The Bulletin of the Catholic Community at The Family Foundation School
Pauca Verba (a few words)
Number 11 – February 7, 2010
“If I lose gentleness, I lose a basic condition for uncovering the presence of God. I am already in the depths of my being. Gentleness is thus a pathway to the life of prayer.” (Adrian van Kaam)
Now these are important sentences. Some of us here complain bitterly that prayer is ineffective or they don’t feel God’s presence. But truth be told – often these people are living lives characterized by nastiness, rudeness, harsh judgments, selfishness and hatred. What can they hope for?
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All this talk around here of Mother Goddess or Mother Earth Higher Power: What is this? Is it a “religion” that sets out to comfort us? (We’re always looking for comfort!) What brought Mother into existence in the first place? What sustains her, especially as she is so assaulted by wars, pollution, exploitation and disaster brought on by human greed? Indeed, how is Mother Earth a higher power at all? Her little moon keeps her perfectly balanced and prevents her from wobbling off out of orbit?! How did that get arranged? Sounds like Mother Earth needs a higher power! Let’s not be fooled by this goddess talk – which more than a few of us know is rather silly. Even Christians fall for this kind of thing. What’s going on there? Maybe that Jesus asks for purity of heart and the letting go of resentments – and that’s just not acceptable – or love that is crucifying!? Or that worshipping a living God on Sunday morning would mean we might miss some time on the court or our favorite whatever. What does Mother Earth ask for? Just that we enjoy the seasons?
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Lent begins in 10 days! Maybe I’ve never kept Lent before. Maybe I was here last year and basically ignored it. Forty days in preparation for the celebration of Christ’s Rising from the dead. What a message of hope in a world of death!
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Tom Pottratz is the Organizer of the January Washington D.C. March for Life from Indianapolis. He said after this year’s march:
“I’ve always known most kids are pro-life but they’re a little reluctant to get up and stand in front because of what the popular media says. That’s until they come out here one time and they see 150,000 other youth. They say ‘Wow, it’s kind of cool to be pro-life. OK, I can do it now’.
“In these sad times when faith is dead, and impiety is triumphant, when we are surrounded by those who have perpetual hatred in their hearts and blasphemy on their lips, the surest means of remaining immune to the pestiferous disease that surrounds us, is to fortify ourselves with Eucharistic food. This cannot be achieved by those who, month after month, live without satisfying themselves with the Immaculate Flesh of the Divine Lamb.” Padre Pio. (Saint Pio of Pietrelchina)
Getting ready for Lent which begins on Ash Wednesday – February 17! If you care at all about Lent – let this prayer be at the center of your “Prayers and Meditation.” There will be a teaching about the meaning of the prayer each week in our bulletin.
O Lord and Master of my life!
Take from me the spirit of sloth,
faint-heartedness,
lust of power,
and idle talk.
But give rather the spirit of chastity,
humility, patience, and love to thy servant.
Yea, O Lord and King!
Grant me to see my own errors
and not to judge my brothers and sisters;
for you are blessed unto the ages of ages.
Amen
