities to become involved in their lives

We seek to extend our presence through free time, leisure, sport and cultural activities



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3. We are neither obsessively vigilant

nor negligently laissez-faire (N101)

We help young people through pre-emptive presence and advice, using prudent care

We try to be firm and demanding with them

We remain optimistic and focused on their personal growth



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4. We earn the trust of young people (N102)


How?


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We listen and engage young people in dialogue

We foster their openness

Our relationships are non-possessive

These relationships may mature into friendships that last for many years.



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Part C Understanding Presence more

deeplyMonday 18th May 2015


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James Scouller’s Video on Presence

Author of The Three Levels of Leadership



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How do I understand presence?



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Reflecting on a Rationale for Marist

Presence


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Elements of Marist Presence

A teacher is physically present

There is an institutional presence

Certain lessons cannot be taught by words alone

Gabriel Marcel: Presence manifests our Being: who each of us is

Our Marist Being is defined by our call to follow Jesus in the way of Mary

Marist Presence reveals our Marist Being



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Part D The Invitation of

God’s PresenceMonday 18th May 2015


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Here we look at examples of

God’s presence across history



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HEADING TO THE PROMISED LAND

And the Lord said to Jacob ... know ‘that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go’ (Gen 28:13-15).



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THE PLEADING PSALMIST

Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. Psalm 51:11 Monday 18th May 2015


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PAUL THE APOSTLE

“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me”.

Phil 4:13



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Pope FrancisHow good it is to

stand before a crucifix, or on our knees before the Blessed Sacrament, and simply be in his presence!

Evangelii Gaudium, 2013, N.264



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Welcoming the Homeless



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DRAFT MARIST RULE 1830

The instruction to those in charge of the boarding students was to begin the day by greeting the students with these words: “Let us remember that we are in the holy presence of God.

The students responded: “Let us pray to him to come to live in our hearts.” Green, 2014a, p.1



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BR FRANÇOIS

A favourite Scriptural text for Marcellin Champagnat’s successor, Br François (Gabriel Rivat) was

“for it is in Him that we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).



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With refugees in Bugobe

Four Marist Brothers Miguel, Julio, Servando and Fernando lived in the Nyamirangwe refugee camp between August 1995 and October 1996 witnessing the immense suffering of thousands of people fleeing the Rwandan genocide.

They sided with the victims and were martyred in the refugee camp on October 31, 1996.

Balko (1990), p.39



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Marists in Aleppo, Syria



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Presence of Mary

‘Today yours is the call to make the presence of the Blessed Virgin Mary visible in the life of the church and in the life of men and women in an original and specific way and, through this, to develop a Marian attitude.’ (Pope John Paul II to the General Chapters of the Mårist Family 23rd October 2011)



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LOVING STUDENTSMarcellin recommended

excluding “stand-offishness” and the traditional “solemnity” affected by teachers of his day. He believed an artificial pose smothers the “joie de vivre” and impedes the relationships for which the students crave.

Balko (1990), p.39Monday 18th May 2015


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Early Marists saw the Guardian Angel as the ideal educator. Like Guardian Angels:

Marist Educators exercise watchfulness over their students

They keep students at work and secure their progress

At the same time, they recall God’s holy Presence

The Teacher’s Guide, 1931 [1853], p.207

GUIDING STUDENTS



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PRESENCE IN 2015Two Aims

To be present to our God.

To be present to each other and those most in need.



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SummarisingWhat is presence? – being wholly with a person or a situation

How is God present to me? – through His Spirit

What is Marist presence? – attending to another like Mary

How can I be present to another? – by revealing my Being



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God’s PresenceBr Xavier Kelly

Presence, You came

with the gift of life,

moved into my heart,

lived, most times, as stranger.

Friends stepped into my years,

shared my hours, my joys,

slid away to memories -

but you always remained.

When the last date

is marked on the calendar,

the only One there

will be you.



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BibliographyArbués, B. (Ed.). (1998). In the Footsteps of Marcellin Champagnat A Vision for Marist Education Today. Rome: The International Marist Education Commission.

Balko, A. (1990). Marcellin Champagnat Educator. Marist Notebooks, 1, 29-46.

Francis, P. (2013). Evangelii Gaudium. Strathfield: St Pauls.

Green, M. (2014, 25th February). From Brother Michael Green. MSA Newsletter, 1.

Rusk, R. (Ed.). (1931). The Teacher's Guide. Grugliasco: Marist Brothers of the Schools.



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Deepening the

Marist CharacteristicsMonday 18th May 2015

Presence

Education

Transcript of Presence