La Vista Celebrates the Spring Equinox and World Water Day

By Sr. Maxine Pohlman, SSND, Director, lavistaelc.org

In 1993 the U.N. General Assembly designated March 22 as World Water Day in order to bring to our attention to what we so often take for granted: water, a scarce element threatened and denied to millions around the world.  Inspired by this annual worldwide event, on Saturday, March 21, the Novitiate Community and local folks gathered on the bluffs to celebrate the beginning of spring, to experience the sacred element of water, and to deepen our awareness of global issues surrounding water.

We began with a quote from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops Pastoral Letter on the Christian Ecological Imperative: The beauty and grandeur of nature touches each one of us.  From panoramic vistas to the tiniest living form, nature is a constant source of wonder and awe.  It is also a continuing revelation of the divine.

We heard from inspiring speakers: a Hindu woman and her daughter who shared the importance of water in Hinduism and water issues in India, as well as a college student and president of Engineers without Borders who is leading a project on water purification in Guatemala.

Participants brought with them water from a special source.  One couple shared fresh water from a local spring called “Catholic Spring”.  We each received a cup and let it bless us as we shared this delicious, untreated, pure water, remembering that the elements are “a continuing revelation of the divine.”

And finally, we shared refreshments as we enjoyed the awesome view from the bluffs, the delightful spring breeze, and the satisfaction of having united ourselves with people across the globe concerned about water, the foundation of our home, Earth, a home we share with all other creatures in our sacred Earth community.