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“Blessed are they who have seen reality,
for they know that not the garment of clay
but that which activates the garment of clay is real and indestructible.”
Peace Pilgrim
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Peace Efforts in September
(index)
“144,000 Sun Dance enlightened teachers will totally awaken
in their mind bodies. They will begin to meet in their own winged
serpent wheels and become a major force of the light to help the rest
of humanity to dance their dream awake. A Sun Dance teacher is any
human being who has awakened, who has gained the dream mindbody and
who honors all paths, all teachers, and all ways.”
From the book “A Hopy Prophecy”
(Acom Publishing, Glastonbury, p. 24)
September has become an extraordinary month for Peacemaking
around the world. In a blend of energies of peacemaking with people
from around the world James Twyman, founder of the Beloved Community,
led various events this year.
Assisi Retreat: On September 6-13, James led a very special peace retreat.
During this retreat, on the 11th, over a half million people walked
from Perugia to Assisi, Italy. The Assisi retreat participants met the
Tavoladellapace group in Assisi and walked with them the last half mile.
Peace Walk: September 12-20. On September 12 an international group
of spiritual peacemakers departed from Assisi for a special pilgrimage
to Rome. Many of the retreat participants joined the walk that followed
in the footsteps of St. Francis.
Rome: September 20-22. The culmination of the previous two events was
the Papal Audience in Rome on September 21, the “International
Day of Peace” where James, joined by Earthdance International
founder, Chris Deckker, presented the names of those who joined in a
prayer for peace to Pope Benedict XIV (their goal was to collect 144,000
signatures of those committed to pray together on September 17). The
following day they took the list of names to members of the United Nations
at the Peace Festival/United Artists for Peace conference that was taking
place in Assisi.
Other Important Peace Events
There were hundreds of events taking place around the world between
September 11 and 21, including a Department of Peace conference, led
by Marianne Williamson and Earthdance International coordinated a global
peace event that took place in hundreds of cities around the world to
dance and pray for peace the weekend of September 17. The highlight
of the Earthdance International event was a simultaneous dance-floor
link up, when every event across the world played the Prayer for Peace.
Morning in the Australian rainforest, midnight in London, and sunrise
over the Himalayas. The Prayer for Peace is a profound and powerful
moment that unifies our intentions for World peace and healing.
The list of events that took place globally on September 21 can be seen
at:
www.idpvigil.com/commitments/commitment2005.php
Dedication of the Peace Pilgrim
Park
(index)
Egg Harbor City, New Jersey
1July 12, 2005
By Mayte Picco-Kline
In a joyful gathering of about 200 people, a local park was dedicated
to Peace Pilgrim in her natal city. There now stands a terracota statue
of Peace Pilgrim designed by artist Sally Laird MaInerney and is surrounded
by colorful peace tiles created by Egg Harbor City schoolchildren.
This project was initiated by Barbara Reynolds, who was inspired when
she discovered Peace Pilgrim's writing about five years ago. It all
started with her desire to educate the children of Egg Harbor City about
a truly remarkable woman, who graduated from their schools.
The dedication program included a Proclamation by City Mayor Joe Kuehner,
declaring July 12, 2005 as Peace Pilgrim Day. And from now on, each
Monday after Mother’s Day will be celebrated in her honor.
Here are some of my comments during my welcoming talk:
For more than two decades since the Peace Pilgrim book was published
Egg Harbor has received the beautiful vibrations and deep appreciation
of many people for nurturing the early years of an exceptional human
being. You are now a living part of the group consciousness that symbolizes
PEACE.
In her own distinctive way, Peace Pilgrim spoke of the power to follow
our inner guidance, our light within, our best teacher. In a world striving
to live in peace but also experiencing the struggles of conflict, her
contribution to humanity goes beyond words. In her own way, she dramatized
for us all that can be accomplished when we live in harmony with the
universe. “The way of Peace is the way of Love,” she often
said. And Peace gave emphasis to the need to practice our dearest beliefs.
Today we are celebrating the life and work of an inspiring lady, whose
messages have a transformative power for the good of the whole.
