In Chapter One of I, John Baptist de La Salle, entitled, "Roots and Wings," the author speaks in the perspective of De La Salle, telling us of his upbringing and the initial spark that led De La Salle from the "clerical" duties of the priesthood to the founding of something that he "wouldn't have touched the project with the tips of [his] fingers" if he knew where it would lead him (Kirby 21).
In a well-developed paragraph, due by classtime on Friday, March 13, I would like you to give a personal response to the beginnings of De La Salle's story. Questions to consider:
- What are some observations about his early life that strike you as interesting or odd?
- What defines "vocation" according to what you read of De La Salle's early life?
- How does De La Salle experience God in his life according to the voice of Brother Leo Kirby, FSC, who wrote the essay in the persona of De La Salle?
- How does De La Salle's early life and call to the priesthood and later to the mission asked of him by Adrien Nyel parallel an Old Testament story of God's call to a prophet? (be specific)
- Why is De La Salle relevant to your own life today? From the little you've read, what about his life could you make relevant to your own?
- What was the role of suffering in shaping De La Salle's knowledge of and approach to everyday life?
If you should at all refer to something in the text, please format as follows: Speaking as the person of De La Salle, Bro. Leo Kirby, FSC, writes, "Adrien Nyel, who later became a good friend of mine, was by experince and nature an originator of projects. I guess he was the spark; I was the bush he set afire. Together, I think, we made a pretty good team" (Kirby 21).
The above quote is placed in quotation marks with an introductory phrase (Bro. Leo Kirby, FSC, writes...) and is cited with the last name of the author and the page number from which you took the author's quote in parantheses, followed by a period.
In order to respond on this blog, you will click the header, Meeting a Saint: I, John Baptist de La Salle, "post comment" link at the bottom of this prompt. You will then type your response with a heading that is formatted as follows:
Your Name
Bro. Rob Peach, FSC
Rel 011.04
March 13, 2009
24 comments:
Speaking as the person of De La Salle, Bro. Leo Kirby, FSC, writes,"at the advanced age of 11, I received the tonsure. This symbolized that a young boy was destined to become a priest"(Kirby 17). this quote puzzled me because i didn't understand how a boy of that age could be entitled with such a religious position. Also how do the people know that such a person will become a priest, or is it a possition that was giving to any young person of that age or from a particular family?
James May
Bro. Rob Peach, FSC
Rel 011.04
March 13, 2009
There were many aspects of De La Salle's early life that I found odd or unusual, especially regarding his family and the lifestyle lived by the world.
Bro. Leo Kirby, FSC, writes, "...the terrible difference between the rich and the poor... The Church, so closely allied with the state... stood more on the side of the rich than of the poor" (Kirby 17). This somewhat surprised me, that The Church, a religious belief of tolerance, acceptance, and love, would be more allied with the rich and well-off than the poor, who did not have much of a chance for success. I don't fully understand how most of a religious society could become biased to the point of ignoring those in need: shouldn't the needy be the ones who need the most help?
There were also a few comments made about La Salle's family that seemed somewhat contradictory. He speaks of how his family was fairly wealthy and well-off, how his parents and grandparents were loving and helpful people. However, he was oftentimes left with the responsibility of his siblings. Kirby writes "Some people claimed I was too serious for a little boy... Frequently i had to mind my brothers and sisters and sometimes help them with their studies" (Kirby 15). I can understand how La Salle may have often had to watch and help his siblings, but as a little boy? And often enough to make him mature at a period that would probably be considered too early for someone today? It surprised me that, even though he had very helpful parents and grandparents, he was still left to aid his siblings.
Vincent Zottola
Bro. Rob Peach, FSC
Rel 011.04
March 13, 2009
1. What I found odd was that john Baptist de la salle was that he had a rather pleasant childhood. He had a nice family that treated him very well. His father was a judge and provide for them and he just didn’t have the hardship childhood that I expected.
2. At 11 he was given a tonsure.
3. ?
4. One example that parallels john Baptist de la salle would be Jeremiah. He also was brought into priest hood at a very young age and became a prophet and a saint much later.
