ALL SAINTS' DAY

All Saints’ Day is celebrated in many Christian churches to honour all those deceased who have attained what might be called spiritual maturity whether they have been formally canonized or not.

When I was a little girl I loved reading the Lives of the Saints series. The martyr, St Lawrence, remains one of my favorites because of his bravery and humour. Imagine asking his torturers to turn him over on the spit because he was done on one side. Martin de Porres was another favorite because of his kindness and dedication. St. Patrick, after whom my Dad was named, continues to be well celebrated in my family because of our Irish heritage. The list seemed endless.

To a child the stories of the saints were full of adventure and mirrored what I believed a good Christian life might look like. It was amazing how many different paths took them to be honoured in heaven.

I continue to be grateful for the short reflections available in the back of the Living with Christ periodical. As an adult their stories give me pause to reflect on my own journey to goodness. What might I learn from their experience that will help me to embrace each moment ?

In these days I most often experience the lives of the saints in the people whose lives have touched mine. Quiet pauses throughout the day bring the gift of memories to me of former caring neighbours, listening teachers, discerning priests, loving parents, faith filled friends and justice seeking religious and fun loving relatives. I know they are certainly among the communion of saints.

This All Saints’ Day I will spend time with those closest to my heart who have gone before me but left many gifts leading me act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly towards the God who call us home.

-Maureen Condon, CSJ Associate

National Good Neighbour Day

Originally, National Good Neighbor Day was created in the early 1970s by Becky Mattson of Lakeside, Montana. In 1978. United States President Jimmy Carter issued Proclamation 4601: “As our Nation struggles to build friendship among the peoples of this world, we are mindful that the noblest human concern is concern for others. Understanding, love, and respect build cohesive families and communities. The celebration has since become one of international significance.

Using the occasion of Good Neighbor Day has facilitated for me a most delightful trip down memory lane. Many past good neighbours popped into mind. Let me introduce you to a few.

Mrs. M. our next-door neighbour about 65 yr. ago was very good to 5 yr. old me. What defined good in the mind of this child? Well, she and I traded bird, flower, and animal cards from Red Rose tea. I always ended up with a full set and at that age I couldn’t imagine why she always traded her singletons. Though the cards have long since been donated, her kindness and fun have always stuck with me.

In Ottawa in the 70s many young children neighbours would knock on our door to see if I would come out to play. They wanted to play football because they had seen me walk up the street with one, a gift for the coming weekend. We had great fun until I took a tumble and then they became my caregivers, bringing me dandelion bouquets. Their reaching out to me, then and now, is one significant definition of good neighbour.

Most recently, I have young neighbours on both side of me. We all enjoy gardening and so often chat over the fence and exchange veggies. At most, they are half my age so their interest and willingness to engage with this white-haired lady brings me joy and awareness of what is important to the youth of the day. Their help with the heavy lifting doesn’t go unnoticed.

I often pray in the yard and am stilled by the birds, squirrels, rabbits, the cool breeze, and the shade of the maples. These too are good neighbours and ask only that I watch, listen, and learn from them.

Are all neighbours good? I guess it depends on your definition.

Are all neighbours, near or far, dear? Absolutely! May we pray for and enjoy all your neighbours and strive to be good ones.

-Maureen Condon, CSJ Associate

A Royal Light Bearer

Jesus said to the people: “No one after lighting a lamp hides it under a jar or puts it under a bed but puts it on a lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light.”

Yesterday we celebrated the funeral of Queen Elizabeth – and I would say she certainly is an excellent example of someone, of a woman, who lit a lamp and put it on a lampstand when she was crowned Queen of England in 1953 at the tender age of 25.  On the day of her coronation, she spoke these famous words: “I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.”

