We at Mercy by the Sea have so much we want to share with you:
Inspiring and transformational quotes, prayers, poems, videos and books we discover or rediscover
Conversations with upcoming presenters
News and events about what's happening at Mercy by the Sea
Resources and thoughts on contemplative prayer, spiritual direction, the second half of life, emerging leadership, creativity, our relationship with nature and much more!
You'll find seasonal photos of the grounds — vegetation, trees and winged and four-legged creatures that make their homes here. We'll capture changes in the light and colors as the seasons change. So bookmark this page and come back regularly. or subscribe to our weekly eNewsletter where these posts will be sent to your email inbox.
You may have heard of the “Gray Revolution”, older women embracing the aging process as opposed to fighting it with expensive hair dyes and wrinkle creams. You may have even noticed younger women who have intentionally gone gray with soft hues of silver, purple, and pink intertwined. This trend has been promoted “by style setters like British Vogue fashion features director Sarah Harris, who first began going gray in her teens, and Instagram accounts like @grombre, which reposts and celebrates women who show off their new silver growth (a.k.a. their gray ombré). What began as a resource to help women feel less embarrassed or ashamed about grays has now grown into a community of 74,000 where its followers share stories about why they decided to go gray.” (https://www.glamour.com/story/gray-hair-revolution)
During this profound moment in time as our world is shifting in rapid ways, I am finding it quite difficult to imagine what the future of humanity and our shared world is going to look like after COVID-19’s imprint has settled. Murkiness within my mind, mixed with intense feelings throughout my anxious body have been testing my trust in the unseen connections. Yearning to feel peace and comfort within my days, as well as all the concern for the future, has been making me wonder what others are feeling and how they discover the presence of God during this time.
A cardinal visited my window today, the burst of red in the grey morning made me smile and reminded me of Florence Trahan, RSM. I was fortunate to learn from her at Mercy by the Sea. I was blessed to pray with her. Sister Florence’s gentle heart touched my own as my urgent questions and thoughts filled the room. Where is God in this situation? How should I respond to the people before me? Her spirit sits with me now as I pray about the pandemic and my upcoming program on grief.
This weekend, Mercy by the Sea was looking forward to welcoming Nancy Sylvester, IHM, Margaret Galiardi, OP and Vernice Solimar for their program, Enter the Chaos: Engage the Differences to Make a Difference. Sadly, the Covid-19 outbreak has caused us to postpone this important and timely program until August 26-29, 2021. In the meantime, Sr. Nancy Sylvester offers us a glimpse into the wisdom of entering the chaos through contemplative practice and the theory of spiral dynamics inviting us to reflect on this time and its meaning for each of us, as an individual and as “We.” Here is Nancy’s invitation to us:
