May 16 - International Day of Living Together in Peace

The International Day of Living Together in Peace (May 16th) captured my interest.  Thinking about our world at this time – where scenes of violence are regularly shown on our TV screen or are the headlines in our newspapers. Reports bring many emotions forward but are not on the side of peace. News of ongoing atrocities in Sudan; gang violence in Haiti; starvation and destruction of villages in Gaza; devastation of the people, land and structures in Ukraine. Unbearable news that breaks one’s heart and leaves one feeling helpless.

Most recently is the unrest seen at many University campuses both in the U.S. and in parts of our own country.  Young students standing on behalf of those who have literally lost their voice. Students ‘wanting a peaceful world’ risk being jailed on behalf of their Palestinian brothers and sisters.

How are each one of us being called at this moment to respond?  Knowing that we are not called ‘to the front lines’ in any of the above situations, what is ours to do?

I recently came across the following quote adapted by Mirabai Starr which has become a daily invitation as I go about the work of the day.

Joshua Sukoff/Unsplash

“Our task is to mend the broken world.  We do this through every act of loving kindness we offer others in a spirit of generosity, and hospitality.  It is an offering of each of us as we are…with no strings attached. ”

As I said earlier ‘we will not be asked to go to the front lines to serve the dear neighbor’ yet, who is the neighbour nearby to whom I can offer kind words or gestures of generous hospitality? On this International Day of Living in Peace, how can I live peace that will make a difference? Our actions, large or small, and our thoughts make a difference, and they can help mend this broken world. 

-Sister Ann MacDonald, CSJ

National Day of Encouragement

Can you remember those early days of COVID when we longed to leave our homes and go to the grocery store or the drug store or for a walk in our neighborhood?  We were cautioned daily about where we could go and warned that it was important to wear a mask, sanitize our hands upon entering and exiting buildings including our own homes.  In the stores we moved down the aisles in an orderly fashion, keeping our distance from the person ahead of us. Rarely did we see anyone stocking shelves and only met workers at the checkout counter behind plexiglass not seeing any smiles or hearing greetings of welcome.

I recall the urge to offer words of encouragement and thanks to those folks who faithfully served my needs during those long months of isolation from the mainstream of society.  It seems to me that ‘many of us were kinder and more caring’ and took time to recognize people when we passed them on the street those days.  It meant a lot to have someone say hello (even though they were masked) and we found other ways of acknowledging people with a nod of our head or a deliberate attempt to have eye contact.  We learned and lived the importance of encouraging folks to “carry on” as best as they could given the situation we were living in during those 3 years of COVID.

A recent incident has called me to be mindful of using words of encouragement when I meet people during my day.  A young woman whom I have recently met called me over to her table and said these words “I am proud of you!”  I was taken back at her words, thanked her and asked her why she would say this. “Because you are old, and you are volunteering here” was her response.

In the end, it is not what was said but rather realizing that someone has taken a risk perhaps to recognize another person and make a comment that could be the highlight of the person’s day.

I invite you on this National Day of Encouragement to take notice of the folks who cross your path today and offer words of encouragement and kindness.  Words can harm and words can heal – it is our choice!

-Sister Ann MacDonald, CSJ

Header Image: Unsplash/Katrina Wright

Good Friday

“Trinity” sketch by William Blake.

I was reflecting on what to write for a Good Friday blog and this image by William Blake kept coming to my mind. I have recently been reading Meister Eckhart’s Book of the Heart and his poem, Become Empty, also spoke to me in relation to Good Friday. I share both of these inspiring works as you, too, contemplate Good Friday and what it means for you.

Sister Ann MacDonald, CSJ

“BECOME EMPTY
So you want to find God?
Empty yourself of everything -
your worries and your hopes,
your wishes and your fears.
For when you are finally
empty, God will find you,
because God cannot tolerate
emptiness and will come
to fill you with himself.”

— Meister Eckhart

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Header Image: Unsplash/Wim van 't Einde

Entering A New Year

Coming to the end of 2022 and preparing to enter a new year of 2023, I was struck by a recent quote from the Daily Reflections of Richard Rohr. He wrote, what is, is the great teacher.  A few wonderings came to mind around my responsibility and how I am being called to respond to what it is that is my great teacher today. What is it that I am to learn from these wonderings?

