Newsletter - 23 July 2023
GRIEVING A PARENT
Last Sunday Deacon Ted (also my husband) gave a homily on the gospel of the day, where Jesus thanks the Father, “for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children.” What is it that God hides from us learned and clever adults, but children see easily? Since this is a kind of parable, there are many answers to this question, but he suggested one – children know they are loved and a delight to another, especially their mother. This relationship helps the child venture into the world but also provides a secure place to run back to when things get tough. He pointed out that this is a beautiful image of our relationship with God, a knowledge that often disappears as we become more and more learned and clever. Because children are so rich in love it makes it easy for them to accept the love of God.
In the same homily he mentioned that I had just lost my mother in the U.S. I was blessed to be with her and my sisters when she drew her last breath and then present for the funeral which was a true celebration of her life. Ted described an image that I had shared with him that losing the last parent is like a mountain range that had always been there on the horizon but now suddenly disappears leaving a big void.
I heard this from a beautiful podcast that had appeared in my inbox just before I left for the U.S. It is conversation between two Canadian musicians, Steve Bell and Carolyn Arends called “Good Grief: Honouring the Passing of Parents”. There were so many things in that podcast that prepared me for my mom’s passing. Like when I had thoughts like, “why is this so hard? After all she was 96 and wanted to go.” Or “what about people who lost their mothers very young or who have lost a child? My grief is nothing compared to that.” I heard these two articulate musicians say that you can’t compare your grief to anyone else’s. The worst grief is your own grief. This is my mother and my unique relationship with her. Even my siblings’ experience was very different from mine. In the midst of their grief, these two musicians found hope: she is “now more alive than she’s ever been.” They had each composed a song in honour of the parent who had died, and Carolyn’s was especially poignant: “It is my Honor to Cry for You.” Tears are a gift.
I was very moved by the outpouring of support from people in our parish. One person sent me this image by Leonardo da Vinci of St Anne (Jesus’ grandmother), Mary, and Jesus in front of a mountain range. What a testimony to the humanity of Jesus who lived with that mountain range and understands all our sorrows.
Nancy Wood ccn
Focus of the Week
SEASON OF CREATION
1 September to 1 October 2023
1 September is World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. It was instituted by Pope Francis in 2015 as a way to encourage the faithful around the world to pray for our common home. It also marks the beginning of an ecumenical outreach bringing Christians together in what is called the Season of Creation which lasts until 4 October, the Feast of St Francis of Assisi. It is an annual celebration of prayer and action, a time to renew our relationship with our Creator and all creation through repenting, repairing and rejoicing together.
Among other activities, we will be marking the Season of Creation in our parish with a Creation Walk and picnic on Saturday 30 September and a Creation Mass and parish celebration on Sunday 1 October.