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

Today is the end of my month-long online Ignatian summer retreat. We just finished a closing prayer session on zoom with the Jesuit fathers India who delivered the retreat. Now because it was on zoom I was able to speak with the priest hosting the zoom meeting.  Actually all I said to him was, "Can you hear me?"   And all he said to me was, "Yes, I can hear you" . He could hear me and he said more than just yes.  For the first time on the retreat tears welled up. I thought the closing zoom session was going to be webinar style. Now here I was gathering and sharing with people from India, Africa, England, with Sr. Teresa who was travelling in France, and a Franciscan priest from somewhere I can't remember.  Pretty amazing! To back up a bit, before our zoom session started my old Jesuit spiritual director came to mind.  I was thinking about a movie he once recommended to me, "Million Dollar Baby." At the time I wondered why would fr. Doug ask me to watch...

Pope Francis will be arriving soon in Canada on his Penitential Pilgrimage for the churches role in Canada's residential school system. It struck me this morning (after starting day 24 of my 30-day Ignatian online retreat) that 20 years ago I was also on a 30 day retreat, Women in Transition, when another pope was about to arrive in Canada:  St. Pope JPII, for WYD 2002. If there are no coincidences in the spiritual life, then this has to mean something. I pray the pope's visit will be a gift to all of us who have suffered trauma, in Canada, the U.S. and around the world. There is a tree, In our country's heart so deep. Lord, is it a destination? Or departure point? Toss a coin. Amen Unsplash  

This summer I am reflecting on some poems I wrote in the summer of 1991.  At the time, I was not coping at work.  And I was struggling with having had an abortion.  My important relationships were not going well.  I felt broken, hopeless and alone.  I felt like a failure. It may sound silly but I want to listen to the young woman who wrote them (me).  I'm hoping it might help me fine-tune my purpose as I approach my 60th year this Fall. Which brings me to the poem below.  Before I give you the poem I want to give some context. I wrote "The Candle" on a piece of long yellow legal paper.  I don't know why I'm telling you that?  I was staying at my uncle Tim's for reasons that would take too long to explain.  I was dating a popular local guy, while I still had unresolved feelings for the father of my child (lost to abortion).  Last week I learned that popular guy I dated (not the father of my child), died this spring. He was 68 years ...

Happy belated Canada Day and American 4th of July. Given all that is going on in the world and in our lives these days, I want to share a wonderful 30 Day on-line Ignatian summer retreat.  I discovered this unexpected gem while googling. I will include a link for the retreat at the end of this blog. I don't know what your plans are for the summer?  Maybe you can't afford a 30-day retreat right now, like me?  Maybe transportation costs and issues are keeping you close to home this summer?  Maybe you don't want to leave your pet behind for 30 days, like me?  Maybe you want to maintain your anonymity and privacy?  Or you have other responsibilities? For whatever reason an on-line 30 day Ignatian retreat may work better for some this summer, I am with you.  Just a couple more things about the retreat. It began on July 1st.  It is already underway.  Previous sessions are posted on-line. The new sessions run daily (nightly on this side of the pond...