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All-surrounding Grace March 14th, 2024
By Sr. Maxine Pohlman, SSND, Director, La Vista Ecological Learning Ctr
Especially on a sunny day one can stand atop the bluffs at La Vista and feel linked to eagles, hawks, or
vultures riding thermals rising from those bluffs. When birds find these warm currents of air, they are literally lifted up by them. It seems that there is enough lift from the rising air that birds can stop flapping their wings, holding them still, extended sideways, as in this photo taken from the lodge.
I often think how much fun they are having, being birds on the wing in this gorgeous place! What must it be like to be so supported that flying effortlessly is the way to go? Visitors to La Vista never tire of the sight, nor do I. We are mesmerized. In her poignant, brief poem The Avowal, Denise Levertov artfully offers two images from nature which help me explore this allurement: swimmers lying back while “water bears them”; hawks resting while “air sustains them”.
In a final revealing metaphor, she shares her deeply human wish:
“to attain freefall, and float into Creator Spirit’s deep embrace, knowing no effort earns that all-surrounding grace”.
Maybe that is the draw when we witness or experience this kind of support. We identify the images with our own effortless experiences of the Spirit’s gratuitous embrace. When have you rested in this awareness?
May March provide you with ample opportunities to be present to Spirit in such an alluring way!
(Image by Yinan Chen from Pixabay) (Image by Veronika Andrews from Pixabay)
2024 February Field Trip Reflection March 7th, 2024
Contributed by Sr. Maxine Pohlman, SSND, Director, La Vista Ecological Learning Center
In February the OMI novices’ field trip focused on the intrinsic value and rights of non-human creatures as expressed in the papal encyclical Laudato Si, “Together with our obligation to use the earth’s goods responsibly, we are called to recognize that other living beings have a value of their own in God’s
eyes…”(69)
We visited TreeHouse Wildlife Center in Dow, Illinois. The Center’s mission reflects the belief that animals have a value of their own, apart from their usefulness. Accepting and caring for injured wildlife of all kinds, the Center is dedicated to rehabilitation and release back into the wild. If that is impossible, then the staff cares for the injured animal for the rest of its life!
When we arrived, we met Carrie and her favorite resident, an injured kestrel, pictured here. As soon as Carrie entered the room the kestrel raised a ruckus, obviously having a relationship with her. The delight on her face and the way she spoke showed respect for this ordinary bird which will be cared for until the end of its days.
At left the novices are intrigued by a small, deformed owl which was brought to the Center by someone who had it as a pet. He fed the owl only ground meat, thinking he was treating it well; however, the nutrition it needed for healthy bones was missing, and it got rickets. That little owl has become a friend to all who meet “Owlbert”! Laudato Si reminds us that “This contemplation of creation allows us to discover in each thing a teaching which God wishes to hand on to us, since ‘for the believer, to contemplate creation is to hear a message…’”(85). So, when we returned from our visit we shared the unique message each one heard. What was common was the gratitude we felt for this opportunity to be close to wildlife that could have been cast aside, but instead was valued and given a chance to continue living in “our common home”.
Apostolic Nuncio to Bangladesh Visits Oblate Ministries in Sylhet February 28th, 2024
From Fr. Séamus P. Finn, OMI, Director of OMIUSA JPIC and OIP
(Originally Published at OMIUSA.ORG)
As you are aware, We have worked closely with Oblates in Bangladesh for a number of years and particularly in the Diocese of Sylhet, where Bejoy D’Cruze, OMI, was the founding Bishop, before he moved on to his present assignment as Archbishop of Dhaka.
The Oblates continue to have the number of ministries in the diocese and this posting yesterday reminded me of the vitality and energy that sustains their mission presence.
This celebration was on the occasion of visit to the diocese by the Apostolic Nuncio, Most Rev Kevin S. Randall, Bangladesh. – Fr. Séamus Finn, OMI
From the original post of Face book:
His Excellency Most Rev. Archbishop Kevin S. Randall, The Apostolic Nuncio to Bangladesh spent the last day in Sylhet, visiting Baluchor, Khadim, Caritas and Bishop House. Thank God and all who spent your energy for his safe and successful pastoral visit to Sylhet Catholic diocese. _ Fr. Soroj Costa, OMI
Take Action to Support Migrant Ministry under Threat February 26th, 2024
The Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing Annunciation House in El Paso, a network of migrant shelters that has been in operation for almost 50 years, and aims to shut it down. Paxton’s legal action appears to be part of a broader Republican push to target Catholic nonprofits serving migrants at the border amid an effort to make immigration a key 2024 election campaign issue.
Maryknoll’s Office for Global Concerns provides a way to show solidarity to Annunciation House and to send a message to the attorney general. Interested in more information, click here and here.
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VISIT THE WEBSITE TO TAKE ACTION: https://maryknollogc.org/action/join-us-solidarity-annunciation-house
FURTHER READING:
- Maryknoll’s Office for Global Concerns – https://maryknollogc.org/action/join-us-solidarity-annunciation-house
- El Paso Matters article (the first hyperlinked ‘here’ in the sentence in the blurb: https://elpasomatters.org/2024/02/20/ag-ken-paxton-targets-el-paso-annunciation-house/
- NPR piece on Annunciation House (the second hyperlinked ‘here’ in the sentence in the blurb): https://www.npr.org/2024/02/22/1233217761/texas-is-suing-an-immigration-nonprofit-after-accusing-them-of-human-smuggling
Sacred Heart Church -Oakland, CA – Greenteam Sees Success February 26th, 2024
By Fr. Jack Lau, OMI, Sacred Heart Church -Oakland, CA – GreenTeam
Sacred Heart Green Team-Oakland in Feb. 2023; seeing the blight of litter on our streets and in our community realized, the solution “starts at home.” So, we began to chart how much trash we collected in front of our house or apartment. Each month we would tabulate those numbers and publicize it in our Church Bulletin.
