Way Beyond the Gift of Her Chromosomes

I was told by my mom that as a child I would sometimes ask, “Do you love me?” Mom admittedly shared that on occasion her reply was, “Off and on.”

I have no reason, whatsoever, to doubt my mom’s love of me. Since her death in November 2011, I continue to experience mom’s presence. I don’t think this is unique to me but similar to the experience of others following the death of their own moms.

My mom, often comes to mind, and I feel her presence when I discover new recipes, fashion trends or books with wonderful stories and I find myself thinking, “You’d like what I found.”

Perhaps, more frequently, her presence is evident in my life through her continued influence on my way of thinking and my manner of being. I inherited so much more of who I am from her than my chromosomes.

Mother’s Day is a wonderful opportunity to offer a gracious thank you for the influence of our mothers or those other special someone’s who ‘mothered’ us and continue to shape who we are.

Nancy Wales, CSJ

THE NOW - TODAY - THIS DAY

Richard Rohr in The Divine Dance asks this question, “Can you be present to this little bit of NOW?” I pondered this question for some time and found myself reflecting on the struggle to stay in the NOW simply because so many thoughts began to swirl in my head. This NOW with its struggles, confusion, questions, wonderings – this NOW with its accompanying certainties, peace and hope compels me to go deep within to listen and let the silence speak.

Living in the NOW is living a transformative, reflective life since we never know how the life of God’s Spirit will intervene and interrupt life. Probably the most powerful experience of this transformative energy happened when my friend, my sister died very suddenly at twenty-one, a time of her life which was so fruitful, enjoyable and carefree. Yet when illness struck her my NOW became a living nightmare as it was for my parents and siblings. Here is a young university student, brimming with life, enjoying her studies, her friends and family when a sudden illness snapped her out of her NOW to a place of mystery, confusion and darkness for her family. And, what about her! What was she knowing? Within three days, her NOW was so entirely different that one can only wrestle with inner turmoil and unanswered questions. Such mystery. When my mother in sheer desperation begged her to live, Nancy rose up, lifted the cover of the oxygen tent and in a very clear voice said, “Mom, I’m going to die, and I’m going to heaven.” I witnessed that NOW! And I will never forget Nancy’s conviction and our sorrow. Such finality. A new reality. An incomprehensible NOW.

So many have had similar frightening and confusing experiences because each day we live in longing expectation, engaging conversations, and activities that are holistic and nourishing. For most, that is the usual pace of life and when the Divine force changes our NOW dramatically, the trauma itself is life changing. We are never the same person. Our NOW is the call to step into the unknown in fear and trepidation or perhaps with excitement. There is no choice. Walk it, we must, and learn to adapt to becoming a new person in the new NOW. It is a journey of discovery and faith.

How would you describe a time of feeling empty? Ultimately living through your NOW – TODAY – is a solo journey in which faith can sustain you until the day you experience light in the darkness and realize you are alive again, in a new NOW which is full of promise. Let faith, friends and family sustain you.

Pat Hogan CSJ

Earth Day 2018

Spring arrived here today, April 20^th, no doubt about it! As I walked in the woods early this morning everything felt more alive! The biting winds were stilled at last, and warmth seemed to emerge from the trees, the trail, the buds on bushes just loosening, and trout lilies were finally poking up on the trail. The robins’ gold-throated singing above me was more vigorous than ever. The sun has been shining all day, and people are shining too!

And Sunday was Earth Day. This year’s Earth Day was for me a relief and a call to hope. What a relief to know that people across the world celebrated our sacred planet. She has brought forth such a magnificent abundance of life forms including ourselves, and continues to nourish us body and soul. Instead of hearing new of the dismantling of Earth’s sacred places and ecological safeguards, we will, at least for a while, were called to be awake, aware and grateful together for Earth, so beautiful and precious to God and to us. How lovely that Spring has come to make this Earth Day even more alive after such long, dark winter so many of us have had!

Thich Nhat Hanh’s little book LOVE LETTERS TO EARTH caught my eye this week. One of the section titles, “Breathing With the Planet”, spoke to me. Following the breath is such a central concept in meditation. Here’s a breathing meditation you could do with Earth, together as One. Become still, close your eyes, and breathe with Earth: BREATHE IN—the oxygen that the trees and green beings are breathing out to give us life, (and maybe fragrance and freshness. . .) BREATH OUT—my CO₂, and my gratitude and love for the trees to breathe in.