5. John Baptist de la salle is related to us in the way that we are men of god and that he is very passionate about what he believes in and is not concerned about what other people think about him and his beliefs. He like some of us has been sheltered by the poverty and evil in the world.
6. The suffering that john Baptist de La Salle is introduced to is the first real time that he is introduced to any real suffering due to his convertible childhood. So he is struck by it and his reaction is to help them and to try to make them not suffer. In my opinion I probably would have had that same but not to that extreme. But I guess that’s who I’m not a saint.
Joe Fennimore
Bro. Rob Peach, FSC
Rel 011.4
March 13, 2009
Saint John Baptist De La Salle has a childhood that almost predetermines his life as a brother. Between his deprivation of exploration due to his duties of watching his younger brothers and sisters and his parents preparing him at a very young age to become a priest, it seems only logical that he would lead the life he did. When I say 'deprivation', I'm referring to the following quote. "Some people claimed I was too serious to be a little boy, but I was not able to play and have a good time all day long. Frequently I had to mind my brothers and sisters and sometimes help them in their studies" (Kirby 15). It is incomprehensable to a modern teenager to imagine accepting so much unrewarded responsibility without any complaint. Granted, the way the chapter writes about this particular conflict may not have been entirely accurate. A mild bias displaying John Baptist de La Salle as a saint even in childhood would not be unprecidented. Besides, who could prove it any other way? The only strange thing about the retelling of his childhood is how robotic and ordinary his life seemed. Nothing extraordinary happens during his childhood and he grows up obediently accepting that he will become a priest when he grows up. "Believe it or not, at the 'advanced' age of 11, I received the tonsure" (Kirby 17). I do find it a bit peculiar that he came from a wealthier class, though. While the ambition of priesthood was common during that time, I would not have suspected that a person from a rich social class would do a job with relatively lower pay. This does shed some light on the natural goodness of John Baptist de La Salle and his parents, who choose his future for him. It is surely a remarkable thing when a fortunate person from that time acknowledged their duty to help the less fortunate. The death of his parents when he was 21 did not strike me the way I thought it should have. I was not surprised, though, because it seemed like only a matter of time before he would once again have to take care of his brothers and sisters and be responsible for them. I believe it is likely that his time caring for his younger siblings greatly inspired him to be a teacher and educator to other young people. In general, John Baptist de La Salle's early life seemed very prophetic of his later work as a brother.
Some observations I made in the story that I found interesting were that the church stood more on the side of the rich and that the rich looked down on the poor for one, because back in the time of jesus the rich looked down on the poor as well. Speaking as the person of De La Salle, Bro. Leo Kirby, FSC, writes, "The rich looked down on the poor with contempt; the poor looked up at the rich with hatred" (Kirby 17). I think what defines vocation in La Salle's early life is the fact that he was taught at a good, rich school and used that to pass it on to poor chidlren that couldn't affordthose schools. La Salle experiences god through the little poor children that he teaches, according to Brother Leo Kirby. La Salle's early call to priesthood relates to God's call to a prophet because La Salle was a man of faith and was asked to do something that nobody else has done or would frown upon. From what I've read about La Salle I can relate his life to mine in the sense that I went to a good educated school like him and looked down on the poorer community. Suffering played a role in shaping La Salle's view on others, he was a rich man and lost his family, his relatives, and some good approtunities, but he became stronger because of these and viewed others differently.
Bro. Leo Kirby writes as De La Salle telling that at age 11 he recieved a tonsure! It would be nice if I knew what i'm going to do for a living. I should move to Russia. Anyways how is he known to become that, he was just a little guy and he is going to be a priest? The People who helped him or told him to be a priest did make a good choice though. Also how he is dedicated to the poor is pretty amazing, considering how the poor can be judged.
