Step 6/Week Six: Primal Gifts 'Going Beyond’ The Present:
This AECI blog has been written in the midst of the global 'coronavirus pandemic'. The future for many people, both in work and out of work, seems uncertain. These are unprecedented times and Pope Francis (the Head of the Roman Catholic Church) acknowledges the genuine suffering and anxiety that people across continents now face and he calls on faith communities to pray for 'our brothers and sisters' in their hour of need.
If you are in a position where you feel that you might need further support (emotional, spiritual, financial, etc.) throughout a period of unemployment , then please look at the following links and do contact them. There are people ready and willing to listen and to help out at this most testing of times:
www.smaritans.org (Telephone : 116 123)
You can also get in touch directly with the AECI at the following email address and we shall try our best to assist with any queries or issues raised:
aecintitute3@gmail.com
To finish this six weekly blog (and please do recap on the previous weeks if need be!) , we shall turn again to consider what exactly our 'Primal Gifts' are and how they can give us a resolve and a focus when we most need it.
In the words of Elisabeth Catez (!880-1906) your 'Primal Gifts' might be viewed as 'your supreme treasure'. They are the spiritual means by which you grow as you journey, the means by which you 'overcome' the obstacles you face individually, going 'beyond' immediate pressures and demands. They are also an expression of what we can offer - in integrity - to any working relationship, to any role, any environment of human interaction. Such gifts might be hidden, forgotten or neglected, by oneself or by others, easily overlooked in the context of the moment. And yet, they can be the seed and source of our renewal and our strength as we go forward, often into 'deep unknowns'.
Pope Francis has spoken recently of where we can look to in times of crisis and suffering due to lack of work: 'If we ask the Holy Spirit for light, He will help us to discern to make the real decisions, the small everyday ones and the biggest ones'. The Holy Spirit that rekindles our 'Primal Gifts' perhaps!
It is essential to feel that we can communicate honestly with others and with 'greater spiritual forces' at times when we are struggling with financial insecurity, job loss or any sizeable change in personal circumstances. Our own networks of support - our nearest and dearest - can assist us to be reflective, be trustful and plan a route ahead.
To finish this 'blog', we would like to offer a piece of calm and meaningful music that you might wish to listen to in your own time and in your own space.
Notice again how it works with the image of nature - the 'Lily'. How it conveys a sense of inner strength, goodness and determination. Be sure to 'Guard Your Primal Gifts' at this moment. Take Care. Thanks again for reading.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTBNt1ortDA
'Purest of lilies,
That flowers among thorns,
Bring help to the true heart
That in weakness turns
and trusts in thee.
Strongest of armor,
We trust in thy might'
FROM ALL AT 'AMI ELISABETH CATEZ INSTITUTE' - Monday 28th September 2020
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