Scripture ​Reflection: April 28, 2024 - Fifth Sunday of Easter
 
John 15:1-8
 
Jesus used many metaphors from nature in His teachings. In today’s Gospel, St. John recalls Jesus’s teaching His disciples that “I am the vine, you are the branches.” Remaining connected to the vine and being pruned to bear fruit would have been easily understood by the agrarian communities of the time. This gospel passage reminded me of Psalm 1 from the Old Testament, which also used nature imagery. The basic message is simple: remain connected to God to prosper and bear fruit. 
 
Reflection on Psalm 1, verse 3
He is like a tree
planted near running water
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
 
Lord, plant me like a tree
near your Living Water
that I may prosper and grow strong.
 
As a tree grows green and leafy,
budding forth with the promise of fruit,
grow me in faith and love and fruitfulness.
 
Prune my errant branches, 
fertilize my soul and spirit,
let me drink of Your essence.
 
Anne Broussard
Esprit de L'ame
Lafayette, LA

By Tammy Townsend Denny, TI Executive Director

Many years ago, during a particularly difficult time in my life, a friend shared with me something that her Spanish grandmother used to tell her: God is even in the toilet.
Before you take offense, please let me explain:

My friend shared her grandmother’s words with me not to disrespect the sacred divinity of the Almighty, but rather to remind me that God is always with me, even in the bathroom. God is there in the most challenging, painful, horrible times and in the most average, every day, mundane moments. Divine Love never abandons us.
I was reminded of my friend’s words this week when the professor for one of my Master of Divinity courses opened class by reading the essay “God is on the Bathroom Floor.”

In this essay, the author, who goes by the moniker Nightbirde, writes about her cancer diagnosis. She shares:

“The bathroom floor became my place to hide, where I could scream and be ugly; where I could sob and spit and eventually doze off, happy to be asleep, even with my head on the toilet… 

Call me bitter if you want to—that’s fair. Count me among the angry, the cynical, the offended, the hardened. But count me also among the friends of God. For I have seen Him in rare form. I have felt His exhale, laid in His shadow, squinted to read the message He wrote for me in the grout: ‘I’m sad too.’”
She goes on to write,

“Even on days when I’m not so sick, sometimes I go lay on the mat in the afternoon light to listen for Him. I know it sounds crazy, and I can’t really explain it, but God is in there—even now. I have heard it said that some people can’t see God because they won’t look low enough, and it’s true. If you can’t see him, look lower. God is on the bathroom floor.”
I encourage you to take the time to read this powerful essay of lament (click here to read “God is on the Bathroom Floor”) and this stirring reminder that God is with us.

P.S. And here’s a song reminder that God is indeed with us.

Scripture Reflection: April 21, 2024 - Fourth Sunday of Easter
John 10:11-18

“I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me.”

In Jesus’ time, sheep were kept together overnight in a communal paddock so one shepherd could keep all of them safe. Then, in the morning, all the shepherds would come to the gate and call their sheep to follow them. So, while shepherds had to recognize their sheep, it was also important that the sheep know the voice of their master.

Today’s Gospel reading reminded me of a time when my husband and I had been married about 10 years. We were helping lead a retreat for engaged couples when the most amazing thing happened. We heard the voice of God.
​
Let me explain.

For quite a while, we’d been struggling with how to see our way through a difficult situation. Repeatedly, we’d pray for direction, but it seemed like all God was giving us was a whole lot of nothing.

So, there we were at the retreat center sitting on our favorite wooden bench. We’d each spent some time praying separately and had returned to sit side-by-side.

And that’s when it happened. One of us asked, “What if we give up trying to control the outcome and trust that God will provide for whatever we need?” That’s all it took. We’d been trying to control every possibility to ensure we’d get our way and that “nothing” we thought we were getting was actually a whispered, “No,” from the Good Shepherd.

There, on our favorite bench, we understood that the answer to our prayer might not be what we’d pictured and it would still be okay—maybe even an outrageous blessing—because we knew the voice of the Good Shepherd when we heard it. And we listened.
 
Heidi Clark
Wildflowers Community
League City, Texas

Scripture Reflection: April 14, 2024 – the 3rd Sunday of Easter
 
Acts 3:13-15, 17-19
1 Jn 2:1-5a
Lk 24:35-48
 
Generally, two of the Sunday readings share a similar theme. In today’s reading all three mention the word repent. And why not? Jesus just died for of our sins and we are called to repentance.
 