Michael Klim
Bro. Rob Peach
Rel 011.04
13 March 2009
Question 6
Suffering played a key role in shaping St. De La Salle's character in many key ways. One example of suffering in the early life of St. de La Salle is the tragic death of both of his parents. Though this event was devestating to him and to his family it caused him to return home to care for his young brothers and sisters. The caring for his family in those tragic times caused him to mature quickly and to learn many important lessons such as love, responsibility, and compassion. This experience also helped him, because it gave him the ability to relate to the problems of the boys he taught in the poor areas of the seemingly "golden" France.
Question One:
St. John Baptist de La Salle had many odd things that happened to him in his younger years. Four of his ten siblings died in infancy. This would be very odd today with all of the medical technology we have today, but this may have been normal for the 17th Century. Speaking as the person of de La Salle, Bro. Leo Kirby, FSC, writes, "It was a life-affirming, positive world, where most people knew they were on their way to another place, where laughter would ring out, the dance had just begun, and the best wine on our dinner table and laughter and dancing into your home" (Kirby, 16). I find it odd that people were very happy and peppy back in these days. I would not like to live in a place like this. It would be a brutal wake up call when they face the "real world". On the other hand it is a good thing they are living like this. They realize that we are to live as God wants us to, and we will be rewarded with eternal happiness in heaven. Speaking as the person of de La Salle, Bro. Leo Kirby, FSC, writes, "The Church, so closely allied with the state and tied into the whole system, stood more on the side of the rich than of the poor" (Kirby, 17). I find this very hard to believe since the Church today is always encouraging us to "feed the needy" and to help out the poor.
Some observations that surprised me was the fact that he kind of always knew that he was going to be a priest. Something about the Church life interested John and he became even fonder of it as the years went on. Also, an interesting observation i read about was that he never really had that much fun throughout his childhood. Sense he was the oldest, he had to watch over his brothers and sisters, while sacrificing his own oppotunities for his siblings. I believe this tought him great humility and also played a huge role in him becoming a priest.
1. thing i thought that was odd was that 4 babies died during child birth.
2. he had a tonsure at 11 years of age
3. i don't understand
4. i think that he more like Jeremiah because he was entitled to do something that probably someone his age couldnt do
5. He is a hard-working person and he has a lot of choices in life,like us.
6. His parents died,he had to watch over his 10 brothers and sisters and he was a little rich.
Jake Rostek
Bro. Rob Peach, FSC
Rel 011.04
March 13, 2009
John Baptist de La Salle was the first child born to a religious and well to do family. Although his family had problems, like the death of four infant brothers and sisters, de La Salle still had a happy but uneventful childhood. He had other younger brothers and sisters that he was often responsible for. De La Salle spent a lot of time praying with his grandfather which helped lead him to pursue a vocation with the church. At one point in his life de La Salle could have been considered a snob since he came from a fairly wealthy family and he dressed very well. The fact that de La Salle eventually spent his life helping the poor was the complete opposite of everything he had experienced growing up. Although de La Salle was rather wealthy growing up, he still experienced much suffering in his life. In addition to the deaths of his infant brothers and sisters, his parents died at a young age; leaving John responsible for his younger siblings, his sister died at the age of 25 and his younger brother was in a mental institution.
Michael Pompa
Bro. Rob Peach, FSC
Rel 011.04
March 13, 2009
I found many things about De La Salle hat was odd in ways like the four infant deaths. Also how his was like perfect in a way that they lived a great life. He also had a tonsure at the age of 11, because he became a brother at that age. Also when he was growing up he was wealthy and was a brat. He did not care about any poor person at all but God and himself. As the days went on he started to help the poor french people because his sister told him too. she did this because she at once did something bad to a poor person and now is paying it back. He worked very hard to get to the point he is right now. His mom and dad died later on. because they died he had to take care of his younger brothers and sisters.
Wyatt Gasparik
Bro. Rob Peach,FSC
Rel 011.04
March 13,2009
I found a few things about John Baptist de La Salles childhood that were odd to me. He grew up in a family that was better off in society at the time. He had 4 siblings die at childbirth and his parents also died. After his parents died he became the role model and leader of his family. He then started spending more time with his grandfather most of which was praying. This got him intesested in the church. I can relate to John Baptist de La Salle in the way that im growing up in a family that is better off and being able to go to Central.
