TESTING… TRIALS… TRIUMPH.

Lent is early this year, though occasionally, it can even begin as early as February 4th. For many, the month of February is associated with Valentine’s Day and not with Ash Wednesday nor Lent. Last week on Valentine’s Day, roses and chocolates were tokens of love and affection. On that day of love, did you notice a hint of Lent hiding in Valentine’s Day?  Close on the heels of heart day, having crossed the threshold into Lent, we focus on a different kind of love during the next forty days. 

Even a cursory read of the Bible makes one notice the significance of the number 40. The Israelites wandered 40 years in the wilderness before they entered the Promised Land (Deut. 8:2). And Jesus was tested in the desert for 40 days and 40 nights (Mt. 4:2). Likewise, for us, Lent may well be a time of forty days in the desert. Figuratively speaking, these days many parts of our world resemble a wilderness or desert. Even just glancing at the headlines of a newspaper brings home the state of our world. In the Ukraine, Turkey, Syria, and many other places in our world a calm oasis in this ‘desert’ can be hard to find. At times, it can be equally hard to find an oasis in our busy lives. So, I wonder whether, instead of viewing this season of Lent merely as a time of fasting, abstinence, and almsgiving, we could approach it in a different way.  

Yes, there certainly is room for mortification. However, might there also be room to find beauty in our ‘desert’? For Jesus, the time in the desert was filled with testing and trials. So, he prayed, fasted, and triumphed. This may be sheer conjecture but if Jesus did not have an eye for the beauty of nature, including the desert, would he have said: “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these” (Mt. 6:28-29).

The forty days in the desert were a huge challenge for Jesus, as perhaps this Lent will be for us too. Yet, looking with the eyes of the heart, can we not also find and focus on the beauty in our ‘desert’? In her recent blog, How Does Your Best Self Feel?  Sr. Nancy Wales wrote, “Thinking of one’s best self could engender a desire for creating concrete ways needed to experience your YOU - only BETTER!”

Central to Pope Francis’ message for Lent this year, is the Transfiguration. While he invites us to ponder on Jesus being transfigured, might this also be an invitation for us during this Lent to transform our lives, bringing out the beautiful and best in us? There may well be times of testing and trials. However, with the grace of God we can transform the trials and pain into prayer. Perhaps, as Max Lucado suggests,

““Our prayers may be awkward [and] our attempts feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the One who hears it and not in the one who says it, our prayers make a difference.” ”

— Max Lucado

In his Lenten message, Pope Francis points out that, "We rarely connect Lent and beauty,” but this is what he invites us to do.  During these forty days, let us set aside time to spend in a place of beauty, there to listen to God with the ears of our hearts and be transformed. “Lent is a time of grace to the extent that we listen to him as he speaks to us” writes Pope Francis.  With the grace of God, may we experience our better selves during these Lenten days, and as God’s beloved, joyfully celebrate and welcome the Easter message, “Peace be with you.”        

-Sister Magdalena Vogt, cps      

World Day of the Sick

The theme of this 31st World Day of the Sick, “Take care of him,” is taken from the parable of The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). What thoughts arise in you as you reflect on this theme inviting you to Take care of him? Might your first thought be, who is this he and how would I take care of him, or her? 

We may never have occasion to take care of someone attacked and beaten by robbers, however, we are invited to be in solidarity with all who are hurt or sick in body, mind, or spirit and to pray for them. Recently a dear friend, seriously ill in hospital, described those who were praying for her as her backbone, as hers was crumbling. We are invited to be there for those who suffer. When we embrace be-attitudes, being there for others, praying and visiting the sick, we are their backbone. Through our prayer, we can make a difference in someone’s life.

In his message for this World Day of the Sick, Pope Francis invites “all of us to reflect on the fact that it is especially through the experience of vulnerability and illness that we can learn to walk together according to the style of God, which is closeness, compassion, and tenderness.” As important as it is to pray for our sick sisters and brothers, being good-hearted alone is not enough. It is a good start, but more is asked of us.  We also need to be present and attentive towards those who are ill. Visiting and compassionately supporting them, provides support and consolation in their suffering. 

Besides praying for the sick, offering gratitude to healthcare professionals, frontline staff, first responders, those who provide spiritual healing and volunteers. Holding them in prayer, is equally important. Just think of all those medical staff who spent the last years wearing PPE and battling to save people’s lives.

