May 2020

" My sincere and complete devotion to my earthly mother was the first cause of my love for the Divine Mother. Thus it was my great love for my mother that led to my illumination.

In India we like to speak of God as Mother Divine, because a true mother is more tender and forgiving than a father. The mother is an expression of the unconditional love of God. Mothers were created by God to show us that He loves with or without cause. Every woman is to me a representative of the Mother. I see the Cosmic Mother in all. That which I find most admirable in woman is her mother love. Those who think of woman as an object of lust perish in that fire; but those who look upon all women as incarnations of the Mother Divine find in them a sacredness that is inviolable. When you can see every woman as your mother, as some of our God-realized masters in India did, universal love comes into your heart ."

Paramahansa Yogananda
God's Nature in the Mother and the Father
Man's Eternal Quest, pp. 246-247.
Greetings!

Just a reminder that all services and activities at the DC Center have been cancelled and are still on hold until further notice. In the interim we hope that you have been taking advantage of the monastic-led meditations and the weekly recorded inspirational services that can be accessed via this newsletter in the “Staying Connected” section below.
In addition, you might have heard last week that the 2020 annual SRF Convocation has been cancelled. Here is an excerpt of the announcement.
 
“Though we must cancel our coming together in-person this year, we are going to present a wide range of the 2020 SRF World Convocation events online, transforming this international spiritual gathering into an event capable of reaching thousands more worldwide. Details of our revised program are still being worked out, and we will share them as soon as possible.
 
Also, the managing Council has added the ability to make online donations directly to the DC Center’s bank account via our PayPal account. Note that these contributions are not tax deductible, but are used to maintain the DC Center and Building. The new online link is listed below.
 
We hope you enjoy the blessings of the Divine Mother on this coming Mother’s Day, whether through your earthly mother or the Divine Mother directly. Yogananda said “The mother’s love is not given to us to spoil us with indulgence, but to soften our hearts, that we may in turn soften others with kindness.”

In Master’s Service,
 
Wayne T. Lavallee
Coordinator
Staying Connected

We encourage all to stay remotely connected to the worldwide SRF family:

Caring Friends Team

The Caring Friends Team provides support and outreach to members who are experiencing illness, hardships, and personal crisis. For more information please contact Stacey Hawkins at 301-395-9541.
Online Donations Now Available

You can now make online donations to the Washington DC Center of SRF by clicking on the yellow Donate button below. You will have the option of designating whether the donation is for the General Fund or the Building Fund. Please note that donations made using this button are not tax deductible.

While services are suspended, you can also make donations to the Center by check, mailed to: Washington DC Center, 4911 Niagara Road, College Park, MD 20740. If you wish your donation to go toward the Building Fund, please note this in the memo field.

Tax deductible Building Fund donations may be made online here, or by making the check payable to Self-Realization Fellowship, noting Washington DC Building Fund in the memo field, and mailing it to the Center. Full details concerning donations are explained on the Center's website Donate page .
Donations made using the above yellow Donate button are not tax deductible. For other donation options use the Donate Website button below, including tax deductible building fund donations.
Washington DC Center of Self-Realization Fellowship
4911 Niagara Road College Park MD 20740
washington.dc.srf@gmail.com
DCcentersrf.org