A Grateful Pause

As November 11^th rolls around, Canadians are provided with yet another opportunity to REMEMBER. In recent years, Remembrance Day touches me more deeply than in previous years. Perhaps that is because I’m older and wiser. I’m more aware of the sacrifice brave veterans made on my behalf. I better realize the cost of the freedom and peace I enjoy. On the other hand, perhaps it’s because I’m brought closer to the reality of war through the media. No longer do I see war depicted in movies or vividly described in history books. Now I’m transported to the numerous global war zones by the nightly news. I witness struggles between rivalling people right in my living-room.  The visceral images of these war scenes in real time bombard my heart and increase my appreciation of Remembrance Day. I’m grateful that as Canadians we set aside November 11^tth as a special time to pause and recall collectively those who sacrificed so much for others.

Nancy Wales CSJ

As the Years Roll By

Soon it will be my birthday and the number of my years will turn from an age ending in '9' to one ending in '0'. As this significant (to me) day approaches, I am struck with the thought of another decade over-how is it possible it passed so quickly? A brand new decade stretches before me. What will these years bring? What will my health be like? Which of my relatives and friends will not be here ten years from now? What about my ministry? What will our congregation look like? What will the face of the church look like? What will the world be like?

A part of me is tempted to sit back and watch life happen. A stronger part of me though rises to the challenge put forth by Mary Oliver: 

"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" 

Certainly I have fewer years ahead than years behind but no matter my age there is always the opportunity to choose life. There awaits the chance to do what I can to protect our precious environment, to nurture loving relationships, to reach out to others who have needs I can satisfy and to be a responsible member of my congregation.

The years ahead are chock full of uncertainty but also of potential.  Bring 'em on!

Nancy Sullivan CSJ

What Time Is It?

One extra hour – wow, what a gift!

Unasked for but it has a no return policy. So, how did you use this gift? It must be used or lost forever, and yes, I’m talking about our return to standard time.

There are so many possibilities: I chose to stay up the extra hour in order to watch the baseball game between the Kansas City Royals and the New York Mets. I was well rewarded as the Royals turned the game around in the eighth inning, winning 5 to 3!  An obvious choice is claiming an extra hour of sleep and letting the transfer happen as we dream away – totally oblivious to what is happening. Perhaps you partied an extra hour celebrating Halloween! You may have spent it in prayer for many needs, or in prayer giving thanks for gifts received. Some may have been totally oblivious because they went to bed at their usual body time and when they awoke in bright daylight, would’ve been startled believing they had slept in or missed the alarm…

So you see nothing is as simple as it first seems: however, one fact that is true is that so called ‘extra hour’ is now history.

When daylight saving rolls around just the opposite effect will be in place; we will be losing a precious hour. How will we make up for it? Really, our God has a subtle but humorous wit and we fall for it every time.

“For all things give thanks to God, because this is what God expects of you in Jesus Christ.” (Thess 5)

Tick-toc, tick-toc!

Barbara Vaughan, CSJ 

Everyday Saints

While travelling in the south of France a few years ago, I saw in many shop windows in Marseilles and the surrounding Provence area attractive displays of little figurines. I was intrigued by the colour, shape and variety of these little four- inch people representing a myriad of careers and walks of life. I soon learned that these pottery renderings are known as santons, “little saints” or everyday saints.

The first clay santons were created as crèche figurines by Marsellais artisan Jean Louis Lagnel (1764-1822). His Christmas scenes soon grew to include representations or colorful townspeople as well as traditional trades, activities and costumes of Provence. Their creation has been essentially a family craft handed down from generation to generation. Today santons have outgrown the manger tableau and have become popular, mass produced figurines of ordinary people sold in shops, churches and homes in several countries.

Back in Marseilles, I carefully chose my “dancing lady” from among a myriad of colourful santons and brought her safely home to Canada. She inspired me to realize that we are, in our own unique ways, “little saints”. This awareness has grown within me to the point where seeing the magnificent stained glass saints depicted in church windows leads me to ponder the ordinary aspects of their lives which are similar to ours in spite of the passing years and generations. Yes, each revered saint has made a special contribution to God and society in some spectacular or understated manner. However, daily I see men, women and children going about their lives doing good works while bringing joy and peace to those whose lives they touch. They are all saints too – everyday saints living in our midst.

Be Happy!  All Saints Day

Jean Moylan, CSJ

Still comfortable?

While keeping watch at the bedside of a dying friend, the nurse’s question, “is she still comfortable?” rings out at intervals. Though obviously well intended, oddly, this question jars my soul. How can there be anything 'comfortable' about dying, I ask myself. Like a persistent earworm, I cannot quell the question. 'Still comfortable?' gnaws at my heart.

Caring family and friends surround this woman we love, offering each other comfort during this painful time. There it is again, ‘comfort’. It brings to mind the profound question Paula D'Arcy recently posed during her Kings College lecture, Divine Love in Challenging Times. "What if you can meet pain and find it is a doorway to the real God?"

That is the question, “what if you can?” Life is often not comfortable. We all experience heart wrenching pain and loss at some time in our lives. We all grieve. As Paula reminded us, "grief puts you into a new universe”. What sustains you and me in this new, not very comfortable universe? Do those times of darkness offer hidden treasure? They do, if we let them. When we slow down, our eyes open to look at life, to really see and pay attention to what is there. We will become aware that pain teaches us, that it is a doorway. When we step through it, we will discover that if we really know and walk with God, nothing can defeat us. We will find that divine love surrounds us in those challenging times.

Have you ever used one of those trusty Singer sewing machines? If you did, you will have vivid memories of the intricacy of threading your machine. According to Paula, threading a sewing machine is a great analogy for learning how to thread the machine of our lives. As a young child she was eager to learn how to sew a dress. One day, fabric and pattern in hand, off she went to a teacher in the hope of sewing that dress. Yes, you guessed it. The entire first lesson was devoted to learning the intricacies of threading the machine. It was not comfortable. However, that lesson many years ago proved to be a life lesson on the importance of threading the machine of life with love and compassion. If we thread it carefully with an abundance of love and compassion for ourselves and others, then when the thread on the spool of our life comes to its end, we will cross the threshold with a measure of comfort.    

So here we are, friends gathered at the bedside of a woman we cherish. She is about to cross the threshold into a new life. Over the past eighty years, she has threaded the machine of her life with great love and care. Now she is painfully stitching the last threads of her life’s tapestry. As I watch the slender oxygen tube which makes my friend’s final breaths more comfortable, I am reminded of the thread of her life so intricately interwoven with ours. All is peaceful. There is nothing to fear.

Inspired by the life my friend has lived, I recall a question the great poet Mary Oliver posed, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” Will you thread the machine of your life with love and tenderness? When we do, on that final day, we will find comfort.  

Guest Blogger: Sr. Magdalena Vogt, cps