The L'Arche Canada of Toronto, Ontario, Canada Daily Thoughts with Jean Vanier for Monday, 12 December 2016 "Celebration"

The L'Arche Canada of Toronto, Ontario, Canada Daily Thoughts with Jean Vanier for Monday, 12 December 2016 "Celebration"
Forgiveness and celebration are at the heart of community. These are the two faces of love. The poorer people are, the more they love to celebrate. The festivals of the poorest people in Africa last for several days. They use all their savings on huge feasts and beautiful clothes. These feasts nearly always celebrate a divine or a religious event – they are sacred occasions. In richer countries we have lost the art of celebrating. People go to movies or watch television or have other leisure activities; they go to parties but they do not celebrate.[Jean Vanier, Community and Growth, page 313]
-------

The L'Arche Canada of Toronto, Ontario, Canada Daily Thoughts with Jean Vanier for Sunday, 11 December 2016 "Material Things"
One of the signs that a community is alive can be found in material things. Cleanliness, furnishings, the way flowers are arranged and meals prepared, are among the things which reflect the quality of people's hearts. Some people may find material chores irksome; they would prefer to use their time to talk and be with others. They haven't yet realized that the thousand and one small things that have to be done each day, the cycle of dirtying and cleaning, were given by God to enable us to communicate through matter. Cooking and washing floors can become a way of showing our love for others. It is celebration to be able to give.[Jean Vanier, Community and Growth, page 297]

-------

The L'Arche Canada of Toronto, Ontario, Canada Daily Thoughts with Jean Vanier for ]

-------

The L'Arche Canada of Toronto, Ontario, Canada Daily Thoughts with Jean Vanier for Saturday, 10 December 2016 "Meetings"
Community life implies a personal commitment which is made real in meetings between people. But we are very quick to flee from these meetings. They frighten us just because they commit us. We flee into administration, law, rules, the search for 'objective truth'; we flee into work and activity. We flee from meeting people; we would rather do things for them. But if we are to love, we have to meet.[Jean Vanier, Community and Growth, page 284]

-------