The courage to be is the most difficult thing for any human being.
Cornel West.
World Day of Prayer 2023
The artist, Hui-Wen HSAIO, used several motifs that highlight Taiwan’s best-known features to express how the Christian faith brings peace and a new vision to Taiwan.
The World Day of Prayer is a global ecumenical movement that invites people of different cultures and Christian religious traditions to unite in spirit on a common day of prayer each year. This service is usually celebrated on the first Friday of March.
A different country writes the service each year and transmits it globally. This year, the theme, ‘I Have Heard About Your Faith’, based on St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians 1:15 - 19 has been prepared by a group of Taiwanese women. They also composed the music to accompany St. Paul’s message:
I have heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ,
I have heard about your love towards all the saints
I have not stopped giving thanks for you,
And remembering you in my prayers.
Music © Lai, Yin-ting for WDP 2023
The service opens with the greeting: “Pîng-an.” “May God grant you peace, a peaceful relationship with God and with one another”. The welcome follows: “On behalf of the sisters in Taiwan, we would like to welcome all of you to join us today in worship. Through this celebration, we would like to share our experiences with you, and witness God’s wonderful grace and mighty works.”
The Sisters of St. Joseph are included with the United, Anglican, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Roman Catholic Churches in the North Central area of London. Each church has a small planning group, and I am the representative for the Sisters. The area churches take turns hosting the worship service and this year, The Sisters of St. Joseph are the hosts. Due to Covid restrictions, the service will be held virtually. This is unfortunate because it is more meaningful to gather and pray together to fulfill the spirit of the movement.
It has been inspirational for me to participate with the various church groups, preparing and leading those from the area who gather in the host church for the prayer service. It has given me the opportunity to meet and share with women from different church congregations. Hearing about the history, geography, and the customs of the people of the various countries has been a meaningful experience.
Uniting in prayer and spirit through the World Day of Prayer has the potential to change the lives of women and children. The movement’s 100 years of global prayer cannot go unnoticed!
-Sister Loretta Hagen, CSJ
The Return of the Eagle
Photo: Gary Viznioski. Gary is a nature photographer who often comes to my property to take photos, especially of birds
The month of March has arrived, and it is the time I begin to watch for the bald eagle’s return to Hay River. The earliest date I have seen one is March 9th and the latest has been March 28th. Although I hear from others that the eagle is back, I wait to see my first sighting. I live beside the Hay River, 10 km from town and 1 km off the highway. My location is away from traffic and provides a serene, peaceful atmosphere. I am blessed that the eagle sits in a tree in front of my deck, almost daily.
Ehndah cho
This week I visited with elder and former chief, Roy Fabian of Katl’odehche First Nations to talk about the eagle. The eagle is regarded with great respect. In speaking with Roy Fabian, he shared with me how his father, Edward Fabian spoke of the eagle. Roy’s father spoke of the reverence and respect for the eagle. Since the eagle can fly so high, higher than any other bird, it is close to God. The eagle flies beside heaven and therefore is very close to the Creator.
2 Bald Eagles in Hay River, Northwest Territories, Canada. Photo: Gary Viznioski.
My encounters with eagles have brought me joy, wonder, and awe. The drive from Yellowknife to Fort Providence takes approximately 3 hours. Along the way, there are many small lakes and large ponds on either side of the road. By the month of April, the ice on these bodies of water has started to thaw. The area of ice gradually decreases as it melts and is surrounded with water.
As I was driving home, I came to one of these small ponds. Driving past it, I noticed a most beautiful sight. Being a very sunny day, the snow was dazzling white, with the water reflecting the sky. Right in the middle of the ice sat a huge bald eagle. The eagle was sitting as if it were soaking in the warmth of the sun. I slowed down, backed up my vehicle to appreciate this sighting. After a prayer of thanksgiving to the Creator, I continued my way, grateful once again for the beauty of creation that surrounds me daily.
Builders and Providers
Photo: Gary Viznioski.
Eagles mate for life and return to the same nest each spring. On the “back road” in Hay River the eagles had a nest. Every spring I would visit the nest to see if the eagles had returned to it. Sometimes the nest needed a bit of repair after the winter. Then, the pair of eagles would be in or near the nest, soon sitting in the nest on eggs, and eventually, I would see one or two small heads in the nest with one parent. The other parent would be sitting in another tree keeping watch or sometimes flying to Great Slave Lake that was nearby to catch a fish. I would visit the nest many times throughout the summer. If you have seen an eagle’s nest, have you wondered how they are made?
One winter the snowfall was very heavy and there was much wind. By the springtime, the nest had been destroyed by the elements of snow and wind. The eagles had returned and as I drove to the nest one Saturday morning, flying towards me, one of the eagles was carrying a very large stick, perfectly balanced in its talons. The eagle brought the huge stick to the top of the tree, which looked like a “Y” shape and manoeuvred the stick in place. This was the beginning of their new home. A few days later, on the side of the road was a large pile of twigs and small branches. I wondered at this. Did the eagles prepare this pile? As the building of the nest progressed with large sticks, the pile of twigs disappeared becoming filling in between the larger sticks.
Blessing and Gratitude
A few years ago, I was in a time of discernment regarding a possible change in ministry and living situation. After many months of discernment through prayer, guidance from a few individuals whom I trust and who know me well, the time was coming for an answer. I was conflicted with coming to a definite decision and I was aware of my deepest feelings about the situation. One of my “guides” suggested that I pray for clarity rather than for a definite answer.
