Summer—Fall 2009

New Beginnings House of Prayer

An Oasis of Healing

The Monastic Touch Newsletter

Who are the Poor?

I sat once with Angela, a homeless woman who lived in one of the shelters
where I worked. She was going to jail for several unpaid tickets she had re- “The Lord Jesus
ceived for a long-expired inspection sticker. She had continued to drive her very Christ, suffering in
old car because she did not have the money to get it repaired and because she the persons of a
had five children to get to school, along with a sick mother who had many doc- multitude of the
tor’s appointments. I was trying to help her figure out where she could place her sick {and poor}
children while she was in jail for a few weeks, as I recall. Another time I arrived
seeks relief at
at a shelter to find many of the children upset because one of their favorite resi-
dents, an old man name Joe, had died suddenly over the weekend from compli- your hands.”
cations due to diabetes. Joe had become overwhelmed by the complexity of the —Bishop Claude DuBois
medical system, so he had just stopped getting the regular care that he needed.

Did Angela and Joe do everything they could have done to take care of their
needs? No. Did they always make the right decisions? Probably not. Would I have done any differently, in
their shoes? I don’t know. I used to return to the privacy of my home each night and wonder if I could even
get up in the morning if I had to deal with their struggles without the buffers of comfort and beauty I en-
joyed.

All of us who are honest with ourselves know that we are poor in spirit. Mercifully, Jesus calls us blessed
and tells us that ours is the kingdom of God. There are, as well, those who are not only poor in spirit, but
poor in this world’s goods. They often live in a state of hyper-vigilance, always looking for enough-enough
food to feed their children, enough shelter to be safe, enough medicine to stay healthy. In the meantime,
many of us are looking for more-more money, more pretty things, more variety in what we eat, where we go,
how we spend our time.

The Bible tells us, “The Lord hears the cry of the poor.” Yes, the Lord hears the cry of all of us poor folk. And
He wants us to take care of one another. Those of us who are (only) poor in spirit are called to share what we
have with our brothers and sisters who are not only poor in spirit but carry, as well, the burden of material
poverty. New Beginnings wants to answer that call, more and more, in the days to come. Won’t you join us?

Jane Huntington
“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I, Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8)
1806 11th Street / P.O. Box 854 / Galena Park, Texas 77547
Phone: 713/927.7534 Fax: 713/451.2228
E-mail: Newbeginningsprayer@juno.com
 Meeting God in the Desert
A Contemplative Journey at Lebh Shomea House of Prayer
Even in the desert of our lives, there are blossoms!
These pictures are from a house of prayer in Sarita,
Texas called Lebh Shomea “Listening Heart”. Fr.
Francis Kelly Nemeck, OMI is the director of this
wonderful house of prayer and may be one of the first
ones you see as you drive into this silent place of
prayer.
The mission of Lebh Shomea is to respond to
the call of Jesus Christ heard through people’s need
for a place to go to be alone with God. They are a “community,” a “house” and a “school” of prayer. Their lifestyle is
contemplative-eremitical.
We at New Beginnings House of Prayer go regularly to this place of desert solitude, prayer, community, heal-
ing. It is a place where you can be with the many flowers that bloom year around, or in community for daily Mass, or
maybe a walk on the beach, or watching the many deer await Fr. Kelly’s arrival for their daily feeding, or maybe for
you it would be sitting by and watching the beautiful sunset...all of this is found at Lebh Shomea. We seek God … we
find God … we leave this place knowing we have been truly touched by this Presence of love. This is where we truly
see that even in the desert, God is here with us. We begin to see that even in the dryness or bareness of our lives, we
can still experience Presence, healing, completeness. It is during the silent retreats you begin to see what is truly hap-
pening within you. The desert times aren't just empty times...not by far, it is in those
empty times you are filled with God...looking different
for each person.
Take a trip to Lebh Shomea, meet the commu-
nity, allow yourself the freedom to just “be”, to truly
be still and know that God is God! The website for this
community is lebhshomea.org or just give us a call, we
will be glad to help you. All of us at New Beginnings
have experienced the “oasis” in Lebh Shomea House
of Prayer. Maybe one day you can join us!

