The Trees Call Out

“Who is God for you? Who are you in relationship to this God?” Pondering these questions recently, I savored an image of God that has often stirred my heart in prayer. The image now holds new meaning for me in light of our Dominican charism. 

Trees speak to me of who I am in relationship with God. Trees declare God’s glory by simply being. There they stand, majestic and elegant, rooted in the earth, dancing in the breeze. Their growing upright seems to me a miracle: against the universal force of gravity, they sprout upward and extend their branches toward the sky. Soaking in sunlight, they convert that energy into oxygen, which makes life on this planet possible. Birds rest in their branches, and squirrels nest in their trunks. Millions of micro-organisms spawn among their roots. Trees even communicate and share resources with each other through complex social networks. We humans have only begun to learn about their secret processes of growth and regeneration. 

 

I marvel at the beauty of trees. Like the late poet Mary Oliver, “I would almost say that they save me, and daily.” Her poem “When I am Among the Trees” captures their message: 

 

                        Around me the trees stir in their leaves

                        and call out, “Stay awhile.”

                        The light flows from their branches.

 

                        And they call again, “It’s simple,” they say,

                        “and you too have come

                        into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled

                        with light, and to shine.”

 

Trees remind me to be still and know that I am loved by God, just as I am. They call me to slow down and contemplate beauty. I want to share God’s delight in the goodness of such creation. Trees tell me to reach out for God, the Source of Life, with all my strength and trust that God will provide. I learn from trees how to nurture others: make sure they have food and shelter and clean air to breathe. Trees teach me about the interdependence of all creatures, including humans; only together can we survive and flourish. 

Leaves Aflame: The gorgeous Japanese maple

 that graces our front yard, filling the chapel window

 

The image of a tree from Scripture provided significant affirmation in my discernment journey. I attended a mission immersion at my congregation’s motherhouse, named St. Mary of the Springs for a freshwater spring on the property. One afternoon, while practicing yoga in my room, I balanced in tree pose: one leg rooting into the earth, the other bent and resting on my standing leg to form a triangle, arms extending upward. As I held the pose, joy and gratitude filled my heart. I sensed that, in this place, I would be blessed “like a tree planted near streams of water, that yields its fruits in season; its leaves never wither” (Ps. 1:3). Planting myself among the Sisters of this community would, I knew, be a life-giving choice.

Holding Tree Pose: This magazine image “chose me” for an exercise 

we did during a day of reflection on art & spirituality

 

Trees also spoke to Catherine of Siena about who we humans are in relationship with God. Catherine introduces the image of the “tree of charity” to explain that a life of virtue and discernment must be grounded in humility and self-knowledge. In the Dialogue, God instructs Catherine:

 

Imagine a circle traced on the ground, and in its center a tree sprouting with a shoot grafted into its side. The tree finds its nourishment in the soil within the expanse of the circle, but uprooted from the soil it would die fruitless. So think of the soul as a tree made for love and living only by love. Indeed, without this divine love, which is true and perfect charity, death would be her fruit instead of life. The circle in which this tree’s root, the soul’s love, must grow is true knowledge of herself, knowledge that is joined to me [God], who like the circle have neither beginning nor end… This knowledge of yourself, and of me within yourself, is grounded in the soil of true humility.[1]

 

Catherine understands that each of us is created by Love and made for love. God encircles me so completely that I cannot come to know myself apart from knowing myself in God and God in me. This is true self-knowledge for Catherine: God is in the soul and the soul is united with God. So planted, the soul-tree blossoms with virtue, bears fruit in grace and blessing, and yields praise to God. God reveals to Catherine, “And so it does what I created it for and comes at last to its goal, to me, everlasting Life.” Catherine sees the Truth of who God is: the Gentle Lover, always already united with us, who draws forth our desire for life.

Preacher of Truth, Female Doctor of the Church: 

A statue in St Catherine’s Casa, Siena (Photo courtesy of Cathy Hilkert, O.P.)

 

Catherine’s beautiful image of the “tree of charity” helps me connect the Dominican charism of Truth with my own experience of who God is for me on this discernment journey.

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[1] Catherine of Siena, The Dialogue, trans. Suzanne Noffke. The Classics of Western Spirituality (New York: Paulist Press, 1980), 41-42.

