There is a sign in the grass just outside the front door of St. John’s Convent which proclaims “Wherever you are from we’re glad you’re our neighbour”. It’s an almost childish sentiment but it references the twofold law of love which states we must love God and neighbour and as such, it represents the community’s intention to genuinely recognize all those around us as our neighbours.
This past week, as Toronto absorbed the shock of an horrific attack a short walk from that same front door, an attack which left 10 dead and many more injured and traumatized, we were once again made aware of our many connections within our local community and further afield. Emails, calls, and messages came in from people who wanted us to know they were upholding us, and all those affected, in their prayers. We in turn prayed for the victims, their families and friends and for the first responders. We prayed for all the people who stopped to help and for the young man who drove the van.
As I prayed with my sisters, aware of all the people in the city, the country, and around the world praying with us, I was reminded of a phrase often attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt, “It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.” I thought of our prayers as tiny, flickering candle flames together transforming the darkness the attack had caused.
The two disciples on the road to Emmaus encountered the risen Christ on their journey. That ordinary, dusty walk 
became for them a pilgrimage, a physical experience which spiritually transformed them. A prayer walk down Yonge Street this past Monday, marking one week since the attack, was also an experience of meeting God’s love in each other. May we all be open to see the reality of resurrection life in the sisters and brothers we travel with on our own pilgrimages through life.
Sr. Wendy Grace Greyling
