On a summery fall weekend (Oct. 4–6), 28 women came together at Camp Pringle. Following the Franciscan practice, Bill Tarter, a Franciscan brother in our diocese and facilitator for this year’s fall retreat, set out an open Bible (we were in the presence of the word of God), a small plant (aware of our connection to all living things) and a glowing Paschal candle (drawing us together and forward).
Together we reviewed the spiritual practice of Lectio Divina (divine reading), taking time willingly with the word of God, and deepening our understanding and relationship with the word. We pondered the Franciscan practice of taking what we’ve heard with our hearts out into our work, and acting on how we’ve been moved.
The exploration of Visio Divina — the work of God in the world revealed through nature and creation, and the ordinary events of our lives — had us thinking of the joy and amazement when rainbows appear; re-examining the rough texture of fireplace stonework; gazing on a beautifully painted icon but seeing the expression of a deep love and hope in the mother’s eyes; and looking past the sun’s reflection on the lake outside to see the life teeming under the water’s surface.
Moving from the physical hearing and seeing, we examined sacramental seeing: recognizing the outward and visible signs of the inward, invisible reality of God’s grace. Whether it’s in the sacraments of baptism and holy communion, or the informal events where we experience and feel God’s presence, we see that God is willing to eat and drink with us and that we are beloved children of God. It’s about relationship, recognizing God loves us. As we love one another, God lives in us, and that love continues to transform us to burst out and spread everywhere.
We certainly experienced that transformative love throughout the weekend, in the formal presentations, in the conversations with others around the dining tables, in walks around the camp property and in the liturgies offered on all three days.