THIRTY-FIRST SUNDAY REFLECTION

 As the USA prepares for the coming presidential election, we listen to Donald Trump and Joe Biden share their manifesto with us. What they will do for the people of this nation to improve the economy among many other promises. Could we also go ahead and say today Jesus is sharing with us His manifesto, or perhaps his vision statement?

This vision statement, by name Beatitudes, are statements of grace. To us women and men religious, they are pillars of our vocation.

Moses in the Old Testament received the commands at Mount Sinai and brought them down to the Israelites, they were to be a guide for the Israelites to help them reach the Promised Land. Moses' Law had a negative statement, they were negatively phrased, and they were not affirmative. They started with …."Thou shall not" 

Today we see Jesus as our new Moses who goes to the mountain and speaks to us about the beatitudes/pillars of our vocation. Jesus’ beatitudes are positively phrased. They are declarations of God’s grace. They talk of the present, this kingdom of God is happening now.

These pillars are calling us to be witnesses and hold in prayers those who live in poverty, the innocent victims of shooting and war; the many people mourning lives cut short by the Covid19; those persecuted for their beliefs; those who are facing death penalties; those suffering at the border, etc. We note in today’s Gospel that none of those Jesus names as “blessed” or “happy” are expected or seen as so in the eyes of the world. The poor in spirit, the meek, the persecuted. Jesus' blueprint for happiness reflects little of what the world might call happiness. What the world sees as tragic or empty, Jesus sees as blessed.

Jesus is inviting us to live these pillars as he lived them, for they are the source of true joy, and a vision of where true happiness lies. If we just take a minute to honestly reflect and think about what we term as happiness to us? What gives us fulfillment? What gives us satisfaction?

Jesus, in words and action, lived these virtues of humility, mourning, gentleness, peacefulness name them, and He is encouraging us to live in this spirit of beatitude since it is a life of integrity and honesty, and it is indeed a blessed life.  All who live according to his way of life are – and will be – richly blessed. As we live with difficulties, let us think of the affirmation that Jesus gives to what is fragile, weak, and overlooked in the eyes of the world. May we hear him say, 'We are blessed' to us, because of how we live and respond in His spirit.

These beatitudes are also the “how-to” of sainthood. I believe the Feast Day of All Saints, is intended by the church to honor not only those the church has declared as saints but also to honor the memory of countless unknown and uncanonized Saints who have no feast days. These are our brothers and sisters, our parents, our neighbors and Sisters in our communities that the higher church hierarchy didn’t recognize.

As we celebrate All Saints Day, the church reminds us that the Saints are our role models. They teach us by their lives that Christ’s holy life of love, mercy, and unconditional forgiveness can, with the grace of God and prayer, be lived by ordinary people of all walks of life and at all times.

St. Teresa of Avila says to us, “Recharge your spiritual batteries every day by prayer, namely, listening to God and talking to Him”

May we strive to align ourselves with the pillars of our vocation/beatitudes and whenever we find them difficult, just remember what Matthew says to us today, “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.” In other words, it’s all worth it in the end.

Photo Ops Take 2

In this months photo ops, we have pictures from when we carved pumpkins and of the "modifications" the squirrels decided to make for us.  Enjoy!

The Before Photos

And after......

Caught in the act!

 What has been cooking in the CDN?   

The last few weeks have seen us celebrate and keep some of the Maryknoll sisters’ festivities. We celebrated Mother Mary Joseph’s anniversary on the 9th of October.

Mother Mary Joseph, the foundress of Maryknoll Sisters was born on October 27, 1882, in Roxbury, Massachusetts as the fourth child in a family of eight siblings. She founded the congregation in1912. As Sister Camilla Kennedy, MM writes in her book, "They were the first American community of women religious devoted exclusively to the worldwide mission of the Catholic Church." 

Mother Mary Joseph died on October 9, 1955, at the age of 73. Her anniversary is celebrated by her sisters wherever they are, thanking God for the woman who shaped them…. It’s because of her that we are! These celebrations were extended to the CDN community this year. Annie Killian did a lovely dessert and I read my favorite stories of Mary Joseph as told by sisters who lived with her. The stories were compiled by Sister Jennie Natividad, MM.

