Cathedral of Creation & Liturgy of the Universe

(In this ‘Season of Creation’ special article, Sr. Mudita Menona Sodder, a Religious of the Sacred Heart of Jesus living in Mumbai, Western India, shares with the readers of RVA how, early on as a child, she learned to appreciate the natural world — a quality that has been the defining mark of her almost 50 years of ministry as a nun, educator, writer, and environmental advocate. – Chief Editor)

I grew up in a large family of five children. We lived in a suburb of metropolitan Mumbai (Bombay at the time). It was my father, an engineer by profession and an avid nature lover, who taught us what American eco-theologian Thomas Berry would call “the ability to wonder at the universe and appreciate life in its full excitement.”

My father loved gardening and pets. We always had a pet dog, Rhode Island hens, and later, my brothers kept birds and squirrels. I even had a piglet who grew into a full-grown hog! A peacock and peahen, part of the dowry that a Muslim bride brought into our neighborhood, would often be found sitting in our garden. We had many fruit trees and over a hundred varieties of decorative crotons and cacti.

My father would buy grafted saplings, and each sibling had to choose a sapling, help Dad plant it, and then care for it. This was his way of ensuring a deep bond between us and our tree, as we watched it grow into a large tree, spread its branches, flower, and bear fruit. The guava tree was mine, and as it grew, I discovered a comfortable U-shaped branch where I could sit at ease. This became my sit-spot, my hide-out. Hidden by its thick foliage, I loved to sit there and sing aloud. No one could see me, but they could hear my voice. I shared my tree with birds, bats, insects, and especially parakeets, who nibbled at the ripening guavas.

My father also loved dog and bird shows and competitions. He participated in many such events, often taking us along, and even won prizes for our pet dogs and Rhode Island roosters! From childhood, therefore, I grew up with plants, animals, and birds as part of the family. All this was a living reality, a miracle, in a suburb of metropolitan Mumbai! Early in life, I realized that we are all part of the family of humankind walking toward the light.

While other children loved to play outside, I cherished spending time in my garden, listening to birdsong, watching a spider build its web or ants build their nest, or simply delighting in the growth of trees. My curiosity led me to collect different seeds from the neighborhood grocer, plant them, and wait patiently to see them sprout, grow, and bear fruit. I still remember vividly the Rajma (red kidney bean) I planted, which later produced French beans. The day I saw them, I was overjoyed and ran around the neighborhood inviting all my friends to “come and see the miracle!” Till then, I never knew that Rajma beans, so common on Indian tables, were the seeds of French beans. This discovery thrilled me and made me feel on top of the world. I thus learnt to distinguish plants by their leaves, shapes, sizes, and fruits.

I was also fortunate to crisscross India by train, as my father worked for the British Railways, and we often traveled out of the city for holidays. Sunrise, sunset, the moon, the stars, waterfalls, mountains, rain, everything that moved or sparkled fascinated me, drawing me into a world of wonder, imagination, and beauty.

In high school, college, and university, I loved organizing picnics and outdoor gatherings, bringing colleagues and friends together to enjoy nature’s bounty. As I grew, I came to understand that humans and the earth have a mutual need for each other. We are always in the process of becoming, opening to greater life, if only we learn to see and recognize it, for the universe is still expanding, and we are part of that emergence.

The words “HEART” and “EARTH” share the same letters. Let us, therefore, have a heart for Mother Earth and embrace green living, following the legacy of Francis of Assisi and Pope Francis. Peace is an artisanal product crafted daily through our work, life, and relationships. We need to mature as an authentic species. This Season of Creation, let us weave a fabric of co-existence, making peace with Creation (Is 32:14-18), by revisiting our own Garden of Peace. May each of us cultivate an “ecological conversion,” striving to become the dove who discovers a life-long trajectory leading us home to God, and in the process, helps others do the same.

By practicing and living with intention an “ecological spirituality,” and by exploring our sacred humanity, may we, as co-creators, forge a new era of peace in this “Great Cathedral of Creation,” renewing our human participation in the “Grand Liturgy of the Universe.”