REMEMBERING Barbara Brown Taylor’s book, “An Altar in World,” I caught myself saying to a friend as we were driving along California coast that the world is my “tabernacle.” By these words, I was referring to my favorite form of prayer.
Absolutely, I like to pray inside a church, before the Blessed Sacrament, or in front of a religious statue. I love to pray with lighted candles in the midst of darkness or with solemn music in the background. But I also love to pray outside in a garden surrounded by giant trees, green meadow, colorful flowers, and blooming bushes. I love to pray under the blue sky or under the stars and the bright moon on a quiet night. I love to pray by the sea with fresh wind caressing my face.
As I pray before this great tabernacle, I would remember the advice of my spiritual mentor in the college seminary: “Focus your eyes on one object…concentrate on looking at one thing and then breath slowly and feel God’s presence.”
From then on the world has indeed become my tabernacle.
Perhaps, during these mid-summer days as we relax by a backyard, walk around a neighborhood, or take a vacation driving by the coast, this is what God wants us to do: to see him, to hear him, and to feel him in the beauty, vastness, and mystery of his nature. God wants to talk to us through the chirping of birds and the swaying of leaves. God wants to speak to us through the stillness of a plant: yes, it’s just standing there worry-free, doing its own purpose in this wide world.
There is so much to learn about nature or about God in nature. It is no wonder that Jesus used familiar elements of nature to teach people about life, faith, and his Father’s will. He taught speaking about lilies of the field, birds of the air, branches, and fig trees.
On this Sunday, which is 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time, it’s precisely what Jesus did: he used the images of seeds falling on rocky ground, thorny bushes, and good soil to teach us about the power of God’s Word and our transformative reception of it.
If we could only appreciate and respect the sacredness of this world, maybe we’d protect and nurture it more. The world has a lot to teach us and has profound ways to make us feel God’s presence.
Summertime is that heightened period to make us aware of this truth. So let’s enjoy this moment not just by frolicking and relaxing but also by contemplating, meditating and praying in a sacred place of this outside world!
Enjoy your summer!
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Reverend Rodel G. Balagtas attended St. Johns Seminary in Camarillo, Calif. and earned his Doctor of Ministry in Preaching from Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, Missouri. For 20 years, he has been in the parish ministry of large multi-cultural communities. From 2002 to 2014, he has been the pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Los Angeles. He will begin teaching at St. John’s Seminary this July. Please email Fr. Rodel at [email protected].
