God’s Love Poured Out
By Sarah Laitinen
“During the Year of Lasallian Spirituality, Christian Brothers Conference is publishing reflections to provide spiritual inspiration and stir continued dialogue around Lasallian spirituality.
In the busyness of each day, it’s amazing how the mental to-do list can be in the forefront of our minds. We balance meetings, classes, time with colleagues, work on projects and presentations with our personal and family commitments. As a wife and mother of three young children, I am constantly going back and forth in my mind between work and family commitments both for the present day and the future.
Last week, I had the great privilege to be with our District of Eastern North America (DENA) Johnston Institute participants during their spring session. As I pulled up to Bon Secours Retreat and Conference Center, I thought of my to-do list. When I stepped inside the building, I entered into “program mode” and looked forward to reconnecting with the participants I had met in the fall. As participants began to arrive, there was a palpable feeling of excitement. One could feel energy as participants greeted one another and it seemed like the fall session was merely weeks ago.
A few hours later, the program was underway with the participants enjoying a “Parmenie Walk” (a walk in pairs in the style of the first Christian Brothers). I felt a sense of pride and relief as facilitating this session was one thing I could check off my to-do list. We had around 40 minutes before dinner, so I was tempted to sit down at my laptop and respond to a few emails so I could continue to cross things off the mental to-do list. However, something within me was encouraging me to go for a walk.
I walked down the hallway and when I got to the lobby, my eyes were drawn to a piece of artwork on the side wall. I diverted my path from leaving the building to stop and admire the mural titled “God’s Love Poured into Our Hearts.” This mosaic panel was created by Tara Mulder, a staff member at Bon Secours, and is focused on Romans 1:1-5. Mulder shared in the panel description that the “Apostle Paul reminds believers that through Jesus Christ we have reason to rejoice in hope, a hope that will not be put to shame because God’s love has been poured into our hearts.”
After reading these words, I was drawn to the heart and cross image in the center of the mural depicting the brightness of God’s love in our hearts and how this love shines through the imperfections. In admiring the mosaic, I felt hope and was brought back to the feelings of joy experienced when the participants were reconnecting. Why wasn’t this feeling of joy on my mental to-do list? Why do I allow tasks to be on my mind when I should be fully present? Throughout the rest of my walk and this artwork and Scripture passage kept entering into my reflection.
Later in the evening with the Scripture passage and mural still on my mind, I was reminded of the words of our Founder in Meditation 196 to “earnestly ask Jesus that his Spirit may be alive in you.” God’s love was evident to me in this room through the presence, example and witness of the DENA Johnston participants. In sessions, through stories and by sharing, God’s love was poured into our hearts through one another over the course of the weekend. As one Johnston participant shared, “God isn’t floating out there in space. God is in the people sitting to your left and right. How can we see the holy presence that we are to one another?”
While this internal reflective journey wasn’t on my mental to-do list, I was grateful for the opportunity to step away and be fully present to the community and experience. When I returned home following this rich weekend of formation, I was grateful to have God’s love continue to pour into my heart through seeing the smiles of my children and family. In this beautiful Year of Lasallian Spirituality, may we frequently be reminded of God’s love being poured into our hearts and be emboldened to share the good news and love with one another and those entrusted to our care.”
Artwork Credit: Tara Mulder. The piece is displayed at Bon Secours Retreat & Conference Center.
Tara Mulder realized she was an artist while painting a still life at the age of 15. Recreating the weathered wood grain of an old sled had such a joyful rightness about it that she knew art was what she wanted to do her whole life. An artist was who God made her to be. Fast forward through several years as a high school art teacher and a variety of creative day jobs, and Tara is still creating art with a sense of joyful rightness using a mosaic technique she developed. Tara will be hosting a workshop on May 10, 2025 called Faith and the Creative Process where attendees will explore connections between the process of creating art/content and spiritual practices.