Inspiration on the Rez

"Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries. Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten, your gold and silver have corroded...You have lived on earth in luxury and pleasure..." We heard this challenging quote from the Letter of St. James when it was proclaimed during today's liturgy at the Little Flower Parish, the church which sponsors the school. This passage challenges all Christians to focus on staying the path of Christ and not to get enveloped in their riches. He warned them that they would lose their possessions in the end and face consequences for worshipping their riches and not their God.

This reading also challenges us - the twelve Central Catholic immersion students - to give up our luxuries and comforts of home to help the children of the De La Salle Blackfeet School. We left our families, our homes, and our lifestyles behind to reach out to our sister school and to assist them in their difficult lives. During this experience, we will be learning about the Blackfeet culture and how their lives differ from ours. It will be a difficult task, adapting to the different lifestyle on the Rez. But the twelve of us will live "not on bread alone, but by the Word of God." As Brother Ray told us at the initial meeting in the bunk house, we will get out of this trip what we put into it. All twelve of us must work hard this week to help the children and make their lives a little more brighter.

Bro. Ray Orienting the Group

 

Traveling to Montana was a whole new experience for me because it was the first time I ever rode on a plane or a train. The flights were very tiring and the train ride was time-consuming, but the whole trip went smoothly. The in-flight scenery from Pittsburgh, to Phoenix, Las Vegas, and finally Spokane was incredible as was the scenery that passed by on the train ride. Going from the city skylines, to wide open plains, vast mountains, and clear rivers was an eye-opening experience; the beauty of God's Creation can be seen in all these landscapes.

Glacier National Park

Arriving in Browning

 

We were further inspired by the beauty of the Reservation this afternoon as we took a walking tour of the land surrounding the Mission. Guided by John Joyce, CCHS '08, who is teaching at the school through the Lasallian Volunteer program and accompanied by the two resident dogs, Jack and Jill, we played next to the river and then climbed the back side of "Buffalo Jump," a cliff that the Native Americans used in their buffalo hunts. From our higher vantage point, we were able to reflect further on God's grandeur as we took in the incredible sights before our eyes.

Walking Tour Around the MIssion

After this morning's mass, we crossed the street and met with the faculty of De La Salle Blackfeet School. One thing that struck me right away when we visited the school was the similarities between DLSBS and Central Catholic. In the school were pictures of St. John Baptist de la Salle, the iconic Star on the Brothers' crest, and many familiar Lasallian phrases. The one sign that caught my eye was located in the gym. Covering the whole wall, the sign read the prayer of St. John Baptist de la Salle, the same prayer that Brother Bob recites before some of his speeches. These words of de la Salle will be with me this week:

"Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit, and they will be created, and You will renew the face of the earth. O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations. Amen."

 

Entrance to DLSBS

To know that we are all connected by our common Lasallian heritage creates an incredible sense of brotherhood.

Nick Bileck '13

 

 

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