Finding God – A Poem by Sem. Jonathan Hill

Voices of Our World

Finding God

What if God was beyond my constrained Imagination

Not limited by lofty words of mindful expression

Nor kept in a guarded box of theological debate

But free to roam amongst the slightest doubts and strongest fears

That come from the hearts and minds of all

Across the expanse of a multitiered Multiverse

What if God whispered to children and prophets alike

And found expression in the butterfly as well as the pen

Would not the butterfly express the divine best

By Dancing about in its three-dimensional and holy form

Far clearer than a pen which can only illuminate

A dimension or two at best before stopping where the paper ends

What if God was found in that pen as well

Enlightening far more than acid-free paper with lead

But supple minds that can transcend our three-dimensional prison

Into the far-off limits of our cosmic creation

What if God was found beyond our limitations

Hiding not only in the fields of what is known

But in the trenches of guesses and shadows

Of what we think we comprehend

Is God then to be found in our rigid ideologies

Surrounded by deep moats and mossy walls of unyielding belief

That keep God tame to our mind’s imagination

And protects our Orthodoxy from severance or breach

Perhaps God is Only found beyond my rocky walls and muddy moats

Out in the vast and forbidden fields of the Unknown

Where pilgrims stop for fear of life and death

And the sea monsters and dragons of our past still roam

+Jonathan Hill, M.M.

Winter 2025

Fr. Rodrigo begins our Winter 2025 – 2026 Vocation Newsletter by observing that, much like the signs of God’s love that guide us through the Advent and Christmas seasons, discerning a vocation requires attention to the signs that God sends us in our daily lives. We see, discern, and live into these signs as turn our hearts to God’s call, to the needs of others, and to the gifts we bring to those lowly of birth. As Maryknoll Father Bill Mullan remarked of his own ministry in Central America, “The missioner is a sign of hope, someone from the outside showing respect, love and concern for people in, at times, desperate situations.”

We also announce our 2026 Holy Week “Come and See” Retreat, April 1st — 5th, 2026, for men discerning priesthood or Brotherhood. Please join us at our Mission Center at Maryknoll, NY, where we will journey together with Christ to a new life in God’s love.

ABOUT MARYKNOLL

We are a Catholic Society of priests and brothers based in the United States. We are dedicated to missionary work overseas in over 20 countries. Additionally, we animate Catholics in the United States to follow their own baptismal call to share God’s compassion and love with the poor, the sick, and all those in need.

OUR GENERAL COUNCIL

L-R Tom O'Brien, Ray Finch, Joe Everson, Russ Feldmeier

(Fr. Lance P. Nadeau, Fr. James M. Lynch, Fr. Timothy O. Kilkelly, Fr. Juan Montes Zúñiga)

The Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers is overseen by our General Council, led by Superior General Rev. Lance P. Nadeau, M.M.

OUR FOUNDERS

L-R Tom O'Brien, Ray Finch, Joe Everson, Russ Feldmeier

(Our Co-Founders Father Price and Father Walsh)

PLACES WE SERVE

EVANGELIZATION, PARISHES, AND PROJECTS

USA

STORIES OF MISSION

(Africa) Education and Formation of African Clergy

The Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers Africa Region will provide tuition assistance to African clergy, male and female religious at institutes of higher education or specialized training. Read More

Stories of Our Global Mission

The calling of a lifetime

The life of a Maryknoll missioner is challenging, fulfilling, and deeply rewarding. Follow your baptismal call to mission by sharing God’s compassion with the poor, the sick, and people most in need.