Adriana Bara | Finding Light in a Dark World
Bruce’s guest today is Dr. Adriana Bara, the National Director of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, which works in the Middle East, northeast Africa, India, and Eastern Europe. She speaks with HNS ED Bruce Adema about Henri Nouwen’s 1991 letter to Sister Marcia Hobart, an Anchoress who had written to Henri about the Persian Gulf War that was happening at the time. Considering what’s happening in the world today, this is a very relevant topic.
Links & Resources
Catholic Near East Welfare Association Website
https://cnewa.org/
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Book Discussed:
Love, Henri
https://amzn.to/3fpnolF (US)
https://amzn.to/2C2lqcD (Canada)
Ukraine Diary
https://amzn.to/3LpMHGO (US)
https://amzn.to/3ogjyFi (Canada)
Available On
Transcript
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Bruce Adema: Hello, and welcome to this episode of the Love Henri Podcast, which is produced by the Henri Nouwen Society. My name is Bruce Adema, and I'm the Executive Director of the Henri Nouwen Society. I'm part of a great team that encourages spiritual transformation through their writings and the legacy of the spiritual guide Henri Nouwen. If you've appreciated Henri's wisdom for a long time, or if you've just been introduced to it, I encourage you to sign up for the daily meditations on our website, henrinouwen.org, and be reminded every day that you are a beloved child of God. Our guest today is Dr. Adriana Bara. She is the National Director of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, which focuses on ministry and outreaches in the Middle East, northeast Africa, India, and Eastern Europe. CNEWA, which is, one way of saying the abbreviation, C-N-E-W-A, they're a really wonderful organization.
Bruce Adema: They pray with people when they're attacked, comfort them when they're grieved, feed them when they're hungry, bandage them when they bleed, shelter them when they have no place to call home. CNEWA serves as the arms of the living body of Christ, the church. Prior to her service with CNEWA, Dr. Bara was the executive director of the Canadian Center for ecumenism in Montreal, and she remains a part-time lecturer at Concordia University. Links to CNEWA, their website and other things will be in the show notes that accompany this podcast. So, I encourage you to look that up, and find out about all the wonderful things that they do. Adriana, thank you so much for joining us on the Love Henri Podcast. We'd really appreciate it if you'd tell us about your story or some of it anyway, and how you came to be in this key leadership position with the Catholic Near East Welfare Association.
Adriana Bara: Thank you very much for the invitation. I am very pleased and honored, very honored to be with you today. Henri Nouwen Society is a great society that I love. and I'm very pleased and honored to be with you today. I can say that I am the National Director of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association. As you mentioned, I’ve worked in many places in Canada and back in Romania. My origins are in Romania. and, I never had this feeling of bein, fulfilled by joy of helping others. My oldest son told me once, “Oh, well, mama, finally, you are doing something for the world.” So, if I may add something to what you already mentioned about the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, is that it was founded by Pope Pius 11 in 1926.
Adriana Bara: So, in two years we celebrate a hundred years of existence, and it was created as an instrument of love and a sign of hope for those in need, scattered throughout the historic and unstable lands of the ancient Eastern churches. You already mentioned that we are working in the Middle East, northeast Africa, India, and Eastern Europe. We are working with and through the Eastern Catholic Church. The mission is simple to follow, the lesson, of the Good Samaritan, to go and do likewise, binding the wounds of a broken world, body and soul. Quietly, prayerfully and joyfully, CNEWA works for through and with the local Catholic churches. Men and woman, who from, our original teams in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, in Amman, Jordan, Asara, Eritrea, Beirut, in Lebanon, Jerusalem and India, and in Eastern Europe, Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia, and Romania.
