Dear Friends,

In this week's America magazine, John Martens reflecting on this
Sunday's readings on the Trinity, writes about "God in Relationship." His
concluding paragraph states:... "there is a parallel with human relationships

and the way we come to know human beings. We can describe the visible
form of persons, the behaviors that show who they are, but it is in being with
them that we experience their essence, which concepts and words cannot capture.
It is simply that in their presence one experiences love that in a moment
becomes unending." We have in our theology of the trinity, a model of
being in relationship that brings life to our human attempts to "love one
another."

One of the important aspects of living relationship well is to be
"present" ....to "show up", and we'd like to share with you an opportunity to
demonstrate your commitment to this way of being by joining The Spirit
of Life at this year's Gay Pride Parade. The
group of us who participated in this event last year were astounded by the
response of the crowd to our presence. As we rounded each corner, we were
greeted with the words....sometimes audibly whispered, other times
shouted: "WOW, they're Catholic!!"  Yes...we are Catholic....followers
of Jesus the Christ who deeply believe and live out the mandate to "love one
another." This event provides us with a unique experience to walk with a
group who are truly marginalized in our world and our church. I think that
Professor Martens words above speak to this experience. .... "it is in being
with ...that we experience their essence, which concepts and words cannot
capture."  May those who witness our "marching with"
experience the goodness of our collective "essence."
As many of you have heard me say, one of the most meaningful messages of my
life are the words etched on the wall of the Hospice at Mission Hill (a
residential hospice for people with AIDS), where I had the gift of serving as
chaplain: "Our lives are touched by those who love us, and by those who
refuse to love us."

If you are looking for a way to "touch the lives of other in
love" we invite you to join us in walking the Gay Pride Parade, Saturday,
June 8th, Noon. The Parade is a 3 mile walk, (options are available if
walking is difficult for you, and also, you can stop along the way as
needed). We will gather as a group in the Copley Square vicinity at
11:00AM. Exact location of our place in the parade will be available and
emailed to you on June 7th). If you plan to come, please
email your name and cell phone # to Cheryl & Midge at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
and final directions will be sent as they arrive. It is not necessary to
'register', but it would be helpful for us to know who to be looking for!

Choose to Bless the World  by Rebecca Parker

Your
gifts - whatever you discover them to be -

Can
be used to bless or curse the world.

The
mind's power,

The
strength of the hands,

The
reaches of the heart,

The
gift of speaking, listening, imagining, seeing,

Waiting

Any
of these can serve to feed the hungry,

Bind
up wounds,

Welcome
the stranger,

Praise
what is sacred,

Do
the work of justice or offer love.

Any
of these can draw down the prison door,

Hoard
bread,

Abandon
the poor,

Obscure
what is holy,

Comply
with injustice or withhold love.

You
must answer this question: What will you do with your gifts?

Choose
to bless the world.

The
choice to bless the world can take you into solitude

To
search for the sources of power and grace;

Native
wisdom, healing and liberation.

More,
the choice will draw you into community,

The
endeavor shared,

The
heritage passed on,

The
companionship of struggle,

The
importance of keeping faith,

The
life of ritual and praise,

The
comfort of human friendship,

The
company of earth,

Its
chorus of life welcoming you.

None
of us alone can save the world.

Together
-- that is another possibility,

Waiting.

In closing, we are mindful this Memorial Day weekend of those who
have given their lives in service to our country. May those who have died
experience the loving embrace of our Divine Creator, and those who have
survived, be blessed with peace in their hearts, and minds and strength in their
bodies. And, may we as a world community find constructive and
life-giving ways to resolve conflict and bring peace to our world. As our
reading above for today states: "None of us alone can save the
world. Together—that is another possibility, Waiting." (Rebecca Parker)

At The Spirit of Life, we as a community, stive to give each other
hope, especially when any one of us runs thin on hope. We lighten each
other's load, by walking together and helping in any way we can. We
invite you to come and experience life in our community as we contemplate in
prayer and move with justice at The Spirit of Life. Through our time of
prayer and sharing together, we work together to grow in our self-understanding
and in our relationships with God and with God's people. We celebrate the gift
of our faith and the responsibility that is ours as followers of Jesus
Christ.  It is our prayer that what we as a community experience in
our praying together will overflow into the rest of our lives, making us more
fully human and more 'whole'....holy!  We invite you to join us in
this endeavor and journey with us as we seek to grow in our love of God and to
grow in our capacity to be living expressions of God's loving peace and justice
in our world.

May you be blessed with a deepening awareness of Christ's presence
within you....of your own goodness, and the Divine Energy which fuels that
goodness. May you be strengthened to be that Presence of Christ in our
world.

Jean & Ron