Spring clean-up at the PC with Sr. Ruth and Tom!

Today I took newspapers for recycling. Ilia Delio in her book Care for Creation claims that we encounter Christ crucified at our hands by pollution and waste. So did I encounter the Risen Lord through recycling? I believe I did. Christ was in the persons who lifted the bundles onto the truck.

Christ’s loving pride in creation—“See what I made!”—was in the people working in their yards to remove the debris of winter, their hands itching to plant.

Christ was in my thoughts as I planned a route with multiple stops to conserve gasoline. May earth’s green gems rising remind us of Jesus risen from the dead.

As we celebrate Nurses’ Appreciation Week, I am very grateful for the loving service many of our Sister Nurses have provided for us and so many over the years.  One of my first encounters with their loving care as early as my high school years was the attention shown to me by Sister Mary Leo (aka Sr. Mary Leonilde) Furlong.  Sister served in nursing ministry for over 30 years and has shown Christ’s compassionate healing in countless ways.

Sister Mary Camilla Lochotzki is one of our Sister Nurses who continues this healing ministry today in her ministry at Rosary Care Center in Sylvania. At a gathering of our Sisters involved in health care ministry a year ago, they summarized their care as follows:

We, the Sisters of Notre Dame in the ministry of health
care, witness to God’s goodness and provident care
through the healing ministry of Jesus.
We commit ourselves to:
• respect for the dignity of the human person
• the health of the whole person
• universal access to health care
• preference for those who are poor or marginalized
• unity in our internationality
that all may have life and have it to the full.

 Thank you, Sisters, for your loving service!

It seems that many of my meetings and encounters of these past few days have had a strong emphasis on the importance of social media in sharing our message. A group of Vocation Directors met to discuss effective ways to reach young adults through social media, I just listened to a webinar addressing effective parish websites, I had a conversation with our communication director about our community blog content and how to link it to twitter account. There are so many avenues available and in demand of our time and attention.

I find myself stepping back and wondering just how Jesus would use social media if He was walking in our world today?  What would be the topic of his blog post? Who would He follow on twitter? Would He post a picture of Himself with His apostles? A comment made by one of our Sisters last night reminded me that above all Jesus’ greatest means for conveying His message was His joyful and engaging personality — His deep joy.  Media tools are a tremendous help, but the witness of joy is by far what draws people into the message.

Whose joyful witness has drawn you closer to Jesus?

Spring—season of glowing daffodils, pink blossoms—and mud.  Scraping tennis shoes is a ritual of the season. With stick or screwdriver in hand, I focus on every crevice, the sole a labyrinth demanding concentration. Scraped out dirt returns to the earth to take part in the growing of daffodils and pink blossoms. In the beginning God created the cycles and saw that it was very good.

Throughout the day notice the blessings of creations. With God say, “That’s good!”

Several of us Sisters of Notre Dame, along with other laity and religious sisters, listened this past Saturday to Louis Savary’s presentation on Teilhard de Chardin. Having summarized Teilhard’s ideas on evolution, Savary told how the universe—and all in it—is becoming more conscious of its divine nature. Such consciousness has taken billions of years, but we can move the process along. How? Make connections. Initiate conversation. Reach out in compassion. Deepen friendship. Strengthen your expertise. Be grateful. In all things live the God within. Eventually we’ll all connect.

Then the universe pulsing with God-life will return to God in a grand embrace.

Athletic events bring out signs to remind us that “God so loved the world” (John 3:16). The Greek word in Scripture is kosmos. God so loved the cosmos. If we are to love as God loved, then our love must be immense reaching far beyond Planet Earth. And scientists are telling us that the universe is expanding. So my love must expand. What can I do today to expand my love?  Will I remember people living hundreds of miles away in my prayer? Will I be mindful of the closeness of all humanity when I breathe in air that was in China two weeks ago? Will I be careful of earth’s precious resources? If I’ve been too myopic, now’s the time to throw out the first pitch to a new ball game of “Love the Cosmos.”

As I listen to today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles and hear of Saul’s conversion, I’m reminded of the difference one person can make in my life and the choice I have in allowing that change to happen.

Saul certainly knew of Jesus. In fact, he dedicated his life to eradicating anyone who claimed to be a follower of Jesus.  It was only when he encountered the person of Jesus and came to know Him that he came face to face with a choice. Would he remain driven to eliminate Jesus or be drawn to proclaim Jesus and His love to the world?  My deepest fears leave me feeling driven; my deepest desires find expression in my being drawn toward the object of my desire.

Saul chose to respond to the invitation of Jesus to be drawn into the mystery of His love and goodness.  Will I?

Love grows in the mystery of woundedness. All of us carry wounds. That’s OK. After all, Jesus Christ kept his five wounds after the resurrection. Like his, our wounds will be made beautiful some day. Then and now our wounds make us look more like Jesus.

As I listen to today’s Gospel story of the multiplication of the loaves and fish, I am challenged again to reflect on who the hungry in my world are. It seems Jesus is calling the apostles to be aware of the hungry right in front of them and do something about their hunger.  I imagine the apostles might feel a bit overwhelmed and inadequate in the face of five thousand (!), but Jesus assures them He can use what they bring to work miracles.

While we all “feed the hungry” in various ways throughout our days, some of our Sisters are directly involved with providing food for those in need.  Sister Mary Susanna  Weaver helps once a week at the local food pantry. She helps to distribute food, clothing and toys to families who are eligible for assistance. Her outreach enables many to eat who might not otherwise be able to do so.

So, who are the hungry ones I will meet today?  How will I allow God to use my gifts to feed them?

Isn’t it interesting that commercial after commercial on TV suggests ways for us to rid ourselves of heartburn, let alone multiple other physical maladies and inconveniences?  Yet, the sense in today’s Scripture reading and those throughout this Easter season seems to be that of nurturing the inner flame and fueling the fire!

The disciples on the road to Emmaus are weary, discouraged and ready to quit when suddenly Jesus walks with them and sets their hearts on fire!  Mary Magdalene in the garden is beside herself with grief when Jesus calls her name and reignites her hope and passion.  The apostles in the upper room are in hiding out of fear when the Spirit of Jesus descends on them in tongues of fire, and nothing will keep them from proclaiming the truth of the resurrection!

Perhaps we need to be open to fueling the fire within through Word, Sacrament and the Presence of Jesus in our midst.