Sisters Barbara Hagel and Jeanette DeYoung, Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose in Fremont, California, explain how their work of caring for creation preaches the Good News. Hear the full In Good Faith episode IGF046 at aNunsLife.org. A transcript of this podcast is available below.
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Sister Maxine
Dominicans, as many people may know, are the Order of Preachers. And we talked a little bit earlier about education. But I'm wondering in what other ways is the Good News of the Gospel preached through your work in caring for creation?
Sister Barbara
I'll refer back to the model of our honeybees, again. It's a great model for religious life. But really, for all of us on the planet. They're a community. Each bee depends on each other for life. Without the work of each member, the hive will perish. Can't we say that about us on this planet? They feed each other, they work together for the common good. And everybody's needs are met in the hive. I think what it tells me is, we are all connected, and we are all one. And the molecules that make up the bee are the very same ones that make up my own body. So we need the bees, and we're very dependent on them. As I said, you know, a third of our crop comes from them. It's an education that takes a different form. And education is essential to our teaching and to who we are as Dominicans. And it's just such a joy to pass that on and to help open people's eyes. And often they open my eyes to different ways of learning. The garden becomes a classroom in many, many ways.
Sister Jeanette
I would like to add to that: we're in the Easter season, and the whole idea of life, death and resurrection. And I think when you go out into nature, you see that very, very clearly. You have the living plants, and they have a life cycle. And the seed goes into the ground, it goes into the darkness so that it can come back in a fuller life. And I think that is the life pattern. We all have our down moments or challenges. And I think it's the hope of the resurrection. Yes, it will be better. Yes, we will get through the pandemic. Yes, we can work together. Yes, we are interdependent. Nature in so many ways tries to tell us that. It tells us with the seasons of the year. It tells us with the life of a single flower. It's there for us to see and to learn. And, I think Barbara mentioned earlier, the first scripture was nature. The wonder of God is reflected in it so much.
This transcript has been lightly edited for readability.
