When the Rain Speaks : Celebrating God’s Presence in Nature

Reading this book is a uniquely beautiful experience. Sr. Melannie has a gift for describing everyday experiences of nature as mystical adventures. She invites readers to see as a child might, looking at something as if for the first time. Each of her meditations offers a unique perspective on things adults often take for granted. In “The Art of Beholding,” for example, she says that beholding lies at the heart of the spiritual life and that it is the first step toward contemplation, which is the prayerful attentiveness to something–a word in scripture, the blueness of an iris, a movement of one’s spirit, the song of a chickadee, the sound of rain tapping on a porch roof.
Sister Melannie is aware of what lies beneath the surface and points it out for us. It’s like she’s saying, “Don’t miss what is right in front of your eyes, all these spectacular gifts of nature. Enjoy them, praise them, and pray with them. They speak of God.”
This is a wonderful spirituality book for adults of all ages and a gift book that will be cherished.
Sister Melannie Svoboda is the former Provincial of the Sisters of Notre Dame of Chardon, Ohio. She is author of In Steadfast Love and other books from Twenty-Third Publications. She currently writes, directs retreats, and gives talks.