Sharing a Moment Through the Window

While visiting a Sister in our Care Center the other evening, I was struck by something I witnessed which seemed so very natural.

My friend was engaging through her window with a visitor and his dog as they made their way to visit, presumably a loved one, at our neighbour - St. Joseph’s Hospice of London. Their exchange was warm and one that you would give to someone you had formed a relationship with – even though it was through the window! The dog came up to her window looking quite comfortable at seeing her standing there – almost waiting for his arrival at her window on their visits at least twice each day.

I was struck by her connection made with this stranger – coming to stand beside his loved one, knowing perhaps that this might be the last visit for him and his canine companion. It seemed to me that this stopping point or a place of pause might be to give him courage to go forward, not really knowing what awaited him once inside.

Reflecting on this encounter, I realized that outreach happens quite simply through the window of our home. Meaningful gestures of support and encouragement offered to individuals on their way into Hospice.

A noticeable gesture of intimacy expressed by both the visitor and the Sister without a word being spoken.

-Sister Ann MacDonald, CSJ

Image: Unsplash/Adeolu Eletu

June 8: Best Friends Day

In Canadian society, almost every day of the year has some special event to which it is attached.  Most Canadians know that Christmas is on December 25th and that Remembrance Day occurs on November 11th but how many people know that there’s a whole day set aside to highlight best friends.  The famous British author, literary scholar and theologian C.S. Lewis gives gravitas to the topic, writing,

“Friendship is the greatest of worldly goods; certainly, to me, it is the chief happiness of life”.

Image: Unsplash/juan pablo rodriguez

Friendship has been an innate part of life since the dawn of time.  What is this urge that draws us together in love and support?  How am I attracted to some people more readily than others? With whom do I feel more comfortable and at ease?

My little grandniece is only two years old and often walks to the nearby daycare building with a little neighbour boy and his father.  One day, upon returning home she announced, “Luke is my best friend”!  How was she able to arrive at this fact at such an early age?

When I was in grade four, a group of students were bused about seven miles to augment another school that had very few students.  At recess, on the first day of school, I noticed a little blonde grade-three girl hesitating as we raced to the school yard.  I gingerly approached her and asked if she’d like to come and play.  She shyly nodded her head, took my hand and in no time, we became best friends.  Although our entrance into adulthood and a myriad of life changes drew us apart for several decades, in our later years, we continue to connect and know that the bond remains.

Research points out that there are many levels of friendship.  During school years, students often bond as friends in groups.  These bonds frequently change as late teens proceed to post-secondary education and make new friends.  Next comes career opportunities, marriage etc. where other friendships develop or are merely casual, yet enjoyable.

It is a fact that if we have one or two BEST friends in life, we are considered fortunate.  These are the ones with whom we can be ourselves and unburden our hearts.  They are with us throughout all the vicissitudes of life.  The relationship of best friends is mutual and strong but never clingy or overbearing.  Of course, it is right to have one day a year to pause and thank God for the amazing gift of friendship. Celebrate June 8th by connecting with your best friend!

 -Sister Jean Moylan, csj

Summer Reading With a Disclaimer

Being a reading addict, as I was once described by a friend, I would like to introduce you to Iona Whishaw. She’s my recently discovered Canadian author, born in Kimberly, BC.  Due to her father’s geological work, she grew up in a variety of places including Mexico, Central America, and the US. Her daily life in Kootenay Lake, BC most influenced her writing of the Lane Winslow Mystery Series which began with the engaging novel, A Killer at King’s Cove.

I was first introduced to Iona Whishaw by the audiobook membership service, Audible.  The service describes the novel, A Killer at King’s Cove, as “a smart and enchanting postwar mystery that will appeal to fans of the Maisie Dobbs”. Ms. Dobbs is the main character in Winspear’s series set between WWI and WWII. Earlier, I became hooked on reading her novels and thoroughly enjoyed all seventeen of them which chronicled the life and escapades of Maisie Dobbs.

The positive comparison between Winspear’s and Whishaw’s series was all the enticement I needed to begin the Lane Winslow Mystery Series.  I’m now awaiting the arrival of my purchased used copy of Framed in Fire, ninth of the series of ten, in the Lane Winslow Mystery Series. What will Jane Winslow, this former ex British intelligence officer next encounter?

 Should you be enticed to begin the Jane Winslow or Maisie Dobbs series of novels, I offer you a disclaimer. There is a real possibility of becoming hooked on the whole series. Without hesitation, I advise you to chance it. Happy summer reading!

-Sister Nancy Wales, csj

Generosity of Heart: A Remote Memory

It was 1943 and I was in my senior year of kindergarten.  The Second World Was in the Netherlands was intensifying and most families were focused on safety, the basics of life such as food, shelter and the continuation of education and health care in cities not destroyed by war.