Image: Unsplash/Max Kukurudziak

On the global stage there has been a deepening awareness of oneness with our Ukrainian neighbors. Many of the world powers are sending food and necessities of life as well as the needed armaments to repel the daily attacks on innocent people.  In Canada, our country is welcoming Ukrainian women and children and providing safe accommodations, education and emotional support.  These expressions of kindness call me to also look at other folks, such as refugees and immigrants from Afghanistan, Somalia, Haiti, Syria, who are also called neighbor. I hope that my small effort in welcoming a single mother and her young son to our transition home will lead to a lasting and long- term friendship.

Image: Unsplash/Matt Collamer

There is the growing concern for safety and well-being of the unhoused. These homeless people live rough in our city parks and on vacant public land. The homeless phenomena are visible in every city in our province and even in small towns. Contrary to what is often spoken or printed in our newspapers, homelessness is not a personal choice.  Even I know someone who is one paycheck away from living on the street or in a shelter where she does not feel safe. I realize that solving this crisis will take time and energy on the part of committed citizens in many cities.  However, I believe I am being called to see without judgment the person standing in front of me. Stopping for a small encounter or a chat might be welcomed and allow that person to feel connected with another human being even if only for a moment.

“I believe I am being called to see without judgment the person standing in front of me.”

Oftentimes, many of us say or have heard others use the phrase, it is what it is, trying to put into words a response to situations that are happening personally or globally. Entering into the new year of 2023, could we attend to the question what is this event or situation trying to teach me?

Sister Ann MacDonald, CSJ

A Reflection on Love and Loss

As I recall Claire Oliver’s words:  “I will lovingly accept the ‘bad’ and ‘the good…and try to see everything that happens as a gift of love. (From Maxim 10 1 E).

My youngest sister Cathy died very suddenly at the beginning of May – which sent her immediate family – husband and daughters, as well as her 7 remaining siblings and friends into deep grief and shock.  “This cannot be true, I just played cards with her on Saturday night; I had breakfast with her two days ago on Mother’s Day; I had a long chat with her on the phone not three days ago…”

My dear sister, Cathy.

My acceptance of Cathy’s death took some inner work and acceptance of my own feelings of loss and down-right anger at what happened to her. 

Why?  Why her? She’s too young. The family needs her, she was the connector for the rest of us. 

Going into an 8-day retreat in August was going to be time that I could get some direction around how to really live this new reality with a deeper faith and trust.  So, with my ‘take charge’ attitude I was going to find out some answers to my questions.  As I sat one morning quietly by the window asking God about the day Cathy died my questions were:  What was it like?  Was she afraid?  Were You with her?  Who else was there?  Did she just take Your hand and look back at all of us and wave goodbye?  Is she okay?

“I SAT ASKING GOD, WHY?”

Sitting with these questions and letting them just be in the universe and outside of myself, I closed my eyes and waited.  Suddenly, I had a sense of inner peace and could hear Cathy laughing and clearly saying to me “Gotch ya!”  Her laughter and those words often came when she knew she had one upped me on something- so I knew intuitively that this was a response from her. 

Keeping my eyes closed, I saw my parents, my other sister Mary Jane and her husband Don standing with some of the members of the Community who were significant women in my life and who loved me  – standing with Cathy and they just said “Ann, Cathy is fine, she is with us – with all of us who loved you and she will be okay.”  I was overwhelmed and thought - I’ve lost my mind here!  When I shared this with the Director later that day her words were:  “Ann, you have had a visit from the Communion of Saints…and Cathy is among them now.”

My remaining days of retreat were filled with the gift of looking at death and not being afraid – and I spent time with the following quote from John O’Donohue:

“Death is actually a re-birth.  Where does the soul go?  It goes nowhere (Eckhart).  The eternal world is not some faraway galaxy-but it is HERE.  The dead are here with us, invisible to us, but we can sense their presence.  They are looking out for us.  For the dead, time is a circle.  Eternity is pure presence, pure belonging.  When you are in the eternal, you are outside of nothing.  You are within everything, enjoying the fullest participation. There is no separation.  You are embraced in the purest circle of LOVE.  You are everywhere and you are nowhere.  BUT you are in complete presence – DO NOT BE AFRAID.  (Walking in Wonder)

As I go forward this new year, I choose to live into the deeper meaning of this Maxim as I continue to “see everything that happens as a gift of LOVE.”

-Sister Ann MacDonald, csj