Posted by Sr. Terry Rickard, O.P., D.Min. | Filed under Cultural Mosaic, español, God in the Stuff of Life | May 16, 2012 No Comments »

In the bestselling novel The Shack, the Trinity appears in unorthodox form to Mack, a father whose youngest daughter has been murdered. In this story, the Holy Spirit is portrayed as “full of dynamic shades and hues of color and motion”—a Spirit alive and active and visible in everyday life. At one point in the story, God appears as a gardener and asks the father to assist her in clearing out a tangled mess of flowers and thorns that, we later discover, is actually Mack’s heart. Although The Shack is just a story and not a catechism, it reflects some truths about a loving and personal God who cares for us. I think that is why so many seekers and people of faith are drawn to the book—enough to make it a best seller!

The gardening imagery is an apt metaphor for the Holy Spirit’s work of planting the word of God in our hearts and pulling up the weeds of doubt and fear that threaten to choke out the faith blossoming in us. The Holy Spirit is a dynamic member of the Holy Trinity that often gets short shrift. In my early years, the only time I thought about the Holy Spirit was when I was preparing for exams. In those days—when my major was socializing and athletics—I was praying more for a miracle than for recollection of information I had not retained through study.

Today I experience the Holy Spirit as the one who moves me from being a lukewarm believer to a fully committed disciple. It is the Holy Spirit that moves me beyond my selfish desires to a motivation to give myself more generously to others. It is the Holy Spirit that moves me from simply acquiring knowledge to developing true wisdom. It is the Holy Spirit that activates my faith and helps me to live more fully each day in God’s love.

As we celebrate the feast of Pentecost we pray for a greater outpouring of the Holy Spirit on each of our hearts and on the heart of the Church. May we recognize the dynamic presence of the Holy Spirit moving in and through our world in the shades of color found in the people, the events, and the many manifestations of nature we encounter each day.

El Espíritu Santo vive y obra en nuestra vida

En la muy popular novela La Cabaña, la Trinidad se aparece en forma poco ortodoxa a Mack, un padre cuya hija más joven ha sido asesinada. En esta historia, el Espíritu Santo se presenta como “lleno de matices dinámicos de color y movimiento”, un Espíritu vivo y activo, y visible en la vida cotidiana. En un momento en la historia, Dios aparece como un jardinero y le pide al padre que la ayude en la limpieza de una maraña de flores y espinas que, más tarde descubrimos, es en realidad el corazón de Mack. A pesar de que La Cabaña es solo una historia y no un catecismo, refleja algunas verdades acerca de un Dios amoroso y personal que nos cuida. ¡Creo que es por eso que tantas personas en busca de Dios y tantas personas de fe se sienten atraídos por el libro, lo suficiente para que sea un best seller!

Las imágenes de un jardín es una buena metáfora de la obra del Espíritu Santo, la siembra de la Palabra de Dios en nuestro corazón y arrancar la cizaña de la duda y el miedo que amenazan con ahogar el florecimiento de la fe en nosotros. El Espíritu Santo es un miembro dinámico de la Santísima Trinidad, que a menudo se subestima. En mis primeros años, la única vez que pensaba en el Espíritu Santo era cuando me estaba preparando para los exámenes. En aquellos días, cuando mi especialidad era socializar y ser atleta, estaba rezando por un milagro más que para recordar la información que no había retenido por el estudio.

Hoy conozco al Espíritu Santo como el que me convierte de ser una creyente tibia a una discípula totalmente comprometida. Es el Espíritu Santo que me mueve más allá de mis deseos egoístas a la motivación para estar dispuesta a darme más generosamente a los demás. Es el Espíritu Santo que me mueve desde la simple adquisición de conocimientos al desarrollo de la verdadera sabiduría. Es el Espíritu Santo que activa mi fe y me ayuda a vivir más plenamente cada día en el amor de Dios.

Al celebrar la fiesta de Pentecostés roguemos por un mayor derramamiento del Espíritu Santo en cada uno de nuestros corazones y en el corazón de la Iglesia. Podemos reconocer la presencia dinámica del Espíritu Santo en y por medio de nuestro mundo en los tonos de colores que vemos en las personas, los acontecimientos y las muchas manifestaciones de la naturaleza que nos encontramos cada día.

Sr. Terry is the Executive Director of RENEW International and a Dominican Sister from Blauvelt, NY.