Saint John Baptist was a serious child who was more interested in learning and helping others then playing games and running around. He was considered a child until the age of 25 but at the age of 21 he became the head of his house due to the death of both his parents. He had a “vocation” or a religious calling at a young to be come a priest and help the community. He heard a rustling of a breeze that was his vocation. He was always involved in the church as a child and very advanced in church studies. He had a tonsure at the age of 11. I can relate to him because I like music, art and I lived in the city.
In regards to vocation, Bro. Leo Kirby FSC.,writes,"I felt a strong inner urge to become a preist.I guess you could say it was a call, but it was a silent sort of call, more like a whisper than a shout , something like the rustling of a breeze,"(18)This quote seems to describe what a true vocation really is. God, being patient does not have to "shout" for us to respond. He gently urges. If we do not respond he continues to urge us in the fright direction. On the other hand Satan/devils must shout to get us to respond imediately. If we do take our time when trying to listen to God we are more likely to be prudent and make a good desition. If we follow our first impulse we will probably get ourselves into more trouble than we can handle.
Rick Fish
Bro. Rob Peach, FSC
Rel. 011-04
March 13,2009
In this story I found out how interesting John Baptist De La Salle's life really was. He lived in France with his parents and his 6 siblings in 1651. He had a lot of responsibility, since he was the oldest child he had to look after his other siblings. Some ways that he reflects myself is that he was more mature than most kids his age and I am also mature for my age. At the age of 11 he was given a tonsure and that tells you what you would be doing for the rest of your life so he lived out the life of a priest. John Baptist De La Salle came from a richer family and it shows that he really wanted to become a messenger of God because he wasn't greedy about money since being a priest wasn't a high paying job. I truly look upto him because he was such a responsible person as a kid and he lived out what he was called to do even though he hit some major bumps on the way.
Thomas O'Connor
Bro. Rob Peach, FSC
Rel 011.04
March 13, 2009
I find several parts of St. John Baptist de La Salle's early life to be intresting or odd. One thing that I find to be odd is that many of the people affiliated with the Church sided with the rich and behaved like nobles. I also found it odd that he was assigned a career before he was even out of boyhood. I thought that it was intresting that being a preist was valued very highly in St. La Salle's time. The school system in France is also intresting to me. Also, La Salle's life was very difficult, especially for being a from a wealthy family I find it difficult to relate my life to St. La Salle's. He always had to look out for his younger siblings, but I am the younger brother in my family. I can find no real correlation between my life and his childhood.
Robbie McKinstry
Bro. Rob Peach, FSC
Rel 011.04
March 13, 2009
What defines "vocation" according to what you read of De La Salle's early life?
I believe Saint John Baptist de La Salle's early life led him to his vocation in for God. Brother Leo Kirby, FSC wrote, "One of your English authors once remakred that wherever the message of Christ is lived and preached, there is laughter and dancing in the streets and good red wine flowing at the tables." (15) La Salle's earliest years was filled with a loving Christian environment, from looking into shop windows to spending time with his happy family. Kirby writes, "My mother's parents were the kind of grandparents every child should have, full of love and encouragement for their grandchildren." (15) This was the model that he strived for, for the loving environment of this schools.
Additionally, most of his childhood defined his vocation. Even as a child, the act of his grandfather teaching him prayers led to him teaching prayers as an adult. His job of taking care of his brothers and sisters led to him taking care of the students at school and the Brothers at home.
In his time, of course, the definition of vocation was much different. If you were called by God to a life of vocation, then you were considered morally obligated to live so. If you tried to avoid this life, or succeeded in doing so, you were socially ostricized from your culture.
But one must remember, chance, heritage, and wealth came into play when God's Chosen was decided. If someone was born into a noble family, someone in the family or the church could claim he has a caling in order to gain political strength. In La Salle's time, the church was very corrupt, and yet very socially/politically powerful.
