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Showing posts with the label St. Thomas Aquinas

“To contemplate and share with others the fruit of contemplation”

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This   is one of my favorite quotes from St. Thomas Aquinas. It is at the heart of my Dominican vocation. As much as I am reluctant to leave my comfortable warm bed when the alarm goes off at 5:30 I do appreciate the quiet freshness of the early morning.  At this time of year, it’s very dark and the moon and bright stars are my companions. I sit and watch in stillness as the sky becomes lighter and a thin sliver of red or orange moves along the horizon, slowly widening to welcome the rising sun.  I drink in the beauty and am grateful for the gift of the new day. As the light dawns, I eat my oatmeal watching as the chickadees, nuthatches, finches, come to my bird feeder. The cardinal and Juncos feed from the seeds that are scattered.   They take only what they need and fly off into the adventure of their day. I too fly off, to catch my shuttle which takes me to Edgewood College where I teach Digital Art and Design to undergraduates in my 8 o’clock class...

Eucharist and Dominicans

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“Vamos a la mesa del Señor…”   “Let us go to the table of the Lord…” Since the middle of April, I have been working at a food pantry.   An unused church was converted into a pantry to address the needs of the hungry in the area.   I love the idea that this food pantry was once a church where believers came to celebrate the Eucharist and participate in the other sacraments of our faith.   Where we once went to receive the Eucharist, we are now acting as the Body of Christ.   St. Thomas Aquinas, a 13 th century Dominican, once said:   “"The Eucharist is the Sacrament of Love; It signifies Love, It produces love.”   Here at the Holy Family Food Pantry, we become Christ’s love for others.   I believe this is what life is all about. And, you, what is life about for you? Peggy Ryan, OP Waukegan, IL                               ...