The Catholic Church offers us the opportunity to receive the grace of God’s mercy in the sacrament of Reconciliation. However, a recent survey by RealClear Opinion Research showed that 37% of Catholics went to confession less than once per year, and 35% said they never do. Some believers, of all religions, will say that Jesus died to forgive our sins so we don’t need to confess our sins to a Priest. But why wouldn’t you want to?
 
If you knew that you could talk to someone who is there “In Persona Christi” in the person of Christ, and he would never tell anyone else, not judge you, not laud it over you, forgive you unconditionally, and continue to love you as much as he always has, who wouldn’t want to take advantage of that special relationship?
 
“Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away.” Acts 3:19
 
Martha Durio
Ebbtide Community
Sugar Land, TX

By Tammy Townsend Denny, TI Executive Director

My husband and I traveled to rural Indiana on Monday to watch the solar eclipse. In a small city park in a tiny middle-of-nowhere town, we joined with others who had journeyed from Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the house down the street to gaze at the sun and the moon’s performance.

At the moment of totality, when the moon completely covered the sun, we removed our protective eclipse glasses and gazed at the fiery black disk above us (totality is the only time it is safe to look at the eclipse without eye protection). My husband was deeply moved by seeing the power and beauty of the sun’s corona. For me, the moment was punctuated by the change in light and temperature. The horizon emitted a sunset-like glow in all directions. Streetlights turned on. Stars appeared in the sky. The air temperature dropped dramatically. The light, as we are accustomed to experiencing it, morphed into a strangeness I don’t quite have words to describe. The compass by which we orient our lives was gone for three minutes. 

As spectacular as a total solar eclipse is, what has stuck with me are all the images I have seen on social media of people looking skyward from rooftops, parking lots, backyards, and fields. For just a moment, people stepped outside and looked up in awe and wonder.

We paused. We looked up. And we were amazed.

I keep wondering if maybe the eclipse was an invitation from God, a reminder to pause, look up, and be amazed.

Scripture Reflection: April 7, 2024 – Divine Mercy Sunday
Jn 20:19-31

Happy Divine Mercy Sunday!!!! Today is one of my favorite days of the year. It marks the end of the Divine Mercy Novena. This novena gave me peace last year as I watched the passing of three people whom I loved.

Watching someone pass can be traumatic. As Thomas was human, he could not fathom Jesus being able to overcome his crucifixion. How many of us can be unbelievers like Thomas? We have to see for ourselves before we believe. But just like the wind, we cannot see it but we can feel it.

I have been intrigued with Divine Mercy ever since my mom introduced it to me. I was with my mom and sisters when I told all of them together about my diagnosis. My mom stopped and said let’s pray. She said the Divine Mercy prayer. I can remember her saying “in difficult moments we might not despair – nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will which is love and mercy itself”. This left me speechless.

Our crosses in life can bring us to our knees. It brings us closer to Christ who sacrificed it all for us.

And we should “Give thanks to the Lord for his is good, his love is everlasting. I was hard pressed and was falling, but the Lord helped me. My strength and my courage is the Lord, and he has been my savior.” – Psalm 118

      If I listen closely,
                I will use your words
      If I listen closely,
                I will use your thoughts
      If I listen closely,
                I will use your actions
 
      Lord, give me the words, thoughts and actions that I may help others see You, hear You,
      and love You with all of our hearts.
 
Jane Dupuis Labbie
Roses of Grace, Community  in formation
​Breaux Bridge, LA

by Millie Foster, Still Waters Community, Fort Bend, Texas

Joy comes to mind when exploring Community. We have our individual communities, we come together as district communities and international communities.
Community is our foundation. Community can fulfill the “Five Love Languages” developed by Gary Chapman on how we give and receive love.

1. Quality time -- I look forward to my community’s monthly gatherings, seeing my friends, praying, and worshiping with them, breaking bread.
2. Words of Affirmation -- We support each other, listen to each other, and build each other up. We give each other the opportunity to assume a leadership role and speak about our faith.
3. Gifts – The gift of true friendship with others we may have never met or crossed paths with. Back to #1 - gift of quality time, love, praise, and worship. Community gives us the gift of greater understanding of our faith and values. There are too many gifts to list. What gifts have you received from your community?
4. Acts of Service – The joy of finding opportunities to serve others outside of our community and to serve our fellow members in their time of need.
5. Physical touch -- I cherish the hugs I get at our gatherings and the holding of hands as we lift up our prayer intentions and then our prayer before breaking bread.

