The charism of St Louis Grignion De Montfort

St Louis Grignion De Montfort had a special devotion to Mary.

St. Louis Marie de Montfort created a theology revolving around this concept. He stressed that the quickest way to Jesus is to go to Mary. After all, She is His Mother, the Queen of Heaven, and Our Mother also. Plus, She is the only human (besides Jesus) to be immaculately conceived. Therefore, Montfort said that the most humble way to pray is through Her.

Likewise, Montfort spoke about being slaves of Jesus by having a devotion to His Blessed Mother. One of the best ways to do this is by making an official consecration to Her.

St. Louis de Montfort suggested taking 33 days as a preparation period for this consecration, and renewing this consecration through the same prepartions each year.

Each of the 33 days consists of readings and prayers.This consecration starts with twelve preliminary days, which help one to recognize the spirit of the world.

This is followed by three weeks dedicated to growing in the knowledge of 1) ourselves, 2) Mary, and 3) Jesus Christ.

St. Louis Marie de Montfort's Prayer to Mary was as follows:
Hail Mary, beloved Daughter of the Eternal Father.
Hail Mary, admirable Mother of the Son.
Hail Mary, faithful Spouse of the Holy Ghost.
Hail Mary, my Mother, my loving Mistress, my powerful sov­ereign.
Hail, my joy, my glory, my heart and my soul.
Thou art all mine by mercy, and I am thine by jus­tice.
But I am not yet sufficiently thine,
I now give myself wholly to thee without keeping anything back for myself or others.

If thou seest anything in me which does not belong to thee,
I beseech thee to take it and make thyself the absolute Mistress of all that is mine.

Destroy in me all that may displease God;
root it up and bring it to nought.
Place and cultivate in me everything that is pleasing to thee.
May the light of thy faith dispel the darkness of my mind.
May thy profound humility take the place of my pride;
may thy sublime contemplation check the distractions of my wandering imagination.
May the continuous sight of God fill my memory with His presence;
may the burning love of thy heart inflame the luke­warmness of mine.
May thy virtues take the place of my sins;
may thy merits be my only adornment in the sight of God and make up for all that is wanting in me.

Finally, dearly beloved Mother, grant, if it be possible, that I may have no other spirit but thine to know Jesus, and His Divine Will; that I may have no other soul but thine to praise and glorify God; that I may have no other heart but thine to love God with a love as pure and ardent as thine. I do not ask thee for visions, revelations, sensi­ble devotions, or spiritual pleasures. It is thy privi­lege to see God clearly, it is thy privilege to enjoy heavenly bliss; it is thy privilege to triumph glori­ously in heaven at the right hand of thy Son and to hold absolute sway over angels, men and demons. It is thy privilege to dispose of all the gifts of God, just as thou willest.

Such, 0 heavenly Mary, the 'best part', which the Lord has given thee, and which shall never be taken away from thee - and this thought fills my heart with joy. As for my part here below; I wish for no other than that which was thine, to believe sincerely without spiritual plea­sures, to suffer joyfully without human consolation, to die continually to myself without respite, and to work zealously and unselfishly for thee until death, as the humblest of thy servants. The only grace I beg thee, for me, is that every moment of the day, and every moment of my life, I may say "Amen, so be it, to all that thou art doing in heaven. Amen, so be it, to all thou didst do while on earth. Amen, so be it, to all thou art doing in my soul," so that thou alone mayest fully glorify Jesus in me for time and eternity. Amen.

Adapted from http://sanctafamilia.blogspot.com/

News from Brother Rene in Rome

Praise for Gabrielite schools here
By Joyce Gan (Singapore Catholic News)

SINGAPORE – The Superior General of the Brothers of St. Gabriel Congregation, Brother Rene Delorme, is encouraged by the work of Brothers and laypeople involved with the seven Gabrielite schools in Singapore.
They all have “the same community spirit, and a lot of commitment to help the students grow”, he said at the end of a two-week mid-February visit to Singapore to learn about the programmes and challenges of the Gabrielite Brothers here. This was Brother Renes third visit to Singapore.

“In particular, I am very impressed by the work done in Boys Town,” he said. “Their work in helping the young men to learn a trade and having a wellrounded formation in terms of learning different subject matter, living in community, developing social relationships, is beautiful.”
Brother Rene is based in Rome. For up to six months every year, he and four councillors visit countries where there are Gabrielite missions to learn what their needs are and see how to address those needs.

