SHARING EXPERIENCE OF INTERNATIONAL SESSION OF LAITY
PARTAGE EXPERIENCE DE SESSION INTERNATIONALE DES LAÏCS
COMPARTIENDO EXPERIENCIAS DE SESION INTERNACIONAL DE LAICOS
Tuesday, 16 June 2015
Monday, 15 June 2015
June
greetings Dear sisters/associates J
I
came across this (see below before reading the rest of my commentary. I
invite you all to add yours as well) in my reading and felt the need to share
with you. This piece for me, lays out simply and clearly the forces
shaping injustice and conflict today, as some 800 years ago…and as I believe,
will 800 years from now. So I guess you could argue that Francis
failed.
So
why do we continue to deliberately take the same path that he walked. Why
do we seek the simple lives of St. Joseph and the many others who have trod (
and will trod) this same path? Why do we believe that we can make a
difference?
…I
don’t believe we have a choice. If we are to remain true to ourselves, we
must walk this path as surely as we must breathe. We have been gifted the
ability to become aware of our relationship with God and wish to do nothing to
jeopardize this loving unity with All…all that was, is and will be.
Once
we have been made aware, there is no turning back. We are so filled with this
peace of unity that we feel we must, out of shear love, reconcile all that we
meet in our lives to this same unity with the All.
If
all the saints and apostles who have gone before us have not managed to totally
reconcile the world to God, why do we continue to beat ourselves up for
failing to do so? We continue to live our lives of voluntary poverty
knowing that it is the only way for us. People see this love radiating
from us in all that we do. And I believe that this all that is asked of
us. To live our lives simply and happily, we touch others daily in a way
that allows God to shine forth...thus, the world becomes our church and our lives
become the communion to feed all creation.
With
love as always,
-Dave
Voluntary Poverty
Francis was born in 1181 in Assisi, Italy. Already, Europe
and the Muslim world had endured two crusades. The third crusade began when
Francis was a boy, and the fourth when he was twenty-one. In short, the world
was obsessed with war, fear, and security needs. Assisi itself was fighting
an ongoing war with Perugia, a neighboring city. Francis rode off to fight
and was taken prisoner by the Perugians in 1202. In 1204, the Christians of
the West sacked and looted Constantinople, which the Eastern Orthodox
Christians have never forgotten.
Shortly after that, Francis came out of prison dazed,
disillusioned, and feeling there must be something more than all this
torture, cruelty, and aggression. Francis seemed to realize that there is an
intrinsic connection between violence and the need to protect one's
possessions, perks, and privileges. His own father was one of the first
generation of propertied businessmen in the new trading class of Europe. One
biographer found city records of 12th century Assisi showing that Pietro De
Bernadone, Francis' father, was indeed buying up the lands of the poor.
Francis recognized that his father's obsession with money had in many ways
destroyed his father's soul, and so Francis set out on a radically different
path than his father, and in some ways, in overreaction to it.
Francis concluded that the only way out of such a world
was to live a life of voluntary poverty, or what he called a life of
"non-appropriation," and to simply not be a part of the moneyed
class. The rope that Franciscans wear around the waist is a sign that we
carried no money, since the leather belt at that time also served as a
wallet. Francis knew that once you felt you owned anything, then you would
have to protect it and increase it. It is the inherent nature of greed--there
is never enough. For some reason this is no longer considered a capital sin
in our capitalist society. In fact, I (Richard Rhor) have never heard anyone
confess an offense against the 10th commandment. "Coveting our
neighbor's goods" is the very nature of our society.
One of Francis' biographies, written in his own lifetime,
tells of Francis saying, "Look brothers, if we have any possessions, we
will need arms to protect them, and then this will cause many disputes and
lawsuits, and possessions impede the love of God and neighbor. Therefore, let
us decide we do not want to possess anything in this world." This is a
radical idea, one we later Franciscans have not followed very well. We found
a way to have possessions, and yet we recognized that our possessions tend to
possess us after a while. In fact the more we have, the more true this is.
Even so, I have met many poor people who are very materialistic, and I have
met many people of means who are extremely generous with their possessions.