 

                     Community warming up for dessert                        sharing Mother Mary Joseph story

On the feast of St Teresa, we kept the famous tradition of having Ice-Cream Sodas. We at the CDN celebrated with Coke or Gingerale with either chocolate or mint ice-creams. This tradition was first introduced by Mollie when the sisters moved from Hawthorne to Ossining Maryknoll. 

Theresa Baldini, MM, and Madeline McHugh MM write in their book, Mollie's Legacy of Love’, "On October 15, 1915, Mother Mary Joseph started a Maryknoll tradition by celebrating St. Teresa’s Feast Day with ice cream sodas. She secretly set up a soda fountain and booths in the garden, but Margaret Shea, unaccustomed to handling such a large bottle of soda, managed to spray it all over the kitchen before the party started, and another had to be purchased. The soda fountain offered such tempting concoctions as Ningpo Sundae and Chop Suey, with Mary Joseph (a.k.a Mollie by then) and Margaret serving as soda jerks. In what also became a Maryknoll custom, the party was followed by three-legged sack races and dancing. There were birthday parties, plays, picnics, and outings to Rye Beach, where the women went swimming in the tank suits of the time!" 

What a perfect example of service and love for others from Mother Mary Joseph! She reminds me that Joy is found in serving others in the ordinary. It is not how much I give, but how much love I put into giving.

 

The Vows and Exodus

Recently, between class at Catholic Theological Union (CTU) and other formation events, a lot of talk has been happening about the vows (poverty, celibate chastity, obedience).  I am also in an introductory class on the Old Testament at CTU.  The invitation of this year is not simply to gain brain knowledge about what we study, but to develop the life long skill of reflecting on what stands out to us, what challenges us, how topics are related, etc.  As I reflect on dinner table and class discussions, and about the readings from this week, it is the connection between the vows and Exodus that I’m currently reflecting on.

Antonio M. Peria, SVD, says, “The mystical dimension of the evangelical counsels refers to the profession by consecrated persons of God as their only treasure (poverty), their only love (chastity), and their only freedom (obedience).” [1]  But, what the heck does this have to do with Exodus?  Well, in class, we’ve been learning about how the Book of Exodus answers the question “Who is God?” and the above quote, to me anyway, is a very clear answer to “Who is God for those called to religious life?”

In the lessons on the Book of Exodus, I have learned about a powerful, faithful God who is always there; who is always ready to guide His children to safety; and who will not abandon them, no matter the cost.  These all stem from the central fact that God loves us (God is love after all!) and wants to be in relationship with us.  This reality is true for every single person to ever be born, but what does this look like in my life now that I have entered the formation process and am learning what it means to live out the vows?

Part of our study involves looking at what the constitutions of our individual congregations say about the vows.

Before I entered, I had a relationship with God; now that I am in formation, I still have a relationship with God.  God hasn’t changed, and never will, but my state of life clearly has.  With this new state of life (well, state of life trial package since I am still in discernment), my relationship with God should shift, right?  To those in religious life, please correct me if I’m wrong, but the above quote sure seems like a key understanding to the way I am called to understand God’s love, faithfulness, and protection from the viewpoint of a woman religious.  This shift will not take away from what Exodus teaches us about God, or what my relationship with God is currently like, but if I allow it to this shift will help me experience how God takes care of those called to religious life.  Different state = different needs, right?

What exactly will this care, and this growth in my relationship with God, look like?  Only time will tell, but I’m excited to experience it unfolding one grace at a time.

_____

[1] Antonio M. Pernia, SVD, “Interculturality and Leadership in Consecrated Life,” in Engaging Our Diversity: Interculturality and Consecrated Life Today (Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books, 2020), 47–61 (54)

Stewarding Gifts of Creation and the Spirit

For Dominicans, the study of Scripture leads us deeper in relationship with God and helps us perceive God’s grace at work in the world. Through prayerful meditation on the Word, we listen for God’s call impelling us to respond to the needs of our times. Every Thursday at the CDN, we devote evening prayer to lectio divina, or sacred reading. Together we read the Gospel for the upcoming Sunday, each of us listening silently and noticing what catches her attention, then reflecting on how God is speaking to her, sharing any insights with the community, and finally concluding with prayer. Last week, my meditation on the Gospel was illuminated by my two courses of study on the New Testament and the Vowed Life.

St Dominic Reading and Meditating on Scripture 

Detail from fresco by Fra Angelico in the Convento di San Marco, Florence, Italy

 

In the Gospel for last Sunday, the 27^th of Ordinary Time, Jesus told the chief priests and elders a parable: a landowner leases a vineyard to some tenants, expecting them to harvest its fruits. The tenants, however, refuse to hand over the produce. Instead, they kill all the servants sent by the owner, and his son as well, hoping to acquire the vineyard for themselves. Clearly, the murderous tenants are a figure for the chief priests, whom Jesus warns, “The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit” (Mt 21:43). This parable exemplifies the particular vitriol against the religious leaders of Israel characteristic of the Gospel of Matthew (which I just read for class). Jesus condemns them for failing to produce the fruits of God’s Reign: justice, mercy, humility, and righteousness.

 

This parable speaks to me of stewardship, or how we make use of the gifts God has entrusted to us. For the Vowed Life class, we read Pope Francis’ Homily on the 24^th World Day of Consecrated Life (2020). He writes:

 

This is what the eyes of consecrated men and women behold: the grace of God poured into their hands. The consecrated person is one who every day looks at himself or herself and says: “Everything is gift, all is grace.” Dear brothers and sisters, we did not deserve religious life; it is a gift of love that we have received. 

 

As Pope Francis reminds us, religious life points to the truth that everything is God’s gift. Ultimately, human beings cannot claim ownership of anything. All comes from God, who entrusts to us the gifts of Creation and provides us with spiritual gifts for building up the church, tending the earth, and serving one another, especially people on the margins. If God’s gift of love to me is like the vineyard in Matthew's parable, I am prompted to reflect: Am I stewarding this gift responsibly for the sake of God’s Reign, or chasing my own agenda? Am I living in obedience to God’s will, recognizing my absolute dependence on God’s Providence? How is our society called to good stewardship?

 

Perhaps because the Season of Creation ended on Sunday, I then found myself taking the figure of the vineyard more literally. Earth, our common home, belongs to God and produces an abundance. That produce is meant to provide nourishment for all God’s creatures. But throughout humanity’s history of colonial exploitation and imperialism, people have claimed ownership of the land, displacing indigenous peoples and robbing them of their rights. In the Americas, the U.S. government has desecrated tribal land by testing nuclear weapons and leaving behind radioactive waste. Prophetic activists who have advocated for indigenous land rights, like Berta Caceres in Honduras, have been killed by former soldiers trained at the U.S. military’s School of the Americas. Matthew’s parable of the vineyard contains a dangerous message for the murderous tenants in our world today.

“Nuclear Energy” sculpture by Henry Moore, a Chicago landmark commemorating 

the first controlled generation of nuclear power in an experiment by Enrico Fermi and colleagues 

(Photo courtesy of Lorraine Reaume)

 

As we prepare to celebrate Indigenous People’s Day on October 12, I am challenged to reflect on how our church and religious congregations have been complicit in the dispossession and exploitation of tribal lands. As Dominican Sisters committed to preaching God’s Reign of justice and peace, we are called to the work of reconciliation – asking for God’s healing, telling the truth about U.S. colonialism, pursuing justice by making reparations, and envisioning a future in which the land is reverenced and preserved for generations to come. Commissioned to be prophetic preachers, we must denounce any degradation of the earth, and announce the good news that equitable sharing of resources ensures the common good. May we help our world perceive the grace of God, pouring forth abundant life for all.

Every meeting of our Vowed Life class at Catholic Theological Union begins with an acknowledgement 

of Native People and the tribal lands on which the city of Chicago now stands 

 

Photo Ops Take 1

About once a month, instead of a written post, we will be sharing some photos that have been taken throughout the month.  Here are some pictures to show what we have been up to since moving in August 14th.

The yard and library needed some help so we got to work during our first weeks in Chicago.

No longer needing to wear masks in the house = pure joy!

Our first out of the house adventure, after our 2 week quarantine, was to the Lincoln Park Zoo.

Spring rolls anyone?

A couple of COVID friendly ways people have welcomed us to the neighborhood.

A papaya, tomato, and cookie car is the only proper way to celebrate Faithmary getting her Illinois drivers license.  We had no doubts but are still proud! 

Labor Day celebrations.