Fr. Harry Winter
Five Ways – Jan 26
January 21, 2026
1. Children’s joy: When my grandson asked me how old I was, I teasingly replied, “I’m not sure.” He answered, “Look in your underwear, Grandpa. Mine says I’m 4 to 6.” (WOW! I really like this one–it says I’m only 38!). My thanks to Father Gene Tremblay, O.M.I., for sending this in his Christmas letter.
2. As we remembered Martin Luther King Jr.’s Day on Jan. 19, we now have a pope who is African-American. Pope Leo’s maternal grandmother is African-American.
3. Jan. 17 was the 155th anniversary of the apparition of Mary at Pontmain, France, to three children as Our Lady of Hope. One of the children became an Oblate priest, and the Oblates have always been prominent in the village of Pontmain, the sanctuary, the retreat center, etc. The Catholics of England discovered how close the shrine is, on the coast of the English Channel, and the beautiful website in French has a page in English, with so many English-speaking Catholics visiting. Click here for more on Mary at Pontmain.
4. Only one Palestinian Family in Israel, but hopefully a trend?
As is evident, week after week, CNEWA’s world is riddled with conflict.
| As is evident, week after week, CNEWA’s world is riddled with conflict. Rather than focus on the bad news, however, it is incumbent upon us to highlight that which is good, to bring to you the good news that deserves our attention and our gratitude; that good news is nourishment for the mind, body and soul and helps sustain us as we strive to live in hope and joy. This week, our colleagues at the National Catholic Reporter highlighted the good news about the family of Palestinian Christian Alice Kisiya, whose work in combating the confiscation of her family’s lands near Bethlehem we had first profiled in the December 2024 edition of ONE magazine. “For one Palestinian Christian family,” the author writes, “the end of 2025 ushered in a rare victory: getting their land returned by the Israeli Supreme Court. After years of struggle, fearless activism and global outcry, the Kisiya family has finally returned to their farm.” Thank God for justice and the rule of law. This week’s blog also highlights the first real celebration of Christmas in Gaza since 2023. While observances among the Catholic and Orthodox communities were subdued, as with their Muslim neighbors, most Gazan Christians remain displaced and impoverished, their lives decimated by more than two years of relentless war between Hamas and Israel. We cling to hope. We live in hope. As we plead for justice and peace, may we remember a prayer in our Catholic tradition, “O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in thee.” You are receiving this email as a donor to CNEWA and/or a subscriber to ONE Magazine. |
5. Jan. 18-25 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This year is special as Pope Leo’s first. He commented that “unity is more than simply an ideal, but a divine mandate at the core of our Christian identity.” Jo. 17:21 is cited constantly, “that the world may believe.” I welcome any descriptions of your efforts at unity with other Christians.
Many thanks to all who responded to the Five Ways on Dec. 30, 2025. May the Holy Spirit continue to strengthen us.
In Christ’s love,
Fr. Harry Winter, O.M.I.
