Stranded on the Mainland: Inner Pilgrimage and Living Alone as a Spiritual Path:

Today is the Feast Day of St. Marie of the Incarnation.  St. Marie was an Ursuline involved with education in Canada in the 1600's.  But there's more to her than that. Next and as told to me by a modern day Ursuline sister friend a few years ago, St. Marie would teach Indigenous children and students outside on the grass (under a tree) where they felt comfortable and unconfined.  I can relate.  And how relevant this is for all children in the pandemic today.   Continuing. From Wikipedia:    St. Marie was the Founder of the religious order of the Ursulines in Canada, mystic, and writer (born 28 October 1599 in Tours France; died 30 April 1672 in Quebec City Canada.    Her work as a teacher helped to lay the foundations for formal education in Canada-- I won't hold that against her--  I hated school!  She also compiled dictionaries in Algonquin and Iroquois and taught for the rest of her life in Quebec until she died (The dicti...

This post today follows the Pink Spring Moon yesterday evening--  (which I was fortunate to see from my balcony before the clouds rolled in completely.)  That said,  I hope you were able to see the beautiful full moon from wherever you were too. A Pink Spring Moon speak SO PERFECTLY to the heart and hope of the young Feminine.  Which is why this post is also dedicated to 13 year old Emily of Brampton, Ontario, Canada. Pause. Young Emily died at home last week from Covid-19 on April 22, 2021.    I can't help think of my old Emily of New Moon books in storage.   Storage and death feel somehow connected to me?   Next. So who and what is Emily of New Moon for those who don't know yet?   "Emily of New Moon is the first in a series of novels by Lucy Maud Montgomery about an orphan girl growing up on Prince Edward Island. It is similar to the author's Anne of Green Gables series. It was first published in 1923."  (wikipedia).  ...

Tonight we will have a Pink Spring Moon!  The first super moon of the season.   The song I was going to use for this Blog post was "Bad Moon Rising," by Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR).  The tune is catchy and fun but the images are dark and threatening.  I thought the CCR song fit well with the bad Covid-19 numbers rising in my country and around the world.   But in the end I worried the song was too negative for a sweet pink moon.  So I decided against it.  Instead, I found a completely different song from the other side of the world.   It was brand new to me.  Very old.  Unusual.  And particularly beautiful.  It's odd that an ancient song like this one could feel so new, fresh, and full of hope.  "Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new."  (St. Augustine) .  To me it feels like how a pink moon would sound. Then after a chat with Fr. Norm before a Saturday Zoom Gathering at St. Bas...

This Sunday is Good Shepherd Sunday.  To be honest I've never been attracted to images of sheep and shepherds for God.  As a Catholic Christian I have felt really BAD about that.     Maybe it's because I grew up in the city?  Or maybe it's because I love animals so much and struggle with the treatment of them in the bible (all those early blood sacrifices)?   It's hard for me to reconcile a caring trusted shepherd with one who allows the sheep to end up sheared or worse.  I know Jesus was working with the environment in his times, and there were sheep!  But what about today?  What image might Jesus have used today in place of the Good Shepherd? I like to imagine he would have used the image of Medical Officers of Health during Covid.     I'm thinking of Toronto's Dr. Eileen de Villa, or B.C.'s Dr. Bonnie Henry?  Or Peel's Dr. Lawrence Loh ?  Or even the "red-flag-raising" patient advocate doc from Michael Garr...

HAPPY EARTH DAY! "Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22 , 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally by earthday.org  including 1 billion people in more than 193 countries"  (Wikipedia). Tomorrow we will celebrate Earth Day all around the world. So in honour of the day I want to share a favourite poem I wrote after planting a balcony garden: I WONDER Does a garden laugh??? Does a cat look cat look back? Does the ocean feel the wind? Does the sun it worship other suns? Do stars they wish on people? Does the moon it wait-- For earth to fill her night with light? Is the sunset vain? And sunrise shy? Does thunder hear itself? (Cp Harbourfront 1995)

Today is the feast day of St. Agnes of Montepulciano.  That said, I love discovering new saints. St Agnes of Montepulciano is one of those saints. This morning I checked my excellent Catholic Faith Calendar mailed to me this year by a sister friend (couldn't get mine the regular way due to Covid).  In this beautiful wall calendar I discovered that it is St. Agnes of Montepulciano's feast today-- 20 April. Continuing. "Agnes of Montepulciano (1268-1317) was a Dominican prioress in medieval Tuscany, who was known as a miracle worker during her lifetime.  She is honoured as a saint by the Catholic church." (Wikipedia). Next. What struck me about St. Agnes of Montepulciano is that she was frequently called upon to bring peace to the warring families of the city.     I'm thinking of the political and culture wars in my city of Toronto, in the United States, and all over the whole wide world.  I'm thinking of families (including my own) who are estranged b...

This weekend I joined a webinar on Not Being Perfect.  It was perfect for me! I'm sure it was for everyone there. We are living in imperfect, sad, even dire times . Covid is raging in my city of Toronto. Hospitals are overwhelmed.  There is so much uncertainty, anxiety, anger, and fear.   People are on edge.  Things are looking dark.  But what if this is the exact right time for imperfect people to shine! "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it" (John 1:5). Back to the webinar....   The guest speaker I was most interested in hearing this past weekend was the author of the wonderful book, "My Sisters the Saints".  All the panellists were wonderful, but this book and I have a long HISTORY.  We have literally "travelled" together!   Let me explain...   The book, "My Sisters the Saints" was recommended to me by the first (but not LAST!) Sister of Life I would meet.  Was around 2011-2012 I think?...