The Lord Hears The Cry of the Poor. . .

New Beginnings has become the home of the Ignatian Spirituality Project in Houston.
This national ministry, begun in Chicago, does retreats for the homeless who are also in
recovery from substance abuse. Marie Noack and Denice Foose are the co-directors,
along with teams of men and women drawn from other ministries all over Houston. With
the help of generous donors, ISP in Houston was able to give two men’s and two
women’s retreats this past year and already has four on the books for the coming year.
The focus of the retreats, using the first week of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, is
on God’s unconditional love for us and our response to that love. One of the retreatants
said she couldn’t put into words what the retreat meant to her because “it was just too
deep. Connecting with God, being in nature, getting closer to the women I live with, all
brought such deep healing”. Emma Luna from New Beginnings said that she was struck
with the openness of the women to the Lord, even though their lives are so difficult.
Marie summed it up for all of us when she said, “ God has come to me through them.
Now I have no choice. I can’t not be involved with them now. Their hearts have become
a part of my heart.”
These retreats are provided without cost to men and women who are seeking God even
on their difficult journeys. We have plans to do much more and we need your help!
Please join with us in serving these brothers and sisters who are so close to God’s heart.

Page 2
 From My Heart to Yours. . .
“When you agree to be with God,
God agrees to be with you.” —Richard Rohr
Why do I speak so much of silence and solitude? Of those places
in the desert, those daily times with our Lord? Because New Be-
ginnings is a contemplative house of prayer with an apostolic
calling. We are called to reach out into our communities with the
unfailing, healing love of God. How can we give it out if we are a
people who really aren't sure ourselves of that unconditional,
unfailing love of God. How do we reach out in healing, when we
are in such need of healing ourselves? If we don't go into the
desert (even the quiet places in our daily existence), we have
nothing to give and what we do have to give will deplete in just a
matter of time. That is why we go away into the silence...even the
daily silence of our lives, why we make time. It is in the silence
that God speaks the loudest, it is in the silence, where direction is
given...it is in the solitude of our lives where we truly meet God.
Then we are ready to go and call ourselves and Apostolic people.
We are co-creators with God and He desires this with us.
The Monastic Corner… A Candle at Midnight
My soul yearns for you, O God I keep vigil with you through the night.
What are you doing at 12:00, 2:00, 3:00
in the morning? Those many nights that
you lie awake wishing to go back to
sleep. Could it be like Samuel, hearing
the voice of Yahweh, but not recognizing it? Are we Samuel,
and just not hearing clearly the call of God? I will encourage
you to awake, listen, respond to the silent, yet profound call.
Could you possibly be up for something much more then just a
walk down the hall?
Those who rise early to meet God have found that He is awake
and waiting in the silence for those who seek Him.
Maybe for you it is finances, depression, uncertainty, fear, or
maybe even that besetting sin that you struggle with. Know that
God awaits you, He beckons you to come to Him. The love that
He offers you is greater than any love you may have ever
known. Go to Him just as you are, in the darkness, and you just
may find it filled with light.
Marie Noack
O Love Divine and Mysterious
Take me down deep to the holy darkness of Love’s
roots. Let me become one with the One I love. Draw me into the
depths. Night prayer is deep prayer. Let me go deep. Teach me
the art of waiting with patience that I may grow strong, loving,
and wise.
Let me borrow your eyes O Beloved.
Then I shall see in the dark.
-- Seven Sacred Pauses, Macrina Wiederkehr
The more you enter into the We have to fashion our
heart of God, the more you see own desert, the place we
so many people there...so many go to daily...if we don't,
needy people: the broken, the we can loose our own
frightened, the wounded, the soul as we are proclaim-
abused, the poor. They are all ing the Kingdom.
safely tucked away in the heart —Henri Nouwen
of God. Now it is our calling to
meet them there; to be present to them, to show them God’s
love...God’s healing.
Our newer part of the ministry with the Ignation Sprituality Pro-
ject has enabled me to be with those I found in God’s heart. I
have made new friends, found many people who seek to begin
new again. People who have found hope again.
Thank you everyone who has contributed to this ministry and
made it possible through offerings and prayers. If you can
help us continue this ministry, please, we need you. Thank you
so much, each of you. You are all in our prayers.
May God bless you, Marie Noack+
Rising from sleep in the heart of the night, I
keep vigil with eternal questions. These eternal
questions are infinite longings that have taken
root in the ground of my being. Holding vigil
with the Guardian of Life, whose eye shines
down upon all who live in terror of the night. I
become quiet. In the middle of the night I hold
hands with trust and surrender to the One
who sees without a light. I, too, see without a light. I welcome
my night eyes. My soul is my night light. Night vigil is a
time for deep listening. My prayer travels deep into my soul
space, into the essence of my being. I go “down under” where
the eternal One waits. I wait with the One who waits for me.
Like Jesus, keeping watch the night before he died, I keep vigil
with those who wait alone. The darkness has a special king of
soul. I lean into the darkness and grow wise.
--Macrina Wiederkehr
_________________________________________________
To sleep is to restore your body, to watch is to restore your soul.
Come, Holy Spirit of the night watch when heavens are opened to
reveal the splendor from the heavenly throne of God;
Where angels circle in holy dance and prayer.
Praises sent forth to earth to beckon hearts
To awaken to this kingdom, a mystical flow of holiness,
Touching the hearts of mortals below.
— Carol Antill Page 3
 New Beginnings House of Prayer
1806 11th Street / Galena Park, TX 77547
7155 Ashburn P.O. Box 854 / Galena Park, TX 77547
Houston, Texas 77061
Phone: 713/927.7534 Fax: 713.451.2228
Email: newbeginningsprayer@juno.com
Website: http://geocities.com/newbeginningsprayer/index.html

