Writing Retreat

Today I am going away for a week, on a writing retreat. In anticipation of this, I reflect on a moment of awe that has marked me ever since its happening. One day, as I journaled during my prayer time, I experienced myself writing. It was a moment of awakening in which I knew myself as part of God's Universe of Creative Energy. The experience was one of awe, not at the brilliance of what I was writing, but that I was writing! As I looked at myself with pen in hand, I was mesmerized by the deep reality that I can write. When I say deep reality, I refer not to the fact that I have a gift for expressing myself through the written word, although that is part of it; the amazing depth of this reality comes with the web of evolutionary (genetic, cultural, etc.) connections made by generations of human ancestors that contribute to me/us being able to write, and thus be expressions of God in this way.

Expression through writing is a spiritual activity. It can be spiritual in at least two ways. First, writing can be a way of connecting with God at the inner core of our being. Anyone who journals, writes poetry, novels, history, philosophical musings, or creates in any way, knows to what I am referring. Some call it our authentic or true self, or even 'being in a zone.' In Christian terms, writing can help us access God-in-us. We and others marvel at the beauty and brilliance of whatever it is that we create. But there is more to marvel at than our product! Creativity connects us with something even more basic; that is, our life as human expressions of God. In other words, our capacity for writing and other forms of creativity (pottery-making, singing, dancing, drawing, painting, baking, carving, sports...) point, not only to the products of our creativity, but more amazingly they point beyond us to God and the whole universe of energy that continues to create. We are called to be human expressions of that energy in everything we do. My prayer for this week is inspired by a quote from St. Iraneus:  to be the glory of God as a human being fully alive! 

Walking the Labyrinth

Last evening I walked the labyrinth at St. Luke's Church in Ottawa. It was an incredible experience in itself. But, it also put me in touch again with the 'both-and' of life. What do I mean by 'both-and'? In my last post, I promised to elaborate. For me, I understand the notion in a narrative way. In part, this is because I was introduced to 'both-and' thinking through the work of Paul Ricoeur. However, I have also heard similar descriptions. For example, the other day while listening to the radio, a young singer/songwriter spoke about the distinction between the romantic idea of being a singer/songwriter and the reality. He described the reality in terms of practice, which involves both structure and creativity.

Narrative, or story, involves a combination of structure and creativity, and on many levels. But, I won't get into all of the complexities here. For now, I'd simply like to remind how the structures of genre and sentences shape each author's creativity in story-telling. The same structures (more or less) can be used by everyone, over and over again, to tell any number of unique stories. For example, "Once upon a time..." indicates to listeners/readers what kind of story to expect. The fairy-tale genre also implies an expectation of a "happily ever-after" ending. Since the structure and creativity of stories also involves listeners/readers, the hyphen in the space between 'both-and' is the many interpretations that the same story might evoke.

How is the labyrinth a 'both-and' experience, involving structure, creativity, and interpretation? Well, first of all the structure of the labyrinth is an ancient pre-Christian pattern. It has been discovered in many places throughout the world, often carved into rock. In the Christian tradition, the pattern appears in the tiles on the floors of medieval churches, such as the most famous one in Chartres, France, or more recently, constructed in fields with rocks or sculpted out of hedges of grass. At St. Luke's, the labyrinth is drawn into the concrete floor of the church.

Although there are several different variations on the pattern, an important aspect of the structure of all labyrinths distinguishes them from mazes. One cannot get lost in a labyrinth, nor is it a puzzle to figure out. Therefore, one need not think too much when walking a labyrinth, the experience is enough.

Experience brings us to the creative aspect of the labyrinth, which involves the unique journey undertaken by each one. Walking the labyrinth is not a mechanical, repetitive experience. It is akin to the experience of one's life journey, with lots of twists and turns, pauses along the way, encounters with and making space for others, etc. Even though we brush shoulders with many others every day, no one experiences life in quite the same way. Neither is one life the same each day. Similarly, each person enters the labyrinth with a particular intention, unique and known only to them, and each time one walks the labyrinth it is a new experience.

Finally, experience brings us to the interpretative part of walking the labyrinth. Some of the offerings I received include insights into non-dualism, journey, and Alpha/Omega:

• Non-dualism. By this I mean that difference is not hierarchical (either-or) in a labyrinth. Although each one enters at a different moment in time, once inside it is impossible to distinguish who is first and last, or who is more or less advanced along the way. These categories find no place in a labyrinth. Each one is walking their unique journey together with all the others. 
• Journey. Although the labyrinth is not a puzzle, it's turns do not allow one to perceive where they are on the journey. The focus is not on the beginning or end, but the unfolding of a process. This helps to slow one down and to ground one in the present moment. However, there is also a beginning and an end. 
• Alpha/Omega (beginning/end). One enters the labyrinth in a certain moment in time. Upon reaching the center, it becomes obvious that the journey begun is not complete. The centre, which at first appears to be the end goal, is actually a space for pause. One pauses at the centre to receive and to give. Then one turns, in a renewed way, to continue the journey back to the reality of where one began. The end is also the beginning. This is because the journey between beginning and end is never complete, and each one is always in process of learning and becoming a new person. 

