May the sources of living waterwell up !

Lord, in our relationship with you, Lord, in our relationship with you, may we never hear the reproach you may we never hear the reproach you

once addressed to your people:once addressed to your people: “ “For my people have committed For my people have committed two evils : they have forsaken me, two evils : they have forsaken me,

the fountain of living waters,the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for and hewed out cisterns for

themselves, broken cisterns themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.that can hold no water.” (Jr 2:13)” (Jr 2:13)

On the contrary, Lord, may we On the contrary, Lord, may we respond to your invitation: “respond to your invitation: “Oh, Oh,

come to the water all you who are come to the water all you who are thirstythirsty” (Is 55:1).” (Is 55:1).

Thank you, Lord, for your presence and your love which protect us always. May we welcome your presence by centring our lives on you. May our gathering together be enriched by your sanctifying presence.

Thank you, Lord, for Thank you, Lord, for the spirit of trust given the spirit of trust given to us by Marcellin, our to us by Marcellin, our Founder, as a Founder, as a fundamental fundamental characteristic of our characteristic of our spirituality. With him, spirituality. With him, we pray in the depth of we pray in the depth of our heart: “If the Lord our heart: “If the Lord does not build the does not build the house, in vain do the house, in vain do the builders labour.”builders labour.”

Thank you, Lord, for the love you have poured out on us. Thank you, Lord, for the love you have poured out on us. As a response to that love, As a response to that love, we ask you to give us the strength we ask you to give us the strength to love you and to make you known and loved. to love you and to make you known and loved. The Crib, the Cross and the Altar show us your love for us. The Crib, the Cross and the Altar show us your love for us. As men and women following in Marcellin’s footsteps, As men and women following in Marcellin’s footsteps, we ask you to grant that we may be the first we ask you to grant that we may be the first at “those three special places”.at “those three special places”.

At the Crib, grant us love of life,

innocence, simplicity, gentleness

and kindness.

At the foot of the Cross, grant that we may understand the

depth of your love and that we may see our suffering as taking

part in your Passion.

o At the Altar of the Eucharist, grant that we may get a foretaste of heaven, that we may feel called to share our riches and encouraged to help to build a new world.

Thank you, Lord, for Mary, your mother and our mother. In the person of the beloved

disciple we all becomeher children. Mary becomes

our sister in faith ; she is our Good Mother, our Ordinary Resource,

our First Superior… Reasons aplenty to love her

and to make her known and loved.

Thank you, Lord, for the family spirit Marcellin has left us. Among our first Brothers there was but one mind and one heart. Let us always keep in mind that our spirituality is made up of ever-deepening relationships and friendships.

Thank you, Lord, for the spirit of simplicity.

It is the touchstone Marcellin has left us. It is the treasure allowing us to have an open and transparent heart in our relationships and to live out gratitude by loving and being loved.

Give us the courage to live a simple life, to love manual labour – it will bring us closer to the poor, with whom we wish to travel.

Lord, we are disciples of Marcellin. Lord, we are disciples of Marcellin. We believe that, through Brothers and Lay Marists, the charismWe believe that, through Brothers and Lay Marists, the charism– – the stream of living water offered by the Spirit – the stream of living water offered by the Spirit – comes to us from La Valla and is destined for the Church and the world. comes to us from La Valla and is destined for the Church and the world. Grant that we may drink from the water of that source. Grant that we may drink from the water of that source. Grant that, following Marcellin’s way, Grant that, following Marcellin’s way, we may be sources of living water ourselves we may be sources of living water ourselves for all those we encounter along the way.for all those we encounter along the way.