Graham Sides
Bro. Rob Peach, FSC
Rel 011.04
March 13, 2009
There were main points that I found interesting about De La Salle's early life. One of these points was how De La Salle kept his objectives straight. Speaking as the person of De La Salle, Bro. Leo Kirby, FSC, writes "When I was 20 years ol, my mother died at the age of 36; the very next year, my father died at the age of 47...I had to leave the many good friends I had made in Paris at the Seminary of Saint Sulpice and return home to take care of my brothers and sisters" (Kirby 18). Earlier in the book he stated that he did not have much of a childhood as he was the oldest one in the family. In this quote, it shows again his willingness to take responsibility for his family even though he feels that his call is to be a priest. This leads readers to believe that De La Salle believed the definition of vocation is a call to do a certain job and to do that job unless your family needs you. De La Salle experienced God during this time since he believes that God can lead him through this period of time. I believe that this story of De La Salle and Adrien Nyel parallels to the story of Jeremiah and God, since God called on Jeremiah as Nyel called on De La Salle. The only difference is that De La Salle willingly took the job instead of saying he was too young or not ready. De La Salle's life, as inspiring as it is, does not parallel to mine as I did not experience the anguish that he had to go through as a child.
Tyler Zymroz
Bro. Rob Peach FSC
Rel 011.04
March 13, 2009
Some things i learned about John Baptist's early life is he lead a normal one. He had sisters who he had to watch. His dad worked as a judge and provided for the family. The only thing that was odd that he wanted to lead the life of a priest at such a young age. He was given a tonsure at the age of 11. His life models a prophet in ways of what they do. They both are surving God, and are helping people's belief in God become greater. It helps me see how easy my life is, and how I could help make people's lives better. I could also believe in God more at my old age compared to La Salle who was 11 and already training to become a priest.
There were a few observations of John Baptist de La Salle’s life that struck me as odd. First was the fact that he was disturbed by the difference between the rich and the poor. It wouldn’t seem like he would care because he was well off. The difference between the rich and the poor is seen when speaking as the person of de La Salle, Brother Leo Kirby writes “ The rich looked down on the poor with contempt; the poor looked up at the rich with hatred” Kirby (14). Another thing that struck me as odd was the atmosphere he grew up in. Speaking as the person of de La Salle, Brother Leo Kirby writes “we lived in a Christian atmosphere, not only in my family but in society at large..our heroes and heroines were saints” Kirby (16). The atmosphere of his home was deeply religious and the society was at that time too. I suppose in that time it was not uncommon to receive a tonsure, the cutting off of hair to symbolize the destiny of priesthood ay a young age but to me it seems very strange. Speaking as the person de La Salle, Brother Leo Kirby writes “I became more serious about it when my uncle handed onto me the job of publicly reciting the official prayer of the church” Kirby (17). This all foreshadows his future religious life. It also relates to the prophet Jeremiah because John Baptist de La Salle had many religious things happen to him at a young age. Jeremiah also had religious experiences when he thought and told god he was too young for his work. The suffering of the deaths of his siblings in infancy and of his parents forcing him to take care of his siblings shaped his life by giving him a good sense of responsibility. John Baptist de La Salle had and interesting and odd early life and is relevant to mine because I attend a school that follows his moral teachings.
Dan Smith
Bro. Robert Peach, FSC
Rel 011.04
March 17, 2007
The suffering in De La Salle's early life greatly affected how he approached every day and his life. Dealing with the death of his parents and raising his brothers and sisters at an early age made him respnsible and caring. He also saw the differences between the lives of the rich and poor and in this suffering led him to forsake his money for the good of the poor.
Ben Mickens
Bro. Rob Peach, FSC
Rel 011.04
March 13, 2009
Bro. Leo Kirby, FSC, speaks in the first person as De La Salle. I feel like the mournful things in De La Salle's early life made his life what it was. I believe that contributed to the mercy that he showed on other peoples lives. In De La Salle's life, the word "vocation" means God's calling to what he wants people to accomplish in their life.
St. De La Salle went through a lot of suffering in his life.One example was the loss of his parents at a very young age.Since he was the oldest in his family he had to return home and raise his siblings.This experience taught him humility and to care for others, which helped him to become a priest.
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