Tending Our Irish Roots

Canadians live in a land of immigrants who never forget their homeland. Most Canadians love this great country and have found it to be a peaceful place where they can flourish, enjoy freedom, and educate their children.  However, deep in their hearts, immigrants long to visit their homeland and do so, if possible.  This longing is true in my own family that emigrated from Ireland prior to the Great Irish Famine of 1845-1847. 

My great-grandfather arrived in Canada with his three brothers and two sisters. As a young man, he arrived in Huron County. There, he purchased and cleared land from the Canada Company, married the maiden from across the fields and became part of an Irish settlement that prospered as the generations passed.  

His brothers and sisters settled nearby. Of course, the new settlers missed family and friends in Ireland but visiting their roots was not an option.

Years passed and our grandparents kept the stories of Ireland alive in our minds.  Finally, during the ‘60s, when families had saved sufficient funds, the third generation Irish in my area began to realize their long-held dreams to visit the land of their ancestors. My generation, the fourth, followed suit as we longed to visit our motherland where our ancestors had toiled to make a living under the heavy hand of the British.

Our Michigan cousin, a history buff, researched all things Irish. He and his family made several trips to the Old Sod and encouraged us to do likewise.  In preparation, we studied his detailed outline of our family in the Galway region.

In 2013, I had an opportunity to cross the ocean and bask in the sights and sounds of Ireland. As we landed at Shannon airport, old songs of Ireland once sung around our living room piano, came rushing to my mind.  My heart sang, “Where the River Shannon Flows” as I walked over its famous bridge at twilight.  “Christmas in Killarney” came to mind in that pretty city.  Of course, “Galway Bay” hummed in my heart as I sat on a wooden bench staring into peaceful water surrounded by gentle morning mist.  A few days later, at the end of our bus trip around the famous Ring of Kerry, who appeared coming out of a rest area building but my first cousin Ann and her husband from Windsor.  They too, were exploring Ann’s Irish roots.  We were surprised and delighted!

Now in our sixth generation, my brother and his wife recently took their daughter and son, his wife with baby in utero and their two-year-old daughter to see the beauties of Ireland.  The children are young, but already they have been inducted into tending our Irish roots.

-Sister Jean Moylan, CSJ 🍀

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Header Image: Unsplash/Philipp Baumann; All other Images: The Moylan Family.

The Return of the Eagle

Photo: Gary Viznioski. Gary is a nature photographer who often comes to my property to take photos, especially of birds

The month of March has arrived, and it is the time I begin to watch for the bald eagle’s return to Hay River. The earliest date I have seen one is March 9th and the latest has been March 28th. Although I hear from others that the eagle is back, I wait to see my first sighting. I live beside the Hay River, 10 km from town and 1 km off the highway. My location is away from traffic and provides a serene, peaceful atmosphere. I am blessed that the eagle sits in a tree in front of my deck, almost daily.

Ehndah cho

This week I visited with elder and former chief, Roy Fabian of Katl’odehche First Nations to talk about the eagle. The eagle is regarded with great respect. In speaking with Roy Fabian, he shared with me how his father, Edward Fabian spoke of the eagle. Roy’s father spoke of the reverence and respect for the eagle. Since the eagle can fly so high, higher than any other bird, it is close to God. The eagle flies beside heaven and therefore is very close to the Creator.

2 Bald Eagles in Hay River, Northwest Territories, Canada. Photo: Gary Viznioski.

My encounters with eagles have brought me joy, wonder, and awe. The drive from Yellowknife to Fort Providence takes approximately 3 hours. Along the way, there are many small lakes and large ponds on either side of the road. By the month of April, the ice on these bodies of water has started to thaw. The area of ice gradually decreases as it melts and is surrounded with water.

As I was driving home, I came to one of these small ponds. Driving past it, I noticed a most beautiful sight. Being a very sunny day, the snow was dazzling white, with the water reflecting the sky. Right in the middle of the ice sat a huge bald eagle. The eagle was sitting as if it were soaking in the warmth of the sun. I slowed down, backed up my vehicle to appreciate this sighting. After a prayer of thanksgiving to the Creator, I continued my way, grateful once again for the beauty of creation that surrounds me daily.

Builders and Providers

Photo: Gary Viznioski.

Eagles mate for life and return to the same nest each spring. On the “back road” in Hay River the eagles had a nest. Every spring I would visit the nest to see if the eagles had returned to it. Sometimes the nest needed a bit of repair after the winter. Then, the pair of eagles would be in or near the nest, soon sitting in the nest on eggs, and eventually, I would see one or two small heads in the nest with one parent. The other parent would be sitting in another tree keeping watch or sometimes flying to Great Slave Lake  that was nearby to catch a fish. I would visit the nest many times throughout the summer. If you have seen an eagle’s nest, have you wondered how they are made?

One winter the snowfall was very heavy and there was much wind. By the springtime, the nest had been destroyed by the elements of snow and wind. The eagles had returned and as I drove to the nest one Saturday morning, flying towards me, one of the eagles was carrying a very large stick, perfectly balanced in its talons. The eagle brought the huge stick to the top of the tree, which looked like a “Y” shape and manoeuvred the stick in place. This was the beginning of their new home. A few days later, on the side of the road was a large pile of twigs and small branches. I wondered at this. Did the eagles prepare this pile? As the building of the nest progressed with large sticks, the pile of twigs disappeared becoming filling in between the larger sticks.

Blessing and Gratitude

A few years ago, I was in a time of discernment regarding a possible change in ministry and living situation. After many months of discernment through prayer, guidance from a few individuals whom I trust and who know me well, the time was coming for an answer. I was conflicted with coming to a definite decision and I was aware of my deepest feelings about the situation. One of my “guides” suggested that I pray for clarity rather than for a definite answer.

Photo: Gary Viznioski.

It was late March and I had not yet seen an eagle, although I knew others in the community had seen them. My answer was needed by April 1st. As I sat in prayer, being open to a gift of clarity, I saw the eagle flying along the centre of the river. I was so grateful and thanked the Creator for its safe return. A few minutes later, the eagle turned and flew towards my house. There are three long, narrow windows in my living room which face the river. As the eagle flew closer, it was right at the middle window, flying over the house. This was most unusual. The eagle was huge and the white of its feathers were resplendent! It was as if it paused in flight before lifting over the house. A sense of awe and amazement filled me, but also a deep sense of “all will be well”.  What a gift, what a blessing!

“And He will raise you up on eagle’s wings, Bear you on the breath of dawn…” As I sing these words from the song On Eagle’s Wings, they hold a deeper meaning for me as I remember the words of Roy’s father of the closeness of the eagle to the Creator as it flies beside heaven.

And so, as the month of March begins, I will be watching for the return of the eagles. As they return, I will know and be reminded of the faithfulness and care of the Creator for all creatures. I look forward with openness, anticipation, and expectation to be surprised with the lessons the eagle will teach me this season.

Mahsi, thank you Creator, for all the gifts You have given each of us. May we always walk humbly with respect, kindness, gratitude, and love for all of creation.

Sister Maggie Beaudette, csj

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