Reflecting on the World Day of Prayer

Sister Elaine Cole, left.

World Day of Prayer 2026 was held at Trinity Lutheran Church in North London on Friday, March 6.  The prayer service was prepared by Christian women in Nigeria with the theme, "Come Unto Me".  The program included testimonials of a Nigerian widow bearing the burden of systemic oppression; of a Nigerian woman bearing the burden of religious persecution; of a Nigerian woman bearing the burden of poverty and despair.  The members of the planning committee led the singing of the Theme Song that was written and composed especially for the service entitled "Come Unto Me".  The first verse is as follows: 

Are you down and feeling lonely, are you weary and oppressed, you don't have to be discouraged, Jesus says, "Come unto me".  

The women in the photo are members of the planning team for the event and are from the Anglican, Lutheran, United and Roman Catholic Churches.  Sister Elaine Cole, far left, was a member of the team representing the Sisters of St. Joseph.  You can find her behind the flowers and flags.   

In 2027 World Day of Prayer will be celebrating one hundred years of Christian women from around the world coming together in spirit, uniting on a common day to pray for relevant issues affecting women and children.  Amen!

Header Image: Milada Vigerova/Unsplash

The Energy of March

March carries a vibrant energy of awakening, urging us to shake off the sluggishness of winter. 

The arrival of spring stirs excitement and motivates us to embrace new opportunities.  This fresh energy can be channeled into building routines or pursuing creative endeavors. 

As nature begins to bloom, it reflects the potential of growth within.  This is the perfect time to set intentions for the months ahead and take inspired action toward your goals. 

The energy of March supports projects that require focus and momentum. 

Let this awakening energy inspire you to see the world with fresh eyes.  Whether it is starting a new hobby or reconnecting with an old passion, March encourages you to embrace each day with enthusiasm and curiosity. 

-Sister Ann MacDonald, csj

Image: Alaric Duan | Unsplash

All That A Life Can Bear

This morning, as I sit quietly looking out my window, the sky begins to paint itself deep pink verging on red. The colour bleeds into the expanse of the sky and within minutes, the magic recedes again into blue-grey sky. I know that this will happen again and again for the watching.

As I look down at my iPad, news breaks of war in Iran. The United States have cemented their bond in a joint attack on Iran. The goal explicitly and somewhat confusingly expressed is regime change. People are both exhilarated in the hope of some form of liberation and terrified. They realise that to kill the Ayatollah and a few visible leaders is not the end of a violent and repressive system. The world is holding a common collective breath.

“The world is holding a common collective breath.”

Time to shift and get ready to see my brother who is hospitalized after a stroke leaving his right and dominant side severely compromised. We are close. I watch as he works hard and methodically to open a single serving milk carton solely using his left hand. He lifts the milk carton with the same hard-working left hand and drinks. One more mission accomplished for now.

These three events all within the opening hours of a Saturday morning in late February, 2026. They are clearly not unique to me. They are common in their own way to all of us.

These questions surface:

• How much can the human nervous system bear?

• How much of life can we digest in these short time frames?

• And most importantly, how can we become safety and belonging for and with each other?

-Sister Margo Ritchie, csj

Images: Victoria Morgan/Tim Christopher Klonk/Unsplash

World Day of the Sick

World Day of the Sick

World Day of the Sick will be celebrated on Wednesday, February 11, 2026.  The theme, for this day is, “The compassion of the Samaritan: loving by bearing another’s pain”. 

If you think about this parable in Luke’s Gospel (10:25+), you will recall that the Samaritan who was journeying along the road came upon the man who had fallen victim to robbers.  In the parable the Samaritan seemed bound by conscience to care for the injured man who was in his path.

When I read the passage, it seems to me that it’s not necessary to go looking for those who are sick and who I think might ‘need’ me, but rather it is necessary to notice those whom God places in my path.  This will require that I live fully conscious of those whom God places in my path.  It might also require that I at times must overcome feelings of impatience, or inadequacy, or guilt, or even disgust when approaching someone “in my path”.  It’s not always easy to smile.

I am familiar with the quotation, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”.   I am also aware that love makes sacrifice easy and perfect love makes it a joy.  Reading the words then, living the words, will be the journey of a lifetime.  Ultimately, it is God’s love that I want to bring to my neighbour.  That requires faith and it requires consenting to God’s presence and action in me.  The Saints teach us how to love.  Mother Teresa would say,

“Stay where you are.  Find your own Calcutta.  Find the sick, the suffering, and the lonely right where you are—in your own homes and in your own families, in your workplaces and in your schools.”

-Do Something Beautiful for God The Essential Teachings of Mother Teresa, p.80.

-Sister Elaine Cole, csj

Standing in More Than One Place

Standing in More Than One Place — at the same time.

In 2009, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie presented a TED talk that made the rounds in social media. It was called The Danger of a Single Story and reflected on how seeing from only one point of view or from one cultural context creates a very distorted story of the whole. Certainly, the work of the Truth and Reconciliation experience or Black Lives Matter or the Feminist movements agree with Ngozi Adichie.

There is also its opposite which might be called the Challenge of Holding More than One Story at the Same Time.

Enter 45 year old Mandy Gull-Masty who is the current Minister of Indigenous Services in Canada.

She was elected Deputy Chief of the Cree Nation of Waswanipi during which time she held portfolios in finance, housing, mining and administration.

In 2017, she was elected Deputy Grand Chief of the Cree Nation government.

By 2021, she became the first woman elected as Grand Chief of Grand Council of Cree Nation government representing Cree People in Northern Quebec. During this time she expanded protected lands, advanced a moose conservation initiative, revitalised Cree language and culture as well as promoted transparent governance and economic planning.

Naming all these positions, lets us see clearly that she is well rooted in the story of indigenous history.

In what seems like a sharp turn in the road, she is now part of the liberal caucus that is negotiating an oil pipeline. Many, though not all, indigenous leaders are opposed to such a move.

Ms. Gull-Masty, from indications so far, is a grounded, astute and very articulate leader. Is she perhaps a newer generation of leader learning how to navigate the complexity of more than one story at a time? Is she perhaps a leader who will find a path toward integrity each step of the way?

The building of a new pipeline is not a given yet. The most interesting part now are the conversations, the various points of view, the engagement that is hopefully authentic. It is simply not clear where it will all land.

I for one will be cheering for Ms. Gull-Masty in all the twists and turns yet to come.

 -Sister Margo Ritchie, csj

Image: Javier Allegue Barros/Unsplash