There are 1,270 Brothers working in about 250 schools in 35 different countries. The Brothers run academic schools ranging from kindergartens to universities, technical schools and schools for the blind and deaf. There are also many Brothers involved in “all kinds of projects for human development”.

“My role is to coordinate all of that,” Brother Rene said. “When the councillors and I return to Rome after our visits, we share among ourselves what we have seen and heard – the joys but also the difficulties and situations that need to be improved.

“I find a very professional approach here” to helping students, he observed. “[But] most of the places the Brothers are working in are with people living in poor conditions. Sometimes, they need help.”

In Africa, for example, not everyone can go to school. In keeping with founder Louis de Montfort's spirituality, the Brothers make their presence available in such places to try to give an education to those who would otherwise be denied it.

In many countries, the Brothers run Centres for Street Kids, which is, in a sense, a humble way of starting a school. Brother Rene was born in St. Michel des Saints near Montreal, Canada. He has two brothers and two sisters. He studied at a Gabrielite High School and was impressed by the Brothers there.

“Because of their testimony in living and working, I felt I would like to have a life like that too,” he recalled. “Little by little it developed in my mind. I think that's what vocation is about. God doesn't come to you and tell you, "I want you to be this and that. It's a feeling in your heart.”

Upon graduation at 17 years of age, he asked to join the Gabrielite Brothers and took his first vow at 19, in 1964. He spent 28 years from 1970-98 working in schools before he became Provincial. Brother Rene was elected Superior General of the congregation in 2000. He was 55.

“It's a journey full of challenges and there are many problems in different institutions and projects, but through it all I find lots of joy. As a congregation, we feel a responsibility to make Montfort's charism go on and we do it with many laypeople. Here at Boys' Town, you call Montfort a man for others and (teach students) to do things for God. This is important because everyone is an image of God.”

“I'm very happy to be a Brother of St. Gabriel,” he added. “And if I could do it again, I'll do it the same way.”

Brother Rene visited the Gabrielite Brothers in India before coming to Singapore. He has left for Malaysia.

Presently, there are 33 priests in the Archdiocese who have attended Gabrielite schools at one time or other.

http://www.catholic.org.sg/cn/wordpress/?p=2041

ExHilirate Week

This week, the whole school is out on camp:

a. Sec Ones - Sentosa (High Elements, Pet Rocket & Maths Trail)
b. Sec Twos - Changi (One * Kayaking, High Elements)
c. Sec Threes - Ubin (Kayaking, High Elements, Jetty Jump)
d. Sec Fours - Intensive Revision, Archery, Fine Dining

Desiderata Wisdom - "desired things"

Mr Yeo shared the story of his life with the Sec 4s and Sec 5s.

He began by asking if the students liked coming to school which drew about '20 hands' from the audience. He then spoke about his life and how he too had trouble liking school because his personal life was not in order.

He emphasized the importance of having your personal life in order (personal mastery) before you could succeed in life. He also spoke about how it was important to move from data-knowledge-application of knowledge - to wisdom.

Sharing and printing a copy of the Disderata, he spoke about how it could be a guide to wisdom:

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrenderbe on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery,
and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.Strive to be happy.
(Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, Copyright 1952.)

"Desiderata" (Latin for "desired things", plural of desideratum) is an inspirational prose poem about attaining happiness in life. It was first copyrighted in 1927 by Max Ehrmann.

In the 1960s it was widely circulated without attribution to Ehrmann, sometimes with the claim that it was found in St. Paul's Church, Baltimore, Maryland, and was written in 1692 (the year of the founding of St. Paul's). Nevertheless, the estate of Ehrmann has kept various editions of the work in print. A spoken-word recording of the essay was made by Les Crane and reached #8 on the Billboard magazine charts in late 1971.

The Gentlemanly Blog

Why do you use the best language you can on blogs?

It's because you're on a public domain. Being a gentleman means that you know the difference between and public and private domain and you don't trash people or issues in public. The insensitivity can hurt many, whether it is intended or unintended is immaterial.

Consider what some have said about how some we blog and you'll see that we're setting a really positive example:

"I'm blooooooody impressed when I blogged hopped,from .......so on,All their monfort friends are all so profound.I'm impressed with their fluent language, descriptive words, and everything.I'm damn jealous.Since montfort people are alrdy like that,I cant imagine top end schools like RI? RGS?Their flowery words sure make me more jealous. HAHA"
(blog link removed on request)

Keep the flag flying.