Let’s all cherish, admire, and respect our communities. Let our communities help us to grow in spirit, faith, and love.  And the best thing, let’s GROW OUR COMMUNITIES.

​Welcome to the Spring 2024 issue of Dimension Connections. For this issue, we are focusing on the Five Dimensions – Education, Vocation, Ministry, Community and Spirituality. But first, did you ever wonder just how this newsletter comes to be?

The process begins at the Annual Meeting of the USA National Leadership Team. Members of the NLT gather in person once a year to share fellowship, assess where we are as Theresians, and set goals for the coming year. Each member of the team serves on one of two committees. Together, the committees address the Five Dimensions in ways that benefit all Theresian Communities throughout the United States.

Those of us who serve on the Spirituality and Education Committee of the NLT are tasked with producing Dimension Connections twice a year. We select a theme for each issue and then decide how best to present that theme. For this issue, we have chosen to focus on the Five Dimensions. We invited several of our sisters to write a reflection on a specific dimension. We strive to have as many of our sisters contribute content as we can.

If you have never been asked to contribute to a specific issue of Dimension Connections, please consider this your personal invitation! Your participation enriches our newsletter in so many ways. Please contact anyone in the Executive Office and they will be happy to put you in touch with me or any member of our committee (Carol Landry, Toni Hare, and Millie Foster). We welcome your ideas for future issues and would love to include your personal contribution whether it be a book review, a poem, or even a reflection on the Theresian lifestyle that we try to live every day.

So now you know how this little gem of a newsletter comes to you. Thank you for reading and let us know what you think!

​Blessings,
Melanie Hartshorn, Chair
NLT Spirituality and Education Committee, 2023-2024
Spiritual Springs Community
Fort Bend, Texas

by Mary Harnden, Luminaries, Lake Jackson, Texas 

Google says, “Vocation in a religious context is how God calls you to serve Him in the world. God calls you through Baptism and Confirmation to serve Him in a specific way of life. You can follow God's call as a single person, married person, ordained priest or a vowed religious.”

We live by Five Dimensions in the Theresian Way of Life. I will share my reflection on the Vocation Dimension. In summary, l love and feel very blessed to have the opportunity to share my passion and vocation as a physical therapist.
I was fortunate to find my calling at age 16. I was a student athlete frequently in the training room with injuries. I knew at that age I felt called to help people and I was looking into the medical field. Through lots of prayers of discernment being a Physical Therapist became my passion and I still love it 41 years later. In our practice, we provide heart to heart care and hand to hand contact. In helping one person at a time, we change the world. We have no idea the power of a smile, a hug, listening, and being the facilitator of God’s healing. I have been so fortunate to love what I do and being able to be of service to others and share God’s love.

Some would say, that is your career, but a vocation is more than a career. Through my vocation as a physical therapist God invites me to love and give myself to others. As Theresians we have many vocations: mother, wife, teacher, professor, lawyer, doctor, musician, artist, engineer, counselor to name a few. Theresians are responding to God’s call in their multiple vocations as we live out Gospel values.

Our community’s name is Luminaries. I love the image it reflects of people with lights of Christ inside them, glowing with love and compassion for others. Sometimes our light is super bright with joy and encouragement or a shining light of God’s love as an active listener. At other times we need the Paschal light shared to reignite the fire of the Holy Spirit seen at the Easter Vigil when they light the Easter Candle and we share the light with each other. In our community, I feel so close to God with the circle of love, the dialogue or sharing, and learning and the prayers and support we feel as we gather. Yes, we share our spirituality and are educated in community, and through our experience we minister to each other through our vocation. We are all called most deeply to share God’s love through service in our unique vocations. We have a special opportunity this September to share our gift of Theresians at our International Gathering in Houston. Go out and witness the gift of Theresians in your vocation, your church, your family and friends, and the strangers you meet at the grocery line. I pray we are blessed by your efforts with abundance of attendance to the International Gathering.