
RENEW
Recent Posts
Here at RENEW, we’ve been having much-needed repairs done on our roof, particularly the flat part towards the rear of the building. One afternoon, the workers came across a tiny baby bird that had been uprooted, possibly by a severe wind storm two days prior. The bird had fallen to the ground, and was following the crew around, anxiously looking for some lunch. The workers waited a bit, hoping the parent would return, but the day was getting warmer and warmer. Afraid someone might step on the bird or that a cat might find it, the crew brought this situation to the attention of our shared-services department, those wonderful people who answer our phones and help direct our emails, who fill orders and help make sure things in general run smoothly.
Animal lovers Marty and Dawn rose to the occasion and took our guest under their wings, so to speak. They researched best practices on the Internet and were soon fashioning a new nest in one of our shipping boxes. Lunch for our visitor consisted of smashed blueberries and some dog food, brought in by Dawn’s family. The dog food is reported to be high in protein and similar in taste and consistency to the baby’s usual diet of digested worms and bugs. Having no prior experience with any of this, we took "the hive’s" word for it. Apparently, the advice was correct, and the bird was soon enjoying a real feast.
After lunch, it became clear that the bird needed more care. It was then transported to a local bird sanctuary, The Raptor Trust, where it could get what it needed to grow up healthy and strong.
In Laudato Si’, Pope Francis says, “Nature cannot be regarded as something separate from ourselves or as a mere setting in which we live. We are part of nature, included in it and thus in constant interaction with it.” (129). We at RENEW had the opportunity to take part in a particularly special type of “interaction” and to reach out to help a fellow member of God’s kingdom here on earth.
Every day, there are opportunities for us to be part of creation, maybe by planting a garden or caring for our yards, or by caring for a baby bird. Love and discipleship, following the Lord in his way of love, cannot be confined only to an hour of church each week. It is truly something that must extend into our everyday lives, be contained in each breath we take. As we do for this one, this family member, this loved one, this friend, this stranger, this refugee, this criminal, this baby bird, so we indeed do for him. Just as we were able to find sanctuary for our bird buddy, let us be ready to seek out sanctuary for all those around us in need, be it a homeless shelter, a drug recovery program, or simply our sincere attention.
Today, keep your eyes open for ways you can be part of the work of God, ways you can sustain creation. Think with broad thoughts, not narrowed by what you may have done in the past or anything you read or were told. Join our Lord as a partner in his ministry and see what could happen. You never know where that next surprise may lead.Lords
Mary Foy is RENEW's Assistant Director of Pastoral Services and project manager for Baptism Matters. She is also a Pastoral Associate at St. Joseph Parish in North Plainfield, NJ.
Subscribe Here!
Recent Posts
Posts by Tag
- RENEW International (82)
- prayer (54)
- Jesus Christ (37)
- catholic program renew (33)
- catholic renew progam (24)
- renew catholic program (22)
- catholic RENEW program (17)
- a reflection on the coming Sunday's Gospel (15)
- COVID (11)
- Christmas (11)
- pandemic (11)
