Dear Children, 21 Grand Children, family and friends,
Imagine living in a society where the priest, Father Alex Perrine, begins his sermon this morning saying: “For those of you who can read – The sign on the altar today says: Render unto God what is His and to Cesar…”
Imagine living in a society where I have seen our elderly neighbor stand at the bank with numerous others patiently and trustingly waiting for someone who knows how to write to come in. He and others can then blindly hand over their bank book and ask ‘a good Samaritan’ to fill their deposit/withdrawal slip!
How far we are from internet banking in such a society? But as I learn every day and specially so today – How close is such a society to God!!!
I have come to ask myself daily: “Is a society that promotes the “I am #1 dogma, a #1 society?”
What makes a #1 society?
Well, today some 47 children received their first communion at our little village church known as St. Pierre.
When you think how so financially poor those children and their parents are, you are certainly moved to tears when, a few hours after church, you hear a little voice outside calling: “Mr. Louis – Mr. Louis – Mrs. Eve –Mrs. Eve!”
And there is a little girl all dressed in her pure white satin dress, with an equally pure white satin basket with lace embroidery full to the brim with ‘Brioches’ and slices of home baked cake destined to all friends and neighbors!!!
And since they have no car they go smiling walking up and down the steep hills that Lou knows under the baking sun to share their bread and the joyful body of Christ they have just received!!!
I attach a picture showing the little bag in which one of the brioches and the cake was delivered!
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Eve remarked: Do you realize how spiritually wealthy those people are? Can you imagine how much hard earned savings, how much time, how much sowing, how much baking, how much planning and preparation has been invested by the whole family to make that day so very memorable for that little girl? Could you read the joy on her face as she shared her bread with us?
Obviously, without saying a word, she proclaimed loud and clear: “My first communion is my # 1 day! But I am not #1 – God – My parents and ‘you’ my friends and neighbors are all #1!!!
Could she have justifiably added: Because my society is #1?
People from an industrialized materialistic world sure think differently and love to boast!
But the society in which we live now is far too humble and Christ loving and Christ like to pretend to the kind of vanity Qoheleth warns us so much against! Vanity, vanity, all is but vanity! What do we gain by claiming to be #1?
Instead, that humble little innocent girl chose to state: Serving Christ and all those created in His image is my #1 commitment!
Indeed, with that spirit, that is the message that the little girl, Marie Nancy Eldy Augustin, proclaimed on the card she handed out with the bread she passed around the neighborhood today! She was not scared to knock at any door. She was not worried about having a door slammed in her face by some atheist. She was fearlessly, joyfully and peacefully sharing her joyful day
What true joy can material wealth bring us if and when we are spiritually bankrupt?
Which is worse? A World Financial Crisis? OR A World Spiritual Crisis?
How are we affected in this humble society by a world financial crisis?
Financial crisis has been such a part of our daily world for generations that in our society, we learn from the cradle to turn to the Spirit to meet our daily needs and suppress our daily wants. Thus we are inherently immune to any sort of financial crisis? We are not #1! We look up to #1 and we thank God, for teaching us to live independently from the world of finance.
I wish, I could put into words the sense of love and beauty that exuded from that simple little girl and the gift she shared with all her neighborhood today on her #1 day – It must have all been truly made in the humble image of God – It was so beautiful!!!
It is worth noting that Eldy’s grandfather is our neighbor who cannot read or write and stands waiting at the bank for someone to fill his deposit slip!!! Eldy is happy to live with her grandpa where money may be scarce but the love of Christ does not slip them by, ever!
I hope to get to share this wonderful world first hand with you some day because I love you all so much!!
I love it and so would you! Because the love of God is so very present all over this society, this world is very different from other societies we have experienced!
.JPG)
By tonight we may well have twelve baskets left over…
Imagine living in a society where the priest, Father Alex Perrine, begins his sermon this morning saying: “For those of you who can read – The sign on the altar today says: Render unto God what is His and to Cesar…”
Imagine living in a society where I have seen our elderly neighbor stand at the bank with numerous others patiently and trustingly waiting for someone who knows how to write to come in. He and others can then blindly hand over their bank book and ask ‘a good Samaritan’ to fill their deposit/withdrawal slip!
How far we are from internet banking in such a society? But as I learn every day and specially so today – How close is such a society to God!!!
I have come to ask myself daily: “Is a society that promotes the “I am #1 dogma, a #1 society?”
What makes a #1 society?
Well, today some 47 children received their first communion at our little village church known as St. Pierre.
