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Each VMM missionary takes personal responsibility to seek and pursue
fullness of Christian faith in his or her own situation and lifestyle.
Spirit and Lifestyle
Sunday's gospel was the story of the storm which Jesus calmed. We
find ourselves with the fearful disciples in many of life's storms.
Jesus might have reason to say:"Why are you afraid? Have you still no
faith?" Fear is paralyzing, disabling. Faith is healing. With faith
we will thrive, no matter how severe the storms of life.
Pertinent to our concerns is Jean Shinoda Bolen's latest book: Urgent
Message from Mother, Gather the Women, Save the World. I learned that
the first Mothers' Day was proclaimed in 1870 by Julia Ward Howe,
"for the amicable settlement of international questions, the great
and general interests of peace." Ward Howe wanted to gather the women
together for peace after the American Civil War.
Last week in Iraq, two USA soldiers were taken, tortured,
dismembered, killed. One was Kristian Menhaca, 23. His mother, Maria
Guadalupe Vasquez issued a one-sentence statement, handwritten in
Spanish, to the Houston Chronicle that said: "I am against the war
and I feel very hurt by what happened to my son."
Matthew Arnold predicted in the 19th century, "If ever there comes a
time when the women of the world come together purely and simply for
the benefit of humankind, it will be a force such as the world has
never seen." Empowered maternal concern is an untapped feminine
force that the world needs to balance and transform aggression.
Amma, spiritual leader from India, 2002 recipient of the Gandhi-King
Peace Award, said:
"With the power of motherhood within her, a woman can influence the
entire world. The love of awakened motherhood is a love and
compassion felt not only toward one's children, but toward all
people, animals and plants, rocks and rivers - a love extended to all
beings."
For Amma, motherhood "is not restricted to women who have given
birth; it is a principle inherent in both women and men. It is an
attitude of the mind. It is love - and that love is the very breath
of life."
The sea may be rough but we must lay fear aside and take "personal
responsibility to seek and pursue fullness of Christian life" in our
world.
Cecily
