Listening Loudly

Unsplash photo/Nick Fewings

To borrow the invitation from a hearing aid company, is it time for Canada to “Listen”?

To what are we called to listen in light of the hundreds of unmarked graves discovered on the grounds of former residential schools? The unmasking of this reality suggests that the general public has been deafened and deliberately prevented from hearing the voices of the Indigenous peoples of this land. This needs to stop.

It is interesting to note how “listening” seems to be a theme that is emerging on several fronts:

Pope Francis leads a meeting with representatives of bishops' conferences from around the world at the Vatican Oct. 9, 2021. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

““Those of us who have benefited from colonization have a responsibility to address the system that has enriched us by stealing the land and lives of Indigenous Peoples. The first steps in this process are to listen deeply to what Indigenous Peoples are saying to us, to open ourselves to be transformed by their words, and to act based on what they are telling us to address injustices.” ”
— These are the words of Associate Professor & Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Environmental Justice Deborah McGregor, an Anishinaabe from Whitefish River First Nation, Birch Island, Ontario.

From just these few examples, we can appreciate that listening is absolutely necessary for a nation, for a Church, to move toward reconciliation and transformation.

So, let’s listen up with open minds and hearts and see if what we hear moves us to genuine action for a better Canada, a reformed Church, and a personal transformation.

-Sister Kathleen Lichti

Sharing in the Beginnings of a New Life in Canada

November 1st will be a day of remembrance for both Sister Kitty and I.

Like elders in families, it was important to accompany our guests to the driveway of our home, as they went on their way this morning to begin their new life in Canada.  It was amazing to see that there was still some stuff that needed to fit into the car along with the parents and 2 young boys full of energy at what was awaiting them a few short blocks away. 

Their journey to Canada began back in mid-August when they got word that they could leave Afghanistan as soon as there was room on an outgoing plane.  With some delays, they were finally inside the gates of the airport and felt safe as they waited 4 more days to be called forward to board the plane with over 1,000 people all sitting on the floor in silence, praying and hoping that the flight would soon begin.  Silence overshadowed any expression of excitement as they all were fearing for their lives and the waiting seem to take forever. On August 27th after 4 days in Kuwait, the family boarded a commercial plane with a flight path to Toronto Pearson.  After landing safely, the family was asked to quarantine for another 2 weeks with only 10 minutes allowed outdoors once a day during this time.

The New Canadian Centre in Peterborough, a settlement agency that works with the Canadian Government to assist Government sponsored refugees is responsible for this family.  Temporary housing was offered in one of the hotels so that the family could get vaccinated and begin looking for permanent housing etc. as well as beginning the journey of learning about Canada and what would be required of them. 

Sister Kitty and I received a phone call in mid-October asking if we could assist with a 4 day stay for the family because the hotel rooms in the city were all pre-booked due to a weekend hockey tournament.  When the 4 days ended, New Canadian Centre asked about them staying with us until the 1st of November when they would be moving into their own apartment.  Offering short term hospitality to refugees was “why we moved back to Ontario in August 2020” – so we were delighted to assist with this request!

As the days went by, the family became more comfortable with us, and it was nice to hear giggles and laughter coming from the two little boys in the basement apartment.  Mom wanted to learn some English while she was with us – and came up to the dining room to learn the days of the week; the denominations of money; the alphabet; the months of the year.  It was evident that she is eager to learn English and is anxious to begin her classes sometime in November.  The children were busy and went to the park nearby often to play soccer and play on the swings.  Dad can speak English and hopes to get registered in the Community College and learn a trade so that he can support his family.

One of the things we learned is that – leaving family members and all of the life they knew was a huge sacrifice yet as the days unfolded here in Canada there seemed to be nothing that could change their hope of providing a safe life for their children and no obstacle was going to stop them going forward.

                   May those who live with us uprooted from their homeland,

                   find a new home in our country where their history is respected,

                   their gifts and graces celebrated, and their fear lessened.

                   May we be their home and the ones who open our hearts in welcome.

-Sister Ann MacDonald, csj

ALL SOULS DAY

Why We Remember…

Today within the Catholic tradition and many other Christian traditions we remember those we have known who are not longer with us as we continue this journey.  In the Catholic Tradition we call this All Souls Day. And we often speak of them as being in the Communion of Saints.  The reflection below is adapted from Doris Klein, an artist and member of the Sisters of St. Agnes.  She writes:

“As we stand on the edge of this sacred journey, the layers of memories and stories [of those we have known and loved] become our teachers.  We wear a coat of many colours, woven of our days and nights of living and loving.” 

Those who are no longer with us have taught us in so many ways how to live and love and have added to the colours of our coat.  They offered us gifts of faith, trust, and courage, which are intertwined with our doubts and fears as we stand between what we have known and what is yet to be.  Today we remember each of them. Their faith gives us courage to continue.  They are our guides and mentors as we breathe into the centre of our being and touch the Wisdom of God offered us though their example and reaching our hearts.  For each of them, we give thanks.

-Sister Joan Atkinson, CSJ

Prayer of the Heart - Christian Meditation

PART II IN A SERIES ON MEDITATION and FAITH

We learned in the last blog that we are born meditators: contemplative prayer, meditation, is found in some form in every major world religion.

Christian Meditation is a tradition introduced by the mothers and fathers of the desert in the 3rd and 4th century and reintroduced to the western world by Father John Main in 1974. The word meditation and its connection with the Latin -  sto in medio, ‘I stand in the center’ indeed means learning to live out of your center. Your center is the place deep inside where God, Supreme Being, Creator, resides - bringing life, beauty, and truth.

When we pray we use the mind and the heart. Most of our training in prayer, however, is limited to the mind which thinks, questions, plans, worries, fantasies.  The heart is what knows – it loves.

We were taught as children to say our prayers; praying was talking to God about needs, desires, wants, ours or others.  But this is only half of the mystery of prayer. When we pray from the heart we are not thinking of God or talking to God or asking for anything.  We are simply being with God who lives in us as the Holy Spirit, the gift of the risen Christ - John 16:7.   It is in the silence of meditation we come to self-knowledge and self-acceptance in God which is a very different kind of knowledge than that which comes to us from other sources. 

Christian Meditation is utter simplicity; it is an act of faith. In meditation we turn the spotlight of consciousness off ourselves. The ego of course doesn’t like being suppressed or controlled.  This is achieved by saying a prayer word or mantra continuously from the beginning of the prayer time to the end.

Practice 

  • Choose a time and place.

  • Honour the time faithfully even though you think you are not getting anything out of it. 

  • Sit comfortably with your back in the upright position.

  • Feet on the floor.

  • Eyes lightly closed.

  • Hands resting comfortably on your lap.                                             

  • Be aware of your breath  and start saying your mantra, prayer word.

A recommended mantra is maranatha, Come Lord Jesus.  It is Aramaic the language Jesus spoke. 

Say it in 4 distinct syllables in sync with your breath – ma ra na tha.  At first it feels awkward but persevere. For further information check out the World Christian Meditation link at  www.wccm.org

Stay tuned.

-Sister Ann Marshall, csj

Sister Ann Marshall works on Christian Meditation in the classroom, in partnership with teachers in the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board.            

Reference: Christian Meditation by Laurence Freeman, OSB | NOVALIS