The E-catechism: February 1998


A hidden spring murmurs within us If it makes you happy, go for it! Do it!

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Six months ago, we launched the Electronic Catechism. We introduced texts which we thought were provisional, in view of bettering them with your co-operation, thanks to your contributions. Many have written to tell us how much they appreciate our work, but few (not enough) have made positive contributions. We are grateful that two presentations have called such commentaries. We met in July and looked at your mail. We thought the project over and we have redone the two following texts. You have them today. We thank you in advance for suggestions and criticisms. They are essential for this catechism to become our common share. And do not hesitate to suggest topics.

 


Jacques Gaillot


 

 


 

A hidden spring murmurs within us


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Who has not been touched by watching people at prayer ?

What peace on their face ? What a strange beauty rises from their bodies !

Na external force seizes them amd guards them. All over the world, people &laqno;pray» whether or not they are believers. They pray in joy or in suffering , in prison or when travelling by car; when alone or in the middle of a crowd. It is often a difficult prayer, made up of supplication or of revolt, but also of thanksgiving. There is always a spring murmuring within us which expresses the desire of the heart.

One day the disciples found Jesus at prayer, separated from the crowd (Luke, 11, 1).

They understand the importance of that moment of retrospection for Jesus.

He is relating to his Father. That is his breathing, the secret of his life. Under the movement of the Spirit, Jesus is entirely open to the love of the Father.

He prays in the same way that he loves. It is his way of being. When Jesus had finished praying, one of the disciples said to him: "Lord, teach us to pray."

Prayer is never at our disposal. It is always received as a grace.

We will always be apprentices of prayer. Our prayer is never but an answer.God is the first to intervene. We are overtaken by HIM. The Holy Spirit comes to aid us in our weeknesses. Within our hearts there is a road which we can take from this moment on in order to listen to the Holy Spirit who talks to the depth of our hearts.

Deep within us there is a presence of God which is of such high quality that nowhere else is it possible to find anything similar. A hidden spring murmurs in each one of us. In a world which emphasizes the useful and the efficacious, prayer restores gratuity. A narrow door can be discovered in the depths of our souls in order to listen to the cry that the Holy Spirit brings forth in us.

Each one has his or her way ahead. Prayer has a personal style such as the tone of our voices or of our faces, or of our bodies. Prayer may change with age, with events, with responsibilities. Prayers leads us to solidarity. Prayer leads us to what is essential. Prayer opens up our hearts. To pray will always mean giving time to God. Not empty time but useful time.

 

"Lord, teach us how to pray."

Jesus gave us his prayer which the Church has transmitted to us:

"Our Father who art in heaven

Hallowed be thy name

Thy Kingdom come

Thy will be done

On Earth as it is in Heaven

Give us today our daily bread

And forgive us our trespasses

As we forgive those who trespass against us

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil."

Write to Partenia: jgaillot@partenia.org

 

 

 


If it makes you happy, go for it! Do it!


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A year ago



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Deep down in every human being, in the very deepest part of you, a unique vocation for happiness burns.

From discussions and meetings, from our view of world events, our training, our reflection or our prayers help to forge a unique oeuvre, an intimate sanctuary: our conscience.

When you are attracted to beauty, goodness, truth, and justice, it is your conscience speaking to you. It is not really easy to listen to it, and even less easy to follow it.

I listen to others, as well as to myself, say that our acts correspond to what we think and say. The hypocrisy strikes us deeply.

It irritates Jesus who in several verses denounced the duplicity of people in his times. "Let him who has never sinned cast the first stone" (Gospel of John, chap. 7, verse 7). To be true, worthy of trust, to keep promises is all that we could want to manage to live as happy beings.

Do it!

Not easy, There are fashionable phrases that people would say to you, fear of failure, fear of the unknown, the opinion of others...

There are our desires, not always clear, our laziness, the temptation of the quick and easy, who sees, and who says "well done".

The simplest would be to do like "everyone else", to become the most - rich, powerful, well-known, famous...

However, at the heart of your life, the heart of your dreams, you are sometimes drawn to the difficult paths, decisions, promises, impossible responsibilities...Do not let go of them too quickly, do not clip your wings because you risk that one day you will not have the power to come back.

Your life will put many choices in front of you. It is only up to you, consciously, to make decisions which are sometimes against the flow and that is not always easy, but ...

If it makes you happy, go for it! Do it!


 

Write to Partenia: jgaillot@partenia.org


 


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