In both the First Reading and the Gospel, we see how external forces can draw us away from our spiritual life and from God. As busy as the world is, it is easy to be distracted or follow someone or something that isn’t positive or holy.
The reading in Genesis is a cautionary tale that things that lead us away can have a real effect on how we see the world and others. The Responsorial Psalm leads us back to doing what is right and just, which is hard in a world full of false prophets with agendas. In seeking God’s forgiveness, we see a truth and light to be in favor with God’s commandments and not society’s orders. The Gospel reading is about repentance and how it can save our own and our children’s souls. God leads us to remember that through repentance, we find the divine and ourselves again.
Distractions can lead to poor decisions when it comes to filling our spiritual lives with things that are from God, as opposed to the things that are the opposite of God’s love and caring. When I think about social media and the negative news feeds and opinion-based theology, I shudder. It is this that takes us away from God’s love and forgiveness. We choose secular modes of guidance that can often lead us to frustration and negative feelings.
When searching for truth and the divine, I remember that St. Anthony of Padua is the patron saint of lost things. While I have prayed an intercession to him in search of my lost keys, St. Anthony calls us back to the divine. If you feel lost in this world, praying to God through St. Anthony may guide you back to a holier place in your time of need. I feel called to pray more and more these days to guide my heart and soul back to God’s love and forgiveness.
May we all seek God and the divine in our daily lives.
The Journey – Mevlâna Jalâluddîn Rumi
“Come, seek, for search is the foundation of fortune:
every success depends upon focusing the heart.
Unconcerned with the business of the world,
keep saying with all your soul, “Ku, ku,” like the dove.
Consider this well, o you whom worldliness veils,
God has tied “invocation” to “I will answer.”
When weakness is cleared from your heart,
your prayer will reach the glorious Lord.”
Desiree Nownes
Dr. Desiree Nownes has spent 30 years on a Jesuit campus. Beginning her education at Regis University in Denver, she relocated to Omaha in July 2000. Over the last 25 years, she has had the privilege of serving in various roles and currently holds the position of Assistant Vice Provost for Student Life. She collaborates with a dedicated team, engaging students in meaningful conversations about their identity and aspirations. Together, they welcome students and assist them in understanding the institution’s expectations and values. Dr. Nownes is deeply passionate about her work and the individuals she collaborates with. Dr. Nownes has also had the privilege to co-teach the Creighton Colleagues Program and has experienced firsthand the camaraderie and engagement that the program fosters through the Ignatian lens.
Education
• Regis University (Denver, CO) – B.A., Criminal Justice, Sociology
• Creighton University (Omaha, NE) – M.S., Counseling, Student Affairs
• Creighton University (Omaha, NE) – Ed.D., Interdisciplinary Leadership