Many people live in environments that are not healthy, live lives that are not healthy. Let us pray daily for the sickness in our world as well as for our planet which itself is sick. Again and again, we hear that nearly half the planet is under threat. As a friend of mine tends to say, let’s change things by spilling good. Together, let us spill good and pray daily for all those who work for healing and wholeness for our ailing world and all who tend to our sick sisters and brothers.

We would do well to make our own the sentiment of the Quaker missionary Etienne de Grellet:

“I shall pass this way but once; any good that I can do or any kindness I can show to any human being; let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”

https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/sick/documents/20230110-giornata-malato.html

Sr. Magdalena Vogt, cps

Toomuchery

Does the evening news lately leave you in a state of toomuchery? Someone I know, occasionally expresses her state of mind as neither overwhelmed nor underwhelmed but just plainly whelmed. We no doubt all have had our own moments of being whelmed during these seemingly endless days of COVID. Here we are in the summer and finally our state of being whelmed is lessening.  With fewer new COVID cases being reported, we are cautiously beginning to feel that the pandemic is backing off. Still, it’s not over ‘til it is over.

Just as we are beginning to catch our breath, sensing we are finally coming out of the tunnel, the wind is knocked out of us again. Dawning upon us is the unnerving realization that we are entering yet another tunnel. It is all toomuchery!  While offering words of gratitude for the blessing of vaccines, we hear medical experts warning us of more contagious variants. While mask mandates are gradually being lifted, there are recommendations for their reinstatement.  Media sources inundate us with daily reminders that the pandemic is ongoing.  It is overwhelming to hear that this newer Delta variant is now rapidly spreading! On top of that, we hear of multiple other variants raising their ugly heads in some parts of our ailing world.

As if all of this pandemic drama were not enough to keep us off balance, there are the recent wildfires, the heatwaves and droughts endangering people’s lives and their property in parts of Canada and the USA.  Unheard of flooding has caused havoc in Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, and India. Deeply disturbing turmoil in Cuba, Haiti and South Africa bombarded our hearts, no matter their distance from us. How much more can we absorb?

““Toomuchery” – When everything starts to feel like too much”

We struggle. A way to cope is to follow the wise adage, “Where your focus goes, your energy flows.” When overwhelmed, we seek ways to calm ourselves so the energy can flow. Recently, we found a helpful tool to cope during these challenging days.  On Google, you can find “The Brief Guide for Navigating Toomuchery” by Brad Montague, a writer, and the creator of the popular Kid President web series. During these depressing times, Montague wrote a poem about how to handle things when it all becomes too much. With the help of his children, he hopes to bring some much-needed joy and relief to people around the world. (goodthingsguy.com/fun/toomuchery-guide)

In his guide, Montague, recommends the following beneficial antidotes to counter feeling overwhelmed.

• Pause and take a deep, deep breath. Listen to how it sounds.

• Reach out to your friends.

• Absurd times call for absurd amounts of love. So, give lots of it.

When you experience a case of toomuchery, why not try these antidotes which can be self-administered as often as needed.

-Sr. Nancy Wales, csj and Sr. Magdalena Vogt, cps

Paradox

For poet Mary Oliver it was the blue iris that gave her pause.  For me, it is the yellow iris. In her poem Praying Oliver writes: “It doesn’t have to be the blue iris, it could be weeds in a vacant lot or a few small stones; just pay attention, then patch a few words together …” As I stood admiring the tall yellow iris, I patched a few words together.  “I see you have returned in full splendour,” I whispered. Last year, I had stood in that same spot admiring the iris.  On my daily walks these past months I watched the iris bloom and die. During the winter months, this same spot was barren and frozen. There was no sign of the lovely iris.  In April, when warm rays of spring sun thawed the ground, suddenly there were tips of green poking through the soil reaching for light and warmth. I watched these shoots grow tall, eagerly awaiting the first buds, harbingers of the return of the bright yellow crown of the iris. On my walks these days, I make it a point to pause and admire the iris now once again in full bloom.  As it does each year, it took the entire cycle of dying and rising for this lovely yellow iris to bloom. 

While I stood admiring the iris, I recalled what the Danish philosopher, Søren Kierkegaard, observed long ago: “Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.”  Like for the iris, how we got to where are today, depends entirely on the past, that which we have lived. However, we know life cannot go on if we constantly dwell on the past and on things not in our power.  Kierkegaard urges us to keep living for the future, and herein lies the paradox - not only does the past keep looking over our shoulders it lurks right here in our midst.  Yes, we all live forwards but can only understand backwards. A case in point is the recent discovery of the remains of 215 children found buried at a former Indian Residential School in Kamloops, British Columbia. The news of the devastating history of this tragedy left Canada reeling.  The past is never past; it reaches into the present.  While we struggle to comprehend the Kamloops tragedy backwards it surely may be the catalyst prompting us to move forward, to shape a more just and equitable future for this country.

