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eMatrimony.org Supporting, Encouraging, and Challenging the WWME Community |
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| News - Local Gather Us In: A Day of Enrichment Fr. Bob McDonald News from Section 1 (Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont) We gathered in Van Buren! Saturday, June 11, 2005 is a day I will remember. Dave & Ellie Mulcahy brought their talks all the way from Monmouth. And there was Ralph & Dotty Cornette from Winthrop. And there was Robert & Cheryl Amber from Baileyville. And Ed & Gloria Thibodeau from Orland. All had traveled hundreds of miles. And there, hosting was Carmel & Lucille Castonguay; they had traveled almost a half mile. And I, I had come downstairs for the nine AM gathering. The second of four funerals in five days preempted our gathering place in the Church hall. That even added to our intimacy as we gathered in the Rectory “back room”. I dug out my old talks, written eight years ago for the San Antonio Convention, and helped Dave & Ellie present the message. As we read, then dialogued, then shared with others, the words took on new life. I came in touch with that deep longing our Loving Creator placed in our heart. St. Augustine described it: “My heart is restless until it rests in you, O God!” I cannot live alone. Like Adam, I need another person. That longing in our heart is God’s way of calling us together in search of our Creator. For most people, that other person is a wife or husband, joined in a life-long pursuit of the Invisible One. It is a daily call to be aware of the other. It is an urgency to be present to each other, to see in each other the presence of God. As a priest, I have found that the longing in my heart leads me to all God’s people. I am called to live in their presence, be attentive to them, remind them of the qualities God put in them, and speak their goodness to them. I am called to be aware of their drifting apart, and gather them together again. Sacramental Couples make God very visible to me. The way they look at each other, notice each other’s non-verbals, exchange giggles and laughs, seek out each other’s hands, snuggle, smile...helps me in my search for the invisible God. It helps me to renew my life-long commitment to live a passionate priesthood and pursue those who are falling away. Sacramental Couples are the basic unit of Church. They have the power to renew the whole Church. Not only do they give me new hope, but they are a light to everyone around them. In this time of a “New Evangelization” God seems to be calling them to dream new dreams, and take a leadership role in the Church. Being with only FIVE of you has given me a big boost. I LOVE YOU. Click here for a printable version (PDF, 6KB)
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