Posted by Sr. Terry Rickard, O.P., D.Min. | Filed under God in the Stuff of Life | Apr 11, 2012 1 Comment »

behold, in the early hour of dawn,
I see resurrection on my kitchen table,
every yellowed daffodil hurrahing in the morning,
stretching outward in the etched-glass vase.
—A Remnant of Resurrection, Joyce Rupp

In the late 1980s, while I was living and ministering in a parish in the South Bronx, one of the boys in our parish youth group was killed by a gang. I was devastated, and I wondered about the effectiveness of my ministry. Where was God in the violence and in the death of this young man? Was I making any difference in the lives of the young people in our neighborhood? It was a spring day, and I remember walking alongside a vacant lot. It was filled with weeds, broken glass, and empty crack vials. I noticed something yellow, and as I stopped and looked closer I could see three beautiful yellow daffodils pushing up against the weeds and broken glass. As they danced in the light wind, these hardy flowers were showing off all their beauty and glory in the midst of the strewn garbage. They were a bit bent and slightly scarred but full of hope and promise.

Like those daffodils, we too are scarred by our Good Friday stories of struggle, stumbling, and suffering. But we also give witness to the many kinds of resurrection experiences that are just as real in our lives. It seems that especially when our hearts are broken and scarred by pain and suffering—as the hearts of Mary Magdalene and Mary and Salome were that morning at Jesus’ tomb (John 20:1-9)—we can become more attuned to resurrection happenings in our lives. Suddenly we can see the daffodils among the garbage—the presence of the living Christ in the midst of impossible pain.

We are an Easter people called to embrace the cross always in the hope of the resurrection. We are a bit bent and slightly scarred, but full of promise and hope because the tomb is empty, Jesus is alive, Jesus is among us.

What are some resurrection happenings that keep your hope alive?

Sr. Terry is the Executive Director of RENEW International and a Dominican Sister from Blauvelt, NY.

Posted by Sr. Terry Rickard, O.P., D.Min. | Filed under God in the Stuff of Life | Mar 29, 2012 No Comments »

“Who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death—
even death on a cross.
Therefore God also highly exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.”
Philippians 2:6-11

“Like every believer I know, my search for real life has led me through at least three distinct seasons of faith. Jesus called them finding life, losing life, and finding life again, with the paradoxical promise that finders will be losers while those who lose their lives for his sake will wind up finding them again. You do not have to die to discover the truth of this teaching. You only need to lose track of who you are, or who you thought you were supposed to be, so that you end up lying flat on the dirt floor basement of your heart. Do this, Jesus says, and you will live.” —Barbara Brown Taylor, Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith.

Taylor’s powerful image of “lying flat on the dirt floor basement of your heart” is something each of us can relate to at some point in our lives. As Jesus was tossed into the desert, as we read in the Gospel on the First Sunday of Lent, we too have been thrown into the basement of our hearts by life’s events— whether by the death of a loved one, a diagnosis of life-threatening illness, divorce, depression, or a loss of a job.

We are about to enter the holiest week of the Church’s calendar, an opportunity to journey with Christ from death to new life. This short week sums up our life with Christ, an arduous journey with all its times of finding life, losing life, and finding life again. The liturgy on this Sunday, Palm or Passion Sunday, invites us into Holy Week with Paul’s letter to the Philippians. When Paul invites the Christians at Philippi to welcome Christ as the key to life and death, embedded in his message is a hymn that was already being used by Christians. The central message of this hymn is what we refer to as “the Paschal Mystery.” The word “paschal” is derived from the Greek word meaning “pass over.” At its very heart it is less about events and more about movement: it is about both “from…” and “to…”: from slavery to freedom, from finding life to losing life, from losing life to finding life again.

The liturgies we are about to celebrate are not just commemorations of historical events. They make that once and for all supreme act of love real and present here and now. They pull us into that great movement we call the Paschal Mystery. In these celebrations we go down into the tomb—the dirt basement of our hearts—so that we can arise with Christ to new life.

What strikes you most in the way Jesus approaches his passion and death? What could you do to emulate him?

Good and gracious God,
by the paschal mystery of Christ
you conquered the power of death and opened for us the way to eternal life.
Let our celebration of Holy Week
raise us up and help us find life again
by the power of the Holy Spirit that is within us.
Grant this through Jesus the Christ. Amen

Sr. Terry is the Executive Director of RENEW International and a Dominican Sister from Blauvelt, NY.

