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The Spirituality of Birds
This article is adapted from a talk given by Sr. Alberta
Dieker at the recent Oblate Retreat at Queen of Angels Monastery.
Sr. Alberta has been an avid birder for many years.
I would venture to guess that somebody in this group might have looked at the retreat schedule and said, "Spirituality of Birds? Good Grief!" I'll admit
that I hesitated for a second when I was approached about this, but then I thought of my love for birds, and of my patron, St. Albert.
St. Albert was interested in nature and wild life, and even kept a snake in his room at one point. He was sometimes chided by his confreres for thinking too
much about these "worldly things." His answer was that anything that is good and beautiful gives glory to God.
So what is more good and beautiful than the song of a bird at dawn, or a tanager sitting like a gold and red jewel in the beech tree? And consider the
ballet dance of the swifts as they descend into a chimney. They speak to us of
the glory and the beauty of God. I read an article about a man who saw his neighbor trying to destroy a swallow's nest on her porch. He tried to discourage her by asking why she was doing that. She replied, "What good are they?" He went on to explain that swallows eat many times their own weight
in mosquitoes and insects each summer, and that this amazing little creature had likely traveled thousands of miles, without the benefit of a map or a
GPS, on sheer dead reckoning to find this spot on her porch to entertain her for
the summer with its nesting and family. Isn't that good?
We know from Scripture that our ancestors of Biblical times would not have questioned the value of birds. They were much more in touch with nature and the
connections between all creatures and ourselves. We know from Genesis that God created the birds of the air, and saw them to be good.
Think for a minute of the birds cited by name in the Bible, not to mention the many references to birds that fly in the air or to winged creatures. And note that wings are attributed sometimes to God ("hide me under the shelter of your wings"). How often the psalmist uses the behavior of birds to express emotions, or to describe events.
So how can birds relate to our own spirituality? I think of the first word of the Rule of St. Benedict, LISTEN. When you go for a walk, take those things
out of your ears and listen. The crows might be holding a chapter meeting, or
maybe cawing for the sheer joy of being alive. Certainly the chickadees, God's clowns, are chickadee-ing in thanksgiving for being alive. And the mourning dove can remind us that there is sadness in the world, and we can pray for
those who mourn.
Listen, and let the birds speak to you of God.
Monastery Food Service Manager Succumbs to Cancer
Jeannette (Sytsma) Huber, 46 years of age,passed away on November 22, 2011, at her home with her family surrounding her.
Jeanette served as the Benedictine Sisters' Food Service Manager from February 2010 until she was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year. With her husband, Duane, Jeanette had previously operated restaurants in Woodburn and St. Paul,
and the couple also catered special events for many years. They worked
together in the Sisters' kitchen.
Sr. Mechtilde Fennimore worked closely with Jeannette and said she was a
woman of many talents who cared deeply about her family and other people.
"She was a very capable and dedicated lady who was well-versed in cooking. She also worked as a nurse aide, raised five children, and was a superb decorator. Above all, she was dedicated to her husband and family, and she was always looking to help those in need."
Jeannette grew up on the family dairy farm just west of Mt. Angel, and graduated from John F. Kennedy High School. She is survived by her husband, her children - Rebecca, Cindy, Ben, Danielle and Eddie - and her mother.
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