My dear Friends
The weather can't make up its mind what it wants to do. Now snow flurries, now shine, when oh when will the winter end? (To say nothing of our friends in Canada who have it for much longer than we have.)
Ideally I would like to make three trips this year; April in Provence to see a friend I met in the autumn in Cambridge. He lives in Nimes, suppposedly an old town in Provence and very beautiful so I relish the chance of going there. Nimes is close to Tarascon, which is near St Etienne du Gres where I founded The Little Sisters of Joy in 1998, so it would be a great joy to revisit there.
Then Ireland in the summer or early autumn, to see the Sisters with whom I stayed in the hermitage last September. I long to go back there to see how they are doing, to visit the countryside and my friend Ena and to sample some more of the local guiness.
Then Toronto in September/October? It will have been quite along time since I was there, didn't make it at all last year and I long to visit again. All this depends of course on time and money, but hopefully there are some benefactors around the corner.. Canada in the Fall is stunningly beautiful and I would like to sit in my favourite library in Toronto, the Robarts, where my friend Felictiy works.
Can I ask you to pray that all this comes about? And of course I wish you happy journeys as well.
Shalom from
Sister Gila
Tuesday, 9 February 2010
Friday, 5 February 2010
Light to the world
My dear Friends
The 2nd February was the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the temple. This was the custom for newly born males and Mary and Joseph brought a pair of turtle doves with which to 'redeem' him.
It is a very important scene as Jesus is recognised for what he is, the Messiah, by 2 figures in the scene; Simeon, an old and faithful servant of the Lord, who takes Jesus in his arms and says
'Now let me depart in peace, for my eyes have seen your salvation, the light to enlighten the Gentiles and give glory to your people Israel.'
Anna too, the old prophetess delights in Jesus and makes known his coming to the people around. But there is sadness too, as Simeon predicts that Mary will suffer on acccount of her son, and we look ahead to the crucifixion.
This Feast marks the end of the Christmas season; in many European countries it is the day to finally take down their trees and decorations, cribs and so on and we start looking forward to Lent. But most of all it is the day which heralds Christ as the Light, coming into the world, and everyone takes a candle, so that it is sometimes known as Candlemass.
I hope the Light may shine brightly and strongly for you all
Shalom from
Sister Gila
The 2nd February was the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the temple. This was the custom for newly born males and Mary and Joseph brought a pair of turtle doves with which to 'redeem' him.
It is a very important scene as Jesus is recognised for what he is, the Messiah, by 2 figures in the scene; Simeon, an old and faithful servant of the Lord, who takes Jesus in his arms and says
'Now let me depart in peace, for my eyes have seen your salvation, the light to enlighten the Gentiles and give glory to your people Israel.'
Anna too, the old prophetess delights in Jesus and makes known his coming to the people around. But there is sadness too, as Simeon predicts that Mary will suffer on acccount of her son, and we look ahead to the crucifixion.
This Feast marks the end of the Christmas season; in many European countries it is the day to finally take down their trees and decorations, cribs and so on and we start looking forward to Lent. But most of all it is the day which heralds Christ as the Light, coming into the world, and everyone takes a candle, so that it is sometimes known as Candlemass.
I hope the Light may shine brightly and strongly for you all
Shalom from
Sister Gila
Tuesday, 2 February 2010
A great success
My dear Friends
The party on the Jewish New Year for Trees was a great success. We were ten in number and everyone had brought food and drink to share. There was a lovely sense of a real social occasion, with Associates renewing friendships and making new ones. During the course of the evening, I gave an overview on the progress of The Little Sisters of Joy during the last 6 months and it went down well.
Kitty, our hostess, made us feel really welcome. She had a surprise up her sleeve as at the end of the evening she gave us a wonderful rendering of her translations of the Russian poet Tarkovsky, who was the son of the film director. The poems were powerful and deep and the translations quite superb.
A fitting end to a really wonderful occasion!!
Love and Shalom
Sister Gila
The party on the Jewish New Year for Trees was a great success. We were ten in number and everyone had brought food and drink to share. There was a lovely sense of a real social occasion, with Associates renewing friendships and making new ones. During the course of the evening, I gave an overview on the progress of The Little Sisters of Joy during the last 6 months and it went down well.
Kitty, our hostess, made us feel really welcome. She had a surprise up her sleeve as at the end of the evening she gave us a wonderful rendering of her translations of the Russian poet Tarkovsky, who was the son of the film director. The poems were powerful and deep and the translations quite superb.
A fitting end to a really wonderful occasion!!
Love and Shalom
Sister Gila
Monday, 25 January 2010
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
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
Monday, 18 January 2010
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
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
Wednesday, 13 January 2010
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
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
Friday, 8 January 2010
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
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
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