Daily Reflection
July 12, 2025

In the Gospel today, the phrase that really spoke to me was:

“What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light;
what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.”

Jesus spoke these words to his apostles as he is sending them out, letting them know, in the broader message of this gospel, that being a disciple of his may not be easy and also assuring them that God is forever caring for and loving them down to the detail of each hair on their head.

These words still speak to me today as he encourages me to share what I receive as I reflect on scripture, or as I pray. I once heard from a teacher speaking on preparing preached retreats that “we cannot give what we have not received”.  In other words, if I’m going to share something about God, let it be from what I have received from God.   This really made me pause to consider how important it is to be aware of what God is giving me in my prayer, my day, through others, through nature.  It is not always easy to be aware, especially when I’m busy. And in my Christian life, as most likely in yours, we are busy caring for others…children, parents, our ministries, being women and men for others, but we are called to more. We are called to receive God’s love.  It’s one reason why I love to go outside during the day. I look at the sky, the trees, a flower and my thoughts immediately turn to God and I am reminded of God’s love and how God is speaking to me through nature.  That in turn reminds me to think about how God has given me something that day and to take a moment to look back and see what it was.  It’s like a micro-Examen as it only takes a moment and I can reflect about that in walking from one building to the next. Then I can whisper a word of thanks.

This wise teacher referenced above (yes, it was Fr. Andy Alexander, co-founder of Online Ministries), also said the most productive thing one can do is receive God’s love. And while God’s grace can certainly strike me with God’s love in a moment, I find that I must really give myself some time in prayer to receive God’s love, to meditate on God’s goodness.  And of course, one of the richest ways to receive God’s love is to give oneself time to retreat, to go away from daily life and to open oneself to the luxury of God’s love. What a gift! 

I’m writing this reflection just weeks in advance of retiring from the role of Director of the Creighton University Retreat Center.  I have been blessed to see and hear how people receive God’s love and graces during the time of retreat where those who have come have dedicated a whole 3 or 8 or 30 days to be present to God and what God has for them.  As I leave this role, I am so grateful for that experience and I will proclaim from the housetops that it is good to retreat with God.  So, if you ever hear the prompting of the Holy One saying to you, “Come away and be with me…just for a while”, I encourage you to listen and be present to that invitation. And if it is possible, leave your duties, worries, and loved ones and go away with God…only God. You will be refreshed and nourished and loved.  You will have something whispered to you that you can proclaim from the housetops!