Why THIS Blog

This Blog is designed to be a virtual retreat with daily reflections geared toward the public as well as specifically for the community of women at Church of Mary Magdalene / Mary's Place for homeless women. It is a site that pulls from the words of the women themselves on what they would like in a retreat if they could go somewhere else for a time. In this retreat we will do some globe trotting, based solely on my own travels as a spiritual director who enjoys volunteering for Mary's. All are welcome on our journey, in this era of financial woes there are many who need retreat and are unable to afford to travel. I hope this proves to be one more source of unending gift of spiritual retreat for renewal of life: mind-body-spirit!

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Birds of the Air


Without tv here in Italy it is easy for me to look outside for amusement in the evenings, but made especially easy by the presence of the beautiful swallows who arrived in the spring. As I sit on the terrace watching the sunset they fly in amazing patterns and so close to me at times it makes me wince and grin in amusement. Their beauty, strength and precision are awesome. It is more wonderful than anything humans can create for television or other amusement.

It is not hard to feel the presence of God’s creation in watching them soar, dive and fly. Set this against a beautiful sunset over the rolling hills and it is not hard to appreciate how wonderful life truly is. For me it has also prompted the reflection on the passage in scripture where Jesus reminds the disciples that the birds of the air do not worry, why should we. Worry, one of the greatest preoccupations of humans everywhere, in economic hard times it is even more evident, causing disease, conflict and depression in people.
An easy word for me to remember in Italian is spero: hope, because it sounds just like sparrow the bird, and as I watch the birds in flight it gives me hope. Hope is the opposite of worry, it is the beautiful sense of promise and grace always with us. Watching God’s beautiful birds in flight one senses this promise and understands why Jesus would use these amazing creatures for this metaphor of hope, for a reminder to put aside worry.

Where do you experience the hope of God?
How do you allow the words of Jesus, of not worrying about tomorrow, to enter your life?
What do you think of when you see birds in flight, sunsets and other wonders of God?
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1 comment:

  1. Roberta NiccacciJune 8, 2011 at 2:36 PM

    I love the feeling of hope and now I will keep in mind the similarity "sparrow" and "spero". Swallows are my favorite birds, they have been accompanying my walks to elementary school when life was still an easy journey. Thank you for this post about swallows.

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