Adriana Bara: So, I am blessed to be the national director. I thank God because I always, in my prayer, I ask him to use me or to put me where I can do something for his kingdom. I try to do my best in this position, but I can tell you that my heart is full of hope for people who suffer in these regions where we work. But at the same time, I'm filled with the joy because I can help. And I can see that people are happy to be in contact with CNEWA. We have a wonderful team here in CNEWA Canada. As you may know, the headquarters is in New York. CNEWA office in Canada was founded in 2003. The team in Canada is a wonderful team of young people, faithful Catholics, who really are ready to do anything to help people, our neighbors, in the regions where we work.
Bruce Adema: I've heard great things about CNEWA, and I also know, Adriana, that you are being a great blessing as their director. So, thank you. Thank you for that. Can you talk about the connection that you have with the Henri Nouwen society, and with Henri's legacy?
Adriana Bara: I studied theology, Bruce, and as any theologian, it is impossible not to know, or at least to hear about Henri, one of the greatest Christian spiritual masters of our time. Or at least to hear or watch his very famous lectures being the beloved of God, that had impacted the study of theology in colleges, in universities, and shaped and influenced many retreats, not only in the Catholic Church. Or Catholic churches, but other churches also. So great influence. Sure. One day while in my office, I received a phone call from Stephen Lazarus, literary manager of Henri Nouwen Society. And I was pleasantly surprised to be contacted by somebody from the Society. And Stephen Lazarus informed me that last year, Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust, published Henri's book, Ukraine Diary, and the decision of the trustees of the literary trust was to donate the royalties of this book to a charity that works in Ukraine, and they choose CNEWA.
Adriana Bara: So I was so happy. We send the funds to the Home of Hope, a program in Aviv, Ukraine, run by the sister servant of Mary Immaculate. The sisters help girls between 10 and 18 to find a good start in their lives. And the girls are orphans or from poor families, and they are with the sisters until they finish college, and can earn a decent life for themselves. I was in Ukraine last year, to visit this project, and I visited this home of hope. Also, I can tell you that it is a wonderful place; the Sisters take a very good care of these girls that otherwise wouldn’t have such a beautiful future. But I was also happy for another reason. I felt that somehow, UA is deeply connected with Henri Nouwen because of his literary legacy. And Ukraine Diary can receive the royalties, and thus, Henri continues to touch the life of people in this particular case, poor and orphans, girls in Ukraine.
Bruce Adema: At the Henri Nouwen Society, and the partnering Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust we're delighted. This is the book Ukraine Diary. Henri Nouwen cared deeply about Ukraine. He went there, regularly, to meet with people to try to bring a blessing. He kept this diary, which has now been published, and as Adriana said, all the royalty revenues from the sale of this go to CNEWA so that they can use that the good work may continue in Ukraine. And we are so delighted that Henri's passion for Ukraine can continue to be met. We have developed a wonderful partnership with CNEWA, and have much to be grateful for. Thank you for that. Now, our podcast is called Love Henri, because we are drawing on the letters that Henri Nouwen wrote.
Bruce Adema: He was a fantastic letter writer. Because of his writings and his workshops and lectures, people recognized him as a man who has spiritual wisdom. So they would write to him. And, he had this wonderful habit of keeping the letters that he wrote, and he would respond to almost all of them. And he always kept a carbon copy of his letters. So, in the archive, we have over 16,000 letters from Henri Nouwen. Some of them have been collected in a book that we've called Love Henri. And it's full of letters. All it is is letters that Henri wrote about different themes, topics to different people in response to the letters that they wrote him first. In the podcast series looking at each letter, each episode, we're looking at one letter and talking about it with somebody that has something wise to say about that. And Adriana, you're that person today.
Adriana Bara: Thank you. What a blessing to have these letters. I would love to read all of them.
Bruce Adema: Well, it's available for purchase!
Adriana Bara: But you said that only a few were selected.
Bruce Adema: Well, yeah, there, there are not 16,000 letters in here.
