Greetings from St. Vincent Mission in David, KY! This is S. Ann Marie Quinn here to share the words which reflect the spirit of prayer we started our meeting with this morning. I had inserted photos to add to the reflection, but for some reason could not get them attached to this blog post. Please join me in celebrating all Mothers, all women who nurture life, and our Mother Earth!

Peace and all good!

The mountains and rivers and all living things, the sky and its sun and moon and clouds all constitute a healing, sustaining, sacred presence for humans.                                          Thomas Berry

There is a longing in us to return to our native place, to meet once again with our kin in the Earth community. We are being called home to a wider world of life, of wilderness, of spontaneity, the world of wind and rain, of oak and maple and pineland forests, of the eagle and the chickadee, the wolf and the bear, and the many other beings-all our

relations with whom we share this Earth. Though ours is time of increasing habitat destruction, species extinction, and sprawling concrete metropolises, more and more people are seeking companionship and meaning beyond the boundaries of humanity. We begin to remember our larger family and we find that they have remained loyal to our ancient bond.                                                   Joseph Bruchac

 

Turn to the animals and let them teach you; the birds of the air will tell you the truth.

Listen to the plants of Earth and learn from them; let the fish become your teachers.

In God’s hand is the soul of every living thing; in God’s hand is the breath of all humankind.                                                                                                                                      Job 12:7-8, 10

The spirit of human solidarity and kinship with all life is strengthened when we live with reverence for the mystery of being, gratitude for the gift of life, and humility regarding the human place in nature.                                                                                                                                                     From The Earth Charter

As humans, we are born of Earth, nourished by Earth, healed by Earth. The natural world tells us: I will feed you, I will clothe you, I will heal you…. I offer you a communion with the divine; I offer you gifts you can exchange with one another. I offer you flowers whereby you can express your reverence for the divine and your love for each other.

In the vastness of the sea, in the snow-covered mountains, in the rivers flowing through the valleys, in the serenity of the landscape, and in the foreboding of the great storms that sweep across the land, in all these experiences I offer you inspiration for your music, your art, your dance.        Thomas Berry

 

 

We live in relation to all things, all things live within us.

We live by the sun, we move with the stars.

We eat from Earth, we drink from the rain, we breathe from the air:

We share with all other creatures, we have strength through their gifts.

We depend on the forests and the rivers, we have knowledge through their secrets.

We have the privilege of seeing and understanding, we have the responsibility of caring and protecting, we have the joy of celebrating.

We are full of the grace of creation. We are grateful, we are grateful. We rejoice in all life.                                                                                                                                               Anne Rowthorn

 

Mysterious, gracious Power of Love,

Your energy permeates the Universe,

Binding all that exists in profound kinship,

weaving a sacred web of relation.

Deepen our awareness of this interconnection,

help us probe its meaning for our lives.

May we learn to revere all we encounter as Your self-revelation

and respond with awe, gratitude and love.