Posted by Sr. Terry Rickard, O.P., D.Min. | Filed under Cultural Mosaic, español, God in the Stuff of Life | Feb 29, 2012 2 Comments »

I have always loved the season of Lent. For me, it is a time to refocus on God and get my life in right order. As a child I thought Lent was about giving up things like candy and fighting with my sister, Mary. I have come to realize that it is not so much about giving up things but about seizing the opportunity to be all that God has called me to be—a holy, healthy, and loving person.

So here are five things not to do this Lent:

Don’t give up. Instead of giving up something for Lent, try doing something that will bring you closer to God. Here are some ideas: go to Mass during the week, spend time reflecting on the daily or Sunday readings, experience the beauty of God’s creation by taking walks, make donations to your favorite charities, volunteer at the local food bank, light candles and say prayers for the people you know who are struggling.

Don’t sweat it. Whatever it is you committed to do (or not do) this Lent, the point isn’t to do (or not do) it perfectly. Do it (or don’t do it), but if you don’t do it (or if you do do it), accept it as a reminder that you are not perfect. Only God is perfect. Say a prayer and start again.

Don’t starve yourself. Lent isn’t about going on a diet or losing weight; it’s about the conversion of our hearts. Eat healthy, get some exercise, and don’t succumb to our culture’s obsession with physical appearances.

Don’t make it more difficult than it is. The three pillars of Lent are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Find simple ways to pray, fast, and give to the poor.

Don’t hold back. Lent will present you with many opportunities to convert your heart and your life, to heal broken relationships, and to grow closer to God. When you find yourself presented with such an opportunity, embrace it.

On further reflection, this Lent I should give up fighting with my sister Mary . The poor woman had to put up with me all these years, borrowing her clothes and touching her stuff—things I still do. Actually, we don’t fight much anymore. I guess we are getting older or maybe wiser. Today we are grateful to have each other.

So this Lent don’t give up, don’t sweat it, don’t starve yourself, don’t make it more difficult than it is, and, most especially, don’t hold back! May you be moved this Lent by a deep desire for a new heart and a new spirit, and may God answer your prayer.

Cinco cosas que no se deben hacer en Cuaresma

Siempre me ha gustado el tiempo de Cuaresma. Para mi es el tiempo para volver a enfocarme en Dios y para poner mi vida en orden. De niña yo pensaba que la época de Cuaresma era para hacer sacrificios, como por ejemplo, no comer dulces y dejar de pelear con mi hermana Mary. Pero me he dado cuenta que la Cuaresma no es solo para hacer sacrificio de dejar de hacer cosas, sino mas bien es el tiempo de buscar la oportunidad de ser todo eso que Dios quiere y me ha llamado que yo sea, una persona santa, saludable y amorosa.

Así que aquí tienen cinco cosas que no se deben hacer en Cuaresma:

No deje de hacer cosas por sacrificio. En vez de dejar de hacer cosas como sacrificio en Cuaresma, trate de hacer cosas que lo acerque más a Dios. Aquí tiene algunas ideas: vaya a Misa durante los días de semana, tome tiempo para reflexionar en las lecturas de la semana y del domingo, salga a caminar y experimente la belleza de la creación de Dios. Mejor aun haga alguna donación a su institución de caridad favorita, hágase voluntaria en su banco de alimento local, encienda una vela y haga oraciones por las personas que usted conoce que están pasando por momentos difíciles.

No jure en vano. Cualquiera que sea la cosa que se comprometió a hacer (o no hacer) en esta Cuaresma, el punto no es hacerla (o dejar de hacerla) perfectamente. Hágala (o no la haga) pero si no la hace (o si la hace) acéptala como un recordatorio de que usted no es perfecto. Solo Dios es perfecto. Haga una oración y empiece todo de nuevo.

No se eche a morir con el ayuno. La Cuaresma no se trata de empezar una dieta, o de perder peso; se trata de la conversión de nuestro corazón. Coma de manera saludable, y haga ejercicios pero no sucumba a la cultura de la obsesión por la apariencia física.

No lo haga más difícil de lo que realmente es. Los tres pilares de la Cuaresma son: la oración, el ayuno y dar limosna. Encuentre pues un modo sencillo de orar, de ayunar y de dar a los pobres.