Image: Unsplash/Vladimir Fedotov

During her 70-year reign she did not hide her light under a jar but put it on a lampstand letting it shine brightly. I doubt she would have been able to let her light shine brightly all these years, right to the very end of her life, had she not fostered a close relationship with Jesus, who spoke much about the light – proclaiming “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” And in Psalm 119, we read that Jesus’ word is “a lamp unto our feet and a light to our path.” Jesus’ word was the light to Queen Elizabeth’s path all her life. As she expressed in these words: 

“To what greater inspiration and counsel can we turn than to the imperishable truth to be found in this treasure house, the Bible?”

-Sister Magdalena Vogt, cps

National Day of Service and Remembrance

Image: Unsplash/Julien Maculan

Most people remember exactly where they were on September 11, 2001 as the first of a series of planes crashed into the World Trade Centre, the South Tower, the Pentagon and Shanksville P.A. Since then, Americans gather to remember the 3000 innocent victims. They honour and give thanks as well to the countless Police, Firefighters and Volunteers who rushed toward the disaster areas to selflessly offer their help.

Today we are invited to reflect not only on the 9-11 event and their consequences but also on the atrocities that continue to occur throughout the world and perhaps in our own neighbourhoods. A quick glance at any newspaper will draw our attention to a long list: poverty, homelessness, hunger, stabbings, war, tragic deaths. Some days it is overwhelming, I turn off the TV, close the paper and sit quietly listening.

“Listening to God, to the Universe, to the world’s pulse, we trust that healing and whole making energies are released in ourselves and the planet.”

— Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada

What is my role in eliminating such pain where I live? How can I be of service?  Then the Spirit nudges me to recall the bravery of those who have gone before me doing good, volunteering, visit the sick, praying with a friend, smile at people along the way; simple actions but with great potential to brighten a day. I can follow their lead.  Scripture tells me to” feed the hungry”, “cloth the naked”.  I can do that!  Some very wise women encourage me when they say, “Listening to God, to the Universe, to the world’s pulse, we trust that healing and whole making energies are released in ourselves and the planet”.  I believe them and find renewed energy.

What helps you to remain hopeful and helpful?

-Maureen Condon is an Associate of the Sisters of St. Joseph

National Sons and Daughters Day

We Are All One Drum

National Sons and Daughters Day traces its origins all the way back to 1930s Missouri, where a gentleman of the town of St. Joseph took up a young boy’s cause when the boy complained that his mom and dad each had a “Day,” so why shouldn’t he? (https://nationaltoday.com/national-son-daughter-day).  It was designed as a day for families to spend time with each other, to look at and celebrate the differences and similarities of each member. 

While it is a wonderful idea, it originated in a time where family members lived close to each other and were not scattered across the globe as many are today.  Those of us who are aging may not have living ancestors or children to celebrate with; others have chosen lifestyles or vocations that preclude parenthood entirely.  Some also say that though not biologically connected, we have been mentored or ‘parented’ by special people in our soul family or see those we meet as soul siblings. Life and definitions change with the passage of time though perhaps we simply forget old interpretations; after all, St. Francis of Assisi spoke of “Brother Sky and Sister Moon” all those years ago.

Hillary Clinton brought back the African proverb “It Takes a Village to Raise a Child” into 21st Century thinking and brought us renewed awareness that when the concept of family reaches beyond the personal to embrace a sense of the ‘human family’, only then do we care and love at our best. The spark that leads us to this grace-filled understanding may be individual but when we turn it into contemplative action the way forward takes on a Spirit-filled communal impact. 

I spent part of this morning savoring Richard Wagamese’s last book, “One Drum[1].”  His words take a willing reader to the centres of our simultaneously looped human and sacred circle of experience where there is no thought, but connection with the One.  Wagamese teaches that “…we are all one song, one family, one energy and one soul.  For when [his] people say “all my relations” at the end of a ceremony or a prayer, it is in recognition of that truth… We are all one drum” (p.24). 

[1] Richard Wagamese. (2019). One Drum: Stories and Ceremonies for a Planet. Madeira Park, BC: Douglas & McIntyre.

-Susan Hendricks, Associate, Sisters of St. Joseph