Spirit of Life

A Catholic Community of Service, Worship, Justice and Joy

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Recent News Letters from Spirit of Life Friends.

Corpus 2007 National Conference:

Thank you so much for your lovely notes and promises of prayer for me (Jean) as I presented at the Corpus 2007 National Conference in Providence last Friday night.  My presentation “Uprising of Hope” was very well received, and I was deeply touched by the audience’s response….a standing ovation!  Surely that was from all the prayer behind and all around me!  My presentation was really my understanding and experience of hope in the face of my life story, including my call to priesthood which I first experienced in childhood and which was deeply formed and informed as I lived the events of my life.    I wove my story around St. Augustine’s thought that “hope has 2 lovely daughters:  anger…so that should not happen will not; and courage so that what should happen will”.  This image provided a rich framework for Uprising of Hope which will appear in an upcoming copy of Corpus Reports.

 The wonderful summer weather last weekend led us to celebrate our liturgy out under a shade tree, in the midst of God’s beautiful creation.  If weather permits, we’ll do the same this coming Sunday as we anticipate the 4th of July and the birthday of our country.  In this week’s first reading, Elisha leaves behind his life as a farmer and gives his unwavering allegiance to God.  It serves as a reminder that when we give our life to our God, that relationship becomes the most important and compelling reality in our world.  In the midst of all the changes that we encounter in our life….that commitment and relationship remains primary. 

This Sunday is a wonderful time to contemplate the religious freedom we enjoy in this country….the freedom to say “yes” without fear to God’s call in our lives.  That freedom brings a responsibility to connect with the God who is at the core of our being.  If you are seeking a community to pray with, one that is open and inclusive, committed to justice and celebrating the gifts of all God’s people, we invite you to come and join us any Sunday evening at 5:00pm as we break open God’s Word and the Bread of Life together.  

As the death toll continues to mount in Iraq (3567 US service men and women killed to date, 36 US forces killed in the past 2 weeks, and 494 Iraqi sisters and brothers),  
we once again invite you to consider the Mary Oliver’s words:            

              “Wage peace with your breath….Wage peace with your listening….Wage peace…

              Never has the world seemed so fresh and precious…

              Act as if armistice has already arrived.  Don’t wait another minute”  (from Wage Peace)

Now there’s an uprising of hope!  Please come and pray with us as your life allows and the Spirit leads.  Feel free to contact us for further information.

Wishing you Spirit-filled Blessings…and a blessed 4th of July!

Jean and Ron

What are people saying about Spirit of Life?

Comment about Mother’s Day Liturgy…..

"We want to thank you for the inspiring service yesterday.  Never has Mother's Day been celebrated more meaningfully and beautifully than it was at Spirit of Life Sunday.  It led to very deep sharing during the ride home.  I read the Litany three times today.  Peace!!! " I. 

Comments about the Easter Vigil….

"I LOVED the service.  The liturgy was so thoughtfully constructed and the fire, water, candles, bread, song... all these elements of a tangibly good experience! I especially liked hearing different people share their insights after the homily.  The feeling of community was just so warm!  Thank you for welcoming me to be a part of it."  M.

"Once again, thank you for providing such a sacred and awesome Easter Vigil!  Alleluia, Alleluia!  It was truly a very special experience, and      my friends, were equally as touched.  May Sophia continue to radiate through the both of you as you share your gifts with all who come celebrate with you! I am so glad I was there! " P.

Our Celebration Of Mother's Day

Blessings to each of you who have birthed joy in our lives!  This Sunday, May 13th, the Spirit of Life Community will celebrate motherhood….we will honor those who gave birth to us, and those of us who have given birth ~ including all those ‘mothering spirits’ who have birthed joy and love in our lives! 

Did you know that originally, in 1870, Mothers’ Day was envisioned as a time for women to come together and unite for peace?  Julia Ward Howe’s original and inspirational Mothers’ Day proclamation declared “We, the women of one country, will be too tender of those of another country to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs.  (Julia probably never imagined that quote could well include ‘our daughters’!

At Spirit of Life, we are doing our very small part to improve the situation of those in need around our world.  Presently we assist with the crisis of AIDS in Africa by designating The African Dream Center, which cares for children orphaned by HIV/AIDS, as recipient of our donation of 15% of our contributions during this Easter Season.

Our Celebration of the Feast of Cinco de Mayo:

As we celebrated the feast of Cinco de Mayo, our hearts are moved to remember people in our world who have struggled for survival and who have so much less than we do.  

 A recent Weston Priory newsletter reminds us:  “Our Hungry World is Waiting:  Because God’s compassion ‘has become flesh and dwelt among us,’ the repair of the world is a task at the very heart of our work of reconciliation as Christian communities.  Quoting Bono, of the Irish rock band U2 speaking of a visit to Africa:  “Earlier I described to you the death of 6500 Africans a day from predicable, treatable diseases like AIDS; I watched people queuing up to die 3 in a bed in Malawi.  That’s Africa’s crisis.  But the fact that we in Europe or America are not treating it like an emergency – and the fact that it is not everyday on the news – well, that’s OUR crisis…I don’t even know what that says about us.” 

At Spirit of Life, we are doing our very small part to assist with the crisis of AIDS in Africa by designating The African Dream Center, which cares for children orphaned by HIV/AIDS, as recipient of our donation of 15% of our contributions during this Easter Season.