(Prayer offered on the school-wide intranet for the entire La Salle Academy educational community on Thursday morning, 4 April 2019)

Students and Faculty on the Mission Service Trip to De La Salle School, Blackfeet Nation, Browning, Montana

(Prayer offered on the Public Address system for the entire La Salle Academy educational community on Wednesday, 3 April 2019)

Let us remember that we are in the holy presence of a loving God.

How often do you think about being a member of the Lasallian community?

What did you think of when I asked that question? Did you think of your teachers? Your favorite or least favorite classes? Your friends? Do you have teammates? Is there a club or activity you enjoy doing?

Now I’d like you to take a moment to look around the room. Go on. Is there someone that you saw that you don’t know very well? Do you know what La Salle means to them? Do you know their stories?

There are so many different people in this school. Every person has a different hobby, different interests, different aspirations. Some people are in a bunch of clubs while others aren’t in any at all. Some love being here and never want to leave, while there are other people that can’t wait to finally be free to explore what the world has to offer. The way one person might see the world could easily differ from the way somebody else does. Each human being has a completely different story, but we all are lucky enough to have a chapter on La Salle Academy. As we are fortunate enough to be able to have these experiences with each other, though our time together is limited, making the most of it is important. As you interact with your classmates and teachers today, remember that your actions help determine your role in that chapter of someone else’s story.

Let us pray.

Lord, let us recall the importance of being a member of the La Salle community in 2019. Remind us of the power of our words and actions and the example we can set for others. Even though we don’t know every detail of the lives of the people we see and speak to on a daily basis, help us strive to create a positive impact on them and in our community. Give us the strength to do our part to make the world a better place.

Saint John Baptist de La Salle…Pray for Us.

Live Jesus in Our Hearts…Forever.

Katie Rico–Class of 2019

(Prayer offered on the Pubic Address system for the entire La Salle Academy educational community on Tuesday morning, 2 April 2019)

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.

Let us remember that we are in the holy presence of God.

A while ago I heard a story about a young boy who wanted to buy a puppy.  As the story goes, a store owner was tacking a sign above his door that read “Puppies for Sale.”  Signs like that have a way of attracting small children, and sure enough a little boy about 9 years old appeared under the store owner’s sign.  “Mister, how much are you going to sell the puppies for?” the little boy asked.  The store owner replied, “Anywhere from $30 to $50.”  The little boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a couple of rolled up bills and some change.  “I have $2.37,” he said.  “May I please look at them, Mister?”  The store owner smiled and whistled and out of the kennel came Lady, who ran down the aisle of his store followed by five teeny, tiny balls of fur.

One puppy was lagging considerably behind.  Immediately the little boy singled out the lagging, limping puppy and said, “What’s wrong with that little dog?”  The store owner explained that the vetererinarian had examined the little puppy and had discovered that it didn’t have a hip socket.  It would always limp.  It would always be lame.  The little boy became excited.  “That is the puppy I want to buy.”  The store owner said, “No, you don’t really want to buy that little dog.  If you really want him, I’ll just give him to you.”

The little boy got quite upset.  He looked straight into the store owner’s eyes, pointing his finger, and said, “I don’t want you to give him to me, Mister.  That little dog is worth every bit as much as all the other dogs and I’ll pay full price.  In fact, I’ll give you $2.37 now and 50 cents a month until I have paid for him.”

The store owner countered, “You really don’t want to buy this little dog.  He is never going to be able to run and jump and play with you like the other puppies.”  To the store owner’s surprise, the little boy reached down and rolled up his pant leg to reveal a badly twisted, crippled left leg supported by a big metal brace.  He looked at the store owner and softly replied, “Well, I don’t run so well myself, and the little puppy will need someone who understands.”

Tomorrow morning, Wednesday, someone will be passing an envelope around your classroom asking you once again this week to give money to support our brother school in Rongai, Kenya.  Some of you may roll your eyes, not wanting to be bothered, and simply pass it on to the next person, self-satisfied that you gave your $5.00 a few weeks ago at Dress-Down Day; some of you might take out some spare change or maybe even a dollar bill; some of you may be tempted to give a little more.  Like the little boy in the story, we give to those things we really believe in; we support those things that relate to us; we are generous when we identify with a cause, a person, or even a crippled puppy.

I ask you today and tomorrow morning especially to consider with what you can identify when we talk about the young men of Rongai Agricultural and Technical High School in Kenya.  They are your age; like you, they take school subjects like chemistry and algebra and English literature; like you, they love sports—the challenge of competing; like you, they want to get into college.  However, like the little puppy, they are at a disadvantage: they have been born into a country and a society that has far less than we; opportunities for making a better life for themselves and their families are much scarcer than for us; poverty and illness and natural disasters like famine and drought are much more commonplace.  Nevertheless, like the little boy in the story we do have something in common with them—we are Lasallians!   We all, young Lasallians at De La Salle Middle School and La Salle Academy and young Lasallians at Rongai Agricultural and Technical High School, have hopes and dreams—for ourselves and for our world.  We all strive for a world in which all young people can have a meal on their table, can lead a healthy life, and can have an education that will enable them to support their families.

