“Send your spirit into our lives with the power of a mighty win and by
the flame of your wisdom, open the horizons of our minds.”  

The inspiration to name our community Spirit of Life is rooted in two powerful connections in our lives.  One is our affinity to Spiritus Christi Community in Rochester, N.Y., a community which ‘opened the horizons of our minds’ and the other is a profoundly moving song, Spirit of Life, by songwriter Carolyn McDade.  The wisdom in Carolyn’s words has blown through our souls like a ‘mighty wind’ blessing and powerfully moving us deep within for many years.

“Spirit of Life, come unto me,

  Sing in my heart, all the stirrings of compassion,

  Blow in the wind, rise in the sea,

  Move in the hand, giving life the shape of justice

  Roots hold me close,

           Wings set me free,

               Spirit of Life, Come to me, Come to me                                                                                                   

Carolyn McDade

Come and Celebrate this feast with us as we experience the Spirit of God moving in our lives in a new and life-giving way!   Wear red!!!

At Spirit of Life, we continue to do 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 May 20^th Community Meeting confirmed the reality that we are indeed a “community”!  It was an energetic gathering of women and men committed to putting flesh on the Good News.  The meeting generated great ideas for deepening our life together as community.    Anyone desiring to nourish their soul by praying with a Catholic community committed to inclusivity, justice and joy is warmly invited to visit Spirit of Life and to join us we continue to envision and co-create our future.                                                                                                           

 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!

Jean and Ron

Mid Summer: Dear Friends,

Once again, the wonderful summer weather last Sunday allowed 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 continue to celebrate the birth of our country and the many freedoms…not the least of which is religious freedom that we enjoy in this country.  This week’s gospel from Luke reminds us that “the kingdom…or the kin-dom…of God is at hand.”  Imagine!  Right here in our midst…nor far off….not coming…but right here now.  We have a true taste of that kin-dom arising within our community, as we join hearts and hands in prayer, and give voice to how we hear God speaking in our lives and in God’s Word.    

 Join us….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 (3586 US service men and women killed to date, 17 US forces killed     between June 24-30, and 511 Iraqi sisters and brothers),  and we celebrate the birthday of our country, and the freedom we enjoy, we invite you to reflect on the reading below provided by one of our community members:

A  DECLARATION OF INTERDEPENDENCE

We hold these truths to be self-evident:

That all life is interconnected, and endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights and responsibilities,
 That among these are presence, compassion, and the pursuit of happiness.

That to secure these rights and responsibilities,

We open our minds and hearts to the needs of others, and our own true needs,
 We hear the sound of the living universe in our ears, and add our voices to the song,
 We live every moment with awareness of the purity and power of existence.

And for the support of this Declaration, we pledge to all people our love and our breath,

For the freedom of the one is the freedom of the all, and the pain of the one is the pain of the all;
 The breath of the one is the breath of the all, and the breath of the all is the breath of God.

2/14/99
Melanie Bacon

 Imagine what our world would be like if we as individuals, as a country and a global community lived this truth consistently in our daily lives.  That would truly be an experience of living in God’s kin-dom!  As is our custom, 15% of our offertory gift is sent to a designated charity.  This month’s contribution will be sent to Madre, an organization which provides care and support to women and children in Iraq.  For more about the work of Madre, visit Madre.org/sister/Iraq.

 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 the gift of interdependence!

Jean and Ron

July 27th

Dear Friends,

The Gospel this week tells the story of Martha and Mary, and creates a superb opportunity for each of us to reflect on the dynamic of balance in our lives.  Whenever I hear this story, I think of all the times I’ve been slaving in the kitchen at Thanksgiving for example, (one of the few times in the year I come even remotely close to ‘slaving in the kitchen’) and I realize that although I’m working hard, I’m enjoying hearing the conversations from the living room….and the children playing in and around in the background.   And, besides doesn’t everyone need to eat? And won’t it be wonderful when everyone sees their favorite food and has a plate full?  Perhaps that’s how it was with Martha.  But, truth be told, in the midst of the true pleasure of serving those we love, there can be a sense of missing out on some of the fun.  I think that’s what Jesus is saying to Martha….”don’t miss out”!

One way to be sure that we’re not “missing out” is to find time to sit at the feet  (or in the arms)  of Jesus.  If we begin there, are rooted there….with the One we love most in our universe….we are far less likely to fall ‘out of balance’ and loose ourselves to the task rather than the moment.  

If you are looking for more balance in your life…more moments with your God, we invite you to join us for our Sunday liturgy.  Spirit of Life is an open and inclusive, and interactive community committed to justice and joy!  Come and join us any Sunday evening at 5:00pm as we break open God’s Word and the Bread of Life together.  As a true sign of ‘balance’, we enjoy coffee and conversation together after liturgy.  We’d love you to come and pray and re-create with us!

 As the death toll continues to mount in Iraq (3619 US service men and women killed to date, 14 US forces killed      between July 8-14 and 655 Iraqi sisters and brothers),  we prayerfully remember those who have died, their loved ones who are grieving, and all who suffer as a consequence of this violence..  We invite you to reflect on the prayer below written by Joan Chittister, and offered by one of our community members:

                Prayer for World Peace

                 by Joan D. Chittister, OSB

Great God, who has told us
“Vengeance is mine,”
save us from ourselves,
save us from the vengeance in our hearts
and the acid in our souls.

