Dear friends,

I am glad to tell everyone that I have a new job as assistent in l'Arche (Bruges) of Jean Vanier. I already wrote Phil about it.

I had applied for such a job back in 1995 but seemingly wasn't ready for it. I have always loved the spirituality of Vanier and Nouwen. I even had contacts with Nouwen and he sent me his diary of his about 10 years stay at Daybreak Community in Canada.

You won't hear much from me anymore from May 14 on, but I'll try to share some thinghs with you about my work there.

Here you find a good article to start on Vanier's theology of the body: http://web.archive.org/web/200.../mshivana/vanier.htm

Pray for my work please.

PAX,
Fred

That's so good to hear, Fred! I hope you will indeed be able to keep people here informed about your time there.

O, Fred, This is wonderful news. I haven't posted much... so this might sound a little strange as if coming from a stranger... But, your (past) eloquent & anquished posts meant something to me, for I too had felt I couldn't find God, only depression. I don't mean to imply that your suffering comforted me, no, however, it touched me, and I have prayed for you. As, I posted before, I felt less alone because you had the courage to put yourself out there. BTW, I loved the article you posted... I have found someone to work with whose Presence is slowly helping me to be aware of His presence inside of me, & I have some hope. Perhaps, one day I can share more.
Are you just thrilled over getting this position? Well, I am thrilled for you! My husband is physically handicapped, slowly crippling through the years, so pray for me that I can be that presence for him...Because honestly, some days I long to have someone to help me and to be strong for me.

In His Love, Gail

Dear Ariel & Gail,

Yes, sisters in C., pray for me as well as I pray for you!

Gail, your post touched me! You know what it is to live with a handicapped person. It is certainly not a romantic story but I am convinced it can be healing for both of you.
I hear your suffering and struggles. Me too I am far from feeling good, but this evening, night and morning I stayed at my new job felt so good!

It seems that everything is falling together now. I have a trip to Crete (a friend's house tehre) in September after 3 visits in 1981, 1983 and 1985 with my ex-wife...
And my painting work is better than ever before! I will put some pics on the forum later. I call all this GRACE...

I loved the article too and I hope that this person can be of any help.
"Through great tribulations (indeed) we are entering the Kingdom of God..."

Warm regards,
Fred

Fred, I thought that article was very good; there's much there that's worth re-reading.

And Gail--If you find the time to share more, as you said you might, I'd like to hear more from you.

And Gail--If you find the time to share more, as you said you might, I'd like to hear more from you.[/QUOTE]
Dear Fred & Ariel,

Right now it is difficult to share. Don't know if it is shame or not, I just don't have words, there is so much going on in my heart...

A few quotes might say it best: "God educates us by means of dryness as well as by means of glory. Still I learned that the hunger for God must be accompied by long patience, by the trials of despair, and fed, in my case, by ineluctable pain." Doris Grumbach
"Anyone who has tasted real grief, real despair,real depression, knows what it means to be as good as dead. Only through suffering the annihilation of everything we know and think ourselves to be, that we will find ourselves capable of knowing God's real mercy" Tim Farrington, A Hell of a Mercy.

What I can say is that I have been helped by a wonderful therapist... I have a long ways to go, but O to awake, even if it is in small measures to His Presence inside of me. I have some hope, and I am clinging to His Mercy.

Dear Gail:

It's good to hear you have a good therapist to help you. You're in my prayers.

Dear Gail,

You are in my prayers too!
Great quotes, it is all quite against our fragile human nature but I feel the same.
I would like to hear more about this therapist.
Keep us informed.

PAX,
Fred

Dear friends,

It has been a long time but here I am again.

I promised to write about my Arche experience to Phil and you all.

I feel I am following the footsteps of Henri Nouwen who towards the end of his life also worked in Daybreak Community in Canada.
I am here since may 2010 and I can tell it is sometimes not easy at all but the moments of grace are so wonderful that it is worth the cost of self-confrontation.

Vanier has written about 20 books and he explained the whole spirituality of course far better than I can.

These people wear no masks, so you can put yours off! They flawless feel how you are doing and you can not cheat them or yourself in this.

This is a work and a spirituality of the body, of fragility, of reciprocity, of incarnation, of learning to love, of being yourself, of feast, of community, of simply being there.

It is so beautiful to see this beauty shining from their faces some times...

Later more... I have to go...to Sarah, one of my 'pupils'

PAX,
Fred

EMAIL is now freddelameilleure@yahoo.com

Hey Fred--It's good to hear from you!

HI Fred!

How wonderful to hear of your blessings. It sounds like the Lord has been quite faithful to you, perhaps even giving you more than you've ever expected.

Christ's peace,
Shasha

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Fred:
These people wear no masks, so you can put yours off! They flawless feel how you are doing and you can not cheat them or yourself in this.

This is a work and a spirituality of the body, of fragility, of reciprocity, of incarnation, of learning to love, of being yourself, of feast, of community, of simply being there.

Hello Fred,

Sign me up Sounds beautiful, yet I assume costly... Looking forward to hearing more.

Thanks Fred!