Saint Valentine's Day

I recall with fondness those Valentine’s Days of my youth. How exciting it was to fill out little Valentine cards for all my classmates and then to receive so many in return. Art class was dedicated to making hearts & flowers, cards for Moms & Dads. And of course, there had to be treats; little hearts with messages on them or chocolate, or both if one was very lucky.

The fact that the feast was originally named after the 3rd century martyr St. Valentine of Terni paled with the excitement of the day. History remembers him as a priest, some say bishop, who died at the command of Emperor Claudius II Gothicus because he would not renounce his faith. He is remembered as the patron saint of healing and epilepsy. I’ll share one lovely story of how our practice of sending Valentine cards may have started.

St. Valentine is said to have healed a young girl of her blindness. On the day of his execution legend has it that he wrote a letter to that young girl and signed “from your Valentine”. Sounds like a loving soul, doesn’t he?

May you feel loved and offer love to all you meet this Valentines Day, and maybe some treats!

-Maureen Condon, Associate

Images: Becca Tapert/ Unsplash

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity - January 18-January 25, 2025

As children we were invited to learn what it meant to be Christian: who we believe in and why. As a young Catholic I didn’t know we were Christians! We generally learned about our religion for marks or holy cards in school, stars in Sunday School or pats on the back at home. Memory work is a wonderful skill but when did we start really believing in what we have learned?

The theme this year for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity invites us to answer the same question Jesus asked both Martha and Mary as they grieved their brother Lazarus “Do you believe this?” (John 11:11-26) He was of course asking if they believed that HE IS the Resurrection and the Life. They did.

As children, our knowledge of that phrase was rote memory. As an adult, what is the deeper meaning for me today? What did I learn in the past that made sense or didn’t make sense. What do I truly believe in my heart of hearts about Jesus, unity, resurrection and life now? Do those beliefs guide my daily interaction with all God’s creation?

To start the week of Christian Unity this year I will be joining many others at a Sing, Sing, Sing event at a local United Church; after all, those who sing pray twice! 😊 For the rest of the week I will rest with Jesus and answer, Yes Jesus I believe, help my unbelief; there is still so much room for growth.

-Maureen Condon, Associate with the Sisters of St. Joseph

Image: Amaury Gutierrez @amaury_guti/Unsplash

Winter Solstice

Winter Solstice - December 21, 2024

The people in darkness have seen a great light. Isaiah 9:2

For millennia people have celebrated the return to longer daylight by counting the hours, hosting a feast, burning a yule log, hosting a reflective event, lighting candles; the options are endless. Who doesn’t love daylight. This year, however, my solstice reflection has focused more on the gifts that darkness offers. Recently we have had some stunning night skies. We have had 4 supermoons this year, unusual southern views of Northern lights, several meteor showers and amazing views of constellations. We would have enjoyed none of these were it not for the darkness that amplified them. City dwellers miss out on so much of these experiences because of too much light.

Carl Jung believed that enlightenment comes from becoming aware of our shadow self rather than from imaging the light. Light and darkness for me are two sides of a necessarily balanced coin. On Dec 21st this year challenge yourself to celebrate the gifts of both light and darkness.

-Maureen Condon, CSJ Associate

Image: Kacper Szczechla @wyroq/ Unsplash

Holy Thursday

Jesus, the Christ, was a faithful Jew and so it is no surprise that he gathered together his disciples to celebrate the Passover as had been done for generations.

With careful preparation he gathered them and for the most part He followed the long adhered to rituals of telling the story of the Passover, discussing the story, drinking wine, eating matzah, partaking of symbolic foods, and reclining in celebration of freedom. What a surprise it must have been for all gathered when He raised the bread & wine saying THIS IS MY BODY & blood which was to be offered up within the next few hours. Then he asked them to do likewise in His memory. Do this to Remember Me.

How do you handle change ?

We become so used to doing things in a particular way that when that changes we become uncomfortable, cautious, even suspicious. We’ve always done it this way ! How wonderful it is to see Jesus leading the way by calling us to creatively interpreting our faith and greater fidelity. There is more than one way BE Faithful.

 -Maureen Condon, CSJ Associate

5th Sunday of Lent

5th Sunday of Lent 2024

As we get ever closer to the Easter Triduum the readings greet us with welcome, the reality of suffering with purpose and ultimately hope.

The first reading (Jeremiah 31:31-34) tells us that God is making a new covenant with us, that we will all know our God, that our iniquity will be forgiven. Welcome to the fold!

Hebrews 5:7-9 reminds us of our call to be faithful, as Jesus was, to the unique individual we are called to be. Sometimes answering that call tests our faith. Suffering with purpose!

“ Are we brave enough to accept this invitation?”

For me the Gospel (John 12:20-33) brings it all home. Jesus proclaims the need to “die so as to rise and bear much fruit”. He is troubled knowing the future for him will be beyond difficult but also acknowledging “it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father glorify your name”.

Do I know who I am called to be? Am I brave enough to accept that invitation? How will I live through the challenges knowing I am ultimately glorifying God’s name.

Given the time of year I am deeply aware of the acknowledgement that “unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains a single grain; BUT if it dies it bears much fruit. (John 12:24-26)

May you bear much fruit!

-Maureen Condon, CSJ Associate