Adriana Bara: A, you have a treasurer there,
Bruce Adema: Oh, we could have so many volumes, that would bless people. But today's letter was written on February 5th, 1991, to Henri's friend, an anchoress sister, Marcia Hobert. Now, an anchoress is a person who is taken like a monastic vow to be anchored into one particular place. So Sister Marcia, lived in Oregon in the United States, in a little chapel, deep in the woods where she would pray, pray for the world, pray for the church, pray for people in need. It was a powerful ministry of solitude, and sharing her wisdom through letters and, and such things. It seems medieval, but still people, are engaged in this kind of ministry. Well, sister Marcia wrote to Henri about the Persian Gulf War that was happening at the time. A few weeks prior to this letter, Henri had participated in a prayer vigil in Washington DC to pray for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in the Gulf.
Bruce Adema: So, let me, let me read, this letter. It's not a long one;
February 5, 1991
Dear Marcia,
Thanks so much for your kind note and for your continuing prayers for me. I am really grateful that I have a special place in our solitude and silence.
The Gulf crisis also preoccupies me very much, and I am holding on to the words of Jesus: ‘Pray unceasingly to survive what is going to happen and to stand confidently with heads erect in the presence of the Son of Man, trusting them not a hair on your head will be lost.’ It is important for me to know that Jesus’ primary concern was that we would not let the darkness overwhelm us and would continue to trust in his life-giving presence.
We in our community are trying to find ways to live peacefully in the midst of this very disturbing time, and thus be a sign of hope for others.
Much love,
Henri
A beautiful, little letter. Adriana, what, what was your, reaction to this when you first read this letter?
Adriana Bara: A beautiful letter, simple, short, that touches the heart of the reader. I would say that Marcia was a modern hermit. Her prayers, and Henri's prayers as well as all the prayers of these people who live in solitude -I think they do such great, work in the world. Now, I love very much how Henri begins his letter to Marcia. He says, I'm grateful that I have a special place in our solitude and silence. He wrote, the real work of prayer is to become silent and listen, to become silent and listen. isn't there where the genuine relationship build, building take place in the silence?
Adriana Bara: The beginning of the letter, I read it like a dialogue between two people who know what it means to be in prayer and silence. It is like a dialogue between two people who live in the presence of God, and they communicate from heart to heart, one in Christ as one in God. I also love the verse from the Bible that Henri chose, Luke, 21:36. So is the emphasis is on the prayer, the importance of prayer. Because while in prayer, we are in the presence of the Son of man in the presence of God, in the presence of Jesus Christ. And, also this verse tells us to be confident that all prayers are listened to since no hair on our head will be lost. I think that the core message of the letter is a call to know how much we are beloved, of God. You know that in the turmoil of life, sometimes we may think that God abandons us. But Henri wrote to Marcia and indirectly speaks to us. I would say that we should follow Henri's examples. Hold on to the words of Jesus and trust He takes care of us, even if events looks to us unfavorable.
Bruce Adema: When Henri says, do not let the darkness overwhelm. I know in your work, in places where there is conflict, the context of the letter, of course, is the war in the Persian Gulf. Have you seen instances of people not letting the darkness overwhelm them? What does that look like? Can tell us about an episode that you have seen where people have been strong against the darkness?
Adriana Bara: I will give you, if I may take a little bit of time to answer this question. Sure. Because this touches me deeply. I can tell you that I saw people of good heart, of goodwill in Ukraine when I visited Ukraine. You know that in Ukraine, there are not refugee camps because people open their doors for those who are internally displaced. The monasteries and the churches have the doors open for those who need help, who need a place to stay until they rebuild their life. In the western part of Ukraine. So it's a safer part of Ukraine. So they, they are displaced from the Eastern and south part, and they come to Leiv and they try to rebuild their life and the monasteries, and even universities, the Ukrainian Catholic University, they transform their places into homes for these displaced people.
Adriana Bara: So I could see the loving practice there, but I would also, when we speak about such a situation, not to let the darkness overwhelm, I would go to the Bible in the book of Isaiah, we find one of the richest Old Testament theology. and we read that God is at the same time infinitely close to us and infinitely transcendent. I love a verse in chapter 49, which is, can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has born? Though she may forgot, I will not forgot you because I have crafted you in the palm of my hand, says the Lord. San Augustine put it in another, in a different way. He says that God is closer to me, that I am to myself. That's how close God is to us.