25th March 2008

happiness > progress > unity

Mr Simen referred to an earlier incident about two boys getting into a scuffle. Fights sometimes occur when one looks at another. Then they look at each other and assume that they are staring at each other. Typically, " What? Not Happy arh?" would be said.

Mr Simen explained by giving a few personal encounters. Instead of getting angry and thinking "Why is he/she looking at me like that?", he walked up and greeted the person. Maybe he/she saw you before, but cannot exactly remember who you are. If everyone is friendly and not jump to conclusions, there would be happiness, then progress, and lastly unity, as we all say in the National pledge "pledge ourselves as one united people".

If one realises that another is staring at him, it would only be right to say that he has been looking at the other for the same amount of time, in order to conclude that the other is "staring" at him. There is no need for anger, just a smile or "hi!" would be enough. The other could be an acquaintance and not necessarily a friend whom one goes out with often.

Happiness, progress then unity. At times we were misjudge others. We simply 'think' and not 'know' and jump to conclusions. "I think he is staring at me" Is he really doing that? A friendly gesture would not only make your day a brighter one, but it may prevent the cuts and bruises caused by a scuffle. An unnecessary one.


By Brian Theng, 2E4

First Day of School - Term 2

The Montfort Giants in Action

Mr Simen spoke about how fantastic the school had performed in term 1. He read out an email to the school from teacher with more than 30+ years experience on how she felt so touched and warmed by the friendly atmosphere extended to the guests. In all her years of attending symposiums, she mentioned that this was the best! Congratuations to all Montfortians!

Term 2 Focus

Mr Simen also mentioned that the mid-year examinations were nearer. He expected everyone to be in full swing and to set aside their distractions and bad habits. Focus and attention would produce results.

Flu Virus

Mr Simen also addressed the flu epidemic. He assured students that the school had been dysinfected and all table types cleaned. He also mentioned that canteen vendors had been briefed and ensured to hygiene. There were no reports of a rise of virus infections in the hospitals and there was no cause for concern. However, he urged students to do their part and to see the doctor if they were sick. He also told them their part and to be more conscious of hygiene matters.

7 March 2008 - Last Day of School

The past two days were hectic in lieu of the 3 events being held in school:

(1) Northzone Learning Symposium
(2) Chinese Dept Online Cultural Quiz
(3) Talk to Parents on Teenagers

Tables had to be cleaned and homerooms spruced up. Dry runs conducted. The uniformed groups had ushering duties and their manpower used to move pots and plants. The teachers and counsellors were on duty....And it worked out 'imppecably" !

All participants were amazed at how beautiful the school was! They were also delightfully overwhelmed by the warm reception received -

a. counsellors receiving them, showing them to the various venues for breakout sessions and bidding them farewell

b. teachers, facilitators and technical assistants helping the presenters

c. school leaders organizing the event, receiving them and bidding them farewell at day's end;

d. the airconditioned environment of the hall and classrooms

Early Dismissal

School was dismissed on6 March at 1:30pm and 1030am on 7 March in lieu of our victories in badminton. For many, it was also time spent preparing for the various upcoming events.

Meaningful Prayer & Term

Mr Christopher Foran introduced a new form of prayer through song. On Wednesday, he spoke about the difficulty of saying sorry and played us a song. It touched the hearts of many because the reflection was about teachers, students, parents, family and those we cared so much about:

What have I got to do to make you love me?
What have I got to do to make you care?
What do I do when lightning strikes me?
And I wake to find that you're not there
What do I do to make you want me

What have I got to do to be heard?
What do I say when it's all over?
And sorry seems to be the hardest word

It's sad, so sad
It's a sad, sad situation
And it's getting more and more absurd
It's sad, so sad

Why can't we talk it over?
Oh it seems to me that sorry seems to be the hardest word

On Friday, the prayer was a thanksgiving prayer for the term. There was a quick recap about the term's many events and a song of praise about how "If you believe it, you will see it"

I believe I can fly
I believe I can touch the sky
I think about it every night and dayS
pread my wings and fly away
I believe I can soar
I see me running through that open doorI
believe I can fly
I believe I can fly
I believe I can fly

See I was on the verge of breaking down
Sometimes silence can seem so loud
There are miracles in life I must achieve
But first I know it starts inside of me,
ohIf I can see it, then I can do it
If I just believe it, there's nothing to it











4 March 2008