Journey with us through this holy season and
let us walk together as Pilgrims of Hope!
Each Lent, as people around the world prepare for baptism, we, too, are invited to renew our own baptismal call and embrace our journey as pilgrims of hope. Walking the path of discipleship is not always easy, yet in this Jubilee year, we are reminded that hope lights our way. What awakens hope within you when you encounter challenges or carry a heavy cross?
As we move through the days of Lent, we will share reflections to accompany you on this sacred pilgrimage. Written by sisters and associates, these reflections will be posted early each week, providing time to prepare your heart for the coming Sunday.
March 12
During the lockdown in 2020, while working from home, I started to notice the birds that would gather outside my home office. I downloaded an app that helped me identify these birds, and before I knew it, I had a new hobby. Five years later, birdwatching has become an important part of my life and how I find hope in these times. When experiencing stressful moments in my ministry or life in general, observing a bird flying across the sky reminds me that I’m not alone in that moment. God is there in the tough times, helping me help give others hope. For a moment, I am present, just watching the bird glide through the air. As we progress through Lent, the days get longer, and the beautiful songbirds return—another reminder of God’s beauty in the vast diversity of birds.
Audra Turnbull, IHM
March 19
Pilgrims of Hope
By Judith Coyle, IHM
Never a night without the dawn
And never a sorrow without some song.
Never a storm without a calm
And never a season lacking its charm.
Never a wish without a prayer
And never a cry but to an ear.
Never a quarrel without resolution
And never injustice without restitution.
Never a traveling without a friend
And never a journey without journey’s end.
Never a fear in the final release
But for hope in the Christ and his peace.
March 26
At the end of a very long day, I read an email asking me to write a little reflection about where I find hope. I had just watched the news, and everything happening in our world seemed terrible and frightening. I felt anxious and fearful, not hopeful. So, I began praying hard that God and the Holy Spirit would enlighten me and open my heart to see and feel the hope around me. I started by focusing on gratitude. I became more aware of the kindness and love people show me and those around me daily. I became more present with the people I serve at Visiting Angels. I tried to listen to my clients and co-workers more carefully. When I went shopping, I worked at making eye contact with the people I met along the way and thanked them for all they did for us. When my dog, Gretel, and I visited the Motherhouse, I watched how everyone we visited smiled and responded joyously to our being with them. All these experiences (and many more) have filled me with joy, gratitude and HOPE! God wants us to be hopeful. Isaiah 40:31 says, “They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar as with eagles’ wings; they will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.”
May it be so for each of us.
Gretchen Webb, IHM
April 2
Lent is a time of personal and communal reflection, prayer, self-denial and charity. This year must also be a time of personal and communal hoping because it is the Jubilee Year of hope. The noun sounds static but the verb has a dynamic of change.
The Scriptures tell us, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (1 Cor. 13:13). This is true of course, but hope is the center of this triad. In Ghana, where I worked for many years, the stools were three-legged and thus gave good balance to those who sat upon them. Hope balances faith in what is unseen and love, action. Hope leans into the future and says, “Come with me—there is more.” Hope says, “take one more step of love.”
Let us move into Lent not denying the fear we may feel but hoping and trusting that, in faith, we will walk courageously with God and with each other.
Sue Rakoczy, IHM Associate
April 9
Thinking about our hearts as the space from which all else flows brings me great hope because it points to the reality that no matter what is going on around us, we can journey within and take time to reflect on how God is calling us in this time and space. Lent is a perfect season for us to reflect on the state of our hearts.
Reflect and ask God where we are called to serve, grow, learn, and persevere. Perhaps you could gather with your community, friends, family, or loved ones to intentionally share the state of your heart. You might be surprised how doing so energizes you for the work you’re engaged in. You may notice that your spirits become lighter after sharing honestly with your trusted community.
Let us hold space for each other as we journey together through this Lenten season.
Jane Aseltyne, IHM
April 16
What stirs hope in me is when I can accompany someone in a personal struggle. In such moments, I sense God’s presence surrounding this person with renewed strength and possibility. A song that comes to mind is the joyful spiritual that the Blessed Sr. Thea Bowman, OSF, sang when visiting Detroit years ago at Sacred Heart Seminary: ‘This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine… let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!’ It’s virtually impossible not to smile and be filled with hope when singing this simple, yet powerful, spiritual!
Barbara Bacci Yugovich, IHM Associate