At worship on October 29, Tess Hartford read the following, from French priest Teilhard de Chardin:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When the signs of age begin to mark my body<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(and still more when they touch my mind)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
when the ill that is to diminish me or carry me <\/p>\n\n\n\n
off strikes from without<\/p>\n\n\n\n
or is born within me:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
when the painful moment comes in which I <\/p>\n\n\n\n
suddenly waken<\/p>\n\n\n\n
to the fact that I am ill or growing old;<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and above all at the last moment<\/p>\n\n\n\n
when I feel that I am losing hold of myself<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and am absolutely passive in the hands<\/p>\n\n\n\n
of the great unknown forces that have formed me;<\/p>\n\n\n\n
in all those dark moments, O God,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
grant that I may understand that it is you<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(provided only my faith is strong enough)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
who are painfully parting the fibers of my being<\/p>\n\n\n\n
in order to penetrate to the very marrow of my <\/p>\n\n\n\n
substance<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and bear me away within yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
—Teilhard de Chardin<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
At worship on October 29, Tess Hartford read the following, from French priest Teilhard de Chardin: When the signs of age begin to mark my body (and still more when they touch my mind) when the ill that is to … Continue reading