No se retenga. La época de Cuaresma le presentará muchas oportunidades para convertir su corazón y su vida, a sanar relaciones rotas, y a crecer más cerca de Dios. Cuando usted se encuentre con tales oportunidades, no se retenga, acójalas.

Pensándolo bien, en esta Cuaresma si debo dejar de pelearme con mí hermana Mary. La pobre ha tenido que luchar conmigo por tantos años, tomándole su ropa prestada, y tocando sus pertenencias, cosas que aun hago. En realidad ahora ya no peleamos tanto. Creo que estamos envejeciendo, o quizás ahora tenemos más sabiduría. Hoy por hoy estamos muy agradecidas la una de la otra.

Así que en esta Cuaresma ¡no ofrezca dejar de hacer cosas, no jure en vano, no se eche a morir, no lo haga mas difícil de lo que es, y muy especialmente, no se retenga! Que en esta Cuaresma usted sea movido por un deseo profundo de cambiar su corazón y su espíritu por uno nuevo, y que Dios escuche su oración.

Bendiciones de Cuaresma

Sr. Terry is the Executive Director of RENEW International and a Dominican Sister from Blauvelt, NY.

Posted by Sr. Terry Rickard, O.P., D.Min. | Filed under God in the Stuff of Life | Jan 5, 2012 No Comments »

“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see everything has become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

The new year brings a desire to make resolutions to improve the quality of our lives. It is an opportunity to renew our hope and deepen our resolve to live more fully in keeping with Christ’s will and way. Often, when we make resolutions, we focus on physical things such as dieting or exercising. In the new year of our Lord 2012, I invite you to consider making a commitment to renew and deepen your relationship with God. As the experts remind us — make it doable, start small, celebrate small wins, and gradually make changes that hopefully become lifetime habits. Here are 10 suggestions:

1. Attend Mass more regularly, remembering that what is important is not what we get out of Mass but instead what we bring to Mass. St. Thomas Aquinas reminds us that it is “right and just” to give God praise.
2. Pray and reflect on the Sunday Scripture readings. Read the RENEW blog for reflections on the coming Sunday’s Gospels or consider those from the USCCB.
3. Participate in a small community committed to prayer, faith sharing, and Christian action. Start a new small group or re-gather your RENEW small community for Lent.
4. Recite a decade of the rosary daily for the intentions of friends and family.
5. Read a spiritual book.
6. Cultivate an attitude of gratitude. Every morning as you wake up say “thank you, Lord” for a new day, and each night thank God for all the blessings of the day.
7. Practice the examen, the daily Jesuit practice of examining our lives.
8. Reflect on a person whom you have not been able to forgive. Ask God for the grace to forgive him or her.
9. Choose to do a good deed. Mother Teresa often told her sisters to remember the “Gospel on five fingers.” She would say, “You-Did-This-For-Me,” as she held up each finger of her hand. These words come from Matthew 25 where Jesus tells us we will be judged by how we helped the thirsty or hungry or sick.
10. Perform an act of justice. Think of an injustice in your work environment or your neighborhood and carry out a small action toward making it right.

Additional Resources:
• Father James Martin, SJ, article “12 Really Stupid Things I Never Want To Do Again” about things we should not repeat in 2012.
• Fr. Robert Barron’s video on spiritual practices for the New Year.

Sr. Terry is the Executive Director of RENEW International and a Dominican Sister from Blauvelt, NY.

Posted by Sr. Terry Rickard, O.P., D.Min. | Filed under God in the Stuff of Life | Dec 16, 2011 No Comments »

“‘Come,’ says my heart, ’seek God’s face,’ your house LORD do I seek.” – Psalm 27:8

Advent is a wakeup call, a noisy alarm clock that reminds us to wash the sand of sleep from our eyes. This season is a clarion call to pay attention to the presence of God in our lives and to see the face of Christ in the faces of the many people that come our way—even for the shortest of time. It is an alarm that rings in the possibility of a new heaven and a new earth. It is a time of hope and anticipation, of dreaming of the way God wants the world to be. No matter how troubled our times or your personal life may seem, you are summoned to look ahead and allow every beam of hope to illuminate your life.