Adapted from The Art of Letting Go: Living the Wisdom
of Saint Francis,
|
Thursday, 11 June 2015
Hey! Who Are We?
From far and wide as
SJL Laities in Lyon we gathered,
Greeting one another
with joy and zeal we introduced
And our mission and
commitment with pride we presented.
Hey! Who are we?
SJL Laities we are!
Yes, SJL Laities we are!
Inputs on spirituality
and charism we garnered,
Getting to the roots of
our congregation we loved
And in the congregation
a strong foothold we discovered.
Hey!
Who are we?
Laities of the
Congregation
Laities of the
Church too.
Legacy of Mother St,
John Fontbonne we unravelled,
Closely the footsteps
of Fr. Medaille we traversed
And the struggles of
our first sisters we witnessed.
Hey!
Who are we?
Children
of Mother St, John Fontbonne
Her
dauntless children indeed.
Fr. Medaille’s
Eucharistic revelation left us astonished,
Enlightening us on the
source so revered
From which we are to
receive and transmit.
Hey!
Who are we?
Receivers
of the charism
And transmitters
of the same.
Ohé ! Qui sommes-nous ?
De loin, nous nous sommes réunis à Lyon comme Laïcs St Joseph.
En nous saluant avec joie et zèle, nous avons commencé,
Notre mission et notre engagement, avec fierté, avons présenté.
Ohé ! Qui sommes nous?
Nous sommes les Laïcs St Joseph !
Oui, nous sommes les Laïcs St Joseph !
Un exposé sur la spiritualité et le charisme nous avons recueilli,
Les racines des notre Congrégation avons adorées,
Et dans la Congrégation, un fort pont d’appui avons découvert.
Ohé ! Qui sommes nous ?
Les Laïcs de la Congrégation
Les Laïcs de l'Église aussi.
L’héritage de Mère St, John Fontbonne avons approfondi,
Les chemins du Père Medaille avons traversés,
Et des luttes de nos premières sœurs avons été témoins.
Ohé ! Qui sommes nous?
Les enfants de Mère St Jean Fontbonne,
Ses enfants intrépides en effet.
La Lettre eucharistique du Père Médaille nous a remplis d’étonnement,
Nous éclairant sur la source si précieuse
Que nous avons à recevoir et à transmettre.
Wednesday, 10 June 2015
Tuesday, 9 June 2015
Violence in Honduras!
Hermanas, hermanos, las invitamos a orar especialmente por la situación que se está dando en Honduras, las protestas en las calles, la petición de destitución del presidente, sabemos que puede darse una gran violencia. Oremos por todo el pueblo hondureño y por nuestras hermanas allá.
Monday, 1 June 2015
First vows in India!
My soul sings the glory of God, my Saviour !
I shall
make my body a lamp,
And my
tender heart shall be its wick,
I shall
fill it with scented oil of my young love
And
burn it night and day at your altar Lord!
For
your love, I will sacrifice all the wealth of my youth….
I long
to belong to you, My Lord!
Enveloped
with these sentiments, Our dear Novice Sujatha was ready on 6th of
June at Pranidhana chapel to consecrate her Life. Sr.Pushpa welcomed Sujatha to experience
God’s enveloping power and blessings and the gathering to witness and proclaim the Joy of First
commitment of Sujatha….. Our parish priest Fr. Antony Raj was
main celebrant and theme of the day was Shepherd
me Lord! I belong to you. As Sujatha
pronounced her vows, Sr. Emily Joseph our provincial received her to the family
of St. Joseph of Lyon. It was very
prayerful and meaningful celebration as sujatha surrendered in freedom and trust
to the Divine master. Many of our sisters, parishners, and friends participated
and prayed for Sujatha for the fruit
bearing process of life. Sujatha thanked God and everyone gathered, for joining
to celebrate her life and commitment. God’s blessings were abundant and
bountiful. We thank you for your prayers and blessings.
Thank you for your prayers.
Sr.Pushpa
Pranidhana
We are one, All is one. We are all one..
We are one, All is one. We are all one..
Somos uno, todo es uno. Todos somos uno ..
Somos uno, todo es uno. Todos somos uno ..
Nous sommes l'un, Tout est un. Nous sommes tous un ..
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)