Photo: Gary Viznioski.
It was late March and I had not yet seen an eagle, although I knew others in the community had seen them. My answer was needed by April 1st. As I sat in prayer, being open to a gift of clarity, I saw the eagle flying along the centre of the river. I was so grateful and thanked the Creator for its safe return. A few minutes later, the eagle turned and flew towards my house. There are three long, narrow windows in my living room which face the river. As the eagle flew closer, it was right at the middle window, flying over the house. This was most unusual. The eagle was huge and the white of its feathers were resplendent! It was as if it paused in flight before lifting over the house. A sense of awe and amazement filled me, but also a deep sense of “all will be well”. What a gift, what a blessing!
“And He will raise you up on eagle’s wings, Bear you on the breath of dawn…” As I sing these words from the song On Eagle’s Wings, they hold a deeper meaning for me as I remember the words of Roy’s father of the closeness of the eagle to the Creator as it flies beside heaven.
And so, as the month of March begins, I will be watching for the return of the eagles. As they return, I will know and be reminded of the faithfulness and care of the Creator for all creatures. I look forward with openness, anticipation, and expectation to be surprised with the lessons the eagle will teach me this season.
Mahsi, thank you Creator, for all the gifts You have given each of us. May we always walk humbly with respect, kindness, gratitude, and love for all of creation.
Sister Maggie Beaudette, csj
Collaboration: Healing for Our Ailing World
There is a little bit of healing in every kind endeavour.
Historically, healing took place in hospitals, in providing education, through the arts and music. As a congregation of religious women, we once did this by establishing hospitals, schools, and initiating programs for the arts, spirituality, and wellbeing. Today we look for ways to join with others in their outreach and service. And we have been blessed with wonderful partnerships throughout the local areas in which we live.
Two of our Sisters, grateful to be able to participate, highlight organizations where they see healing and collaboration.
Image: Unsplash/Alexander Grey
Palliative Care requires skilled medical staff and generous volunteers. Sister Eileen McManus, a retired registered nurse, has been able to return as a volunteer, to the Peterborough Regional Health Centre, after covid restrictions were lifted.
Her three-hour shift provides opportunity to “loiter with intent”, sharing conversation with residents and their families. When someone seeks a lengthy conversation about their illness, the volunteers are there to listen and offer comfort, without time limitations. Gratitude fills the space, both for resident and volunteer.
Collaboration: a fabric made up of the threads of those who provide the hospice space, those who administer care, and the many volunteers who make it a home away from home.
Sister Frances Baker volunteers at One Roof in Peterborough, where dedicated staff and volunteers offer wellbeing to people who are having difficulties coping with life in general. Some guests have lost jobs, others have an addiction problem, some are homeless, others cannot cope because of mental illness, many cannot afford to buy food that will make them healthy, some are teenagers having difficulty finding themselves, others have just been released from jail, and others have been discriminated against because of race or sexual orientation. And still, many others face a variety of social problems.
Image: Unsplash/youssef naddam
To survive on the street requires great ingenuity and courage: living in tents, or sleeping in cars or on the street, seeking shelter for warmth against the cold. Protecting their belongings is a major problem, and there are always safety issues along with all the challenges of daily life.
And so, Frances asks what are the root causes? Why are people falling through the cracks? Why is there not more prevention being done? Why in our rich country do we have people who are hungry? Why is there a lack of grants for Social Work? What future do children have whose parents find it difficult to cope from day to day? There are many questions but where are the solutions?
Collaboration is one small step in healing what ails our world.
Through the kindness of staff and volunteers the gospel becomes visible. The way the women and men who frequent One Roof treat one another and the volunteers reflects the healing power of collaboration.
One Roof – a shelter whose fabric is woven with the collaborative threads of staff, volunteers, and quests, together making a difference.
These are just a few examples of the ways we continue to build partnerships with others. Together we are stronger.
-Sister Loretta Manzara, csj
Header Image: Unsplash/krakenimages
The Mother Tree
The Great Bear Rain Forest in British Columbia, although about one-tenth in size, is comparable to the Amazon rain forest, as one of the greatest contributors to the health of our planet. This forest preserves the biodiversity of our animals and plants, stores carbon, is a source of medicine, and counteracts pollution. Yet, in this forest, the lack of appropriate management and building of dams has resulted in increased pollution, floods, fires, and loss of habitat for animals. Only three percent of this old-growth forest has never been harvested.
Suzanne Simard was born in 1960, a member of a logging family. As a child, she witnessed her grandfather, father, and uncles down trees with hand-held saws, and use horses to drag logs to rivers where men would walk on the floating logs to push them down river and break up log jams with dynamite. Amputated fingers were a common hazard. In addition, building roads through the forest, using modern equipment, erecting dams, and clear-cutting large sections of the forest have caused much harm. The legacy of frequent forest fires, floods, loss of animal habitat, loss of biodiversity, and reduced carbon storage.
In her 2021 book, Finding The Mother Tree, Simard describes her long journey to become a forest researcher, overcome resistance to letting go of harmful convictions and practices, and introduce new forest management practices. Simard’s story is an amazing account of a woman who persisted in following her vision with great courage in the face of much opposition, family responsibilities, and a major health issue. She leaves a legacy of trained researchers and a revolution in forest management. I highly recommend reading her inspirational book, Finding The Mother Tree.
Below is a fascinating video Mother Trees and the Social Forest, in which the author describes her work and the application of research findings that provide hope for the restoration of our forests.
-Sister Pat McKeon, CSJ