Dear Friends,

Because Ron and I will be arriving in late afternoon from the CTA conference, our Sunday Liturgy will be held at 7:00PM on the 9th! The community refreshments will be served EARLY... beginning at 6:00PM ... before Liturgy! So come early and socialize for a bit before Mass!

As we mark this historic moment in the history of our country, it is particularly moving that people around the world are celebrating the selection of our president elect: This quote from Nelson Mandela touched my heart:

We join people in your country and around the world in congratulating you on becoming the President-elect of the United States. Your victory has demonstrated that no person anywhere in the world should not dare to dream of wanting to change the world for a better place. We note and applaud your commitment to supporting the cause of peace and security around the world. We trust that you will also make it the mission of your presidency to combat the scourge of poverty and disease everywhere. We wish you strength and fortitude in the challenging days and years that lie ahead. We are sure you will ultimately achieve your dream, making the United States of America a full partner in a community of nations committed to peace and prosperity for all. (Source: The New York Times)

What a dream... and opportunity we have before us! Tonight's news carried a story about Barack Obama's maternal grandmother in Kenya. From the doorway of her home, a simple hut, where she cares for children who have been orphaned by AIDS, this wise woman spoke of her pride in her grandson, and of her hope that he will first take care of the needs of America, but then assist the world in attaining global peace. Her concern for the world beyond her primitive home and the needs of the many children she feeds each day was eye-opening.

I've been wondering how to tie all this in with this Sunday's liturgy which commemorates the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome... the "home" of the Bishop of Rome. The connection that comes to mind is the image of "home". We all are blessed to have a home... a place where we know we are always welcome and "free to be". Some of our homes are more humble than others... and the image of the thatched roof hut of Obama's grandmother stays with me as I sit here in our home, with so many rooms and so much 'stuff'. But even beyond the physical home that we live in, we as baptized persons are "home" also to the Spirit of God. Remember the phrase we learned as children: "Our bodies are "temples of the Holy Spirit". (not to be confused with the "leave room for the Holy Spirit" warning of our teen years)... . Temples of the Holy Spirit! I think that if we kept that more uppermost in our minds, we would care for these bodies with more reverence! As we go through the weeks before our Holiday Season kicks in, perhaps we could reflect more on the unique vessel that WE are, and how much at home the Holy Spirit is in our abode.

If you are looking for a "spiritual home" to support as you deepen your relationship with your God, we invite you to join us at the Spirit of Life. As a community, we try wholeheartedly to "be Christ" to one another, to tend to the needs of one another and to those in need in our world. Together, we celebrate our belief that we are being transformed by God's grace as we gather together in prayer. We warmly invite you to come and gather with us at our Table and join in our experience of the 'kin-dom' of God. We are an inclusive, open, affirming and interactive community, deeply committed to being a people of 'justice and joy'.

Loving blessings to you as you and your temple!

Find more about past weekly reflections and podcasts in our ARCHIVE PAGE.