… a unique being who in truth has become immortal through
the seeds of peace she planted for us all to nurture through the years.
… immortal, by setting an example of the joys of inner peace.
… immortal, through her book and spiritual little classic, “Steps
toward Inner Peace” which continues to touch the lives of people
every day all over the world.
… immortal, through the acknowledgment and honors she has received
throughout the years, including a nomination for the Nobel Peace Price
and the statue that stands at the University for Peace of the United
Nations in Costa Rica.
… and immortal now, this day, as we dedicate this beautiful
park… and highlight her place of birth for generations to come.
I wish to honor her memory by sharing some of her golden thoughts:
She often said:
“I began to really live life when I began to look at every situation
and think about how I could be of service in that situation. I learned
it is through giving that we receive the worthwhile things of life.”
“What we dwell upon we help to bring into manifestation.”
“One little person, giving all of her time for peace, makes news.
Many people, giving some of their time, can make history.”
Thank you all for being here and for your own contribution to PEACE.”
After the welcoming speech and two Proclamations, we enjoyed a reenactment
of an interview with Peace Pilgrim by local students, we listened to
inspiring poetry of Peace written by Rittenberg Middle School students,
an explanation of the Peace Pole by Barbara Reynolds, whose dream about
a Peace Pilgrim Park came true that day, a statement from the Peace
Pilgrim Board, a Peace song by a teenager and we shared the planting
of a dogwood tree.
"As long as this does something to carry on her message, she would
be happy," said Helene Young, Peace Pillgrim’s sister.
Sabian
Corner
(index)
The ideal in eternal steadiness
As the life of the aspirant expands into more varied experience
with the consequent necessity for developing larger skills,
he is held steady by fidelity to his ideal.
Affirmation for Health
“I am the temple of the illimitable now.”
Marc Edmund Jones
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Connecting to the Internet
(index)
Welcome
(index)
A warm welcome to our newest friends in the Enlace Internacional
circle: Adah Sorensen and Delle Fowler Frech in the United States,
Daniela Arceyut in Costa Rica, Soraya Mujica in Ecuador and Emma Avila
García..
Artístíc Expressions
(index)
Cerro Vallecitos
(extract)
- written on a mountain when he saw a comet
for the first time in his life
"Cathedral of snows,
your majestic presence
emphasizes our smallness.
Light of anointed man,
shared peace,
ancestral silence,
bread of unified humanity,
embrace our wills to World service.
Natural splendor.
Fifth essence,
that contains all things.
Let us care for our surroundings,
and sing to Love.
It is possible to embrace the Earth
with Planetary conscience."
Néstor Hugo Almagro
Mendoza, Argentina
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photo by Bruce Nichols
"I feel a complete protection on my pilgrimage.
God is my shield. Those who walk safely are those who walk humbly
and harmlessly with great love and great faith."
Stephen Awudi Gadri
Koforidua, Ghana
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photo by Bruce Nichols
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"... because of the warmth of his smile, the melody of
his voice, his luminous glance, or his comforting presence can
be enough to renew our hopes and to find the course once again,
so longed for... "
Shared by Guillermo Calderón,
México, D.F.
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The Challenge of Strengthening
Peace (index)
by Flory Mata, United States
Latin American Director
Worldwide Council for Peace and Liberty
{extract from a writing for an international conference
in Costa Rica circa 2002}
From the depths of our hearts was born the idea to unite
an enormous group of people to work for the well-being of humanity,
moved solely by love, with the desire to celebrate a successful, conscientious
and humanitarian service for humanity, in favor of PEACE.
Now is the moment, today is the day to become true servants of humanity,
true guardians of the planet, true brothers.
Peace is something we all search for, an experience we yearn for in
this life and beyond, and those who understand and live peace within
themselves can teach how to attain it.
We are living difficult times, where wars between brothers for lack
of understanding, tolerance or respect for others ideas or beliefs are
taking the lives of innocents.
The Worldwide Council for Peace and Liberty is sharing light with those
who have in their conscience a deep love for everything that surrounds
us and for all those that are with us in this experience of life, at
this historical moment. We think that peace in the world is possible
and we are here to demonstrate that what we need the most in our lives
is PEACE, and are ready to live it, to practice it and to teach it.