Adriana Bara: He's closer than myself, and he's higher than anything I could possibly imagine. This is what Augustine said. Then, if God is so close to us, why he permitted me to suffer, we may ask. But we learn from the book of Isaiah that God's ways are not our ways, and my thoughts are not his thoughts. He's closer to us in suffering. Yes, he is. Do we understand his work? Not always. I want to give an example, a short example, if I may, Bruce. A Romanian spiritual father, his name was Nicola Steinhard, who died 10 years ago. He was a great intellectual. He was a Jew. During the communist regime, he was arrested as were many intellectuals, priests, monks, and lay Christians with so many intellectuals, imprisoned. The jails became great academia, great, great universities.
Adriana Bara: So prisoners had the chance to hear free lectures. Some robbers or criminals converted to Christianity and even became saints. Others, betrayers, they heard the same lectures. But, you know, we have, we know the famous examples of the apostles. They saw and heard the son of God. And one of them was a betrayer. Nikola Nikolai Steinhardt, converted to Christianity in prison. He was baptized with a glass of water. and one day he was brutally beaten because he didn't want to collaborate with the prison keeper and didn't want to become a betrayer. Others were brutally beaten. Also, when back in the cell, he offered his bed to one of his cellmates, a colleague barely alive. Steinhart slept on the cement floor. That night, Christ came and spoke to him. So to make the long story short, after the collapse of communism, Steinhart was liberated from prison and entered into monastic life.
Adriana Bara: He wrote a book called The Journal of Happiness. And he described his days in jail, the Journal of Happiness, after he came out from the jail, from the communist prison. But because in prison, he met Christ, nothing in life can compare with the happiness of being in Christ's presence, in the presence of God. Now, returning to Henri, I would say that we should hold on the words of Jesus, pray succinctly and be confident that he is with us. Whatever challenges we may face, trust that everything that happens to us is for a greater good. Although it's hard to believe or to accept, but to be confident that God doesn't abandon us.
Bruce Adema: Right. That's deep, deep wisdom. The worldly worldly way is to return tit for tat, that if you strike me, then I'll strike you back harder, if you steal something from me, I will steal more from you. That doesn't work in terms of pushing back darkness. You can't push back darkness with more darkness. and what I hear Henri teaching us, and what I know Jesus was teaching us, is that we have to push back the darkness with the light. That it's with kindness, it's with mercy. It's with being ready to suffer for righteousness sake, that the darkness is overwhelmed in the name of the Lord. So, I hear you saying that, and I thank you for reminding us that the darkness will not overwhelm if we stand in the light,
Adriana Bara: We are enlightened if we have love. And because love conquers darkness and worse and everything that terrible in this life. Of course, it's not easy and love doesn't mean that you go and embrace everybody. It is a gesture, a simple gesture, a good word, to a person in need. Maybe nobody speaks to that person. And you can bless with a word. You can change the heart of that person and give her or him hope. So love is so important. I know that our good Lord asked us to love each other as he loved us. So how he loved us, he sacrificed himself. He offered himself for the salvation of the world, for the conquering of death. Henri always speaks about the love of God and how loved we are, how beloved we are, and to open ourselves to know this love. It is hard to be like Christ, but we are called to be like him, and we have a life in front of us.
Adriana Bara: So let's try to be more like him. . Yeah, that's right. To love, to love each other as he loved us. It's not easy, but we can do it if he said us that we can do to be like God, like him, as it's written in creation, in the story of creation, that God created us in the image and likeness of God, so we can be like Him in our small way.
Bruce Adema: That's a really nice segue into the next thing I want to talk about, which is the life-giving presence of Christ that Henri refers to. Jesus died on the cross. He rose from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. And we tend to think, oh, those are past events, they are historical things that happened. Jesus was incarnated and became one with us on earth. He suffered. He died, but he's also still with us. And we're not alone, as we face challenges, as we face the darkness, we say, we don't face it alone. Have you seen people hang onto that powerful spiritual truth?