So, that is my description today of the 'both-and-ness' of life as learned through narrative and the labyrinth! My thanks goes out to Veena and to India. Without either, my life journey would not have brought me to St. Luke's labyrinth, at least not in this way. 

Process: Love and Perseverance

Many years ago, at the very beginning of my life as a religious sister, an old nun welcomed me and wished me "perseverance." Perseverance! Why would I want that? Anger flared up in me at the mention of the word, because at the time it felt like she was welcoming me to a life of suffering, and hoping that I would stick with it. But, I was choosing religious life because I felt loved by God, was convinced of God's love for all, and wanted to share that with others in a life of joy and service. Why would I choose a way of life for which I would need perseverance? "All you need is love!"

Write a book and learn what perseverance really is! My doctoral dissertation is teaching me a lot about it. Perseverance is all about process and sticking with it. I remember helping teens prepare for Confirmation, years ago. We used various symbols to learn about the gifts and fruits of the Spirit (virtues or positive human qualities). Faithfulness was symbolized by chewing gum, to remind us of the tasty human quality of "stick-with-it-ness!"

There are many ways to learn about and develop one's capacity to stick-with-it, which includes love AND perseverance. Both-And. Writing a book is one way to live and learn how to love and persevere with something. In current lingo, we call it the ability to stay in the process. Not only is writing a book a good way to actually live in process, it can help us understand a lot in general  about the both-and of life.

Narrative, in particular, helps us to understand our actual living and learning about the both-and of life. I haven't yet written anything about why I've called this blog, "Sombreness Sunlit: The Both-And of Life." My next few entries will be about this topic."

                                                                                                      

Spirit of Tree

While on vacation in Nova Scotia last week, I saw the spirit of this tree come to greet me. Can you see it? Normally, we can't see spirit, we can only know that it is there because of the dynamic aspect of life, such as the growth and transformation that connects all life and makes each being what and who they are. The spirit of life is what Emily Carr painted, especially in the latter years of her painting career. We can't observe spirit directly, we can only get hints of it through things like movement, change, darkness and light, like Emily shows in Sombreness Sunlit. The spirit of life is the unobservable, but necessary aspect of all living beings. Spirit weaves together all that we can observe and all that we can't see, with our particular experience of life, to create meaning. For example, I saw the tree in this picture and recognized it as I do all trees, but only in an objective way. This is the learned activity of identification of things that we are taught as children. But each tree is not all other trees. The particular tree in this photo reveals spirit to me by showing itself to me in a way that no other tree has. Not only did this tree show me its dynamic spirit in order to share its own experience of connectedness to all life and its particular, innate meaningfulness, this tree reminds me that by our very existence all beings and all life communicate connectedness to the whole and unique, innate meaning. We have only to look, listen, be grateful, and love Life. I love being with trees!

A Year Later

It is hard to believe that a year has gone by since we were in India. The experiences are still so alive and a year has not been enough time to integrate the abundant gift that India is in my life. The people, the landscapes, the climate, the food, the smells, ..., the life. Yes, the LIFE! I am so grateful to my sisters for welcoming me into the richness, the diversity, the extremes, the complexities, the simplicity. You are forever in my heart.

I Love Darjeeling!

My trip to India comprised of three parts: presenting on a panel at Women's Worlds Congress 2014, visiting some RSCJ communities and learning about their lives and work, and finally realizing a long-held dream to visit Darjeeling. Why has Darjeeling been a dream for me? It began when I was seven years old and first met my mother's uncle, Jack Prendergast, a Jesuit priest. During one of his home visits I heard him speak of the Queen of the Hills and the beauty of the people. Something about him and the way he shared about his life intrigued and captured my imagination. I decided when I was seven years old that one day, I would see this place. I had hoped to visit when he was alive, but since he died suddenly in the 1970's that was not possible. Instead, I visited his burial site, the places he lived, met people who knew him and listened to their stories. Now I have an experience of my grand-uncle Jack in the place he loved and where he lived for half his life. However, the experience was also so much more.

Jack Prendergast, affectionately called Prendie by his Jesuit colleagues, was my maternal grandmother's brother. He was among the first five Canadian Jesuits to go to Darjeeling. They were invited in the 1940's by Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister, to come to Darjeeling as educators. This photo was taken in Montreal, Canada just prior to their departure. My grand-uncle is dressed in white on the far right.