In my Kindergarten class in the mornings, we started off sitting in assigned places. Usually it was girl, boy, girl, boy. Carl Leonard sat next to me in a double seat.  The reason I remember him is because he had lots of energy and found an outlet for it by pulling as many of the girls’ braids as he could reach as well as pulling on their earrings which some girls wore. These silver earrings were usually in the shape of tiny acorns that hung down from their pierced ear lobes.  Despite Carl’s behaviour, somehow, I thought my joy would be complete if I could wear earrings.  Dealing with Carl would be a minor irritation.

Image: Unsplash/Daihana Monares

Instinctively I knew that if I asked my mom for earrings her reply would probably be that one of my ten siblings were in the line-up for such items as hand-knitted sweaters, coats, or shoes. She did not exactly state that, but I knew how the family budget worked.  Earrings were not high on the list of priorities.

I had tried several times to make the earring request to my dad, but the standard reply was “We’ll see”.

One day, somewhat like the persistent woman of the Gospel and the judge (although my case was not so much about justice), I opened the door to our store situated at the front of our house thinking that all the customers had gone.  Ordinarily this move was out of bounds for us children especially when there were customers in the store.  I saw only Dad and after pulling him down to my height I whispered in his ear once again “Could I please have a pair of earrings?”  Just as he had said “We’ll see”, I saw Mrs. B., a regular customer, whom I had not noticed, still in the store. I left, determined as ever to persist in my quest.

The following week Mrs. B came back for her weekly shopping and asked my dad if I could come to see her in the store.  What I obviously did not know and found out much later was that Mrs. B. had inquired what I had whispered into Dad’s ear the week before.  Mrs. B. showed me a tiny round box with the picture of an angel’s head on it.  When she opened the box there was a small pair of gold earrings with a coral stone in each center.  I just could not believe that such earrings existed.  My father thanked Mrs. B. and then indicated I should also do so, which I did.  Only much later did I discover that my father did compensate Mrs. B. for this gift.  What could not be compensated for was the loss Mrs. B. shared with my parents only.

The earrings had belonged to Mrs. B’s only daughter who had died during the war in a bombardment. 

In my reflection on this remote memory, I realized that out of the immense pain of losing her only child, Mrs. B (who was widowed) had found the generosity and courage to gift me with a precious possession of her only child. This paradox of deep and lasting pain which gives the gift and the joy of a child who receives the gift shows the capacity of the human heart to be generative, reach out and create something positive which moves us to Wholeness.

-Sister Mary Vandersteen, csj

The Good Shepherd

In Sacred Scripture, Jesus refers to himself as the Good Shepherd.  What is Jesus’ experience of shepherds?  Wasn’t Jesus a carpenter and the son of a carpenter?  Have you wondered why he calls himself a shepherd?  I have and I can only imagine that he had admiration for the simplicity of life of this humble yet essential profession.  Also, Jesus would have been familiar with the prophet of old who promised a messianic shepherd to the people in the new Israel. (See Ezekiel 34)

Image: Unsplash/Patrick Schneider

We know from Luke’s Gospel that the shepherds were the first to witness the message of the angels and that they would find “in a manger an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes.”  These shepherds were also the first to be abused for spreading the good news in and around Bethlehem.(Luke 2)  They suffered because the good news they spread resulted in the deaths of their own babies in Bethlehem, at the command of Herod. (Matt.2) 

““I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep””

— JOHN 10:11

I can imagine Jesus listening to his mother Mary telling him about the place of his birth and of the shepherds who brought them assistance in their time of great need in Bethlehem.  Maria Valtorta, a modern day mystic, records in her visions that Jesus returned to the place of his birth as a young man where he met some of the shepherds who were still living and who remembered his mother and the unforgettable message of the angels. Maria Valtorta also wrote of seeing these same faithful shepherds mingling helplessly among the crowds in Jerusalem on the day of the crucifixion. They knew Jesus was the Messiah but were as confused as the apostles at what was taking place in Jerusalem.

Image: Unsplash/mahyar motebassem

Jesus loved the faithful shepherds who thought only of their flocks and of keeping them well fed and safe from harm.  Sheep being defenseless and in need of a shepherd is a beautiful image we have inherited of the relationship between God and God’s people. We, like sheep, are free to stay with the shepherd and graze on good food or are free to wander off, losing ourselves in the brambles of selfish endeavours.  It’s all about choosing to have a relationship with a Good Shepherd.  The Good Shepherd says,

“. . .love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12, 15:17)

 -Sister Elaine Cole, CSJ

Header Image: Unsplash/Greg Rosenke