Adriana Bara: It is so true what you said, that God is always with us. He didn't abandon us after the resurrection. Do you remember when He entered into the room where his apostles gathered together. They were terrified. They lived in the proximity of that. They hid themselves from the Romans. They lost their hope because their teacher died. And Jesus came to them and said, peace be with you. So live in peace and have peace within you. Even if you are in the world, you are still in the world. You'll be with me one day. But when you are still in the world, peace be with you. And he was in their midst, so he didn't abandon them. We have to be assured that he doesn't abandon us.
Adriana Bara: Whatever happens to us, whatever challenges we have in our lives, he's there. Even if we don't see that in that moment, we might understand later what happened, and for what reason these things happened to us. Because spiritually we will be in another place after hard challenges in our life. We might be closer to God. and we might understand, we might not understand. Maybe we will learn about that specific episode in our life, when we will be face-to-face with Christ. But, his presence is manifested in people like Henri, like his friend. Because they were, they praised unceasingly for the world for peace. So he's present everywhere. Actually the presence of God, we can see it in the entire creation.
Adriana Bara: Now, what I can say about not letting the darkness to overcome or to enter into despair. Despair is the worst thing that could happen to us, is very important to do anything we can, to go out from despair when something terrible happens. When something terrible happens to us, not to stay in despair, to hold onto Christ, on His word and his love and search for help. The help can come from the church, from a spiritual director, father director, spiritual father or spiritual director can come from the doctors because doctors are from God. Also, maybe we need help from doctors. We have to go to doctors, we don't have to stay in despair. We saw what happened with Judas, after he betrayed Jesus. He entered it into despair, and he stayed in despair.
Adriana Bara: And he put the end to his life, instead of going and asking for forgiveness and, and confess the consequences of, of his deeds, but purified himself with the help of God. You know, we also saw Peter, he said, well, I don't know Jesus. You know, but then he cried. He felt sorry that he didn't have courage to say, yes, I was one of them. You know? This happened before he saw Jesus resurrected after the resurrection of Christ. The apostles didn't have fear anymore. Death was not something to frighten them anymore. That is the path towards God. We don't have to enter in despair and to be afraid of that, because that is part of our way to God. I would say that it's very important not to stay in despair, to run away. If we can, to walk. If we cannot walk to crawl, but to do something, not to stay in despair. This can overwhelm us. And, overcome us, this is the darkness. Despair is the darkness. The darkness. The dark of the darkness, if I may say like that.
Bruce Adema: That could have been a point of despair if he had not received forgiveness from Jesus for that it had not been restored to his ministry and to his place in the community. That would rightly have been despair. But the nature of Jesus is to love, it's to bless it is to restore. It's to lift up again,and forgive. And if Jesus could forgive Peter, who denied him at a critical point, in his suffering, surely he can forgive me, and surely he can forgive you. That we can always go to God, helps me remain in the light. One of my spiritual mentors once said, you know, in your life, you are going to face the darkness you're gonna face forces that don't like what you're saying, who don't like your testimony. and they may be a great multitude, but if Jesus is with you, you are a majority. You are the majority. You don't need to be afraid of those people if you speak the truth and rely on the Lord. and his promises. I found that for me, really powerful and an important word.
Adriana Bara: How wonderful. You have a very good, spiritual director or father, master.
Bruce Adema: The Lord provides. Looking at sister Marcia, the anchoress, in a little building deep in the woods, never venturing out. Henri said of her that she was a sign of hope to others. So this woman who had taken up the ministry of solitude and prayer, was a sign of hope. Can you reflect on her being given those beautiful words, that descriptor?
