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

This Palm Sunday

This Palm Sunday, March 24, my daughter Rochelle will celebrate her 52nd birthday.  She was born with a myriad of problems and we were told to put her in an institution and forget about her and get on with our lives. How I had longed for this baby girl and never for a moment did I think she wasn’t a gift.

The advice of that pediatrician was harsh, in keeping with the times, but unthinkable.  I would not leave her orphaned; I would not give her up.  When I decided to follow Jesus I knew without a word of a doubt He would be at my side.  I knew He would help and guide me.  I had no idea what we would encounter, what barriers would be presented, what hurdles we would need to jump.  But I believed that Jesus does not make junk and that all life has value and we would do whatever was needed to support her life.

Her birth for me was the triumphant entry into my life path of following Jesus. Rochelle began my Holy week and my commitment to caring for her in the best way I knew how. I knew that with the power of the Holy Spirit and the assistance of my beliefs we would succeed.  For over 50 years we have been a team, breaking barriers and showing others what God can do if you are open.  Her life has been very challenging, but she has been a leader, she has taught so many others countless lessons.  She has been my greatest teacher in life. Often those considered by many in society as “bụi đời”, (less than dust is the translation) those who live undervalued by society give us the servant leaders our direction. My mother gave a poem to me many years ago that reads.

God hatH not promised skies ever blue

Flower-strewn pathways all our lives through

God hath not promised sun without rain,

Joy without sorrow, Peace without pain.

But he hath promised Strength for each day.

Rest after labour, Light for our way

Grace for all trials, Help from above

Unfailing sympathy and undying love.           

Jesus tells us,

What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?  Mark 8:36

Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.  Matthew 16:24

-Grace King, CSJ Associate

Image: Tim Mossholder/Unsplash

It's All About Love

As a child Valentine’s day was something to look forward to and prepare for; making Valentine cards for family and friends, getting sweets in the shape of hearts. On the other hand, Ash Wednesday was a day for fasting and prayer, reminders of our need for repentance and receiving the ashes to remind us we were mortal. I admit it was also fun to wear the ashes and have the kids at the neighbouring school wondering what we were up to. That these two feasts are happening on the same day this year raises the question of whether there is a gift available in their unusual coming together.

Image: Unsplash/Kelly Sikkema

Recently a dear friend passed away after a long, loving and faith-filled life. While reflecting on her life, the gift of these two feasts became abundantly clear.  It’s all about LOVE. Her life witnessed her love of family and friends faithfully, consistently, and delightfully with kindness, humour and quiet presence; Valentine love if you will. Her deep love of and gratitude to God were made obvious not just when she had ashes on her forehead but by her loving presence not only at church but in her community where she faithfully ministered. Thank you Rose.

As we begin our Lenten journey may we bring with us the gift of our growing awareness of what it means to BE LOVE personified.

-Maureen Condon, CSJ Associate

Communing with a Ruff-Legged Hawk

I would have to say, the biggest highlight of the year for me, was the opportunity to commune very intimately with a ruff-legged hawk this past December 7, 2023. The encounter has forever changed me, having ingrained in me an even deeper spiritual connection to all of Creation. I witnessed the hawk being attacked by a vulture on one of the back roads between Thedford and Arkona, Ontario. As I drove closer, the vulture lifted off leaving the hawk lying on its back on the road. I stopped and approached the magnificent creature with the intent to move it off the road and out of the way of greater harm. When I spoke with it, the hawk looked me directly in the eyes. It felt as if he was looking deep into my soul. The environment around us dissolved and I was witness to all of Creation as seen through the hawk’s eyes. I heard (in my mind) “I see you for who you are.” It was nothing short of miraculous!

Not able to come to a solution about how to help this injured raptor, I placed him on his belly in the soft grass at the side of the road, apologized for being human and unable to help more, and left. Imagine my complete surprise the following day, when travelling the same route, a little head perked up at the side of the road very near the same spot I had left him! Gordon (named for the road on which we met) was trying to eat a morsel of the road kill over which he had been attacked. I pulled over a second time, withdrew a light fleece blanket from the back of the Terrain and approached the bird. He seemed to remember me, the crazy lady who talks to birds. I bundled him into the blanket, thanking him for the second chance to help him get medical care. He travelled with me, nestled against me, fastened under the seat belt with care not to irritate his injured wing. I noticed also that his upper beak had been broken at the tip. This would have made it more challenging to eat, no doubt.

It took a while and a couple of stops to get him to Salthaven Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre where, after a few days, it was determined that his injuries would significantly reduce the quality of his life and that he would not survive in the wild at all. He was released to the Great Beyond on Tuesday December 12th. His spirit soars freely now and I know that he will continue to teach me much over the coming months. Be sure to watch for the release of my second book, Omens of Change, where he has found a new life.

© Laureen Giulian, Author of Moon of Change https://laureengiulian.ca/books/moon-of-change/ 

Reflecting on Christmas 2023

Reflecting on Christmas this year, has repeatedly drawn me back to an image of the kitchen table adorned with a freshly baked loaf of bread. It’s simplicity, promise of sustenance, nourishment, and comfort challenge me as I reflect upon what I am called to this Christmas.

I have spent much of the past year reflecting on hunger and food. Not just the hunger experienced in the pits of our bellies, but in the depths of our souls; that drives us to a downward spiral of greed and endless consumption. In Braiding Sweetgrass, indigenous author Robin Wall Kimmerer speaks of the Windigo, human creatures turned to cannibalism, consumed by insatiable hunger, spread by a bite from one to another. This sinister reality is apparent in the capitalist North American culture where desire for ‘things’ is easily spread from one person to the next, regardless of the harm it can cause to our bodies and planet.

The coming of Christ Jesus, in the form of a baby offers a break to this life-stealing pattern.

The illumination of Luke’s nativity (2: 1-7) in the St. John’s illustrated bible depicts a striking image of a gold column extending from a manger in a stable, to the heavens. In the St. John’s bible God is portrayed in gold. Holding this image with the manger, a source of food and the reminder that Bethlehem literally means town of bread, perhaps explains my focus on bread as an image of Christmas.

Through the incarnation God breaks into the world, bridging heaven and earth, in a profound way. The sacred is made present in the world, in creation, for creation, and through creation. It can be found in the very food we eat that sustains us, nourishes us, and gives life. This is the gift we are given in Christ Jesus.

Significantly, Emmanuel, God with us, is made present in the form of a baby in a stable, to a poor couple uprooted by a decree to be registered that engaged the whole world. ‘The world’ is busily engaged in its own priorities and activities. How many missed the birth of the Messiah? Had it not been for the shepherds’ openness, taking the time to pay attention to the angel in the fields, it may have been missed completely. How many times do we miss God appearing to us in simple moments in the busyness of our lives? How might recognizing God in these moments help still our hearts, and help foster right relationship with God, one another, and creation.

The invitation of Christmas is to pay attention to where and how God breaks into our lives, in surprising and simple ways. Recognizing the sacred that surrounds us fosters our gratitude for what we have. This in turn transforms our hearts towards God, helping fight off our Windigo tendencies, supporting our growth in God personally and as a community, locally and globally. This Christmas may we be able to share the bread that we have each been given, in whatever form it takes, with one another, that we might individually and collectively, grow into Emmanuel. 

-Annette Donovan Panchaud, CSJ Associate

Image: Unsplash/Anne Nygård; Vicky Ng; Jon Carlson.