Day 1 - Arrival in Bagdogra

The Jesuits of the Darjeeling Province warmly welcomed me into their midst, meeting me at the Bagdogra airport and arranging for my travel and accommodation in Darjeeling. I spent the first day at their Provincial House, the Jisu Prabhu Residence. Jisu is the Hindi word for male God, and Prabhu means Supreme Lord, or God.

While at Jisu Prabhu Residence, I met the Jesuit novice masters in India who happened to be gathering for a meeting.

Beside the Provincial House is the Jesuit-run Jesu Ashram, a hospital for the destitute. There are three sections: general medicine, tuberculosis, and leprosy. The HIV-Aids section recently had to close due to government funding cuts. An English translation of ashram is related to liberation and shelter.

Behind Jisu Prabhu Residence are tea gardens. Tea grows on the plains and in the hills, giving a variety of tastes.

Day 2 - Travel to Darjeeling
Bagdogra to Darjeeling is 65 kilmeters (40 miles), but is about a three-hour drive up into the hills. In those three hours, one travels from the plains of Siliguri/Bagdogra, approximately 400 feet above sea level, to the mountains of Darjeeling, 7000 feet above sea level, with Ghum being the highest point at 7500 feet. The road is narrow, windy, and full of potholes in places due to monsoon rains.

Travelling on the plains elephants are a common sight, especially at night. They have the right of way on the road! Unfortunately, I did not see one.

                 However, I did see monkeys along the way!


Along the route to Darjeeling we stopped in Kurseong at a shrine to Our Lady of Lourdes, which is beside the former Jesuit theologate. The theologate building was taken over by the government for use as a centre for forestry training. However, it is not presently being used.

                                                                           

Former St. Mary's Jesuit theologate, presently belonging to the a Ministry of Forests.

Holy water at the Shrine. The respect for and sacredness of water is evident in a country where water is scarce. Although lush during monsoon season, Darjeeling is a water scarce area and depends on the rains for water throughout the year.

The Toy Train was built between 1879-1881. It is still in operation and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The track is only two feet wide and runs right up against the road on one side and the mountain on the other. In the towns, one could step onto the train from houses and shops!

There are several small villages on the way, each with their own train station for the famous Toy Train. Here is the train station in Darjeeling, last stop on the way up.

While in Darjeeling, I was warmly welcomed by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny at St. Michael's Convent. As soon as I arrived, one of the sisters ran to me and draped a shawl around my neck as a symbol of welcome. After settling in, two of the sisters came with me to visit my grand-uncle's burial site, which is located just below/beside their convent.

The burial site of my grand-uncle, Fr. Jack Prendergast, SJ.

Day 3 - Darjeeling, Queen of the Hills

Below are some photos of the highlights of my time in Darjeeling.

Mount Kanchenjunga showed itself for the duration of my stay. This mountain is part of the Himalayan range and is the second highest mountain in Nepal, after Mount Everest, and the third highest mountain in the world at 8,586 m (28,169 ft). It is situated at the border of India's Sikkim province and Nepal. As such, it is the highest mountain in India.

The room at Bishop's House where my grand-uncle lived in community for most of his 30 years in Darjeeling. The original furniture is in the room, which is now used as a guest room.

Visiting carpet weavers in a women's economic empowerment project at Hayden Hall, a Jesuit sponsored work. A fair-trade gift shop on the premises sells the carpets and other items made by the women.

Meeting young, pre-school children of labourers participate in a crèche program while their parents work at Hayden Hall or in the town. Once in school, these children continue to be supported by programs at Hayden Hall.

Discovering where to buy tea in Darjeeling.

Meeting some students from St. Michael's School and hostel. These girls, along with 38 others, sang " I Love Darjeeling" to me the evening before I left. Some of them also performed the Tea Garden dance, dressed in traditional Nepalese outfits.

Day 4, 5 - Back at Jisu Prabhu in Bagdogra

My last days in India were spent with the Jesuits at Jisu Prabhu and visiting their communities in Gayaganga and Hatighisa. These parishes serve the tea garden labourers and their families. I found out that in India tea garden labourers are from among the indigenous population. Families have worked for decades in the tea gardens, unable to pursue other options because of the poverty in which they are enslaved. Today a labourer in a tea garden makes 90 - 95 rupees/day. This is less than $2 CDN. Due to recent government regulations, tea garden companies must also provide shelter, medical care, and rations. Still this is not enough for families. Out of desperation, many men turn to alcohol as a way to cope. Families live in crowded quarters with no privacy, also making intimacy nearly impossible.

St. Peter's School Higher Secondary School for boys in Gayaganga.

The hostel where boys of tea garden labourers can live. The Daughters of the Cross run a similar school and hostel in Gayaganga for girl children, as well as a hospital.