Adriana Bara: I think the prayer is more important that Sister Marcia, who prayed for the world. She was in solitude. She was a hermit because she choose this part to embrace the world, to love the world, and to pray for the world. I remember from the Bible, Bruce, from the New Testament. Do you remember when Jesus said that if we have faith as a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed in the world, we can move mountains? So the holy prayers of this sister in solitude and in silence, her holy prayers, I'm sure that brought peace in some places for which she, she prayed, because the prayer is so powerful.
Adriana Bara: He met one person from the world, a person in the world came by accident next to this hermit. And, and he asked, what is in the world? What, what happens in the world? And, he said a few things. The lay person was surprised to see how much this hermit knew about the world, although he was, you know, separated from the world. He said, um, if you would have faith, as little faith as this, as a mustard seed, you'll say to this mountain move, and it'll move. And the mountain started to move. And the hermit said, I didn't tell you to move. I only give an example. It's an anecdote, but I'm sure that sister Marcia with her holy prayers helped the world more than sometimes we have in a palpable way with bread, or with clothes or with a good words. Her prayer held, because the prayer is the most important thing that shouldn't be missed in anybody's life.
Bruce Adema: Earlier my career, I, served as the pastor of a congregation. And, one of the church members was a person whose heart was so weak, so damaged that she could not get out of bed. She couldn't go anywhere. And, I visited her and she said, pastor, I feel so useless. The only thing I can do is pray. And I assured her. I said, sister, you have a powerful ministry that is blessing the world, that you are being a servant of Christ in all faithfulness. And I thanked her for her ministry of prayer. She did not know that, in her limitation, she could be a powerful servant. But, I think one thing I was hoping to see in this, and I I think it's true, that sister Marcia was a powerful servant of God.
Bruce Adema: And that lady that I referred to was a powerful servant of God. The pastor, the priest, the bishop, are powerful servants of God, the Pope, for sure, a powerful servant of God. But the people that go about their lives that have jobs or are students, they too are signs of hope. When I speak with people sometimes, my question is how do people around you see Christ in you? And that doesn't mean that you must be preaching and handing out evangelism tracts. It means that you have to be living in love. I think that you have to be showing values that come from the kingdom of God. and everybody has the capacity to be a sign of hope to others. And the test, what I challenge people is ask yourself, am I being a sign of hope? And if I say, well, actually, I'm not, I'm living just like the world. I'm as greedy as anybody. I'm as lustful as anybody say, whoa. Take a moment to do a spiritual check-in, and make adjustments so that you can be a sign of hope. I think that's our calling. Don't you think so?
Adriana Bara: Yes. How wonderful you put it, and what a wonderful pastor you are, how blessed the church is to have you. yes. I think that, as an example of prayer, this is what a priest taught me that after the powerful prayers of the mother of God, of Virgin Mary, of Mary, the most powerful prayers are of a mother for her children. I asked for prayers when one of my sons had a, a heart surgery, it was not an easy surgery. He told me that, the prayer of a mother are so powerful after the prayers of the mother of God, the prayers of the mother. So do people in the world and, and not only of the mother of a friend, for a husband or a husband for for his children, for the neighbor, for a relative.
Adriana Bara: The prayer is very powerful. And then I like very much what you said, we have to be living examples. We have to be Christians living examples to show that Christ lives in us or that Christ works through us to let the other show Christ in us. Sometimes we are ashamed or we want to be political. Correct. And we don't really say that we are Christians, we don't have to be ashamed. We have to show, to be living examples. This is what you said, reasons to live the life of Christ and to show the others the love of Christ. I think that God will rejoice in us. Will rejoice if he sees that we love him and we are not ashamed to speak about him.
Bruce Adema: And you're absolutely right. The prayer, this letter of Henri has prayer is at the center of it. Henri says, I have received the blessing of your prayers. So Marcia has said, I will pray for these people. And being a hermit has been given the time and space to pray deeply for people. Henri had the spiritual blessing of that. But Jesus' instruction was pray, pray, pray, pray. That's the way that we show our relationship with God is through prayer. Prayer is reaching out to God as he reaches out in his word. So we reach out in our prayers, and, and the circle completes.
