Dear Friends,
Peace!
The present ambiguities in Southern Philippines and in the world, have become a source of an extra push to begin anew the Badaliyya Prayer Session on each last Friday of the month.
We began the Advent Session with a lesson on the Dhikr Prayer. This was followed with updates on the many peace initiatives following the resurgence of war in Central Mindanao. Then we went to the OMI Chapel to sit in silence and prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. We concluded the session with a light snack and to continue our traditional "kumustahan".
In this first session, we reflected on the call to “substitutionary prayer” following Louis Massignon’s own suggestion to turn to Charles de Foucauld and Saint Francis for inspiration and enlightenment.
At Tamanrasset in the southern Algerian desert Foucauld realized that he needed to know and understand theTouareg people in order to truly live with them. In fact he wanted to assimilate himself into their way of life, in a sense to “become Touareg”. Not only did he allow himself to eat what those to whom he dedicated his life ate but he learned their language as intimately as they knew it, as well as their history, traditions, folklore, poetry and beliefs. “To make oneself understand is the beginning of everything, in order to do something good”, he wrote. “It isn’t enough to pray for the salvation of others, nor even to lovingingly give oneself to them, but to offer oneself body and soul for their souls”.
Peace to you.
Eliseo “Jun” Mercado, OMI
No comments:
Post a Comment