Breathe in—breathe out, slowly, mindfully…for a while. An exchange of life. Try it…especially if you can be out of doors. Then remember, this exchange of life is taking place all the time between our Earth and us, whether we realize it or not.

Finally, here’s a beautiful song/prayer you can spend some time with on YouTube. Let yourself feel it: “Song for the Earth” (featuring Jim Scott + Paul Winter Consort) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGBtko4oUX0

Have a beautiful Earth Day, Every Day!

Mary Southard, CSJ

Reflection and Artwork (titled Spring’s Promise) by Sr. Mary Southard, CSJ (used with permission). Mary Southard Art www.marysouthardart.org

Jesus, the Refugee

There once was a stranger in a foreign land. His mother and father had run away with him to protect him from the threat of death at the hands of a tyrant ruler.

As a babe in arms, he did not know the danger that faced him or the challenges his parents encountered. But as a man, he had heard the stories of his youth and the difficulties his family had endured: an arduous journey, a foreign culture, a different language, a longing for family and home, a father having to find work to feed his family and a mother making a home out of what they could carry on a donkey’s back. Hopefully, they had someone in Egypt who welcomed them.

Jesus had a soft spot for the stranger because he was one, even in his own country. As he preached throughout the countryside, in village after village, city after city, he was welcomed by the rich and the poor, the prostitute and the tax collector, as well as the ordinary person. Only in his hometown was he not welcomed.

One day, Jesus was talking to his disciples and said, “When I was a stranger, you welcomed me.” His disciples, confused, asked, “When were you a stranger and we welcomed you?” Jesus replied, “When you did it to the least of my brothers and sisters, you did it to me.”

Since the spirit of the Divine dwells in each and every one of us, let us, through the eyes of love, recognize the face of Christ in others. Now, more than ever, let us welcome the stranger who has reached our shores, the refugee, Christ in our midst.

Associate Fernanda Estoesta, Eagles’ Wings, Chatham

Step Aside Blueberries: Here Comes Haskaps

A new Canadian species of fruit has shown up in our Farmers Market last summer—haskap berries. Haskap is the Japanese name of the Ainu people of Northern Japan for fruit meaning “berry of long life and good vision.” The berry has a very high anti-oxidant level (higher than blueberry), high in vitamin C and A, and also high in fibre and potassium.

The species is native to the boreal forests of Asia, Europe, and North America. When the fruit was introduced to Alberta, Canada in the 1950’s the fruit was very bitter and not palatable. The University of Saskatchewan took on a big initiative of perfecting the species and making it more adaptable for Canadian growing and usage. Today the berry has a unique raspberry/blueberry flavour with a bit of zing to it. The fruit of the haskap plant is oblong in shape with a dusty indigo colour. Besides home usage like juicing, baking, and berry preserving, the food industry is also interested in getting in on the prize for their marketing. It can be used as food colouring, for textile dyes and perhaps someday you may even find it sold as a really good burgundy wine.

The plant attracts few pests, has no thorns, no suckers, tends to fruit when young and ripens very early in the spring even before strawberries. What is interesting about haskap is that it is drought and cold climate friendly. There are at least five varieties of haskap seedlings available on the open market. It is important to know that when planting haskap there must be a pollinator plant close by. For example, say you want to plant five plants of the Tundra variety. There must be a different variety like Boreallis to act as the pollinator for the other five plants. Bees and insects will carry pollen from one flower to another once that arrangement is in place. Because haskaps are the first spring plants to flower they provide a major source of food for bees, flies and other insects.

It is hopeful that someday this berry can grow as plentiful as the blueberry. Wouldn’t that be great if this new species could grow in areas most needed where good nutrition is lacking.

HASKAP VINAIGRETTE

*½ cup crushed berries
*3 tbsp. cider vinegar
*½ cup olive oil
*½ tsp. sugar
*1 tsp. Dijon mustard
*Salt to taste

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend well. Pour into a container and serve on greens of any kind or try it on a wild rice and walnut salad.

Rita Godon, CSJ
On behalf of the Federation Ecology Committee

The Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Canada is made up of three Congregations: The Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada, The Sisters of St. Joseph of Sault Saint Marie and The Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto.