|
|
Life Ascending Australia
A Christian Movement for those in their middle and later years.
Vie Montante (Life Ascending) offers us a community of sharing and mutual help. It helps us to discern the mission of each one according to his/her capabilities, and to live it out each day. It helps us to open up to the action of the Holy Spirit, for it is the Holy Spirit who gives us the grace to accept God's love and to share it with others. In this way we testify to the happiness of living in the hope of the Lord.
Life Ascending was introduced into Australia in 1999. Groups have been set up in a number of parishes in Sydney and in other cities. Life Ascending is based on three qualities of life: Spirituality' Loving Service and Friendship.
It was through contact with the English Movement of Vie Montante Internationale (Life Ascending in Australia; Ascent in England) that the Australian group commenced in Sydney, October 1999.
The Movement itself was founded in France and from there has spread to fifty other countries as diverse as Rumania, Taiwan, Spain, Burundi, England and now Australia.
Since its inception there have been conferences in Europe as well as in individual countries. However international conferences have been a source of great bonding between the members. These have taken place in Rome, Panama, Miami, Dakar, Bangkok and France in 2006. At the latter conference three members attended from Sydney and the Australian group was officially welcomed into the Movement together with eleven other countries.
On 25th March, 1996 the Movement received the Decree of recognition from the Holy See and this was ratified in 2001.
Of Vie Montante Internationale an African student wrote:
"Don't forget that you are perhaps the only living Church, the only sign of God that your grandchildren can see and meet regularly. You don't have the right to keep silent. You are the breath of God, His smile, His welcome, the reflection of His tenderness and mercy."
|
|
Sister Patricia attended the Conference of Life Ascending International at Lourdes, France, from 25th to 29th October in 2006. The Theme of the Conference was "The Elderly, a Symbol of Hope in the Modern World". Bishop Daloz, the ecclesiastical assistant of the Movement, spoke of being a Christian in the modern world, stressing we are being invited ot live our faith, as seniors, and witnesses in the world. Quoting the Pope's "Deus Caritas Est", the Bishop challenged those present to translate the Good News into words, into actions, into love.
The next International Conference will be held in Canada during 5th to 9th October 2010. The theme of the conference is "Life Ascending - a Witness in a World Crisis". Sr. Patricia will be the delegate for Life Ascending Australia.
|
|
| AIMS OF THE ASCENT MOVEMENT AND THE CROSS AT GALONG
|
Life Ascending is based on three qualities of life
- Spirituality: Helping older people to deepen or recover their faith, with an absolute confidence in God, despite any anxieties or disabilities.
- Mission: Christians never retire; they are apostles to the end of their lives, in accordance with their own particular circumstances of life. In the past, retired people were often treated as passengers rather than crew in the ship of the apostolate. Today, their collaboration is increasingly essential for the church's mission of spreading the faith.
- Friendship: As we grow older some of us find that more of our time is spent alone; sometimes we feel lonely. Here again, Life Ascending comes to our help with its call to friendship.
Friendship links us all together. We all need to grow in the knowledge and love of God and so all Group members benefit from discussion on Scripture and prayer together.
We all have joys, problems and anxieties in our lives and it is good to be able to share these in prayerful understanding with like-minded people especially when the sharing is known to be within the confidence of the group.
To achieve these ends most members meet regularly within parish Life Ascending groups. Others known as Associates share all the other benefits, being part of a powerhouse of prayer, receiving the Life Ascending Newsletter two or three times per year, and meeting other members at Reflection Days, Retreats and other gatherings.
"God grant that you may live this part of your life to the full, supporting one another throughout all the years he grants you in this world."
- Pope John Paul II
|
|
| LABRYNTH AT GALONG
|
|
The labrynth is a circle of stones laid out in a similiar form to labrynths found in many major European cathedrals, e.g. Chartres in France. While meditating the retreatant walks around the labrynth in silent prayer. It is a wonderfully reflective prayer and most of the retreatants at Galong spend some time there during their days at the Monastery. It is situated under the lovely oak trees, with gently sloping hills in the background and sheep grazing peacefully nearby. |
|
|
|
|
|
