Saint Peter and Saint Paul

JUNE 29 - Feasts of Saints Peter and Paul

This official Colombian public holiday is a liturgical feast that honors the martyrdom of the Apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Its origins stem from ancient Christianity, with the date being significant as it is the anniversary of either their death or the translation of their relics. Both St. Peter and St. Paul were a part of the 12 Apostles of Jesus Christ.

 What more is to be said about Saint Peter and Saint Paul?  They were two men who lived their lives in accord with the prompting of the Holy Spirit.  When we read of the sufferings they endured while living in accord with the prompting of the Holy Spirit, it gives one pause to take them as models for our own life.

Peter with his brother Andrew were the first to leave everything and follow Jesus.  Originally Peter was called Simon but Jesus changed his name to Peter, meaning Rock.  He was to be the rock on which Jesus would build his church (Matthew 16:18-19).  In the beginning, Peter, along with the other apostles, was told not to preach to the Samaritans or the Gentiles but to go to the lost members of the house of Israel (Matthew 10:5-7).

Paul on the other hand, was called Saul by Jesus and told to stop persecuting Him (Acts 9:4-5).   Saul who was an educated pharisee was at first feared by the followers of Jesus.  By chapter 13 in the Acts of the Apostles, Saul is being called Paul.  The name Paul was more acceptable when he began teaching the Gentiles about  Jesus, the unknown God who rose from the dead (Acts 17:18, 23).

In summary, Peter got his name from Jesus.  However, it seems Paul got his name from the community of believers.  Both men allowed themselves to be led by the Holy Spirit to create a lasting foundation upon which God’s Kingdom is to be built.  Jesus is the cornerstone.

-Sister Elaine Cole, CSJ

Header Image: Unsplash/Ivan Zhuldybin

Charism Connection

Associate Pin-crafted by artist, Marg Maheu CSJ Associate from Sarnia

In the Associate pin, pictured left, the heart is surrounded by deep roots, representing being rooted in God’s love; the tree symbolizes all creation (including humankind); the bridge in the centre expresses the desire of Associates/Companions to connect neighbour with neighbour and neighbour with God.

Recently, on Saturday June 17, 2023 some of the Sisters and Associates of the London Community of the Sisters of St. Joseph (CSJ) gathered with family and friends to welcome four new Associate members.

Associates are lay women and men who form small communities to be contemplatives together and to share in a common mission, one of transformation in and through love.

In the morning, the candidates and team met to step back and prepare to take this final step towards full Associate membership.  

The Charism Connection Ceremony, held in the afternoon, was a joyful celebration.  This celebration is held as new candidates become ready to connect to journeying alongside the Sisters after a process of study and discernment.  

The Sisters and the Associates are drawn together by God's call to live by a Charism of 'unity and reconciliation'.   We recognize the oneness of ourselves, others, and all of creation with God.  We live this out in our everyday lives and in our ministries. We are enriched by regularly coming together in sacred spaces to share our experiences of God working in our lives.  Our practice of sharing the State of the Heart and the Order of the House keeps us on the path originally given to our CSJ ancestors.  

We Associates are nourished by living life in communion with God and the Sisters who give us strength to live counter-culturally in the world.  We are Eucharist for each other, and we are grateful.

-Jean Bowden, Associate of the Sisters of St. Joseph

Interested in becoming an Associate or Companion? More info here.

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Fancy a read?

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I’ve got another great book to add to your summer reading list…Someone Else's Shoes by JoJo Moyes.

Pure chance in a gym locker sends Nisha and Sam home with the other's gym bag; these contain an expensive pair of stilettos and a plain, discount pair of flat shoes with frayed seams.

What happens next dramatically changes each woman's life in many ways, especially in their relationships with and attitudes towards others.  

The plot twists and turns as more characters flesh out the worlds of these two women who literally walk in each other's shoes. ENJOY!

-Jackie Potters, csj Associate

A Summer Read

The Next Ship Home by Heather Webb

Travel back in time to the early 1900s when waves of European immigrants arrive on Ellis Island.  Each group has its own language, culture, and background; yet each person is an individual fleeing untold hardship, hoping to build a better life in America.

Most of the activity takes place on Ellis Island or in nearby New York, a starting point for many.  The realistic situations and the varied cast of characters make for a good story, about the times and human nature.  

It is an engaging look at a time that may have been an early rendition to both the intolerance and warm welcome that Americans offer 'the other'.

- Jackie Potters, csj Associate