Summer Abundance Part Two

By Father Kevin Cullen

During this summertime, we continue to celebrate the graces we see in one another. Soccermania has placed Kansas City on the world stage. Like sporting events, our individual graces may be deepened, and our common good may be enhanced. Summer pastimes can promote admiration, foster teamwork, and strengthen skills of personal ability and endurance. This June, Pope Leo invites the worldwide prayer network to “pray that sports be an instrument of peace, encounter, and dialogue among cultures and nations, and that they promote values such as respect, solidarity, and personal growth.”

Summer abundance invites us into a unique rhythm of reflection and prayer. Fresh produce from the farmers’ market or homegrown in our vegetable gardens lets us know what sunshine tastes like. Lettuce patches have been plentiful. Early tomatoes are warm when eaten off the vine. Cucumbers and herbs from the garden enhance every summer salad. Fruits and vegetables – simple, organic homegrown ways that bring smiles to our faces and joy to our stomachs.  

We gaze lovingly upon our world and its produce. We reverently seek to celebrate all people and their successes. We remain faithful and attentive to daily devotions and patterns that open our hearts. Admiring the colors of a sunset creates a holy hope for the next day’s sunrise. Enjoying the crisp clarity offered by the bright Summer light helps us see ways to be positive in our comments to our neighbors. And evening’s soft shadows slow our raised pulse rates into peaceful, calming beats.

Summer is a reflective time, renewing and moving us and our world into a new inner place. Our natural world magnifies our inner bounty, too. Halfway through June, we at Marillac Retreat and Spirituality Center begin planning for the journey ahead. We are updating our web page with our listings for 2026 – 2027 programs. We continue to welcome those wishing to spend some personal time in quiet reflection and prayer. And we are moved to hope as people gather as families and friends to celebrate how beauty surrounds us. The natural world opens doors for us to explore and discover these Jubilee days of the heart – the pulsing of charity occurring all around us. Our lives are full as we anticipate the days to come.

Enjoy the Summer Days ahead and blessings upon our journeys! We look forward to seeing you in the Fall, when a heartfelt Jubilee becomes our ordinary time.

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

Beloved Discipleship: Johannine Gospel
Monday, October 12 (4 p.m.) – Sunday, October 18 (4 p.m. – Mass)
This event is held in Ross Chapel
Sr. Mary McGlone, CSJ

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