Encountering...

    By Sr. Angela Tran

May I learn to love you… in all that love can be.

Jubilee Farm

It was a sunny day at Jubilee Farm. We gathered at this Center for Ecology and Spirituality to dive deeper into our Creation Story with Sr. Sharon Zayac, OP. As she explained how our Creation Story shapes our cosmology, theology, and spirituality, we were reminded of our interconnectedness to our Creator and all of creation. I soon recognized that this part had been absent in my relationship with God. Coming from a developing country, the idea of a “common home” I grew up with was so narrow that it only included the house we lived in. Listening to what Thomas Aquinas once said, “A mistake in our understanding of creation will necessarily cause a mistake in our understanding of God,” I was challenged by my own preconceived notion of “who” God is. Sr. Sharon shared with us, “Even in the language we use, ‘who’ is not enough to define God.”

During our break, I wandered outside and eventually sat on a swing. The wind blew, and for a moment, I was captured by the scene of falling leaves. It was not something to be awestruck by. It was just a simple movement of an ordinary life circle. Yet I found myself gazing at all the colors in front of me. The abundance of emerald green brightened in sunlight. Shades of saffron let themselves “fly” with the flow. It just dawned on me, “God, it is you. All… is you. You have revealed a part of you that I never expected to encounter.” As I was processing, I started to write…

HOME: WHERE LOVE ENCOUNTERS…

Mass during Orientation

I heard a story
A story I have heard before
A story I have ignored
A story that is a part of other stories
A story that is a part of the whole.

I heard this story
Yet I heard it again…
And this time, something shifted.
A myth that goes beyond facts
The sacred flares forth…
Through the gift of this beautiful land.

First day of school at CTU

Emmett – This Truth we repeat
Adamah – Wonders in your eyes
Dominion – Blessings upon all
For we are made to be a part of…

The whole of life
If only I recognized…
Sooner
The heart you hold
You have revealed without reserve. A part of you has been beckoning… To be a part of my heart.

Apple picking at County Line Orchard

How love sustains With all that love is
To see you dancing on these verdant leaves
To breathe in your presence as Summer swings by
To hear you through the dawn chorus of new life
To feel your touch in the whistle of the wind
To behold you in this Season of Creation

For you have created all before me
Brought life to all so I can flourish
In my Mother's womb, you have held me tight
Nourish me with fruits from her soil
Mesmerize me with the shades of olive and amber
In the beauty of which Love utters…
Your tenderness
That a part of me is now beckoning…
To save the Heart you let yourself fall for.

Planting trees

Abba,
I have known you…
Now I am encountering you again
Your arms have opened,
Now I am stepping into what remains…
To reach the Heart that holds all its beats.
I am searching for hope
In the midst of so much pain
In resistance to such constant change
Yet listening is present
In its intense attentiveness to the “how”

If an uncomplicated witness is what Love invites, May I learn to start with myself…
That I am moved to do my part
That relationships matter
That communion surpasses responsibility That kindness contributes to this cosmic energy…

Morning Prayer with our Dominican
Sisters of Springfield (MH) - Sacred
Heart Convent Chapel

For we are ONE in the being you have awakened We hold dear the life you lay down before… We join the life you continue to bring forth May you save the Heart you let yourself fall for May we be at home in your love.

Richness in the Mystery of God

 By Sr. Terri Schell

One and a half Mexicans, two southerners, one Vietnamese, one Zimbabwean, and one Vermonter all show up at a Greek Festival to try feta fries.

This is not the beginning of a joke; it was just a recent Saturday night with this year’s Collaborative Dominican Novitiate. After two very full weeks of CDN orientation, we were all eager to get to know our new city and let loose a little. Chicago’s Greektown Festival enticed us with the smells of rotisserie lamb, excitement of Greek dancing, and curiosities of foods like baklava sundaes. The event was buzzing with people greeting each other in Greek, drumming music, and dancing.

The previous twelve days and beyond had been full of transition, getting to know one another, lessons on Dominican life, prayer, and liturgy. Like good Dominicans, we had been praying, reflecting, and attempting to integrate these learnings. Earlier that week, Adrian Dominican Sr. Pat Walter led us in a conversation on our shared charism in which we discussed, among many things, the richness held within the mystery of God. She shared that Aquinas taught that God is infinitely knowable, but what we don’t know about God is infinitely more than all of our intellect together. This mystery of God leads to diversity of thought and an openness to dialogue in pursuit of truth.

Upon reflection, I was taken with this way of getting to know our God: to seek the divine in varying traditions, cultures, and perspectives with curiosity, openness, and joy. How rich we are when we are open to the mystery of God! As Paul writes to the Romans (11:33), “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!” It is truly something to celebrate.

How rich we are when we are open to the mystery of God! 

One of the thrills of our time here in Chicago is to do just that: experience and celebrate the abundance of God and all that God creates. It took us no time to commence with this exploration. Firstly, in getting to know each other, sharing our full selves, experiences, culture, and hopes with increasing openness. We are women of varying backgrounds all attempting to create an intercultural community. Chicago parishes in our area also offer a feast of cultural liturgies. Some liturgical samplings include: Beethoven performed as a prelude to mass at St. Thomas the Apostle, a display of world flags at St. James, and soulful Gospel music at Our Lady of Africa. The student body at the Catholic Theological Union and our Inter-Community Novitiate Program offer, too, a diversity of language, country of origin, race, religious order, and faith tradition promising lively conversation and learning. An adventure of divine discovery is only beginning.

An adventure of divine discovery is only beginning.

We had just taken the last bites of our gyros at the Greek festival when Angela spotted a nearby Asian market. At her urging, we visited to sample yet another continent’s food items. The smell of fresh fish greeted us and we surveyed the colorful varieties of produce. We all scoured the aisles of sweet treats, noodles, and dumplings to make our selection before gathering to enjoy them. Still full from lamb and feta fries while sipping bubble tea, we experienced a moment together. A moment full of gratitude and joy for the richness of our mysterious, wonderful God.

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