Immersion in Living Water – Part Two

By Sister Susan Chase, SCL

The Season of Creation, the ecumenical focus on prayer, reflection, and action on behalf of creation continues to the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi on October 4. The Prophet Ezekiel’s vision of living water flowing from the Temple gives us a multifaceted symbol to consider in our prayer this month. Historically, it reminds us of the 6^th c. BCE destruction of Jerusalem and the decades-long captivity endured by so many of its people. By the rivers of Babylon, they weep and lament. Ezekiel’s vision gives hope in the promise of a future when God will again dwell in the temple, and the land will be restored.

Verse 12 from Ezekiel chapter 47: As the river of living water flows through barren lands, “fruit trees of all kinds will grow up on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.”   

There is a theological meaning here about a future messianic age, a restored Eden, but also that God has not abandoned his people but is present with them in exile and in God’s creation. Life-giving water flows from the sanctuary. The environmental message of Ezekiel 47 is one of global healing. Living water flowing into the Dead Sea and restoring it to life. The message is both theological and environmental. It highlights the interdependence between humanity and the natural world and offers a vision of hope expressed through active care for the earth, our common home. 

Water is, as we know, essential for life to exist and to thrive. Only sea creatures adapted to salt water can live in the absence of fresh, unpolluted water. There is a global water crisis that, as the planet warms, is predicted to worsen. We see this in our own state. The Ogallala Aquifer, which lies beneath parts of eight states, encompasses 174,000 square miles and supplies roughly 30% of the groundwater used for irrigation and domestic use for ~1.9 million people. In some parts of the aquifer, the water level has dropped as much as 200 feet.  The recharge from rain and snowmelt is about 1 inch per year. This cannot make up the difference. The University of Chicago web page reported last year that 30% of the access points to the groundwater in Kansas have run dry. Clearly, this is a finite resource. There are efforts by ranchers, farmers, and communities to better manage and allocate water usage. Scientists are working to develop a less water-demanding strain of corn. Still, too little is being done.

There is a water crisis. Are we aware of this as we turn on the tap in our daily lives to meet our needs? Have we made changes in the last few years? Are we careful to use and dispose of harmful chemicals in order to keep them from polluting streams, rivers, and groundwater?

Living water flowing from the Temple reminds us that God is the source of all life, life in all its diversity. We are invited into the water to care for the earth, the creatures of the earth, and those who suffer most from environmental degradation and lack of resources. We are invited with Ezekiel to step into the life-giving water even as it deepens in order to participate in the healing of the earth and its people.

Consider joining us at Marilac Center for one of the following events:

Beloved Discipleship: Johannine Gospel

October 12: 4:00 p.m. – October 18: 12:00 p.m.
Ross Chapel
Sister Mary McGlone, CSJ

The Beloved Discipleship Retreat will examine the Gospel of John as the way to enter the call we each have to become beloved disciples of Jesus in today’s world. The rhythm of prayer will include times for silence, personal prayer, and individual accompaniment if requested.

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Silent Directed Retreat

Monday, October 26, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. until Saturday, October 31, 2026, after lunch.

These days To Be Still and Know That I am God, offers time dedicated for prayer and reflection. These days include silence, with a daily rhythm that invites you into a place for personal and communal prayer, and with individual accompaniment if requested. This spiritual conversation places us with our God, within the quiet of our hearts and the beauty of the Autumnal natural world. You are invited to Marillac Retreat and Spirituality Center for this experience of resting in places of stillness with our God.

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Día de los Muertos

November 3, 2026
9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Marillac Assembly
Mr. Nic Herrmann

During the season we are called to contemplate both life and death, we cross the sacred threshold where the spirits of the past and the pulse of the present become one in a shared celebration of life and the afterlife. It’s a day to weave together global traditions and deep prayer, inviting a fresh perspective on the holy cycle of birth, death, and the light that carries us through them all.

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Nursing The Nurse: Spirituality Over The Life Span

November 14, 2026
10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Marillac Assembly
Noella McCray, RN, and Sister Judith Jackson, SCL

Spirituality for nurses is a life-long journey. This day together is designed to assist nurses to find personal meaning in work; to cultivate self-compassion; to sustain emotional resilience; and to adopt reflective practices such as meditation, prayer, and journaling.