Mercy Mondays: Letting yourself be found in transition – a devotion by MaryAnne Davey
As a member of the Salve Regina community, I have the pleasure of calling our beautiful campus my work home. At this moment of emerging from the pandemic, I am holding much in my heart as I contemplate a merciful transition into our new reality. As we step forward collectively from this time of global trauma, how are we showing mercy to ourselves and others? How are we letting go of the fear and opening our hands to receive the new beauty both before and within us? How are we letting ourselves be found in the midst of this transition?
MaryAnne Davey, director of the Mercy Center for Spiritual Life
As I walk around campus, I have developed a habit of asking God to mercifully find me in surprising and new ways. My eyes, heart and mind are attuned to what is before me as I walk gazing mindfully at creation. In these moments of tranquility, the clutter dissipates and clarity emerges. It is in these moments that God finds me with tender mercy.
My senses are attuned to creation and the slow yet meaningful eruption of possibility. The daffodils in early spring gave way to tulips at Easter. Then the rhododendrons paved a path for the roses and hydrangeas. Each of these new flowers poke their heads up from the earth and slowly let the sunshine and nourishment guide them into their fullest bloom.
As I contemplate the delicate yet strong blossoms, I realize that for the flower, emerging from the bulb is one of the most important acts. It gives way to possibility. For us, as we think about our transition with continuing difficulties and changes due to the pandemic, let us take some courage and lessons in mercy from the flowers and bulbs before us. Let us believe in the potential of who we can be as a people formed through these ever-changing challenges and transitions that the world continues to face.
As we do so, we must allow ourselves to seek the sunshine and allow the grace and mercy of God to nurture us as we emerge into more uncertainty. But our roots are even stronger as we continue to learn in new ways about what anchors us as a community.
As we recognize this rootedness, let us also open ourselves to receive the ever-present gift of mercy from God. This mercy not only roots us and but gives us wings of possibility to become more than we imagine. As we move forward collectively, let us gaze with new eyes upon the mercy of God in creation, in our world and mostly within ourselves.
Written by MaryAnne Davey, director at the Mercy Center for Spiritual Life
This post is part of an ongoing series called Mercy Mondays that highlights Salve Regina’s dedication to its Mercy Mission. Search the tag Mercy Mission for more updates on the Mercy branches of Salve Regina.
