The Gift of Music

Recently, I had the pleasure of attending a Herman’s Hermits concert in Niagara Falls with three others. One of them had won the tickets, which made the experience even more exciting! A Herman’s Hermits album was one of the very first I ever owned, and I have always loved their sound.

For days after the concert, I found myself listening to their songs on repeat—singing along, of course! This experience reminded me of what a gift music is to all of us and what a true blessing it can be. No matter what genre one enjoys, music has the power to uplift, reflect our moods, or even shape how we feel. The melodies can touch our hearts, and the lyrics can speak to our minds.

Someone with a deeper appreciation of music could likely describe this phenomenon better, but all I know is that music has a way of reaching our souls like few other things can.

Thank you, God, for the gift of music and for all those who bring it into our lives.

-Sister Nancy Sullivan, CSJ

Image: Kari Shea/Unsplash

To Work Towards Justice is to Persevere

As someone who spent her life in the heart of Africa, where the sun’s warmth lasts throughout the year, I am fascinated by Canadian seasons and the profound life lessons they carry. My work is to look at the state of the world daily and what a sight it is today. From the grueling violence in the Middle East to the threats faced by Indigenous communities and our natural world, it is easy sometimes to feel as though our world is crumbling, and human rights an unattainable quest. Have we not learnt anything about history, one might ask? Is humanity destined to always repeat the same mistakes, and for injustice to prevail?

The fall season with its gorgeous trail of auburn, copper and crimson leaves dropping on the ground, one at a time, giving way to the long silence of winter, and eventually an astounding rebirth in the spring have been a source of deep comfort in my work on human rights. They remind me that like the seasons, injustice comes and goes, and rebirth is always within our reach. The pursuit of justice is demanding. It asks us to be patient and diligent, to cultivate hope against all odds, to never give up. Just as we know with absolute certainty that spring will come, we must trust that a more just world is possible.

This week I was overjoyed to learn that Brazil had finally convicted two former police officers for the murder of Marielle Franco, a prominent young female politician killed in a drive-by shooting in 2018. Our team in the Brazil office has devoted much of its work to this case. Marielle may not be back, and her family remains forever shattered, but this conviction breaks a culture of impunity that had engulfed Brazil for too long. It took six long years of mobilizing, advocating and campaigning in what seemed like an impossible case for this conviction to emerge. My first thought upon hearing the news was the wise words of Martin Luther King, “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” What a privilege to bend the arc daily, with the support of so many of you, even in what seems like a cold winter for human rights.

To work towards justice is to persevere, to doubt, to stumble and to get up and start again, always guided by those most impacted, breaking the silence cast around the unheard, and casting light on the most forgotten wrongs. It is to look at the falling leaves, and to trust, without the shadow of a doubt, in the return of the spring.

Guest Blog by: Ketty Nivyabandi, Secretary General, Amnesty International Canada

Don’t Pull Down the Shades

If a window of opportunity appears, don’t pull down the shades.

-Tom Peters

 

Charitable organizations have received a welcome late Christmas gift, thanks to a recent decision by the Canadian government. Many seniors and others, motivated by goodwill, traditionally make contributions to their favorite charities before the end of December. However, this year, the mail strike severely hindered their ability to respond to year-end donation appeals. In an unexpected move, the federal government, perhaps heeding the warnings of the ‘Ghost of Yet to Come,’ has granted a timely extension to help offset the disruption caused by the postal delays. After requests from premiers, the government agreed to amend the Income Tax Act, allowing Canadians to claim charitable donation deductions on their tax returns through the end of February.

Image: Michelle Spollen/Unsplash

This extension gives taxpayers more time to support the local nonprofits that rely heavily on community contributions to fund vital social services. It's a reminder that the window of opportunity is still open to contribute and make a meaningful difference. Local organizations that support vulnerable populations are counting on continued generosity to meet their operational costs in 2025. So, in the spirit of the season, consider extending that goodwill beyond the holiday season—help your neighbors, keep the lights on for vital services, and ensure that your tax benefits work in your favor.

Let’s not let this chance slip away—the "Ghost of Yet to Come" may just be nudging you to act while this window of opportunity is still open.

Please note: In spite of parliament being prorogue the CRA will honour the draft legislation extending the deadline for making donations that are eligible for tax relief in the 2024 tax year for donations made before February 28, 2025.

“To help provide certainty as we head into tax season, the CRA is confirming that it will proceed with administering the 2024 deadline extension for charitable donations.”

-Sister Nancy Wales, csj

Image: Steve Johnson @steve_j / Unsplash

Reaching for Hope

A reluctant Facebook user, I received an email from a friend prompting me to view a new group of photos she had posted on Facebook. Below was one of them, an image taken of street art.

My experience viewing it can best be described by the timeless maxim, "A picture is worth a thousand words." In researching this adage, I found that it is frequently attributed to Fred R. Barnard, an advertising expert who first coined it in a 1921 article in the trade magazine, Printer’s Ink. Barnard’s insight suggests that a single image can convey more information than a lengthy description ever could, a point that has only gained relevance over time.

The piece of street art I encountered on my friend’s Facebook is a creation by a mysterious figure, known by the pseudonym Banksy. This English-based street artist and political activist has managed to keep his identity a mystery. His works often demand that the viewer take time to pause, think, and interpret.

The photo above links well with a fellow street artist, Shepard Fairey’s assertion, “Art is an important form of communication.”

Banksy’s work epitomizes this concept, by using visual language to deliver a compelling message. For me his imagery on the wall conveys themes of focus, perseverance, and gradual progress, an invitation for viewers to reflect on hope’s journey of striving and achieving new vistas step by step.

Why Banksy’s graffiti, caught my eye and engaged my reflection, was stimulated, perhaps in part, by “Pope Francis’ designation of the 2025 Holy Year of Jubilee as a time for renewal as "Pilgrims of Hope." which has been on my mind in recent reflections.

I invite you to allow Banksy’s art to evoke in you, your own words and thoughts on hope, proof that, indeed, a picture often says more than words can convey.

-Sister Nancy Wales, CSJ