- God's love (10)
- Sunday readings (9)
- Good News (8)
- Advent (7)
- Gospel According to Matthew (7)
- Holy Spirit (7)
- RENEW prayers (5)
- Reflections on the coming Sunday's Gospel (5)
- spiritual life (5)
- virus (5)
- Advent journey (4)
- Book of the Prophet Isaiah (4)
- Gospel According to Mark (4)
- John the Baptist (4)
- Ordinary Time (4)
- Psalm 23 (4)
- creation (4)
- hope (4)
- prayer life (4)
- season of preparation (4)
- time of anticipation (4)
- Babylonian Exile (3)
- Church (3)
- God's call (3)
- Gospel according to John (3)
- Letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians (3)
- Scripture (3)
- The Gospel (3)
- beatitudes (3)
- disciples (3)
- joy (3)
- pray (3)
- rosary (3)
- sins (3)
- welcome (3)
- Book of Wisdom (2)
- Emmanuel (2)
- First Sunday of Advent (2)
- God with us (2)
- God's gifts (2)
- Good Shepherd (2)
- Gospel according to Luke (2)
- Jesus (2)
- Magnificat (2)
- Mary (2)
- Mary and Joseph (2)
- New Year (2)
- Questions and Answers (2)
- Sharon Krause (2)
- St. Joseph (2)
- Sunday Mass (2)
- Virgin Mary (2)
- birth of our Savior (2)
- covid-19 (2)
- decorations (2)
- evangelization (2)
- every knee shall bend (2)
- faithful (2)
- gratitude (2)
- holiness (2)
- kingdom of God (2)
- magi (2)
- meditation (2)
- priorities (2)
- repent and believe in the gospel (2)
- savior (2)
- scripture readings (2)
- spirit of the lord (2)
- temptation (2)
- thanksgiving (2)
- vineyard of the Lord (2)
- wedding garment (2)
- 2021 (1)
- 3rd Sunday of Advent (1)
- 4th Sunday of Advent (1)
- Adam and Eve (1)
- Advent Wreath (1)
- Apostle Andrew (1)
- Autumn (1)
- Awake (1)
- Baptism of Our Lord (1)
- Be still (1)
- Be watchful (1)
- Behold (1)
- Benedictine nun (1)
- Bible (1)
- Blessed Mother (1)
- Blessed Trinity (1)
- Body of Christ (1)
- Book of Judges (1)
- Book of Kings (1)
- Book of Proverbs (1)
- Book of the Prophet Ezekiel (1)
- Catechism (1)
- Catholic (1)
- Christ child (1)
- Christian witness (1)
- Christmas Day (1)
- Christmas Star (1)
- Christmas carols (1)
- Christmas pageant (1)
- Christmas season (1)
- Christmas shopping (1)
- Diocese of Brooklyn (1)
- Divine Office (1)
- Elijah (1)
- Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (1)
- Feast of the Holy Family (1)
- Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- First Book of Samuel (1)
- First Commandment (1)
- First letter of Saint John (1)
- Genesis (1)
- God works in mysterious ways (1)
- God's blessings (1)
- God's forgiveness (1)
- God's mercy (1)
- God's presence (1)
- Gospel of John (1)
- Gospel of Mark (1)
- Haitian Creole (1)
- Hear the Word! by Bill Ayres (1)
- Holy Trinity (1)
- HolySpirit (1)
- I am the light of the world (1)
- Immaculate Conception (1)
- In God We Trust (1)
- In the beginning was the Word (1)
- Jesus heals (1)
- Jonah (1)
- Lenticular printing (1)
- Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians (1)
- Letter of St. Paul to the Philippians (1)
- Letter to the Hebrews (1)
- Love your neighbor as yourself (1)
- Marian devotion (1)
- Martha and Mary (1)
- Matthew 25 Christians (1)
- Moses (1)
- Nativity of the Lord (1)
- Nativity scene (1)
- Natvity set (1)
- Nearness of God (1)
- Noah (1)
- Oh My God (1)
- Poor Richard's Almanac (1)
- Power of the Holy Spirit (1)
- Prepare (1)
- Psalm 100 (1)
- Psalm 138 (1)
- Psalm 139 (1)
- Psalm 146 (1)
- Psalm 24 (1)
- Psalm 63 (1)
- Psalm 80 (1)
- Psalm 85 (1)
- Rejoice and Be Glad (1)
- Saint Blaise (1)
- Saint Jerome Emiliani (1)
- Second Letter of St. Peter (1)
- Solemnity of All Saints (1)
- Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord (1)
- St. Callistus I (1)
- St. Gertrude (1)
- St. Hippolytus (1)
- St. Therese of Lisieux (1)
- St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus (1)
- Star of Bethlehem (1)
- Sunday Gospel (1)
- Thanksgiving parade (1)
- The Boy Jesus (1)
- The Lord is my rock (1)
- The Prophet Job (1)
- The Word became flesh (1)
- The kingdom of God is at hand (1)
- Wedding Feast (1)
- What would Jesus do (1)
- Word of God (1)
- You shall love the Lord your God (1)
- Zaccheus (1)
- Zoom (1)
- abundant life (1)
- accessible (1)
- adoration (1)
- agapé (1)
- angels (1)
- anxiety (1)
- apostle Peter (1)
- ark (1)
- artist creator (1)
- attentiveness (1)
- authority of Jesus (1)
- autumn leaves (1)
- baby Jesus (1)
- baptism (1)
- bible study (1)
- blessed (1)
- blessing of throats (1)
- called to follow (1)
- campaign (1)
- census tax (1)
- centering prayer (1)
- close encounter (1)
- clothe the naked (1)
- comfort and joy (1)
- comfort the sick (1)
- communion of saints (1)
- compassion (1)
- confession (1)
- confirmation sponsor (1)
- crib (1)
- daily prayer (1)
- despair (1)
- devotion to Saints (1)
- disciples of Jesus (1)
- divine mercy (1)
- election (1)
- end of liturgical year (1)
- epiphany of the Lord (1)
- false prophets (1)
- feast of unity (1)
- feed the hungry (1)
- first letter of saint paul to the corinthians (1)
- fog (1)
- fourth sunday in ordinary time (1)
- gift wrapping (1)
- godparents (1)
- greatest commandment (1)
- hallowed be thy name (1)
- handy (1)
- hearts and minds (1)
- his people on earth (1)
- holiday (1)
- house of the Lord (1)
- insomnia (1)
- intercessory prayer (1)
- invitation (1)
- least of them (1)
- life in christ (1)
- like a thief at night (1)
- love of God (1)
- love of neighbor (1)
- love of self (1)
- lullaby (1)
- magician (1)
- messages (1)
- messengers of God's love (1)
- mind and body (1)
- mission (1)
- multiplication of the loaves and fishes (1)
- openness (1)
- parable (1)
- parable of the 10 virgins (1)
- parable of the talents (1)
- parable of the two sons (1)
- parable of the wicked tenants (1)
- peace (1)
- pillar of cloud (1)
- power of the Spirit (1)
- praise God (1)
- prepare the way of the Lord (1)
- prostitutes (1)
- receive the Holy Spirit (1)
- rejoice (1)
- render unto caesar (1)
- repentance (1)
- respond "yes" to God's call (1)
- respond to the call (1)
- resurrection in our lives (1)
- retreat (1)
- rote learning (1)
- sabbath (1)
- sacrament of reconciliation (1)
- saying grace (1)
- sense of hope (1)
- service (1)
- seventy seven times (1)
- share love of Christ (1)
- silence (1)
- sinfulness (1)
- sins of the world (1)
- slogans (1)
- slow down (1)
- small faith sharing groups (1)
- social distancing (1)
- social justice (1)
- spiritual reading (1)
- spontaneous prayer (1)
- stations (1)
- stay awake (1)
- stress (1)
- tax collectors (1)
- the elect (1)
- the people's prayer book (1)
- the prophet Jonah (1)
- the stone the builders rejected (1)
- third sunday in ordinary time (1)
- thirtieth Sunday of Ordinary Time (1)
- three kings (1)
- to serve God (1)
- trimmings (1)
- trust in the Lord (1)
- universal Church (1)
- using your talents to serve god (1)
- virtual (1)
- welcome the stranger (1)
- whatever you did for the least of brothers of mine (1)
- when the saints go marching in (1)
- widow's mite (1)
- widows and orphans (1)
- wild turkeys (1)
- witness (1)
- witness to matrimony (1)
- witness to the baptism (1)
- workers in the vineyard (1)
- worry closet (1)
- worthy wife (1)