A busy week

My dear Friends

Here in Cambridge, UK, we are having an Indian summer-lovely hot days nearing the end of September. There are many green spaces in this city, one being Parker's Piece, which is at the back of the Regent Hotel. This where I am writing to you and where I spend many happy hours, drinking tea and talking to my friends at reception.

It has been an exceptionally busy week. For those unable to view the latest newsletter of The Little Sisters of Joy on the Blog (a couple of posts ago), I have prepared a printed copy. This is newsletter no 19-the first was done in 2002. With the help of my friends Marie and Rebecca, not to mention Anthony who puts in its proper format with photos, it has been sent round the world to 700 Associates in 23 countries. These people are of all religions and cultures, whom I have met 'along the way' on buses, trains, planes or in the street. I value each one highly and can remember, mostly, where and how I met them.

I have also been beavering away at the second volume of my autobiography. The first book, if you remember, was called The Moving Swan, and covered my life from childhood until I had just co-founded The Little Sisters of Joy in Provence and Cambridge. this new book will cover the years between 1999 and 2009-my link with Canada is a big feature and the title is 'Where the woods meet the water', which is the real meaning in one of the Native Canadian languages for Toronto.

I hope to have it ready for October 2014 and am planning a launch in Lucy Cavendish College, where I studied Hebrew between 1988 and 1992. It will bring back many happy memories.

All being well, I will give a Concert for Peace and Reconciliation on November 6th in a lovely place where I gave a concert in 2006-Robinson College Chapel, with its gorgeous Piper stained glass windows in green and yellow. On the programme also will be Sue Gilmurray, an accomplished singer and songwriter, singing her own Peace songs.She is involved with various Peace groups inside and outside the Anglican Church.

So, much to look forward to!
Shalom for now
Gila

12th anniversary of 9/11

My dear Friends

We are holding our breath while we wait to see if the superpowers of the world will bring peace, not war to the Middle East. Surely on this important anniversary of the tragedy of the twin towers, they will show restraint. For once, Russia has taken the initiative for Peace and we must applaud it.

I would like to share with you what happened in my life on the day of 9/11 itself. Strangely I was watching a TV screen in Lucy Cavendish College in Cambridge, where I had studied Hebrew between 1988 and 1992.  A young woman, when I told her i was a Catholic, declared herself a humanist and I thought : 'Good, we will go through this together.'

On watching the planes crashing into the towers, my faith 'went out of the window.' then I heard my mother's voice speaking in my head, as she used to speak to me casually, when she was washing the dishes and I had said I was depressed: ' But don't you know that God rules the world.'And I knew that behind those scenes of devastation, the world was still in perfect order.

I was living in Newton Road at the time with Benigna, Her daughter, also a Christian,who was staying with us, said: 'There's always Redemption.' My Jewish friend Natania arrived, weeping uncontrollably and I held her in my arms.She seemed to be weeping for the world.

A few days after, on the Sunday, I went to Mass at the big Catholic Church with my goddaughter, who was from the US. Fr Tony Rogers said in his sermon that the next day, after 9/11, at Ground Zero there was something going on. The onlookers couldn't see clearly so they went a bit nearer. And then they saw-a group of people dancing for the JOY of living.

On this special day, i wish you JOY too
Shalom from Gila