Adriana Bara: He says, pray unceasingly. So yeah. To pray our mind, to be preoccupied with a thought of God, to be preoccupied with him. And, to be living examples. As you said, as Henri showed in his entire life, in everything he said, in everything he wrote, to show that we are Christians., We have a sister who said, we help people not because they are Christians, but because we are, to help neighbors. With small gestures, with a thought, with a good thought, with a prayer, with everything can help.
Adriana Bara: I love how you said that we have to be living examples.
Bruce Adema: I also, I would say prayer is not just kind of folding your hands and closing your eyes. No. prayer is almost a relationship. But if we're close to God, prayer is a life, prayer is living. so as you are working in the factory, you are living a life of prayer as you do this to the glory of God, When I drive, (I have to drive a significant distance to get to my home from where I work here), it's a time of prayer, even as I'm not, obviously, closing my eyes, that would be dangerous while you're driving. But it's a privilege to be close to God in such a way that we can pray.
Adriana Bara: Or to listen to the mass on the cd. In our car also., Of being part of the community of God, because it's a community of God when people meet in his name.
Bruce Adema: Thank you, Adriana. Henri's wisdom in this letter is really applicable to everyone. And if you get a copy of the Love Henri book, you can read his various letters. There's deep wisdom in this one that says, do not let the darkness overwhelm you. Trust in Christ's life-giving presence. Live peacefully and thus be a blessing to others. Pray and be connected strongly with the Lord. That's this letter. What a wonderful gift to read it and then to reflect on it, together.
Adriana Bara: Yes. A wonderful, wonderful letter. What can we say? It's like we are without words,.
Bruce Adema: Thank you. Now, a closing question for you, Adriana. You've gained a lot of wisdom and understanding in your experience, in your life, in your study. What, what spiritual practices have you found to be especially important to you in your life and continuing ministry with CNEWA?
Adriana Bara: For me, it's very important to bring Christ in everything I do. I always pray and speak with him before I speak with the others. I ask, please illuminate me. Please help me to be an instrument of peace, to show your love to others, to show that I'm a good Christian, even if I'm weak. Please help me, make me strong. So, I always start with prayer. I think it is also very important to have a spiritual master, a spiritual director, a priest, a wise Christian or whoever you trust to open your heart and know that that person can help and can dialogue with that person. For me, it's very important to have a spiritual father.
Adriana Bara: So I confess, I take the Holy Communion because for me, and for other Christians, the holy communion is very important, is the real presence, tin which we unite ourselves in reality with Christ, because in Holy communion, we have the presence of the body and blood of Christ. So, I like to take it. I find the nicest gift that we can receive in this world is the Holy communion. So the Holy Communion prayer, speaking with people that I trust, but above all, speaking with God about the others and about what I intend to do, and ask him to guide me so that I'm doing well, or do I have to take other parts that might not be the one that I was thinking at the beginning. So this is what I do, and I encourage everybody, as Henri said, to hold on to Christ and to pray and to trust that he never abandoned us.
Bruce Adema: Well, thank you so much, Adriana, for those words, but also for the ministry God has given you and for sharing that with us in this podcast. We're gonna be featuring information about the Catholic Near East Welfare Association in the show notes. And I hope that people can find you and discover the wonderful work that you and your colleagues are doing together. So thank you, Adriana.
Adriana Bara: Thank you so much for the invitation. Thank you.
Bruce Adema: You're welcome. And I'd like to say thank you to our listeners. If you've been listening to the audio version of this conversation, wonderful. But you can also find the video version of it and see our smiling faces on our YouTube channel, which you can access through our website, henrinouwen.org. And, while you're there, you can sign up for the free Daily meditations and learn about the other great programs and initiatives of the Henri Nouwen Society. If you've enjoyed today's episode, please leave a nice review and give it a big thumbs up, how nice it would be. Also if you would share this with your family and friends. Thank you for listening and never forget you are a beloved child of God.
