Father John Claude Colin sets before the Marists the picture
of Nazareth,
because in it he sees a symbolic reminder
of three realities.

Nazareth is a symbol of the necessity of small beginnings.
A symbol of poverty and obscurity
Of every great achievement in God’s plan.
It was the beginning of Christ –
He lived in Nazareth for 30 years
And preached outside of Nazareth for only 3 years.
30 years to become a man
and 3 years to be a man.

Nazareth is a symbol of where true values lie.
The materialist judges by output.
What a person has and does
is more important than what he is.

Nazareth reminds us of the basic fact
that it is more important to be someone
than to do something.
Nazareth reminds us that true values
are often unnoticed
and these values are the ones to work for.

Nazareth is a symbol that stands for a position of judging in the way of Mary.
Father Colin’s words: “From there I see all that I have to do”
reminds us that true, unclouded judgement,
can be made only when personal prejudice and fears
are stripped away,
and a person is alone before God.

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