When you think how so financially poor those children and their parents are, you are certainly moved to tears when, a few hours after church, you hear a little voice outside calling: “Mr. Louis – Mr. Louis – Mrs. Eve –Mrs. Eve!”
And there is a little girl all dressed in her pure white satin dress, with an equally pure white satin basket with lace embroidery full to the brim with ‘Brioches’ and slices of home baked cake destined to all friends and neighbors!!!
And since they have no car they go smiling walking up and down the steep hills that Lou knows under the baking sun to share their bread and the joyful body of Christ they have just received!!!
I attach a picture showing the little bag in which one of the brioches and the cake was delivered!
“Devant mes parents et mes amis, j’ai pris l’engagement de servir le Christ toute ma vie.
La Sainte Communion est venue sceller cette promesse solenelle."
Premiere Communion de : Marie Nancy Eldy Augustin
Le 19 Octobre, 2008.
La Sainte Communion est venue sceller cette promesse solenelle."
Premiere Communion de : Marie Nancy Eldy Augustin
Le 19 Octobre, 2008.
Eve remarked: Do you realize how spiritually wealthy those people are? Can you imagine how much hard earned savings, how much time, how much sowing, how much baking, how much planning and preparation has been invested by the whole family to make that day so very memorable for that little girl? Could you read the joy on her face as she shared her bread with us?
Obviously, without saying a word, she proclaimed loud and clear: “My first communion is my # 1 day! But I am not #1 – God – My parents and ‘you’ my friends and neighbors are all #1!!!
Could she have justifiably added: Because my society is #1?
People from an industrialized materialistic world sure think differently and love to boast!
But the society in which we live now is far too humble and Christ loving and Christ like to pretend to the kind of vanity Qoheleth warns us so much against! Vanity, vanity, all is but vanity! What do we gain by claiming to be #1?
Instead, that humble little innocent girl chose to state: Serving Christ and all those created in His image is my #1 commitment!
Indeed, with that spirit, that is the message that the little girl, Marie Nancy Eldy Augustin, proclaimed on the card she handed out with the bread she passed around the neighborhood today! She was not scared to knock at any door. She was not worried about having a door slammed in her face by some atheist. She was fearlessly, joyfully and peacefully sharing her joyful day
What true joy can material wealth bring us if and when we are spiritually bankrupt?
Which is worse? A World Financial Crisis? OR A World Spiritual Crisis?
How are we affected in this humble society by a world financial crisis?
Financial crisis has been such a part of our daily world for generations that in our society, we learn from the cradle to turn to the Spirit to meet our daily needs and suppress our daily wants. Thus we are inherently immune to any sort of financial crisis? We are not #1! We look up to #1 and we thank God, for teaching us to live independently from the world of finance.
I wish, I could put into words the sense of love and beauty that exuded from that simple little girl and the gift she shared with all her neighborhood today on her #1 day – It must have all been truly made in the humble image of God – It was so beautiful!!!
It is worth noting that Eldy’s grandfather is our neighbor who cannot read or write and stands waiting at the bank for someone to fill his deposit slip!!! Eldy is happy to live with her grandpa where money may be scarce but the love of Christ does not slip them by, ever!
I hope to get to share this wonderful world first hand with you some day because I love you all so much!!
I love it and so would you! Because the love of God is so very present all over this society, this world is very different from other societies we have experienced!
Here, we discovered that a society that is not constantly challenged to accumulate material possessions has time to cultivate much more important and fulfilling non material values. It takes time to count, nurture and share its blessings.
We believe that the heart of such a society best reflects God’s work of art.
Here we feel that a society is decidedly not #1 through what it has above others but rather through how it behaves towards others!
From here it is easier to render unto God all that is His and to the world whatever it may deserve.
Today, we did not deserve all the bread we got! But we are glad, through this public statement, to render unto this society the most honorable credit which is due to it.
We believe that the heart of such a society best reflects God’s work of art.
Here we feel that a society is decidedly not #1 through what it has above others but rather through how it behaves towards others!
From here it is easier to render unto God all that is His and to the world whatever it may deserve.
Today, we did not deserve all the bread we got! But we are glad, through this public statement, to render unto this society the most honorable credit which is due to it.
Needless to say that the first call was followed by numerous others and today we wish you were all here to share so much bread.
By tonight we may well have twelve baskets left over…
1 comment:
Thank you Dad! what a great story to pass on...We look forward to visiting soon and Wendy will be taking her First Communion next year! Time Flies!!! I love you-God Bless you always and Eve...L.
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