Most of us are conscious that we live in a world of polarities, of opposites
that complement each other for the attainment of balance, a universal
balance. The opposite of war is peace, and it is necessary to explain
at this moment that we do not have to understand war solely as the fighting,
the confrontation, and the violence that is experienced in battlefields,
so abundant these days. Wars exist in our own homes, between members
of a family, between brothers... Emotional wars and mental wars also
exist, and these wars generate others, where conflicts are mind to mind,
hand to hand, rifle to rifle, tank to tank, missile to missile.
If we are at PEACE there is no enemy.
Peace and war are two states of a same condition: the condition of being
alive. They are two ends of a same thread: the thread that ties us to
the Earth. LET US DECLARE PEACE TO THE WORLD, becoming members of a
group of human beings of Good Will to whom the Angels announced the
arrival of the Messiah.
Our weapons are within ourselves. Greatest of all, the most powerful
is LOVE. "ONE with God is the majority" and TWO or more with
God are the totality. If we unite like true brothers, soldiers all within
an army of LIGHT, PEACE will be a tangible, visible reality, sooner
than we can imagine.
Let us begin now, remembering that many people in the past fought and
many died because they firmly believed in PEACE as a gift of God, something
we all can enjoy. Jesus and other grand teachers brought a message of
love and peace. Sir Winston Churchill said: "War is an invention
of the human mind; and the mind can also invent Peace." Many other
people throughout history have worked to teach us how to live in peace
and freedom, Gandhi was one of them; some were even sanctified and they
have left countless prayers, documents, decrees, books and poems to
manifest peace in our lives. We believe the moment has arrived to use
all this cumulative information, wisdom, and energy that has been bequeathed
to us throughout history. It is time to anchor in our minds and hearts
a profound desire to live at PEACE.
It is time to focus and actively work for world-wide PEACE, let us enjoy
Heaven on earth, let us be conscious this is the best legacy we can
leave to future generations.
May PEACE be with you all.
The Inner Way
(index)
Look at the patterns that
emerge. Are your days balanced?
Are there some things you can delegate, eliminate, or otherwise simplify?
Is
there anything missing from your life?
Can
you make room for it by scaling down your involvement in other areas?
Think of yourself as an
architect designing a beautiful living structure.
"The Tao of
Inner Peace"
by Dianne Dreher
| Our prayers and love go to those who are
living with the consequences of hurricane Katrina in the United
States in hope of a nascent strength.
Enlace Internacional |
Iniciatives
of Our Circle of Friends
(index)
Some comments from our circle of friends who feel inspired to share
the Peace Pilgrim messages with those who are receptive:
"In
my pastoral that is the Mexican Nocturnal Adoration, I have used Peace
Pilgrim’s concepts, particularly Steps Toward Inner Peace with
a group of about 50 people that we have formed." I continue sharing
Peace Pilgrim’s messages in my monthly discussions. (Zeferino
Cisneros, Chihuahua, México)
"I
have given Peace Pilgrim’s phrases to my medical students and
they were very happy. We made a day of the dialogue.” (Victoria
Novik Assael, Chile)
Reflections
(index)
(We invite you to participate in this section by selecting
a phrase or sentence from the Peace Pilgrim materials. Please indicate
source and page.)
The price of peace… is faith – faith that if we
obey God’s laws we will receive god’s blessings.
(Hna. Magdalena de Jesús, Chile)
There is a great freedom in simplicity of living, and after I began
to feel this, I found harmony in my life between inner and outer well-being.
Now there’s a great deal to be said about such harmony, not
only for an individual but also for the life of a society. (Arco
Iris Rosemary Southwell, Africa del Sur)
Solve the problems that life sets before you, and you will find that
solving them contributes to your inner growth. (Emilia Kuri, México)
You have a part in the scheme of things. What that part is you can
know only from within yourself. You can seek it in receptive silence.
(Mayte Picco-Kline, Estados Unidos)
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