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Life Guard on Duty

The battle under the boards was intense, the game was close and I was wielding all of my 95 pound, twelve year old frame against much bigger opponent to grab the rebound. Out of nowhere came a sharp elbow that sent me flying to the ground. I looked in disbelief at my adversary! Yes, even a religious brother could play dirty if he had to!

I am part of an ever shrinking population of Catholics who were educated by religious brothers. I was taught by Xaverian Brothers in elementary school. It never occurred to me as a youth to note the differences between our parish priests and the brothers. To my view as a kid, the priests said Mass and heard confessions and the brothers seemed to be everywhere else. The brothers taught us, coached us, played sports with us, chaperoned our parties and of course, administered well-deserved disciplines. In my experience, brothers were an active part of my daily life. They really knew me. In fact at times the brothers seemed to possess clairvoyant powers. Once I amended the copy of the Declaration of Independence hanging in our classroom by signing one of the girls' names to it. without hesitation or investigation Brother Charles called out my name and slapped me with an assignment of writing out the Declaration of Independence 50 times!

Well, here I am as a religious brother! (Mom predicted it when I was in 4th grade. I laughed first but she's definitely had the last laugh!) As I recall what those brothers did for me, I think that their way of life and serving people somehow rubbed off on me. I have always been a team player. Most things that I've attempted and achieved in my life have been with groups of people. I found that life was always an adventure with a pack of friends. Whenever I was faced with some struggle or difficult task, there was usually someone around who could help me get through the impasse. This is why I love the term "brother." Brothers are so much more than co-workers! We eat together, we pray together, we joke around with each other and we take on each other's burdens. Most importantly, brothers labor as a team to bring the message of Christ's love to whomever god sends us. "Brother" is a family term and that's what the Brotherhood of Hope is: a spiritual family!

As I mentioned above, the brothers that taught me also took the time and effort to enter into my young world. They certainly maintained their dignity and authority but they effectively created a bridge between the institutional Church and me. Through the brothers, the Church somehow became present to and interested in the whole of my life. I only really appreciated the value of this daily Catholic presence when I was in college. At that time, the Church seemed to exist in another world. There were two priests attempting to serve 15,000 Catholic students and I was far too timid and guilty to take the initiative and make an appointment to see on of them. I was weighed down by countless spiritual questions and difficulties but I needed someone to come my way.

Fortunately, through a number of "coincidences" (are there really any coincidences with God?), some brothers from the Brotherhood of Hope did come my way and visited me on campus. Here were brothers again being bridges in my life, leading me back to Jesus and His Church. I have been a brother now for about 15 years, ministering to college students. I have discovered over and over again that, like myself, most students need someone to come their way. They need a spiritual friend who will meet them on their own turf. They need somebody to break down the barriers of misperceptions about Catholicism which they've bought in to. They need a big brother who will be a bridge for them back to the Church.

My experience of being a brother is analogous to being a spiritual life guard. When on of God's people is drowning in an ocean of ignorance or confusion I have to be willing to go out to them. That means jumping off the life guard chair, getting wet and reaching a hand out to the person! It isn't good enough to stand on the chair screaming out instructions! A drowning person doesn't have the strength to get to safety on his own. Someone must get close enough to help him. This opportunity to get out into the real world and offer a hand to people has been for me one of the greatest privileges, and challenges, of being a brother. Throughout my life brothers have been a life saving spiritual bridge for me. Now filled with gratitude I have the honor of doing the same for others.