WE'RE BACK!

Happy Sunday, everyone! We're back from Spring Break! This means there is lots to tell...also, there is a surprise or two to mention. How long are you willing to wait? It's Lent. Let's wait together. The good stuff is coming soon!

Go out and get it!

Hello, faithful blog viewers!


     Well, you may have caught me. This Sunday blog is technically being written on Monday morning. And even this sentence is not completely true because this blog is not written, it is typed. Despite these many contradictions, I hope this blog brings life and refreshment to you in this desert of a liturgical season.


     I have but one challenge for you this day. But it needs not end today (and it shouldn't considering this blog was written tomorrow...yeah, ain't that something?).
And the challenge is this:

Do what you love, and do it well.

I was inspired to write this blog by the following video:

     What a beautiful message by Carrie Underwood, a woman with an incredible gift, who chose to praise God with the very gifts He gave her. And how even more beautiful it is that she would share it with all of the world. Once again, I urge you to be not afraid. The Lord is prepared to do INCREDIBLE things with you. It's simple: let Him.

Learn to be persistent like that of Russell:

Faith through Family

Greetings from the Don Bosco Formation House!

Yesterday was my twenty-third birthday, and my second birthday away from my family.  I am one of the few guys in the formation house that is an only child.  I was spoiled and I loved it! But I never really felt a disconnect with my family without brothers or sisters.  Truthfully that is only because my parents have led me in my faith and have kept me involved at school as well as in church.  A lot of my friends who have brothers and sisters, speak highly of the relationship and bond that they share.  But there are constant reminders in my life to help me see just how many brothers and sisters I have.  I am so close with most of my friends that we consider each other brothers and sisters.  I understand that you all must feel that way about your friends, but for me it’s a different feeling and understanding.  It is a complete support system in my life, and because of the quality of friends I have, I can stay close to our Lord. 

I feel like the luckiest guy in the world, because of the friends and family that have been so supportive in my faith life.  Yesterday was just another big example for me.  The guys here in the house are no different from my friends back at home.  They are my brothers, and I appreciate them more than they could ever know. 

Family has always been important to me.  My parents and extended family have always been important to me, and now I know that between the friends I have back home, and the men here in the formation house, I have many brothers.  I have surely been blessed.  

It is with a little help from your friends that you achieve holiness and fulfill your baptismal call.  That’s why I know I made the right choice almost two years ago to leave what was familiar to come live in New Jersey.  Never forget you have friends, brothers and sisters in Christ to help you get to  heaven, you don’t have to do it alone. 

Peace in Christ       

Beignet Brothers

There is beauty in our apostolates. Such a great joy it is to see our kids question their faith in order to strengthen it, rather than to tear it down as the world does. It really is a blessing to witness.

But today, after experiencing the joys that our apostolates have to offer, we take the time to wind down and join in community with our brothers.

As previously mentioned in another blog, Sundays are a chance to do something special at dinner for your brothers. And we like to do these things...that is what help keeps the family loving. Tonight, many of us pitched in to make the dining room a little more elegant--candles and some sweet table settings, jazzy music in the background. It was a nice touch to add to Fr. Armand's wonderful food. (He tends to spoil us every Sunday by cooking something extremely delicious.) Added to the dinner was the dessert--beignets. Being from New Orleans, it meant a lot to have some homestyle food.

And this is a beautiful thing about community--everyone wants everyone to feel at home. We work, we play, we laugh, we live as one. We share in each others' joys and each others' pains, though recognizing that only the Lord can truly save us. We rely completely on His Love in order to truly love one another.

May you be blessed this night and all nights!
We cannot thank you enough for your prayers.

Posted by: Jared R.

The Battle of the Dining Rooms

The following blog was inspired by the FOOD Network:

   Sunday--the glorious day of the Lord. It is also the day where both dining rooms (Sons of Mary and the Brothers') challenge each other to making dinner especially special. We call it: BATTLE OF THE DINING ROOMS! Where one brother and one candidate risk it all to make their brothers' days that much more joyful. Whose dining room will rule supreme? Only time will tell.

   And what a glorious reflection this is of religious life. We constantly push forward in holiness, calling on those around us to step it up as well. And hopefully, when all is said and done, we can all meet to enjoy the beautiful feast--the heavenly Jerusalem--with all those brothers who came before us and the many, many to follow after us.

   There was no clear winner in this epic battle, but isn't that like the heavenly race as well? We aim to achieve heaven with fervor and with endurance; but, at the end of our days, we don't put so much weight on who arrives first. It is about making it there successfully. So thus, after discovering this truth (and after the lack of judges), we determine the battle to be a successful stalemate.

   It is my hopes that this blog was both an uplifting of the Salesian way of life and an expression of our great joy of living together in community. Until next time, keep the joy!

St. Dominic Savio, pray for us.

Posted by: Jared R.