St. Peter's parish church is operates according to the needs and schedule of the tea labourers and their families. This is the parish from which was founded the present day Bagdogra Diocese.

For further information: 
The RSCJ in Torpa, the Jesuits in Bagdogra and Darjeeling, The Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny at St. Michael's in Darjeeling, and the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (IBVM) at the Mary Ward Centre in Siliguri, are among those many religious congregations who are making efforts to help change the plight of those most affected by global poverty, including the labourers in tea gardens. They are doing this through self-help groups (SHGs) for women, awareness raising about human trafficking as bonded labour, providing free education for children, including free bordering when and where helpful, and so much more. I discovered that Canadian donors contribute most of the funds needed for the work in the Jesuit Darjeeling Province.

If anyone is interested in finding out more, contacting, and collaborating with any of the groups I've mentioned, visit: http://rscjindiaprovince.org,  www.darjeelingjesuits.org, https://www.facebook.com/pages/St-Michaels-Higher-Secondary-School-Darjeeling/139102069451100, http://www.dmwsc.org.

Torpa, Jharkhand Province

Torpa - Day 1

Now I am home from my three-week adventure in India and am aware of how blessed and enriched I am by all the people and experiences. My last post was as we left Hyderabad for Torpa. We had a 6:15 a.m. flight to Delhi and then a noon flight to Ranchi. We had a nice morning pause in the Delhi airport which was very spacious and calm.

*A beautiful sculpture of the Surya Namaskar - the sun salutation.

The RSCJ and their driver, John, met us at the Ranchi airport. Torpa was a 90 minute drive or so, just past Khunti in Jharkhand Province. We stopped in Khunti to stock up on a few snacks, and were each offered a chai tea in a small bakery-tea shop, compliments of the accountant who works at the Torpa Rural Development Centre for Women. Upon arrival at the Centre in Torpa, we were shown to our rooms and then sat down to a hearty meal. We rested for the remainder of the afternoon and early evening before having supper with the community.

*The programs at Torpa Rural Development Society for Women accommodates both residential and local commuters.

*Entrance to our private accommodations.

                                          *Garden.

                                         *Hot water heating system.

*Well water supports at least 200 residents at the Centre - the RSCJ, staff, and students.

Torpa - Day 2

Learning through experience about the value of welcoming describes our second day in Torpa. The Religious of the Sacred Heart (RSCJ) and staff facilitate self-help groups (SHGs) for women in 35 villages in Jharkhand Province, which is Indigenous territory in India. We visited two villages and learnt from the women how they run their groups. In both communities we were welcomed ceremoniously with hand washing and anointing, singing, dancing, garlands draped around our necks, and refreshments. The women shared with us about how they run their SHGs, and asked us to tell them about ourselves. Although there is a lot of poverty and life is hard, it is obvious that values such as community and hospitality are practiced. It is interesting for us in a North America to learn that in India the law states that tribal land cannot be sold, as it belongs to the tribal peoples. A Belgium Jesuit was responsible for ensuring that this was entrenched into law.

In the evening, the students living at the hostel in the Centre in Torpa treated us to a presentation of the Munda tribe's cultural songs and dances. Again, we were each welcomed ceremoniously, this time we also received bindis or tilaks on our foreheads.

*In welcoming ceremonies like the ones we experienced a bindi or tilak is a sign of blessing, and garlands are signs of honour and respect.

                                                   *With two of the dancers.

* Dancing to the beat of the drum.

Torpa - Day 3 (last full day in Torpa)

At the Torpa Rural Development Centre for Women, the RSCJ and staff also run a nursery school (Balwadi).

The children are gathering for their morning assembly and exercises, which are led by two Balwadi students - one beats on the drum and the other leads the exercises.

Programs are offered to local women who want to learn trades such as tailoring and chalk making.

*A class in tailoring with their instructor.

*Drying chalk outside in the heat.

*Chalk, packed and ready for sale.

*The Torpa Lac Processing Centre where the medium for lac bangles is produced. The leading producer of lac is Jharkhand, India. Lac is harvested from secretions of lac insects and processed to create a hard resin-like material that is moulded into bangles and decorated.

The RSCJ and staff also operate New Dawn School for local children. About 1200 students from grades 2-12 attend classes. Most children are indigenous from the Munda tribe.

* An Assembly at New Dawn School.

It is a custom of the religious congregations in and around Torpa to invite each other to celebrations on their respective feast days. While I was in Torpa, the Piarist Fathers were celebrating their feast and founder  - St. Joseph Calascatnius. We attended the celebration, which included entertainment and a meal. The Piarist order of priests was a new one to me. I learned that their primary mission is to educate poor children by offering free education. They had a great spirit and I liked them right away.

*A Piarist priest shows us the nearby river.