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

Be a Book Nut!

“Be awesome! Be a book nut!” — Dr. Seuss

As an avid bookworm, I once again find myself engaged in beginning a new series of novels set in England during the World War II period.

I just finished reading A Peculiar Combination on my Kindle while taking a few days to visit my friends in Cincinnati. A Peculiar Combination begins Ashley Weaver’s Electra McDonnell four book series, with number four, Locked in Pursuit, yet to be released until May 2024. It follows up on A Peculiar Combination (2021), the Key to Deceit (2022) and Playing it Safe (2023).

In A Peculiar Combination, Ashley introduces us to Electra and her Uncle Nick. Not wanting to be a spoiler, I’ll just say Electra and her Uncle Nick find themselves working with the initially hard to read Major Ramsey to avoid facing imprisonment. Employed by the British government Electra and Uncle Nick find themselves eager to do their bit for king and country. Thus begins their close calls and the novels twist and turns.

You might want to check out your local library’s catalogue. I found A Peculiar Combination is available at the London Public Library.

-Sister Nancy Wales, CSJ

An Unexpected Encounter

Image: Unsplash/Matt Collamer

This is a story of a friend and his wife who have taken a chance in their town to reach out to the homeless community.  Upon finding there were 20 folks who camped in the subway station each evening seeking warmth and shelter, they decided that they would purchase Tim Hortons gift cards and give them out each morning, so the folks are able to purchase a hot breakfast.  As they continued their morning ritual over many months, the folks began to talk with them, and one gentleman asked about getting a Bible and inquired about seeing a Priest. 

Image: Steve Knutson/Unsplash

My friend obliged on both counts, giving his new friend a Bible, and inviting him to his parish and arranging a time that the gentleman could talk with the Priest.  There was a comfortableness growing between both parties and each morning they looked for each other so they could greet them and wish their new friends ‘a good day’ knowing they would meet again the following morning.  This had become a pattern for my friend and his wife and getting up at 4 am was not a hardship for them.

Feeling more comfortable the gentleman made his way to the Parish and spoke with the Priest a couple more times.  An unexpected thing happened for my friends.  On a morning as usual they went to the subway station ‘cards in hand’ only to be told their friend died in the night.  There was not any further information given.  Imagine the sadness of my friends and the shock they are continuing to live with.

As my friends told me this story, I couldn’t help but think ‘you took a chance with a stranger” and it changed your lives.  This homeless man had received respect and concern from them, and they granted his last wishes for a Bible and a meeting with the Priest.  There is a mystery here of God working within us if we but take a chance and engage with folks we meet on our streets each day.

I read a recent quote from Mirabai Starr:

“Our task is to mend our broken world.  We do this through acts of loving kindness, generosity and hospitality. Our actions count, but our loving thoughts make a difference.  They help mend the world.”

— Adapted from Living School Symposium, Albuquerque NW Center for Action and Contemplation

-Sister Ann MacDonald, CSJ

World Day of the Sick

“It is not good that man should be alone—Healing the Sick by Healing Relationships,” is the theme of Pope Francis' message for the 2024 commemoration of the World Day of the Sick, held on 11 February.

February 11 also coincides with the Feast Day of Our Lady of Lourdes.  It is the anniversary of when Our Blessed Mother appeared to St. Bernadette Soubirous in Lourdes, France.  Our Blessed Mother's many visitations to St. Bernadette resulted in the miraculous waters from the springs at Lourdes where thousands of faith-filled sick have been healed. 

World Day of the Sick is held every year on this date and as a theme for this year, Pope Francis uses the words from Genesis that God spoke after creating the first human, "It is not good that man should be alone." 

Unsplash: Laura Vinck

We are encouraged to seek healing by healing relationships—something our world needs to heed when so many wars are the result of humans not believing that we can live peacefully, together on Earth. 

The operative word is LOVE; not like, or tolerate, or endure, or accept but LOVE where one's focus is on the good of the other.

To learn more about this year's theme you can read or listen to the message from Rome here. 

-Sister Elaine Cole, csj

“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is LOVE.”

— 1 Corinthians 13:13