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Happy Hallowe'en

10/31/2014

Being a Christian is like being a pumpkin.
God lifts you up,
takes you in, and
washes all the dirt off you.
He opens you up,
touches you deep inside and
scoops out all the yucky stuff--
including the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc.

Then He carves you a new smiling face and
puts His light inside you
to shine for all the world to see.

Let us spread this light in all our endeavors.

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What is solidarity?

10/29/2014

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Pope Francis said on a visit to the Varginha favela in Brazil on July 25. “We must never allow the throwaway culture to enter our hearts, because we are brothers and sisters. No one is disposable! Let us always remember this: Only when we are able to share do we become truly rich; everything that is shared is multiplied!”

What is solidarity? A principle of Catholic Social Teaching certainly! But how would you describe it?

Saint John Paul II (1987, Sollicitudo rei socials, n. 38): Solidarity "is not a feeling of vague compassion or shallow distress at the misfortunes of so many people, both near and far. On the contrary, it is a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good; that is to say to the good of all and of each individual, because we are all really responsible for all."

Pope Francis elaborated on what solidarity really means at the first World Meeting of Popular Movements (28 Oct 2014):
“It means thinking and acting in terms of community, of prioritising the life of all over and above the appropriation of goods by the few. It also means fighting the structural causes of poverty, inequality, unemployment, lack of land and housing, and the denial of social and labour rights. It means facing the destructive effects of the empire of money: forced displacement, painful migration, human trafficking, drugs, war, violence and all these situations that many of you suffer and that we are all called upon to transform. Solidarity, in its deepest sense, is a way of making history and this is what the popular movements do.” Read more at "Pope: Every Worker has the right to fair pay."

Peace & all good,
Andrew Conradi, ofs
National JPIC Co-ordinator, Canada.

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Hometown battlefield - PTSD

10/24/2014

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J.P. Cormier is a very popular and well-known singer and song composer, born in the U.S.A., of Cape Breton stock.

This lyric video from JP Cormier speaks to the issue of PTSD that returning service people often suffer from as a result of serving on the front lines of wars.

We encourage you to watch the montage and listen to this thought-provoking song.

Submitted by Jim Milton - thank you!

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The Look

10/23/2014

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In light of recent events here in Canada, I remember a little verse I wrote as a young child:

Listen to the cheerful cry
Of the wolf when he's being sly
But when PEACE comes round the door
You will hear his cry no more.

Even though our teacher, a Sister of Charity wanted more, this seemed to sum it up for me at that time.

Today, it is hard to know who the wolf is but I certainly recognize the wolf within and persistently work to put love first and so tame him. (Please Brother Wolf, excuse the use of your name in this context.)

With that in mind and heart, please let me share a poem with you that I wrote on October 10, 2013 called "The Look", opposite.

Let God work through us for peace in our world!

I pray for all of us
living with a variety of emotions
and ask God to please guide us all
in our thoughts, words and actions
so that we Centre on Love
as Jesus showed us,
as our seraphic father, St. Francis did
and as we can;
so that we believe that those who have lost their lives are resting in peace;
that our political leaders seek to understand
the root causes and motivations
of those who hurt their fellow beings
and help them belong;
that those responsible for news
remember their duty to their readers
and uphold their journalism oath;
and that those who live in darkness and hopelessness
find love and belonging
in our world, today.

Amen.

Sr. Martina, s.f.o., St. Patrick's Fraternity, Montreal

The Look

We passed each other on a retail-busy street
Our eyes locked
But only to see the dark chasm
Separating us

You’ve got THE LOOK!
The look that strikes the fear of the hangman
Wearing his black hood of anonymity
Before he lowers the noose
And releases the trapdoor

I’ve got THE LOOK!
The look that strikes the fear of the Ku Klux Klan
Sporting its white gown of secrecy
Before it burns the homestead
And terrorizes the victims

I stole a sidelong glance
I noticed your black Niqab
I saw nothing but the sombre eye-slit

I could not veil MY LOOK
Scorn, disdain, contempt collided
And robbed you yet again
Condemning without knowing
Convicted identity

Your eyes are windows to your soul
You read my instinctive look
Like a well-known book
Spearing your heart
With a smack in the face
Your dark eyes, unimpressed
Undressed MY LOOK
A tear glimmered
Smudging the kohl
Beneath your eyelashes

My eyes are mirrors of heartlessness
How can we suppose
To impose
Dress codes
As terms of admission?

I challenge myself
To some naval gazing
Historical and personal
To unveil the awful power
Of THE LOOK

I should have known better
I do
I regret
I remember
I resolve to do better
To overpower
THE LOOK

I see that clothes don’t make us
Human
I’ve got to LOOK
You in the eye
With eyes seeing
Engage
With ears listening
And with you
Being
Or we are doomed
To our farcical divide
And ignorance
Reigns supreme.

© Martina Branagan

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10 helpful tips to cope with collective trauma

10/23/2014

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Fred Schubert, sfo, Saint Francis of Assisi Fraternity, Ottawa, sent us a note including 10 helpful tips from a Trauma Therapist colleague of his in Ottawa to help cope with a collective trauma event.

"What always remains our first response to such tragic violence and killing is prayer. Let us be committed to on-going prayer first and throughout this sad time... "As the tragedy of the shootings and terror unfold in Ottawa, we as a community in Canada, must come together to help each other process this information. Our identity as welcoming peaceful Canadians may be challenged in the coming days as the political decisions of our leaders are called into question. We cannot allow the acts of the few to blur our strength as Canadians and citizens as we seek to find a place to lay blame. The blame lays solely with the perpetrators of this terrible act. We will worry it around in our minds because there is nowhere to file it in the memory banks. It is relatively unheard of to have random acts of terror unfold in our country. We may fear for our personal safety; especially for those of us that live and work in the vicinity of Parliament Hill."

Pax (Peace),
Fred

Manage your feelings faced with Collective Trauma

Refrain from racial or religious generalizations that foster hate and fear.

Talk openly to friends and family and co-workers about how you feel when there is an opportunity.

Remember that somewhere in your past you have managed fear and anger before and you will get through this with your usual coping skills.

If you require help coping with your reaction to these events seek counsel from mental health care professionals, clergy and your support system.

Do not be ashamed if you are affected deeply by these events. We all are.

Do not be ashamed if you are affected for some time by these events. Trauma is in the eye of the beholder and no two reactions will be the same.

Refrain from over exposure to footage of the events as this may create future visual or audible triggers to stress reactions in the coming days.

Take the necessary steps to ensure that you feel safe in your community.

Count your blessings so you remain hopeful about your future.

Be aware of any changes in your life as a result of experiencing this collective community trauma and seek help if necessary.

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