Today is the Feast of St. Kateri Tekakwitha! (in Canada). To mark St. Kateri's feast day I am sharing a poem I wrote inspired while on Indigenous land.  It captures a dark season in my life.  But one I got through.  I'm sharing it today on St. Kateri's feast because I want you to know that if you are going through a really dark time now, or if you have gone through one, do not lose hope.  Things will get better.  God will use those dark times to help you help others like he did St. Kateri.  Like he did me.  Hang on.  Better yet-- let GOD hang on to YOU.   I wrote Depot Harbour in my twenties when I was struggling with big problems at work, home, and with my boyfriend.  I felt abandoned by everyone, overwhelmed, haunted by some bad decisions, and basically at the end of my rope.  I didn't know what to do?     Fortunately, I had an angel Aboriginal friend who sensed this and took me to what she called her "secret spo...

Today I'm dedicating my blog post to the children and people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines who are suffering in the aftermath of volcanic eruptions.   I'm praying for all the children in the Caribbean (and throughout the world) who are becoming more and more vulnerable to climate change.    St. Vincent pray for the people of St. Vincent-- the Island named after you.   For the children and their future. Cb Amen   https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/c-change/subtopics/climate-change-and-childrens-health/   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLHv_0qhP1o Amen

Yesterday, I remembered something helpful shared with me called, "The 8 C's."  Today I want to share them with you in case they may help you on your inner pilgrimage too. Continuing. The 8 C 's that show us that we are moving towards the True Self.  They are:  Connected, Confidence, Calm, Creativity, Curious, Clarity, Compassion, Courage. It may be good to memorize the 8 C's.  I find the C's I can't remember on any given day are usually the ones I need most. Next. The 8 C's are something to watch when thinking about connecting and reconnecting after trauma.  Maybe you can think of some more C's? Finally: -What makes you not want to connect with someone? -What makes your desire to connect surge and grow?  Cb Amen P.S. Thank you Dr. T for giving me the 8 C's.  

At the time of this update it is (was) Divine Mercy Sunday.  A good day to share this post about a doctor at a hospital in Toronto who has the courage to go on TV and admit he is burned out from fighting Covid-19.  He does this to raise the red flag about overwhelmed hospital staff. As I watch this doctor being interviewed on TVO, I sense barely controlled anger as he speaks about rising Covid cases, overwhelmed hospitals, and governments not listening to him and his colleagues. He talks about how medical staff might soon have to make unbearable life and death decisions about who to help, and who not to help.   Breathe. Continuing. L ong ago I had an abortion in a hospital.  I had to make unbearable life and death decisions: And like the overwhelmed North York General Hospital doctor on TVO, I felt like no one had been listening to me either back then. Unbearable life and death decisions. I close my eyes against a memory trying to surface?  It surfaces anyw...

A couple of weeks ago I interviewed for a provincial government Internship Program job.   I know.  I'm not exactly in my 20's now!  But none-the-less I was invited to apply and am grateful for the invitation.  It was an incredible, amazing, healing, "full circle" moment for me.  Which is why I want to share it.  We just never know what God has in mind around healing and timing. You see when I was just very young woman (basically a kid) I interviewed for almost the exact same job.   It was not a nice experience way back then.    What followed were not nice experiences either; a lot of bad pre-MeToo things happened in that job.  No one really believed me.  I didn't even believe myself until years later when other women started coming forward during the MeToo Movement. A lot of bad things happen to a lot of people at work.  But it wasn't to be the end of the story!      It's almost like God gave me th...

This Easter morning I woke up and went out onto my balcony just in time to see a huge pink sun rising.     No Daily TV mass, no zoom church, no liturgy of the hours told me the AMAZING NEWS.  Just nature. All the masses, psalms and zoom meetings will confirm what Christ in nature preaches.  Alleluia WE are risen!!! Amen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzQtGCw49uc

Today is Holy Saturday. Easter Vigil will take place tonight all around the world. The "Elect" will be received officially and fully into the Roman Catholic Church tonight.   They will become part of a diverse and wonderful ("crazy"!) family of faith comprising millions and millions of people under one night sky.   Thanks be to God for the "foolishness" of their faith, of my faith, of our faith. (1Corinthians 1:18).  This year, for the first time, I will be participating as an RCIA sponsor.  I am so happy.  I'm thinking of this quote below from Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI: "Human life is a journey.  Towards what destination?  How do we find the way?  Life is like a voyage on the sea of history, often dark and stormy, a voyage in which we watch for the stars that indicate the route... Holy Mary, Mother of God, our Mother, teach us to believe, to hope, to love with you.  Show us the way to his Kingdom!  Star of the Sea, shine...

Today is Good Friday.   A hard day in my Catholic Christian faith. Hard days too in Ontario with medical modelling showing Covid-19 surging again. We are about to be "locked down" again for another month.   There's a shooting in my friend's "Jane and Finch" neighbourhood again.  Another child dies, another life is lost again (all around the world). Christ is about to be "nailed to the cross" again.   And St. Therese of Lisieux comes to my mind.  Why Therese?  Why now? Something about prayer being a surge of the heart?  Roses and thorns.  Can we see them, feel them, be with them in our life and others today?  BEHOLD the love of the cross.  KNOW Sunday morning is coming. Cb Amen