Letter to Communities
Orval 31.08.07
Dear Friends,
At present I am in the monastery at Orval: a gentle time of quiet, of
peace, of prayerfulness. A time to assimilate all that I have
lived these last few months and particularly Barbara’s death. I still
have difficulty realising that she has gone.
Bill Clarke was able to be with her a day before she died. She was so
present at the Eucharist he celebrated in her hospital room. It was a real gift
for her that he was able to be with her. For me, I had the grace of being with
her, holding her hand, during her last two hours. She opened her eyes, looked at
me, we prayed, her breathing and her heart stopped. Her departure was gentle
and peaceful; she left without a groan, without a murmur, no word of complaint,
no apparent agony; a falling asleep as a little child in the arms of God.
Her last breath was for Bill when he arrived to say mass a second time.
Barbara died as she had lived, humbly and silently.
We were able to bring her body back to the community where we could all
pray beside her. The evening before her funeral mass many of us from the five
communities of l’Oise and many friends from near and far came together to
celebrate her life, her gifts, to give thanks for all she had been for L’Arche
since her arrival in August 1965 …
She had been so much at the heart and the centre of all that happened as L’Arche
grew throughout the world. She had welcomed so many of the new assistants and
so many that remained , some going on to found new
communities of L’Arche. Bill with nineteen priests who had come from different
parts of the world celebrated her funeral mass. He reminded us how she had
formed the hearts of many of us, the hearts of many of the priests.
Not long before her death she quoted someone who had said, I don’t mind
suffering as long as it doesn’t hurt! She always had her sense of humour.
While here in Orval I have been reading the proofs of a book which is the
collection of all my letters to our communities and friends since 1964 and
which will be published in Canada ( in English only for the moment ) by Harper
Collins in October of this year, 560 pages ! The previous books edited by John
Sumarah 10 years ago, contained the letters up until 1994. The letters tell the
story of the beginnings of L’Arche and of my many travels: sometimes a day by
day account of L’Arche in India, in Haiti, Honduras, the Ivory Coast, and then
in Burkina Faso … It tells of the growth of L’Arche and of Faith and Light in
our world. I was moved as I read the story of 43 years.
In fact I was amazed by all that has happened. It seems so clear that God
had been there guiding us all on this journey, in the discrete way that God
does such things: giving the impression that we are doing it all, whereas in
reality it is God who is shaping, guiding things through us all, inspiring
people to be committed to the vision.
In our world where people with intellectual disabilities are so often seen
as a problem and a hardship (which of course they can be for some parents) the
book shows an expanding vision of how God has chosen them to be in all our
churches, religions and in our very different cultures, a sign of contradiction
but also a sign of peace. If in our world and in all our societies, we take the
time to be with them and enter into a true relationship with them and with
others who are weak and vulnerable such as old people and people who are
mentally ill, they will change our hearts from being closed on themselves, hard
and protective, to become open and loving towards them. In this way they can become
our wonderful teachers: teachers who through and in places of belonging can
help us understand the real purpose of our world and our lives: not to seek for
ourselves more wealth, more power, more acclaim, more security and more
pleasure, but to make of our societies a better place, where each person
whatever his or her culture, abilities or disabilities can grow more humanly,
in peace and in freedom. Where difference is not seen as a
threat, but as a gift.
L’Arche and Faith and Light as they spread over the world can become a
sign of a new world which is being born. But of course that means that all of
us in all our communities must “work at it”. This transformation towards a
greater love does not come easily. It is not easy to open up to others in love and
particularly to those with whom we have difficulties. It is never easy to
become vulnerable to them. It is not easy to be faithful to community life. We
are all a bit frightened of being diminished and hurt. Obviously for this
transformation we need the power which flows from our loving God, from the gift
of the Holy Spirit. I wonder if Jesus today is not crying over our world as he
did over Jerusalem as he said :” If you had but recognized the message of peace
but it was hidden from your eyes …” Luke 19,41
Here in Orval I am relishing the new book by David Ford: “Christian Wisdom”.
(
I am trying to follow these wise counsels of David and am reading the
Bible in a new and deeper way and I am discovering the extraordinary goodness
of God – a God who is full of tenderness for those who are down and out, weak
and vulnerable, hungry for food and for affection, or who have been misled
because they have never known the things of love. Scripture, as religion, can
be a source of division: “My religion is better than yours” attitude gives a
feeling of superiority. Or scripture and religion can be a link with God – a
channel of communication with God which leads us to greater humility, poverty
and unity with the God of love and to love others as God loves them. As I get
older I realise how much I do not know about scripture and how little I
understand, but there is a great desire to have my heart open to the wisdom of
love.
In a year I will be 80! I can hardly imagine it. Time goes by so fast! I
want to give thanks for all those who carry responsibilities in Arche and in
Faith and Light today and in a particular way to Jean-Christophe Pascal and
Christine McGrievy. Yes I feel that our two Federations are in good hands, heads
and hearts. They are together growing in a common spirituality of love and of
compassion. As founder (with Marie-Hélène in Faith and Light) it is such a gift
to be able to withdraw in such peace and trust. Yes, God is good.
I will return to Trosly in a few days. Barbara is not there to type this
letter. But with Christine McGrievy we will find new ways of how to live her
departure. This year will be less full: I will continue giving retreats in La
Ferme of Trosly” and now and again in other places. In September I will be in
I finish this letter with a word of thanks. So many of you wrote to me and
to the communities to express your sorrow at the death of Barbara, to say how
much she had meant to you.. I am afraid I cannot
answer each of you; I just want to say how much I was touched by so many
letters (e-mails). Together all of us we can give thanks to God for her life.
She will continue -discretely as before- to watch over me and us all.
Peace and love to each one of you,
Jean Vanier