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Last weekend, Program Associate Claire Rusowicz and I welcomed 35 individuals who came to Mercy by the Sea to “rest in God.” The three-day silent retreat offered Centering Prayer sessions; a labyrinth walk; Saturday night gathering with chants, prayers and reflection; and much quiet time for walks on the beach and grounds, reading, gazing at the artwork that graces the main building; and private prayer.
Many of the participants asked for copies of various quotes, poems and prayers that were used throughout the retreat. Here is a sampling:
In late June, I attended the Sisters of Mercy Institute Chapter in Buffalo, New York. About 300 Sisters of Mercy gathered to discuss current issues, set future direction and elect the Mercy leadership for the next six years. Among the 300 were Sisters of Mercy from Jamaica, Guam, the Philippines, Belize, Chile, Argentina, Peru, Guyana, Panama, Honduras and the United States. In reflecting on my experience, three basic themes emerge:
This week Mercy by the Sea is immersed in silence. The summer retreat season, which runs from the end of June through July and August, is now in full swing with a combination of directed retreats and two summer Sabbaths.
Years ago I read about the “butterfly effect,” the theory that the flap of a butterfly wing in Tokyo may affect a tornado in Texas. As I thought about it, I understood that small events in one place can have a much greater effect somewhere else, and small events now may impact events at a later time. Somehow this reverberates in my head lately as the environment continues to be under siege in our country.
