“Contemplation,” says Thomas Merton, “is essentially a listening in silence, an expectancy.” In the Northern Hemisphere and in the Midwest of the United States, autumn is a time of expectancy. It signals the coming arrival of the deep silence the winter darkness opens to us. Fall, with its brilliant display of color as it says …
Sitting by a lake before dawn, I saw the mist obscuring the horizon. The lake was like glass. Its stillness profound. There were no sounds of the birds, squirrels or other awakening creatures. The houses were dark and in shadow. I felt that this morning captured for me where we are as women in religious …
When the Future is Obscured, We Need Radical Trust Read More »
On beautiful Michigan mornings, I pray outside, immersed in a swath of colors as all the flowers greet me. One of the sisters with whom I live is the gardener. She plants a variety of flowers, mindful of their blooming cycles, so some are always beginning to blossom. I have a special place to sit …
Recently at community prayer we reflected on the Annunciation. One of the readings included the line: “Mary could have said ‘No.’ “ That line wouldn’t leave me. It captured my imagination. I wondered how many other potential Marys were offered the same invitation and had to say “No.” What would have happened if no one …
Thomas Hinsberg, a priest in the Detroit Archdiocese, invited me in 1971 to be part of a team to facilitate anti-racism workshops throughout the diocese. This experience was very significant in my life and helped shape my own commitment to social justice. His commitment to justice was expansive. He was committed to worker justice, having …
Resist Weariness, Fan Passion, Offer Hope to Younger Generations Read More »
I have a sense of powerlessness as I reflect on the Ukraine situation; it brings to consciousness how the world order that I have taken for granted is breaking down. As I began to write this reflection, I stopped as I became aware that I was writing about this dispassionately, too cerebrally. This is an …
Lenten Lamentation: Help Us Imagine New Possibilities for World Peace Read More »
For many years I have been writing for this column, “Contemplate This.” This title often makes me pause as I reflect that contemplation does not have an object on which it focuses — if what is meant by that is bringing to bear your rational and emotional faculties to observe, interpret or understand the object …
Time to Renew Your Contemplative Journey this Lent Read More »
The omicron virus continues to spread here in the United States. Hospitals are overwhelmed and elective surgeries are postponed. Schools have returned to remote learning in many places. The cost of food and gas continues to rise. Supplies are facing shortages once again. Friends, relatives, people throughout the world continue to die, most unvaccinated. Not …
Seeds on the Winter Snow: The New Year Doesn’t Feel Very New Read More »
Anniversaries are times to celebrate and remember. They invite us to see again who we are and where we’ve been. Not to dwell in the past but to awaken to how the future has emerged and commit to its unfolding. I had the opportunity to take part in the kick-off celebration of the beginning of Network‘s 50th anniversary …