Save us from our desire to hurt as we have been hurt,
to punish as we have been punished,
to terrorize as we have been terrorized.

Give us the strength it takes
to listen rather than to judge,
to trust rather than to fear,
to try again and again
to make peace even when peace eludes us.

We ask, O God, for the grace
to be our best selves.
We ask for the vision
to be builders of the human community
rather than its destroyers.
We ask for the humility as a people
to understand the fears and hopes of other peoples.
We ask for the love it takes
to bequeath to the children of the world to come
more than the failures of our own making.
We ask for the heart it takes
to care for all the peoples
of Afghanistan and Iraq, of Palestine and Israel
as well as for ourselves.

Give us the depth of soul, O God,
to constrain our might,
to resist the temptations of power,
to refuse to attack the attackable,
to understand

that vengeance begets violence,
 and to bring peace - not war - wherever we go.

 15% of Spirit of Life Community’s offertory gift is sent to a designated charity.  This summer’s gift will be sent to Madre, an organization which provides care and support to women and children in Iraq.  For more about the work of Madre, visit Madre.org/sister/Iraq.

Late August

The line in Hebrews, our second reading for this Sunday, “So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees” strikes a humorous cord….but also hits a harmonious note for me today.  Today is the last day of my physical therapy to repair the damage done to my foot when I fell in May.  So my week ankle and foot are now strengthened….(although the knees might be another story)!  The interesting reality is that most of the physical therapy has focused not so much on the multiple tiny fractures, but rather on a joint in my foot which was probably responsible for the fall in the first place.  So the work has been to ‘stretch’ and make more mobile this recalcitrant piece of my anatomy.  Truth be told, I’ve had pain in this part of my foot for years….but it’s been bearable if I ‘walked around it’ ….thus creating prime opportunity for the fall that happened!

It occurs to me that there’s a parallel here with this reading from Hebrews and with Sunday’s gospel which speaks of our knowing and being ‘known’ by our God.   I think my big toe would say “you haven’t been paying any attention to me”…”you haven’t been taking care of our relationship”….”you’ve no idea what I need…nor how to ‘be with’ me!  So, I’ve had a lot of ‘catching up’ to do to undo the damage.  I pray that this analogy isn’t true of my relationship with God, but this weekend’s liturgy offers a good chance to reflect and to ‘assess’ how strong or weak that connection is today.  Perhaps a good question for us to ponder is:  “What have I been ‘walking around’ in my life and/or in my relationship with my God?”

If you are ‘walking around something in your life, and are seeking a community of faith with which to pray and nurture your spiritual journey, we invite you to come and “taste and see” the Spirit of Life Catholic Community of Justice & Joy.  We are and open, inclusive and interactive community, that gathers for Eucharist every Sunday evening at 5:00pm. All are truly welcome to come and pray and re-create with us!   

To heighten our awareness and increase prayers to end the war in Iraq, each week, we share with you in this email, the deaths in Iraq.  The latest report is that 21 U.S. Service men and women died during the week of August 12-18, bringing the dreadful total to 3707.  In addition, 626 Iraqi women, men and children died.  We have just learned a new statistic which is critical to our understanding of the devastating effect of this war:  it is estimated that over a million Iraqis have died since the war began.  This would include all those who have also died from malnutrition, lack of medicines, waterborne illnesses, and lack of electricity, clean water, etc.  All effects of the war.

We continue to pray for peace in our world, and in the spirit of St. Clare and Francis of Assisi, we share Francis’ Canticle of the Sun….the heart of which is a plea for peace on earth:                

The Canticle of the Sun by Francis of Assisi

Most high, all powerful, all good Lord! All praise is yours, all glory, all honor, and all blessing. To you, alone, Most High, do they belong. No mortal lips are worthy to pronounce your name.

Be praised, my Lord, through all your creatures, especially through my lord Brother Sun, who brings the day; and you give light through him. And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendor! Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.

Be praised, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars; in the heavens you have made them, precious and beautiful.

Be praised, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air, and clouds and storms, and all the weather, through which you give your creatures sustenance.

Be praised, My Lord, through Sister Water; she is very useful, and humble, and precious, and pure.

Be praised, my Lord, through Brother Fire, through whom you brighten the night. He is beautiful and cheerful, and powerful and strong.

Be praised, my Lord, through our sister Mother Earth, who feeds us and rules us, and produces various fruits with colored flowers and herbs.

Be praised, my Lord, through those who forgive for love of you; through those who endure sickness and trial. Happy those who endure in peace, for by you, Most High, they will be crowned.

Be praised, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death, from whose embrace no living person can escape. Woe to those who die in mortal sin! Happy those she finds doing your most holy will. The second death can do no harm to them.

Praise and bless my Lord, and give thanks, and serve him with great humility.

In keeping with our custom, 15% of Spirit of Life Community’s offertory gift is sent to a designated charity.  This summer’s gift will be sent to Madre, an organization which provides care and support to women and children in Iraq.  For more about the work of Madre, visit Madre.org/sister/Iraq.

Please come and pray with us as your life allows and the Spirit leads.  Feel free to contact us for further information.