Mother Maria Skobtsova

1891-1945

"And we may speak not only of the imitation of Christ, but also of a sort of inevitable imitation of the Gospel; not only of man's striving toward perfection in Christ, but also of his falling into all of the abysses the Gospel tells us of..."

Who was Maria Skobtsova?

an intellectual
a communist activist
a city mayor
an avowed atheist
a mother of three
a chain smoker
a divorcee
a woman who developed a love for the man Jesus of Nazareth before she could believe in a God
a nun who nursed drug addicts to health and cradled them as her own children
a friend who sacrificed her own life that others would live

Through her efforts in Paris, hundreds of Jewish children and adults escaped from the Nazis during World War II.  She was finally taken herself by the Nazis and she was killed at Ravensbruck in 1945.

May her memory be eternal.

ATCO instead of Thursday dinner

Many of us in the Casa plan to attend the "At the Corner of...." conference this week. 

www.atcohouston.com

As such, our usual community dinner at Casa de la Fuente will not be held this Thursday.  Hope to see you next week.  Feel free to call.

Peace.

Thursday Night is Family Night

Convivium - the distinct pleasure of sharing good food with good people.

Breaking bread together, even if it is just some whole wheat toast, has a sacramental element.  We weave ourselves together when we recognize our need for one another and for the plants and animals that provide us with energy to live.

Come join us - fill your belly, give thanks and create community!

This Thursday is family night and you are invited for dinner!  All are welcome.  Call us to let us know if you can make it - 713-226-7748.

I slept but my heart was awake

Sleeplessness.  Have you experienced it?

I have, that is why I am here, right now updating the blog.

What is at the root of it?  An unquiet mind, hungry for activity, filled with worry instead of prayer.

Or is it something else?

Song of Songs, somewhere in chapter five  - "I slept, but my heart was awake....Daughters of Jerusalem, I implore you by the does and by the powers of the field, if you see my love, what shall you tell Him? Tell Him I am wounded with love."

Our loving and compassionate Savior - the Lover of our Souls - does He wound us?  Does He heal us?  Does He heal us through our wounds?

Yes.  Yes. and Yes.

Good night. 

Harmony with animals

 

"The humble <wo>man approaches wild animals, 

and the moment they catch sight of him <her>

 their ferocity is tamed.

They come up and cling to him as their Master, 

wagging their tails and licking his hands and feet. 

They scent as coming from him<her> the same fragrance 

that came from Adam <Eve> before the transgression, 

the time when they were gathered together before him and 

he gave them names in Paradise. 

This scent was taken away from us, 

but Christ has renewed it and given it back to us at his coming. 

It is this which has

sweetened the fragrance of humanity."

- St. Isaac of Syria