Do you believe that the light of Christ can shine in the darkness? Do you believe that Christ, the Prince of Peace can come again to us this Christmas? An ancient Jewish tale guides us in our reflection on these questions:

The rabbi asks his disciple, “How do you know that night is over and the light has come? The disciple answers, “When an animal approaches, and you can discern if it is a sheep or a goat?” The rabbi responds, “No.” The disciple continues, “When you look at a tree and you can tell if the fruit it bears is a fig or a peach?” Again the rabbi responds, “No.” The disciple tries again, “When a person approaches and you can tell if it is a friend or enemy?” The rabbi cries, “Listen! The night is over and the light has come when you can look into the face of every human being and see the face of a brother or sister—when you can see the face of God shining there. Yes, only then will the night be over and the new day begin.”

I’d like to propose that you ask for the grace to pay particular attention to noticing the face of God in persons you meet along your path over these next weeks before Christmas. The person who annoys you at work, a family member who doesn’t do his or her share, the bedraggled person with a basket full of merchandise in the line in front of you waiting to be checked out, the child that is hardest for you to be patient with, the young Muslim woman passing you in the food aisle, and yes, even that person who has recently hurt you. God’s face is everywhere if we only have eyes to see. Wake up, remove the sleep from your eyes, and don’t miss one of the visits of the God of Advent in the face of an unlikely sister or brother.

Sr. Terry is the Executive Director of RENEW International and a Dominican Sister from Blauvelt, NY.

Posted by Sr. Terry Rickard, O.P., D.Min. | Filed under God in the Stuff of Life | Oct 17, 2011 No Comments »

God of autumn, the trees are saying goodbye to their green, letting go of what has been. We, too, have our moments of surrender, with all their insecurity and risk. Help us to let go when we need to do so.
-Joyce Rupp

Summer is over and I am back in the full swing of an overbooked calendar, lots of travel, and much preparation for upcoming presentations.

It is not easy for me to let summer go. I love the sun, surf, and my sister’s lake house. There is nothing more freeing than flying over the water in a jet ski. It brings me back to my younger, more carefree days. I also love golfing. I enjoy competing, meeting the challenge of the game, and taking in the beauty of God’s creation. Unfortunately, as the days get shorter, the opportunities for golf lessen.

As summer has slipped away, autumn has arrived. It has always been difficult for me to pay attention to one of the most beautiful seasons of all. It seems that September and October are times to get back to working hard and long hours—vacation is over. Friends who have moved to warmer climates lament the loss of seasons, especially fall, although I don’t think anyone misses the ice of winter! As I get older I don’t want to miss anything—but try to live in the present moment and enjoy the gifts God has given me. The truth is that all we have is now.

Seasons can teach us much about life. Fall reminds us that everything changes—nothing remains the same. I want to go with that more and trust God’s providential care.

In more recent years I have tried to plan a few one-day trips to enjoy the turning leaves. Maybe this year I will plan a weekend away. I encourage you to take the time to sit and watch the leaves turn, pray for the grace to let go of what was, and surrender to what is.

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:18-19).

Sr. Terry is the Executive Director of RENEW International and a Dominican Sister from Blauvelt, NY.

Posted by Sr. Terry Rickard, O.P., D.Min. | Filed under God in the Stuff of Life | Oct 3, 2011 No Comments »

“Seek the Lord while you can find Him,” Isaiah says. “Call on [God] now while He is near” (Isaiah 55:6).

Last week on my daily commute to work, besides battling the all-too-common traffic, I struggled with the descending fog that obscured my view. It felt as if I were driving through a cloud. Fog makes it difficult to see what is near. So I clutched the wheel, leaned forward, and focused on the tail lights in front of me. I called out (I hope the guy in the car next to me thought I was talking on a hands-free cell phone), “Lord, are you kidding me? Not only more rain but now fog?”

The fog was too all-encompassing for me to ignore. I took notice, and I asked God to help me see through it so I could safely arrive at my destination. The funny thing about fog is that you can see better what is in the distance than what is nearest to you.

Sometimes my brain gets a bit foggy. I can’t see or think clearly. Often this happens when I am experiencing multi-tasking overload. “Fog brain” keeps me from seeing people and situations that most need my compassionate attention and even veils the nearness of God in my daily life. For me, the grace in times of fogginess is to recognize that I am in a fog and to ask the Lord for a new clarity.

The rain is still coming down as I write, and there is no sun in the forecast for a few more days. But I hope that the sun will break through. I thank God for being near to me when I call, inviting me to seek his presence even when I can’t see or feel him.