Marie Noack, Executive Director, Founder

Rev. Ed Wade
Denice Foose, Director of Funding
Carol Antill, Director of Prayer and Intercession
Janie Huntington, Spiritual Director & Newsletter Editor
Patti Hale, Director of 12 Step Ministry
Jacque Darragh, Director of Creative Expression
Jane Sangalis, Director of Healing Prayer
Santiago and Emma Luna, Director of Spanish Ministry

Mission Statement
Welcome to New Beginnings Staff: We are an ecumenical,
contemplative house of prayer
Jacque Darragh, Director of Creative Expression which offers opportunities for spiritual
Jacque is a certified spiritual director and has been in active ministry as a growth and formation
retreat leader, parish music and liturgy director, workshop facilitator and in an atmosphere
pastoral musician for over twenty-five years. Jacque is a singer/songwriter of prayer in sacred spaces.
and has produced five albums of original music. Her favorite activity is
designing and leading retreats for folks of all ages and stages, and she
We are grounded in community
brings her gifts of music, humor, wit, and storytelling to help retreatants and pledge to reflect God’s glory
find refreshment and spiritual renewal. by being His hands,
His feet and His unfailing love.
Jane Sangalis, Director of Healing Prayer Ministry
Jane Sangalis has been involved in training and development since 1980.
Her background includes facilitating programs in management and commu-
nication skills, executive coaching, meeting facilitation, and various con-
sulting projects. She has presented a wide range of seminar topics to
groups that vary in size, nationality, position, and industry. She holds a BA
from Indiana University and an MA from the University of Minnesota in
Industrial Relations. Jane is a Spiritual Director and experienced and
schooled in the area of healing prayer ministry.
New Beginnings House of Prayer is a
Santiago and Emma Luna, Directors of Spanish Minstry non-profit organization registered as a
Santiago and Emma are a beautiful couple that who truly bring into
New Beginnings, prayer and serenity. As we enhance the ministry
501(c)(3) charitable organization.
they will go before us helping us all to share God’s healing love We are funded by your generous dona-
with the Spanish community. tions. No one is ever turned away and
all are welcome!