Our society, like the store owner,  tells us that we really do not want to support these young people in Rongai—they are never going to be able to measure up to our standards, to become famous, to give us anything back.  However, the little boy had an answer to that; he said to the store owner that the puppy will need someone who understands.  Will we be the ones who will understand our fellow Lasallians, the young men in Rongai?  If we do, then like the little boy we will give not only our $2.37 but also our 50 cents a month—we will give not simply from our excess, what we have left over, the spare change, but we will give from our need—we will feel the pinch, we will sacrifice.  When we really believe in another we don’t hesitate to share whatever we can with that person.

So the question this morning is: How will we respond tomorrow?  Will we respond like the little boy and give our all OR will we just turn away, pass the envelope along, and pretend our brothers in Rongai do not exist or, worse yet, aren’t really worth it?

Let us pray:  Generous God, you have given us so much.  Help us to use our gifts to gift another.  Amen.

Saint John Baptist de La Salle…pray for us.

Live Jesus in our hearts…forever.

Brother Frederick Mueller, FSC

(Prayer offered on the school-wide intranet for the entire La Salle Academy educational community on Wednesday morning, 20 March 2019)

Video Prayer

Members of Best Buddies and Faculty Moderators (see listing at the end of the video)

(Prayer offered on the Public Address system and the school-wide intranet for the entire La Salle Academy educational community on Friday, 15 March 2019—Poverty Awareness Week)

Let us remember that we are in God’s Holy Presence.

Today’s Dress Down Day monies will go to our Rice Bowl collection for our twinned Lasallian school, the Rongai Agricultural & Technical Secondary School, located in Rongai, Kenya.

In our prayer today, I ask you to pray for the 400 boys enrolled there. The school was established 46 years ago by the Brothers of the Christian Schools. Most of the boys come from poor families. The low-cost tuition at the school allows them a quality formal education, educating their minds and hearts, and providing for their physical and spiritual salvation.

Take a close look at the boy in the image projected on your SMART Board.

During a Lasalle Academy Service-Learning trip, Mrs. Martinelli took this picture in the Kibera slums—the second largest slum in the world, in Kenya, AFRICA. She didn’t learn the boy’s name, so I will simply refer to him as “Joseph.” Note the jacket and sweater Joseph is wearing.  These are the only outer garments he owns so he wears them year round, even though the temperature was in the 80’s on the day she took this photo. At the time, she guessed he was 8 years old. If Joseph was lucky enough to secure one of the 400 spots in the Rongai Lasalle school, he’d be a 10^th-grader today.

During the past months you probably saw some newly admitted students to La Salle shadowing; here we have approximately 365 spots in our freshmen class. At our Rongai sister school, there are only 90 spots available in Grade 9, and over 1,000 applications were received this year. Some of the monies that we raise in Homeroom this morning will help them repair and maintain classrooms, including the replacement of old student desks, chairs, and outdated computers. Many of the boys live in the school dormitories and work at the school as they come from impoverished families, or in some cases, have no family at all. Their day may begin as early as 4:30 am with chores and conclude as late as 10:00 pm. All of the students participate in sports and take part in community service. Some of the monies we raise in homeroom collections during Lent will be used for their sports program, and a school bus to take them to athletic competitions and service activities.

The school has a farm and produces its own food. They also raise pigs, cows, poultry and teach farm management skills. Some of the monies raised today will buy new farm and carpentry tools and animal feed; and unfortunately, this year, they may need supplemental food due to many of their crops dying from drought.

Other Lasallian schools throughout the United States are paired up with needy schools in Africa, in the countries of Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Eritrea.  Forty-two per cent of the Kenyan population lives below the poverty line. Our school partnerships bring together students on two continents, in solidarity as Lasallian brothers and sisters, to share our challenges, accomplishments and experiences. The next time you are standing outside the Academy Shop, I invite you to examine the large clock-face set up outside of Campus Ministry, that reminds us of the passage of time—specifically, the 300-year Anniversary of De La Salle’s death, and our motto- “One Commitment, One Heart, One Life” as Lasallians. As you look at the dozen numbers on the clock, look for the icon of the two hands shaking, in agreement or partnership, or even covenant. This icon symbolizes Solidarity—the notion that we must reach out to the needy in our world with sympathy and empathy, and our willingness to share our Time, Talent and Treasure to alleviate someone else’s suffering. God has given us all the same human dignity. However, due to geopolitical, economic or historical circumstances, many of our brothers and sisters in the world find themselves stuck in the quicksand of poverty.

Seven summers ago, students from La Salle Academy made a Service-Learning trip to Rongai, KENYA with Mrs. Martinelli and our former school nurse, Mrs. Cindy Steger. Just think—maybe, some day, when you are in college, or later in life, you could personally share your gifts and blessings with some students from Africa, as some of our graduates have done. Thank you for giving generously in this morning’s homeroom collection. From your contributions we can help our sister school, which is trying to provide these young teenagers a Lasallian education. God bless you for your generosity.

