God’s Warm Breeze Paints the Color of the Winds: A reflection for the Second Sunday of Lent, 2026

by Thom Chartier, Obl OSB

In the first reading, God calls Abraham and demands his trust, saying “Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’”

Well, I don’t know about you, but as for me I didn’t hear any voice from above telling me anything even remotely what Abram heard. Nope, no loud shout out of, “Hey, Thom! I demand your trust and if you do, you’ll be well known and very blessed.” It was more like an early morning warm breeze, ever so softly kissing my conscience at first. “I’m here Thom: be still and know that I am.”

As that whisper grew louder, that breeze became stronger, harder to ignore. Especially in times of hardship, distress, despair, and thanksgiving. I was beginning to listen with the ear of my heart, even though I didn’t know anything about St. Benedict.

In my final ministry in social work, I returned to St. Mary’s Medical Center. There I met Sister Lois Eckes, who was the Prioress at St. Scholastica Monastery. She would advocate for a Sister who was hospitalized on my floor. I also advocated, of course, because that was my role for all my patients. As this monastic Community knows, I have a love relationship with each Sister, and everyone has been and continues to be a blessing in my life. That warm breeze was telling me, “I will bless those who bless you.” And I was blessed to be reunited with Sister Mary Martin Beringer during her last hospitalization. Sister Mary Martin was one of my primary caregivers at St. James Orphanage and I had not seen her for 50 years. It was a beautiful moment.

As it turned out, Sister Beverly Raway worked on my floor as an instructor for nursing students from The College of St. Scholastica who were in their clinicals. Sister Beverly was blessed to have me as a high school student at Duluth Cathedral High. – Okay, I’m exaggerating on that one. But I don’t believe she knew my mother was gravely ill and dying from cancer during my high school days. I was her primary caregiver, and I worried about her throughout the day. Sister Beverly was very kind to me when I was having a hard day. She sensed something was amiss and provided that much-needed Benedictine mercy and love.

As the warm breeze strengthened, I started to attend Sunday worship here at the Monastery. Another high school teacher was here: Sister Pauline Micke. God was telling me, “Thom you can run but you cannot hide.” After a few months, Sister Pauline asked me to explore the Oblate program. Fr. Tom Foster was present when Sister asked that question. I had served as a Chaplain Assistant in the Minnesota Air National Guard with Fr. Tom. Oh boy, the pressure on! I replied, “Sure.” It wasn’t at the same trust level of Abraham, but, with lots of handholding by my new-found community and tons of prayer, I confessed my Oblate vows on November 19, 2023.  I now understand the second reading, “Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God, who saved us and has called us to his own purpose and grace.”  And I feel that grace each and every day. I believe that grace in my soul was God’s gift and promise, and that He provided my mother as His instrument to deliver that to me. She was His gentle warm breeze, the same grace she had when she handed me into the loving arms of the Benedictine Sisters at the St. James orphanage. And to this day whenever I hold Sister Beverly Horn’s hand I can feel the warmth of God’s presence and love again, as she took care of me at the orphanage.

So, as we go forward let us all live in harmony with ourselves. Let us listen with the ear of our heart to the words in the Gospel of Matthew: “’This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!’ When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Get up and do not be afraid.’”

In the Catholic Prayer Bible, Lectio Divina Edition, it says about the Transfiguration: “Religious and mystical experiences occur frequently in life. Such experiences are beyond words. Give some thought how the physical can express the spiritual.” As for me, I can say I understand that connection between the physical and spiritual. It is a beautiful, mystical experience, filled with grace and love.

In closing, I pray that God’s warm breeze will paint colors of mercy and love and manifest in those in leadership positions in this country and throughout the world. May they begin to listen with the ear of their hearts and do what is right and just.

My closing prayer is the lyrics from the song Colors of the Wind, from the Disney film Pocahontas.

You think I’m an ignorant savage
And you’ve been so many places
I guess it must be so
But still, I cannot see
If the savage one is me
How can there be so much that you don’t know?
You don’t know

You think you own whatever land you land on
The Earth is just a dead thing you can claim
But I know every rock and tree and creature
Has a life, has a spirit, has a name

You think the only people who are people
Are the people who look and think like you
But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger
You’ll learn things you never knew, you never knew

Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon?
Or asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned?
Can you sing with all the voices of the mountain?
Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?
Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?

Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest
Come taste the sun sweet berries of the Earth
Come roll in all the riches all around you
And for once, never wonder what they’re worth

The rainstorm and the river are my brothers
The heron and the otter are my friends
And we are all connected to each other
In a circle, in a hoop that never ends

How high does the sycamore grow?
If you cut it down, then you’ll never know

And you’ll never hear the wolf cry to the blue corn moon
For whether we are white or copper skinned
We need to sing with all the voices of the mountain
We need to paint with all the colors of the wind

You can own the Earth and still
All you’ll own is Earth until
You can paint with all the colors of the wind

Reading 1: Genesis 12:1-4a

The LORD said to Abram:
“Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk
and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you.

“I will make of you a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
so that you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you
and curse those who curse you.
All the communities of the earth
shall find blessing in you.”

Abram went as the LORD directed him.