Jubilee Hope

These recent weeks have produced a whirlwind of unsettling news. Tariffs being announced,  delayed and then re-announced, natural resources being claimed for other countries benefits, national geographical lines of allocation seen as arbitrary, employment In manufacturing swinging in nets of insecurity.

Yet in spite of all of this there is an aura of hope around us, as citizens of Canada pull together to claim a deeper identity, and as provinces strive to create new trade agreements. For some of us this aura of hope is resonating with our faith and particularly in this year in the call for a Jubilee.

Pope Francis designated 2025 as a Jubilee Year of Hope way before most of these uncertainties listed above took shape. Diocesan offices have quickly pulled together resources, planned pilgrimages to historic churches and organized trips to Rome. What strikes me with the greatest intensity is the underlying principle of a Jubilee year.

“The term Jubilee reflects an older Jewish tradition where every fiftieth year the land was to lie fallow, debts were forgiven and slaves were freed. Holy Year Jubilees are now celebrated every 25 years unless a special occasion warranted an extraordinary year be proclaimed as with the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in 2015-2016.”  (info from London Diocese website)

With each Jubilee, advocacy groups focus on the forgiveness of debt. This year a number of groups have come together under the banner Turn Debt into Hope.

I cite a couple of resources that explain this opportunity far better than I. Here is a wonderful video by Development and Peace:

On March 18th a webinar From Ecological Debt to Ecological Hope was presented by ORCIE (Office of Religious Congregations for Integral Ecology).  Guest speakers were Journalist Elton Bozzetto, Sr. Nilva Dal Bello, CSJ Brazil & Dr. Sue Wilson, CSJ Canada, with Sasquia Antunez Pineda, ORCIE Advocacy and Communications Officer. Learn more with ORCIE’s new position paper: Linking Ecological Debt to Global Financial Exploitation. A shorter executive summary is available.

 Let’s continue to look for the signs of hope in our world.

-Sister Loretta Manzara CSJ

Beyond the Pages

Children’s books have a unique way of embedding timeless wisdom within their pages. We often view these books as simple or purely entertaining, but they hold much more beneath the surface. Their stories impart life lessons that resonate long after we have closed the book or grown older. Whether we are learning about kindness from Winnie the Pooh, the unconditional love of being accepted as we are from Corduroy, courage from The Wizard of Oz, or the power of self-belief from The Velveteen Rabbit. These stories have the power to carry messages that transcend time.

““There is no substitute for books in the life of a child.” ”

— Mary Ellen Chase

Do you have a favourite storybook you reread? Roald Dahl captures this sentiment perfectly in Matilda, writing, “Some books are so good, you want to go on reading them for the rest of your life.” My awareness of the lasting impact of certain children’s books was brought home to me during a weekly reflection gathering on zoom.

““Children’s books are not just books. They are dreams, they are wishes, they are lives, they are belief , they are impossible things. And that is what makes them so powerful.” ”

— Kathi Appelt

These childhood tales teach us about empathy, resilience, friendship, and the core values that shape us into who we are as adults. Many of us can still recall the wisdom shared by the fox in The Little Prince: “And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

Have I sparked a memory of a children’s book or a shared memorable reading experience with someone from your childhood? Do you recall a book you enjoyed sharing with your child, a relative, or a student? What made the book or experience so memorable?

-Sister Nancy Wales, csj

Image: Robyn Budlender | Annie Spratt/Unsplash

Palm Sunday Memories

I have wonderful memories of Palm Sundays past. My friend and I for many years went to visit her Dad on Palm Sunday weekend in a rural village in eastern Ontario. The village was small; the parish smaller but the spirit was alive and well. I could see Jesus being very comfortable here riding through town on his wee donkey, a sign of peace rather than dominance in His day.

Sadly, short days later his celebration of welcome turned to one of scorn, the suffering servant was about to be revealed. (Isaiah 50:4-7) He accepted this treatment with faith in His loving Father. With humility, putting others before Himself, (Phil 2:6-11) Jesus submitted to the torture of the cross. Luke’s passion narrative (Luke 22: 14-23, 56) reminds us of Judas’s betrayal, Peter’s denial and repentance, the women’s faithfulness  and centurion’s acknowledgement that Jesus was “this was a great & good Man”.                  

As we move into this most Holy of weeks, let us remind ourselves, daily, of our own faithfulness, our own weaknesses and our belief that Jesus was and is truly our God who loves us especially in our admitted weakness. May you have a blessed Holy Week my friends.

-Maureen Condon, CSJ Associate

Images from Unsplash: Brooke Lark/Alessandro Bellone

Notice the Invisible

Today we are into the second week of April when crocuses have already pushed through the cold dark earth and tulips, and daffodils are inching above ground with the promise of spring.

I did not expect to see snow falling this morning but there it was.  However, as the flakes fluttered and fell, they instantly melted on all the surfaces in sight.

Then I noticed two snowflakes that did not land, no longer fluttered and did not melt.

They were caught in an unfinished strand of a spider web and waved up and down on my balcony for at least two minutes.

I’m left with an inner experience of awe at how what is invisible can capture and take control of the movements of a delicate visible snowflake. 

-Sister Elaine Cole, CSJ

Images courtesy of Unsplash: Julian/