Let us pray: Master of the universe, help us to remember that we are all made in your image and likeness, no matter where we live on your earth.

Help us, Jesus, as Christians and people of faith, to follow through on your command to live in solidarity with the poor, fulfilling our social responsibility to others.

Holy Spirit, never let us forget that we are social beings in need of others—that we belong to each other, and that we must care for each other.

St. John Baptist de La Salle: pray for us.

Live Jesus in our hearts! Forever!

David Martinez–Religion Teacher (assisted by Leslie Martinelli and Christine Estes)

(Prayer offered on the Public Address system for the entire La Salle Academy educational community on Monday morning, 11 March 2019—Poverty Awareness Week)

Let us remember that we are in the holy presence of a loving God.

I know a woman named Agnes at my church who runs a group with a simple purpose.  They keep their eyes and ears open for local people who need things, and then they do whatever they can to get those things for those people.

The things people need can be many and varied.  Sometimes, we need nutritious food or toiletries or help paying our bills.  Sometimes we need someone to talk to during a tough time.  Sometimes we need help finding a new job, childcare, or transportation. The people in Agnes’s group are able to find ways to meet these needs by always keeping their eyes on the big picture and connecting people who can help each other.  This sounds simple and not particularly glorious, but their simple, dedicated work can mean the world to someone who needs help.

From time to time, in fact, I think they work miracles.  I heard a story about a woman they helped who had become homeless and, as a result, three of her children were in the custody of the Department of Children, Youth, and Families while she stayed with a friend.  She had a source of income and had managed to find a new apartment, but she didn’t have enough money for the deposit and she also lacked most basic furnishings.  Also, she needed to get all of those things in 3 days in order to be reunited with her children.  After an untold number of phone calls and the involvement of many, many people, Agnes’s group convinced the woman’s future landlord to accept a smaller deposit that she could afford, found a number of people with extra furniture they were happy to give, and even found someone with a pickup truck to help with the move.  The story ended happily, with a reunited family and a fresh start.

Recently, I had the opportunity to hear Agnes speak about her group at a fundraiser.  She quoted St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, which famously tells us that followers of Christ form “one body with many parts.”  The success of her group depends not on one person, but on the work of all the members together.  St. Paul goes on to say that “God has placed each part in the body just as He wanted it to be.”  The success of her group also depends on each member being in a certain place, with a certain gifts or talent, at a certain time.  One person’s kind and open heart makes them the person that another person thinks to call immediately when they realize someone needs help.  Another person knows someone with an extra twin bed.  Another person’s easy, calming conversational style makes them awesome at comforting the sick or asking tough questions about someone’s financial situation.  The list goes on and on.

This week is Poverty Awareness Week at La Salle.  Throughout the course of the week, we will gain a deeper understanding of the many different types of poverty that plague our neighbors, both locally and globally.  One thing I hope we will understand more deeply this week, is that no matter what type of poverty a person is experiencing, whether related to spiritual suffering or household income, extreme or relatively mild, one of the biggest problems related to poverty is its invisibility.  It is so easy for the poverty of others, even those in our own neighborhoods, to be invisible because we choose not to see it.  More than anything else, I think the remarkable thing about Agnes’s group is that they make a conscious choice every day to see the needs of other people, respond to them, and help others see them, too.  This week, I pray that we will all do the same.

St. John Baptist de La Salle – Pray for us.

Live Jesus in our Hearts – Forever.

Lia Wahl–Mathematics Teacher

(Prayer offered on the Public Address system for the entire La Salle Academy educational community on Monday morning, 25 February 2019—Black History Month)

Let us remember we are in the presence of God.

Everyday we live in our own little reality. We experience different sights, different people, different ideas. However, we have no way of knowing how another person experiences each day. We could ask them how their day was, or what they are up to that day, but we will never be able to see for ourselves how they experienced their 24 hours. Since we don’t know how other people experience their day, it is easy to forget and overlook all the injustices people face each day.

We have no way of knowing how many times a man got pulled over because he is black.

We have no way of knowing how many times a Person Of Color got paid less at a job compared to their white coworkers.

We have no way of knowing how many times a black woman had her hair unwantedly touched or asked if her hair was her real hair.

We have no way of knowing how many times a woman didn’t speak up for herself for fear of being seen as an angry black woman.

We have no way of knowing how many times a couple got denied housing in a neighborhood because of their skin color.

However, what we do know is that all these injustices, whether big or small, persist in a disgusting reality.

Let us pray. Allow us all to always defend and uphold the rights of Persons Of Color. Give us the strength to fight against these injustices and injustice of all kinds, even when it is difficult. And let us remember the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.

Saint John Baptist de La Salle…pray for us.

Live Jesus in our hearts…forever.

Andrew Flaherty–Class of 2019