Following the example of one of the older teachers in the school who was renowned among boys in the primary and secondary sections for his love of the outdoors, we organised a series of talks and activities for some high school boys. These took place in their free time between classes, assignments, sports and other extracurricular activities.

One idea that was suggested to us was to get each of the high school boys attending these weekly talks to buy a copy of The Way with which they could do their mental prayer. As the pocket-size edition is cheap and readily available in the school bookshop, a number of them have bought their own copies and using it regularly. What we didn't forsee was their intrigue and amusement with a number of Latin phrases our Father uses in the book.

During some weekly sports periods I referee basketball. I also make them ‘suffer’ in the warm-up sessions. Once, as they were groaning under the strain of keeping to my count in one of the exercises, one of them shouted to his groaning and complaining colleagues: “Esto vir!” and then dutifully translated when his classmates asked what in the world that meant. The groaning went on.
To help them get out of themselves and think about others as our Father advises in The Way, we have encouraged them to pick a day in the week when they strive to be more diligent and generous in their studies and sports, and to offer up the effort and the discomfort for the rest in the talk. One boy has been using the school bell tone at the end of every class to pray for his "broz" in the talk. Another picked Saturday to strive in this diligence and generosity. From being the most lounge-about day he had in the week, it has become the most intense and productive day of the week just from the effort in fulfilling his ordinary duties.

RW