For the first time, this year Canada claimed the top spot in the annual ranking of best countries for quality of life. This beautiful country purportedly with the best quality of life, has a dark history. What a stark paradox. Vacillating between opposites is what life so often is about.  There is the good, the bad, and the ugly not only in Canada but all over the world.  We, you and I, and all people contribute either to the good, the bad, or the ugly in our world.  We each have a choice. 

On June 6 here in London, Ontario, a 20-year-old chose to brutally mow down a Muslim family with his pickup truck while they were out for a walk.  As I write this, the public funeral of the four members of this family is being aired on TV.  Hundreds of Londoners of all faiths came to support the family of the deceased and of the entire Muslim community.  The presence of so many is a witness and reminder that darkness and light so often are juxtaposed. Out of the dark, seemingly barren earth, the beautiful yellow iris grew and bloomed.  It is evident, many of the people here in London are choosing to bring light into this tragically dark moment to birth something new in this land ranked as the best country. 

“The Spirit of God also hovers over us even during these dark times.  ”

Even in this best country, we will always live with paradoxes. There is no need to look afar. Paradoxes are part of who we are.  Thankfully, extremes like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are rare. For all of us, though, facing the paradoxes within ourselves can be a real challenge.  We all know the struggles and pitfalls when we are faced with choosing between doing the good, the bad, or the ugly.  At times we all stumble. We tend to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and hope to do better.  Change is never easy.  Changing ourselves is a real challenge.  Psychologist Carl Rogers, who had great insight into human nature, famously said, “The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.” Easier said than done. 

“isn’t it odd. We can only see our outsides, but nearly everything happens on the inside”

— from the book, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy

We can learn from the yellow iris.  Out of darkness beauty can be birthed.  In the first chapter of Genesis, we read that when the earth was “formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.”  The Spirit of God also hovers over us even during these dark times.  Life will never be perfect, yet we can change ourselves and help to make our world a better place for all.  Earlier this week I came upon these wise words by Parker Palmer, “As often happens on the spiritual journey, we have arrived at the heart of a paradox: each time a door closes, the rest of the world opens up.”  The tragedy of the pandemic, of the 215 children buried in Kamloops, and of the senseless killing of the Muslim family could be a door closing on a terrible darkness. On this side of the closed door, with new hindsight, may Canada and the rest of the world, in Kierkegaard’s words, “live forward” to a better and brighter future for all.  A glimmer of light and hope is made visible amid the darkness.  

-Sister Magdalena Vogt, cps 

The Jerusalema Dance

Have you heard of the Jerusalema Dance or seen it or even danced it?  It may well be that you are not familiar with this dance that has taken the world by storm.  I would say this dance is yet another perfect example of how small beginnings can evolve into something as widespread as this dance.  It all began late one night in South Africa in August 2019, when the musician and record producer Kgaogelo Moagi, known professionally as Master KG, composed the music.  His sister Nomcebo Zikode added lyrics in Zulu to the upbeat music and before long the song Jerusalema went viral.

African people never just stand and sing. As soon as music is played or songs are sung, they begin to sway and dance.  So, it comes as no surprise that a special dance, the Jerusalema Dance was born.  Not in South Africa, but in Angola a fun type of line dance was created to the music of the song.  Interestingly, it first spread to Portugal and then went viral. More than that, it has turned into an international dance challenge, which Canadians in Montreal and Ottawa joined.  In South Africa, for instance, the Jerusalema dance challenge has provided moments of joy for many during the Covid-19 pandemic. Last month, “President Cyril Ramaphosa endorsed the dance craze, [and called] on people to participate in the challenge to celebrate the country’s Heritage Day.” https://www.independent.co.uk

Of all the Jerusalema dance videos I have watched on YouTube I was most impressed by the video the young Kenyan sisters of my Congregation created.  I would like to invite you not only to get a taste of this fun dance but also to see how creatively the sisters showcase some of their ministries.

-Sister Magdalena Vogt, Missionary Sister of the Precious Blood 

 JERUSALEMA (English Translation)

Jerusalem is my home
Guide me
Take me with You
Do not leave me here
Jerusalem is my home
Guide me
Take me with you
Do not leave me here
My place is not here
My kingdom is not here
Guide me
Take me with You
My place is not here
My kingdom is not here
Guide me
Take me with You
Guide me
Guide me
Guide me
Do not leave me here