A New Year

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.”

Edith Lovejoy Pierce (1904–1983)

Image: Unsplash/Markus Spiske

I came across Edith Lovejoy Pierce’s message while asking Google’s help in finding a adage for the New Year. The poet uses the metaphor that the New Year is a book of blank pages.  As an avid reader, this image appealed to me. We frail earthlings on this fragile planet find ourselves on the threshold of a new year faced with a yet unscripted future.

For most folks a new year holds the promise of a fresh start, the possibility of minor makeovers and the chance for inner renovations. Lolly Daskal, the president and CEO of Lead from Within, offers us a simple framework to ponder how we wish to enter as we stand at the doorway of 2023. Daskal suggests that we ask ourselves and reflect upon six simple questions in taking our personal inventory of what’s what:

•  What should I start?

•  What should I stop?

•  Of what should I do more?

•  Of what should I do less?

•  What should I continue?

•  For what should I be grateful?

I think that Daskal’s last question is most important. It speaks to the energy of gratitude that keeps us going. In a similar vein, Canadian author, Louise Margaret Granahan, in her poem, “Blessed and Blessings”, offers us four important reminders about blessings as we begin 2023:

“We hold blessings tenderly, for they are fragile and can slip away.

We cherish blessings thankfully, for they make the dark times easier to bear.

We acknowledge blessings, for so many others have gone unnoticed.

We create blessings lovingly, for we know God works through us to be a blessing to others.”

— Louise Margaret Granahan

As 2023 unfolds, and we script our days, may we often acknowledge that we are both blessed and a blessing.

-Sister Nancy Wales

“God works through us to be a blessing to others.”

— Louise Margaret Granahan

January 1: Mary Mother of the Lord

“Behold the Slave-Girl of the Lord,

Be it done to me , according to your word” Lk 1;38 

When the angel Gabriel announces to Mary God’s desire that she become the Mother of the Messiah,  we are used to the translation of her reply as “Behold the handmaid of the Lord,” but the actual Greek has a far more profound description of her relationship with God, because she answers,  not that she is a handmaid of the Lord but: “Behold, the slave-girl of the Lord..”

        Εἴπεν δὲ Μαριάμ, Ἰδού, ἡ δούλη κυρίου· γένοιτό μοι κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμά σου. Καὶ ἀπῆλθεν ἀπ’ αὐτῆς ὁ ἄγγελος.

The word doule in Greek means a female slave.  It has no other meaning.

We would all agree that there is a vast difference between a “handmaid” who can choose to obey her master,  and a slave who is a possession of the master and obeys without question, never consulted.

Mary was not a slave, of course, but freeborn. What was she saying to the angel?  I think we would agree that she was telling the angel that for her, she sees herself as belonging to God, so that God has only to tell her what he wants and she is ready to obey in love and trust.

Your own reflections and mine, on this revelation of Mary’s heart, opens out of a profound meditation especially today, as we honor Mary. This is the woman God chose above all others to be the mother of Jesus, and to have the greatest degree of influence over his growth in wisdom and grace. Even though Mary would tell Elizabeth, in all her humility, that she was amazed and filled with wonder that God had chosen someone so very unimportant, the annunciation brings out to us how perfect Mary was for being the Mother of Jesus.

So, now, you may ask, how is it that Mary’s description of herself as “the slave girl of the Lord,”  has become “the handmaid”?  

The answer is found in St. Jerome’s translation.

In 367, when the Bishops across the Mediterranean had finally agreed on the books that would belong to our bible, they called on St. Jerome to translate the Greek into Latin for the barbarians of the west, who did not know Greek. (His translation would be called “the Vulgate” because in those days, “vulgare” meant  ‘ordinary’ or  ‘common”. )

Here is Jerome’s Latin translation of Luke 1:38’

1: 38   dixit autem Maria ecce ancilla Domini fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum et discessit ab illa angelus

which is very well translated into English: 

“And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord: be it done to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.”

“Ancilla”  means ‘a female servant’ or ‘maid servant’ as its main meaning, not ‘slave girl’ as the Greek doule should be translated. “ Slave-girl” is a rare translation of ancilla, and almost never used, and is always found at the bottom of the list of possible translations in any dictionary.

Since the Roman Catholic Church (until Vatican II) allowed only the Vulgate to be used for all purposes, liturgy, catechesis, etc, only ‘ancilla’ was available to translators in the west. And so ‘handmaid’ became the traditional translation, and now, custom.

“To have a heart like Mary, is to surrender our hearts to  whatever it appears God is asking of us, no matter what it might be.”

When we next meditate on the Annunciation, let us hear Mary tell the angel who was waiting for her answer “Behold the slave-girl of the Lord, Be it done to me according to your word”.  To have a heart like Mary, is to surrender our hearts to  whatever it appears God is asking of us, no matter what it might be. We ask, “Lord what is it you are asking of me right now?” and we pray, “Mother Mary, pray for us all today, to have a heart such as yours.”

Sister Wendy Cotter, CSJ

Choosing a Lens for 2023

Many of us at the beginning of a new year make resolutions or set new goals for ourselves. Recently, I had the opportunity to view one of the TED Talks given by Dewitt Jones. Dewitt Jones is an American professional photographer, writer, film director and public speaker, who is known for his work as a freelance photojournalist for National Geographic. The title of his talk, Celebrate What’s Right with the World could easily be adopted as a very worthwhile attitude to adopt for 2023.

“… our vision controls our perception, and our perception becomes our reality” as Dewitt emphasises through his words and photographs during his twenty -minute presentation.

How might our moods and daily lives be altered if we set our personal compass on finding goodness, abundance, possibilities and what is right in the world.

Let’s pick up and use that lens of celebration!

-Sister Nancy Wales, csj

Christmas Message from the Sisters of St. Joseph

Christmas Message  

From the heart of silence leaps the living Word

like the dayspring rising where the dark is stirred

by our hope turned eastward toward the promised light

though the eyes see nothing but the depth of night.

(Genevieve Glen, OSB)

May Divine Love move us ever forward in acts of healing and whole-making.

Warmest Christmas wishes.

May Deep Peace be yours this Christmas Season,

The Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada

A Special Celebration

A Special Celebration This Year

There were twenty of us aged 5 to 91 years, Muslim, Buddhist and Christian gathered for the first time after COVID to celebrate being with one another again or meeting each other for the first time.  These were refugees associated with the Sisters of St Joseph Refugee Committee in Hamilton as well as members of the Committee.

We went around the circle and asked what each was looking forward to over the holiday time.  One woman said, ‘being with friends like you’ before tears began rolling down her cheeks.  Another woman and her son were relieved after becoming permanent residents seven years after arriving in Canada.  At this time last year, they had their plane tickets as they were being deported back to their home country even though they feared for their safety should that have happened. We are so thankful that those circumstances changed and we were able to celebrate together this year!

Everyone brought some food, and the variety was amazing.  Games were played with the biggest hit being the old-fashioned game of Musical Chairs.  Much laughter ensued.

I have the privilege of being included in many celebrations with family and other friends but this particular celebration will hold a very special place in my heart.

Image: Unsplash/Kolby Milton

May we all find and spread joy with being with others, whoever those ‘others’ may be.  This is truly the joy and hope that God promises.

-Sister Nancy Sullivan, CSJ