Jewish New Year for Trees

My dear Friends

This Feast is known in Hebrew as Rosh Hashanah Lailanot. When I was in my Jewish primary school we celebrated it by bringing in as many different fruits as possible (I found some lychees, which were quite rare in those days!)

In 1999 I had a dream in which Cardinal Lustiger, the priest before whom I took my first private vow in Paris, told me to hold the anniversary of The Little Sisters of Joy on this Feast. I discovered later that it was the only Jewish Feast which his mother celebrated in her family. Sadly, she died in Auschwitz.

In January 2000, I planted a silver birch tree in the garden of Newton Road, where the Foundation first began. A group of us gathered round and recited Psalm 96:

'Let the trees of the wood shout for JOY
at the presence of the Lord,
for He comes to rule the earth'

We are now in our 11th year and we have had a celebration on this Feast down the years. What better one than the Jewish New Year for Trees? This year we will be in the home of Kitty Stidworthy, a great friend and someone who translates Russian poetry and who will be giving us some renderings. I may sing a little and get the group to sing with me.

Why don't you do something special on this day and be in solidarity with us? A special greeting to Maryvonne, without whom this would not be possible.

Love and Shalom
Sister Gila

The first miracle of Jesus

My dear Friends

We have celebrated the wonderful Feast of Epiphany, where the 3 kings offer their gifts to the the baby Jesus and he manifests His glory. then, last Sunday, we celebrated His baptism in the river Jordan, where a dove appears above Him and a vooice from heaven calls out 'This is my Son, in whom I am well pleased.' The glory in this mystery shows how it is connected to Epiphany. Finally this week we have the marriage celebrations at Cana, in which Jesus changes water into wine.

This mystery is connected to the previous two and displays Jesus' first miracle. We also have an indication of the relationship of mother to Son, in that Mary, realising Jesus' powers say to the servants; 'Do whatever He tells you.' Jesus has rebuked her initially, calling her 'woman' and saying his hour has not yet come. But this address to Mary as 'woman' recalls the new Eve and the new Adam, which Jesus, in the incarnation is.

What a wonderful miracle! If only we had been there to witness the changing of water into wine. And this reminds us of the Eucharist, when water is mingled with wine to make the cup of salvation.

Juesus goes on to perform many miracles, including the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, but surely this one will remain one of the most memorable, in which we see the glory and power of Our Lord.

Happy Feast
Shalom from
Sister Gila

January in Cambridge

My dear Friends
I don't know how January is with you but it has started sleeting again here. Treacherous to walk in, so people are keeping to the shopping arcades in town. I don't normally frequent them, but nipped in here to keep warm (I still have a nasty cough)and to use the library facilities. We have a completley refurbished public library in the arcade and it's great to use.

Next Monday night I start beginners Spanish classes. I was inspired to do so by some meetings I had with a Spanish lady, Mercedes, last summer. Mercedes gave me some Spanish lessons in exchange for some English lessons and it was more than a fair exchange. Mercedes lives with her family in Santiago de Compostella, a famous pilgrimage site, which covers a proportion of France as well as Northern spain. She has invited me over there one day. She says that if I come, I should also travel to Fatima, in Portugal, again another famous pilgrimage site and one where the Virgin Mary(through intermediaries) spoke of Peace and Reconciliation.

But my first trip this year, inshaallah, will hopefully be to Provence, to the ancient town of Nimes, where I have a friend. I hope this will take place in April, when the weather is at its best.(Although there is still the possibility of the Mistral wind.)

So! Lots to look forward to in these miserable days, I wish the same for you too.

Shalom from
Sister Gila

Snowy things

My dear Friends
The New year has started in a very frosty way-I am sure most of you up and down the country (and other countries too)have seen your fair share of snow. I have succumbed to the lurgie, with a bad cold and throat and have had to postpone the event at Starbucks (scheduled for a week on Saturday). There is always the consolation that few people would have shown up if the weather was like this.

My New year's Eve was great and we duly brought it in the Red Lion pub in Grantchester. There was a band but playing rather loudly, so we have decided to just do a pub crawl in Grantchester next year and see where we land. But I did dance to the music! We nipped out to the Green Man pub just round the corner and it was super, with free food and a very good folksy band playing and not too loud!

My little cat has been spending most of his days indoors, either sleeping on the chair or on my bed. I am so glad he found a home with me some weeks ago. Did I tell you I called him Thomas (after Thomas Aquinas)but he doesn't really respond to his name. I don't know whether other cats are any different.

I am writing this in the local library and am just feeling my cold coming on again, so will return to the warmth of The Haven (at times like this I wish I had a telly) and so I just wish you a happy new year once again and keep warm.

Shalom from
Sister Gila