Sister Terry is the Executive Director of RENEW International and a Dominican Sister from Blauvelt, NY.

Posted by Sr. Terry Rickard, O.P., D.Min. | Filed under 9/11, God in the Stuff of Life | Sep 6, 2011 1 Comment »

During the week leading up to the tenth anniversary, RENEW International reflects on 9/11 with stories, prayer, and scripture.

Photograph by John Labriola

We all remember where we were on the morning of September 11, 2001. As the events unfolded, what seemed unreal became a stark and horrifying reality. However, in the midst of death and tragedy tales of heroism, courage, and generosity emerged.

In a powerful article, Learning from 9/11 in America magazine, David O’Brien writes: “I could not stop looking at those powerful iconic photographs—images of sacrifice, death and heroic generosity. In one image a young fireman, Michael Kehoe, a 9/11 survivor, is ascending the stairs as office workers quickly descend. Later one of those office workers, John Labriola, an employee of the Post Authority of New York and New Jersey, reportedly said: “The one conclusion I came to on 9/11 is that people in the stairwell…really were in a ‘state of grace.’ They helped each other. They didn’t panic. Most people are basically good. I know this, with certainty, because I had gone through the crucible. What a great example people left: be selfless, help the person around you, and get through it.” (Aug. 29-Sept. 5, 2011)

Through the lens of faith we see that tragedy and deep suffering also can be experiences of unexpected grace and new life. This is the heart of our Christian faith; it is what we celebrate every Sunday at Mass—the Paschal Mystery of Jesus. The Paschal Mystery is Christ passing through suffering and death to resurrection and returning to the Father.

Our times of unrelenting illness, deep grief, and unimaginable tragedy can become events of new life and grace in our own lives. Only God can transform a method of torture—the cross or the work of evil, a burning stairwell—into a place where people can experience a state of grace.

On this tenth anniversary of 9/11 let us be inspired by the many women and men who moved beyond fear and terror and reached out to help one another. We need faith, we need community, and we need to help one another get through painful experiences. Let us remember the challenging words of one survivor: Be selfless, help the person around you, and get through it.

Sister Terry is the Executive Director of RENEW International and a Dominican Sister from Blauvelt, NY.

Posted by Sr. Terry Rickard, O.P., D.Min. | Filed under God in the Stuff of Life | Aug 22, 2011 No Comments »

“’For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Mark 10:7-9

When my nephew Dan presented Courtney with her engagement ring the first thing she noticed was not the size of the beautiful diamond but the engraved infinity signs on both sides of it. The math symbol of infinity means uncountable, unbounded, limitless, and eternal. Infinity is a rich and meaningful symbol for marriage.

As I was preparing to present a reflection at their wedding, I asked them to share with me what the sacrament of marriage meant to them. Courtney told me: “Dan put infinity signs on my engagement ring, not because we’re both math dorks (which we are!), but to show eternity, forever, we’ll be ’we’ from this point forward.” Dan and Courtney entered into their marriage covenant with a rare maturity, an active faith, and a deep understanding of marriage as a holy sacrament.

As they processed out of the church full of love and promise, I prayed to the Holy Spirit to engrave the infinity sign on their now one heart.

Sister Terry is the Executive Director of RENEW International and a Dominican Sister from Blauvelt, NY.

Posted by Sr. Terry Rickard, O.P., D.Min. | Filed under God in the Stuff of Life | Aug 8, 2011 1 Comment »

I was with a friend on a beach at the Jersey Shore awaiting the sunset. A line of people carrying coolers and blankets poured onto the beach. The place was mobbed and bustling with conversation, laughter, and children playing. As if someone had dimmed the lights, the crowds quieted as we watched the beauty of the setting sun paint the sky with an array of colors. “Oohs” and “aahs” filled the summer eve. When the sun slipped from sight the crowd spontaneously broke into a sustained applause. I immediately joined in. Then I paused and thought, “Who are we clapping for?—God, of course.”

Summer is an opportunity to reconnect with God’s creation as we watch the sun set over a lake or ocean, tend our gardens, or observe a bird outside our window. Earth is truly crammed with heaven if we have eyes to see. There are common bushes afire with God on the paths we walk each day, whether they are country roads, city sidewalks, or mall walkways. Stop, notice, give thanks, and then share with others your encounter with God in the ordinariness of your day.