Congratulations to Principal Barb Nathoo who last Friday was the keynote speaker for this year’s Lewis Coray Trailblazer Award. This award recognizes young people from the African, Caribbean, and Black Canadian communities. Barb spoke passionately to the importance of celebrating the diversity that is all around us, as we journey forward to greater equity and inclusion.
As the calendar turns from February to March, our area has moved from Red (control) to Orange (restrict) on the Ontario’s COVID-19 framework, the result of the low numbers of new cases being reported. As we progress through this month we hope and pray that April finds us with even lower numbers of confirmed cases. Our combined efforts are making a difference!
As we continue our Lenten journey during this time of COVID, I share Fr. Jim Mockler’s reflection and prayer.
“During this time of pandemic, I’m finding there are occasions when I am not as resilient as I want to be, need to be or think I am. I get a bit more irritable at times and lack patience. When I find myself in that space what do I do? What would you do? Retreat? Reach out? Rest and Renew? On these occasions – and others - there is the chance to accept help and support as well as bring that support to others. God‘s love for us is so great that we have angels all around us – not just creatures from heaven but people through whom God leads us into a closer relationship with him.
Lent, our personal journey into the desert, gives us the opportunity to reflect on the many ways God sends others to be signs of his support. I’m reminded regularly of the people who have gathered around me when I needed them. I received so much strength and comfort simply because I was accompanied. They didn’t do spectacular things, nor did they give any long speeches. They often just sat with me, listened to me as I spoke from the heart and or prayed for me. From their simple acts of love, God’s blessings, strength and grace reached me.
In the same way as others have ministered to us, we can ask God for the grace to be open to go to the people that he wishes to send us to as messengers of his love. It works both ways… we have the ability in these trying times to be supportive of each other. Are we taking time to just sit and reflect these days? How are we caring for ourselves? Do we or do other people make us feel guilty if we need to take time and restore our souls? How do we use every day? Are we keeping in touch with those who nourish us and with those who need our support?
These days can be a wonderful gift. We have daily opportunities to not waste time, to open our minds to newly discovered ways of praying, to nurture ourselves and others as we discern what is most important in this life. Lent calls us to slow down, to listen, and to be present to God and others. What we learn these days will take us far beyond the pandemic.”
A prayer…
Lord, each day your love touches us through the people we
come in to contact with.
Help us to see them as coming from you and be grateful for
the many ways that you reach out to tell us of your great love
for us through them.
Open us to grow in gratitude of heart as well as in the desire a
nd ability to serve you by serving others.
Keep us attentive to where you are asking us to be your
hands, voice, ears and heart in daily life.
Give us the grace to be open to your invitations today and
throughout our Lenten journey.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.