Gila at Arundel hotel

Gila at Arundel hotel
Visit with Mercedes

Saturday, 1 March 2014

Towards Lent

My very dear Friends

It is hard to believe that we are approaching Lent once again. It seems that it was only yesterday that we celebrated Advent, Christmas and the New Year. and with snow on the ground still in so many places (not in Cambridge however) that we have just had the first official day of Spring.

Spring-that is the real meaning of Lent and many of the religious poets commemorated and celebrated it in beautiful poetry. Like George Herbert, for example, one of my favourite 17th century poets. He wrote a wonderful poem called 'Easter Wings' which I first came across the night after I was baptized into the Catholic Church at Easter 1989.

This is why Lent and Easter 2014 have such a special meaning for me, as it is my 25th anniversary of being a Catholic. It has been a momentous 25 years, with many ups and downs, twists and turns along the way. but I have never regretted it and have been told  that my Orthodox Jewish upbringing was my best formation for my new life.I have tried my best to bring everything that was meaningful  from the Jewish religion into the last 25 years and have attempted to build bridges between Jews and Christians through music, encounter and Friendship as best I could.

It has been my privilege to have been given the grace to found, with the help of a friend, an organization dedicated to that aim, The Little Sisters of JOY and this has been, and will continue to be, the focus of everything I do.My life as a Catholic Christian gives me the structure and above all, the sacramental life, to follow in the steps of Jesus and to do his work.

I am blessed with a huge variety of friends from every religion and culture whose love and support nourishes me and empowers me.

And you!
A blessed and joyful Lent
Shalom from Gila 

No comments: