De La Mennais Brothers: Making Jesus Christ better known and loved by young people

Some holiday thoughts on an idea that I often came back to when teaching R.E.: the origins and meaning of the words "Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah" (Hebrew).   Let’s start with a quote from the YOUCAT (youth cathechism) book and app:   ' The brief formula “Jesus is the Christ” expresses the core of the Christian faith: Jesus, the simple carpenter’s son from Nazareth, is the long-awaited Messiah and Savior. (Cath. Catechism 436-440, 453) Both the Greek word “Christos” and the Hebrew word “Messiah” mean "The Anointed One”. In Israel kings, priests, and prophets were anointed. The apostles learned that Jesus was anointed “with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 10:38).' We are called Christians after Christ, as an expression of our exalted vocation.' (Click  here  for the YOUCAT app).   For Jews, the Messiah is one who would be chosen and anointed by God and would come to our world to save ...

This is a version of a page that already exists on my web site, where I give a personal testimony about my vocation as a De La Mennais Brother. It was adapted and partly re-written for Vocations Sunday on the 4th Sunday of Easter for use in vocations resources. ****************************** My vocational journey began when I was in my mid-teens, as a feeling that God was asking me to give my life to him in some way. I didn’t know how at that point; whether it would lead me to the priesthood or the religious life. Through personal prayer and a variety of experiences and encounters over the next few years, I began to feel God pointing me towards life as a teaching Brother and, in particular, towards the Brothers who ran my school (the De La Mennais Brothers). I simply had to say “Yes” to him and trust that he would guide me on the path ahead, because I had no idea where this was going to lead me. On pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella with my good friend, Bro. Henri Rivoalen in 1999. ...