My dear Friends
I am beginning to unwind from the last 2 journeys. In Pomeyrol I was able to share a little of my mission and ask them to pray for me. The prayer of everyone is the 'petrol' which keeps me going on my journeys. but the inner journey is the most important, and I felt the grace of being close to God and hopefully doing His will.
On the second evening, I was invited to an ecumenical prayer meeting in the old Protestant church of Arles, an extraordinary building with columns which dates back to the French Revolution. This meeting occurred on Kol Nidrei, the eve of Yom Kippur, the most solemn day in the Jewish religion, when people fast and pray, asking for Atonement for themselves and for the world.We sang in Hebrew, hinay ma tov uma naim, behold how good and pleasant a tribe of brothers living together. This is the psalm I always invite people at the end of my concerts for Peace and Reconciliation to sing with me.
At the end of this meeting with Christians of different denominations, I was able to describe what Yom Kippur means to the Jewish people, and point out that all of us present were praying in solidarity with them.
Arles is a beautiful town-I only saw it in the dark and would like to revisit it. I felt something very good happened that night, the fruits of which will hopefully ripple out in the future.
Shabbat Shalom
Sister Gila
(to be continued.)
Saturday, 29 September 2007
Thursday, 27 September 2007
Paris and St Etienne-du-Gres
My dear Friends
It 's 9 pm and I am exhausted, having only returned from my trip in the early evening. But it has been truly amazing, rich in experiences, all them of happy, I am delighted to say! It was a wonderful idea to take my guitar: I met a group of retired American ladies on the Eurostar, who asked me to play, and as the train set off, I already had my foot on the seat to balance the guitar and I was playing and singing! It was an incredible feeling of freedom and lightness and the trip continued that way.
We spent a lovely musical evening at Alexia's house, with her parents and neighbours, reminiscing with 'old' modern French songs by Jacques Brele and others. My bedroom overlooked the church in Villecresnes, and Alexia and I had a walk by the river close to the woods, which are abundant in that part of the world, about 30 minutes drive from Paris.
Going back to St Etienne-du-Gre in Provence, near Tarascon, was very moving for me. It was there, with the Sisters of Pomeyrol, that the grace happened in 1998 for The Little Sisters of Joy to be born. Retracing my steps, I remembered almost every detail of the landscape, quite a unique one, a kind of golden light everywhere, with cypress trees - Les Cypres.
The first night in the community I was quite cold in the middle of the night. In the morning I didn't want to get sick, so I took myself off to the bar in the village and had a coffee and a stiff brandy - this story went round the village, as I discovered when I went to the mass in the Catholic Church the following Sunday Sunday!
So much more to tell, but its getting late and I need to sleep so will finish tomorrow.
Sleep well, dormez bien
Sister Gila
It 's 9 pm and I am exhausted, having only returned from my trip in the early evening. But it has been truly amazing, rich in experiences, all them of happy, I am delighted to say! It was a wonderful idea to take my guitar: I met a group of retired American ladies on the Eurostar, who asked me to play, and as the train set off, I already had my foot on the seat to balance the guitar and I was playing and singing! It was an incredible feeling of freedom and lightness and the trip continued that way.
We spent a lovely musical evening at Alexia's house, with her parents and neighbours, reminiscing with 'old' modern French songs by Jacques Brele and others. My bedroom overlooked the church in Villecresnes, and Alexia and I had a walk by the river close to the woods, which are abundant in that part of the world, about 30 minutes drive from Paris.
Going back to St Etienne-du-Gre in Provence, near Tarascon, was very moving for me. It was there, with the Sisters of Pomeyrol, that the grace happened in 1998 for The Little Sisters of Joy to be born. Retracing my steps, I remembered almost every detail of the landscape, quite a unique one, a kind of golden light everywhere, with cypress trees - Les Cypres.
The first night in the community I was quite cold in the middle of the night. In the morning I didn't want to get sick, so I took myself off to the bar in the village and had a coffee and a stiff brandy - this story went round the village, as I discovered when I went to the mass in the Catholic Church the following Sunday Sunday!
So much more to tell, but its getting late and I need to sleep so will finish tomorrow.
Sleep well, dormez bien
Sister Gila
Thursday, 6 September 2007
Return from Hungary
My dear Friends
Coming home is always hard and I am only beginning to readjust. But in less than 10 days time I go on another trip. This time to Paris and the South of France. Alexia has invited me to visit her home in Villescresnes, on the outskirts of the city, and I do so with joy. I will also travel to the South, to a village in Provence called St-Etienne-du-Gres, which means St Stephen of the Sandstone. I stayed there with the Sisters of Pomeyrol nearly 9 years ago and this is where The Little Sisters of Joy started. I have always wanted to return...
I will make a retreat there, spending the few days praying and living very quietly, reflecting on all that happened in Hungary. And it will be very special, as it will be Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement in the Jewish calendar, following on from Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. It is the custom to fast, and I remember being very struck by the beauty and holiness on that day in my childhood, the Synagogue full, the music deeply moving, the men dressed in white.
The Jewish New Year (13 &14 Sep) is one of the main liturgical events in my life, even now, perhaps more so than ever. A time of new beginnings, soul-searching, apples and honey and penitential prayers. A time of renewal and reconciliation.
Please think of me as you come to the end of your summer-which I hope has been filled with many good things.
Happy New Year!
Sister Gila
Coming home is always hard and I am only beginning to readjust. But in less than 10 days time I go on another trip. This time to Paris and the South of France. Alexia has invited me to visit her home in Villescresnes, on the outskirts of the city, and I do so with joy. I will also travel to the South, to a village in Provence called St-Etienne-du-Gres, which means St Stephen of the Sandstone. I stayed there with the Sisters of Pomeyrol nearly 9 years ago and this is where The Little Sisters of Joy started. I have always wanted to return...
I will make a retreat there, spending the few days praying and living very quietly, reflecting on all that happened in Hungary. And it will be very special, as it will be Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement in the Jewish calendar, following on from Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. It is the custom to fast, and I remember being very struck by the beauty and holiness on that day in my childhood, the Synagogue full, the music deeply moving, the men dressed in white.
The Jewish New Year (13 &14 Sep) is one of the main liturgical events in my life, even now, perhaps more so than ever. A time of new beginnings, soul-searching, apples and honey and penitential prayers. A time of renewal and reconciliation.
Please think of me as you come to the end of your summer-which I hope has been filled with many good things.
Happy New Year!
Sister Gila
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