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A Letter from Our Staff
We're in the middle of summer y'all!
It's so hard to believe we're in the middle of July and yet here we are! Our hope is that you have been not particularly in a "work productive" mode but that you have taken time for yourself and time to be with those who are special to you. Leisure is required to create lifelong memories with those we love and to fill your heart with an awareness of your own goodness. Love of oneself is essential, for it is the beginning of love of neighbor. May your time spent in relaxation and with those you love bring many memories filling you with joy and peace. May your heart be grateful for all that love is bringing to you this day.
Hoping this month you celebrated the 4th in all its glory and rejoiced in our cherished gift of freedom. On July 16th we also celebrate the feast of Sts Joachim and Ann, the Grandparents of Jesus. Ed Hayes reminds us that "grandparents ... are usually freer to give parental love in a unique way that is sometimes called 'spoiling'." I imagine that they spoiled Jesus. May we each have memories of that tender sort of love and may we share them with one another so that their memories remain alive in us.
And then on July 29th we celebrate the feast of St. Martha who always gets a bum wrap for being "busy about many things" as opposed to her sister Mary who chooses to simply sit at Jesus' feet. Thank God for the Martha's in this world who keep us fed, and the house cleaned and who notice all the little niceties that make our life easier.
Your staff here at the Franciscan Spiritual Center have been like busy little Martha's in order to bring out the Mary within your heart. We come to you with joy and gratitude as we present our 2023-2024 offerings. May you find within them something that touches your heart and brings hope to your spirit. To see all the offerings for September 2023 to September 2024 see the following link. It is a PDF file that you can print if you choose.
Preview Sheet 2023-2024
You can see the detail on any of these offerings by going to the events on our website. In this issue we will only highlight the September Events. May you find something that will tickle your fancy and bring you a deeper connection with your God and all that God desires of each of us.
Before we send you off with our September offerings we want o share with you the Blessings of Summer from Joyce Rupp and Macrina Wiederker
May you breathe in the beauty of summer
with its power of transformation.
May this beauty permeate all that feels un-beautiful in you.
May you seek and find spaces of repose during these summer months.
May those moments refresh and restore the tired places within you.
May you be open to times of celebration and recreation
that are so much a part of summer.
May you find happiness in these times of play and leisure.
May your eyes see the wonders of summer's colors.
May these colors delight you and entice you
into contemplation and joy.
May you feel the energy of summer rains penetrating thirsty gardens, golf courses, lawns, and farmlands.
May these rains remind you that your inner thirst needs quenching.
May your inner self be refreshed, restored, and renewed.
May you savor the fresh produce that comes to your table and enjoy the fruits of summer's bounty
May you find shelter when the stormy skies of summer threaten your safety.
May you enjoy the unexpected and find surprises of beauty and happiness as you travel the roads on summer vacations.
(Joyce Rupp and Macrina Wiederkehr in The Circle of Life)
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