“The Little Flower”

Tags

beauty, flowers, spirituality, St. Therese of Lisieux, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

As we enter the month of October, I always think of a poem we learned in elementary school entitled “October’s Bright Blue Weather.” Even considering the title brings gratitude for living in the Northeast of the USA because of all the natural beauty that we witness as trees put on a colorful show and big pots of fall mums can be seen everywhere. There is a bit of sadness mixed in with the dying down of garden-fresh vegetables and disappearing fields of corn, but the slowing of activity with the shortening of daylight calls to our need for rest. We do well to heed the advice.

Today Christians mark the feast of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, one of the most revered saints of the Catholic Church. She lived only 24 years, a simple life by all external standards, but is celebrated the world over for her life of love in God. There are many ways to get to know her – many books and commentaries on her life. Today I found a quote of hers that I had never heard before. It speaks to me of her spirituality as well as to the season that is ending and the one we are entering. It is perhaps most appropriate for one whom we know under the title of “The Little Flower.”

I understood that every flower created by God is beautiful, that the brilliance of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not lessen the perfume of the violet or the sweet simplicity of the daisy. I understood that if all the lowly flowers wished to be roses, nature would no longer be enameled with lovely hues. And so it is in the world of souls, Our Lord’s lovely garden.

Signs of Spring

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awaken, calm, dawn, discipline, flowers, forgive, hopeful spirit, impatience, injustice, love, Macrina Weiderkehr, non-violence, prayer, psalm 5, seven sacred pauses, spring, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, tolerance, unfold, wake, winged heart

Late yesterday afternoon I went on a brief “inspection tour” of the property where I live, looking for signs of spring. The air had a different quality to it (it was almost warm!) and there was evidence that the daffodils and tulips, and even the irises, were getting impatient for their time to shine. I whispered to them to slow down because March is so unpredictable; we could be buried in snow next week! There was a feeling of holding back in me at the same time as my own impatience to get out there to begin the clean up of the yard.

I noticed this morning how bright it was at 6:30 – a sure sign of spring – when my alarm went off and I actually spent a moment before I rolled out of bed, musing about how the day might go with God’s companionship. It was not surprising to me then when Macrina Weiderkehr offered me a morning reflection that felt like a plan for  renewal. I’ll share it in its entirety and I’ll take it with me to work, hoping it remains as God’s work within me today and in the burgeoning season just beginning inside and out.

The words of Kahlil Gibran are sitting at the gate of my heart this morning. “To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving.” Words from Psalm 5 are also trying to get my attention: “In the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.” I don’t always rise at dawn and watch for God, nor do I consistently awaken with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving. There are times when the wings of my heart remain folded; yet prayer still happens in me. There are mornings when I simply sit in silence trying to remember some of the things that need to rise in me:

1. a tolerance for those who do not agree with me,
2. a refusal to judge others
3. a willingness to forgive,
4. greater effort to live with a non-violent heart,
5. loving thoughts toward those who don’t exactly dote on me,
6. a calm and hopeful spirit in the midst of my anxieties,
7. discipline in my daily personal prayer,
8. attention and faithfulness in my daily work
9. a holy anger for injustice in our world.

As I remember these necessary risings in my life, the wings of my heart slowly begin to unfold. All Praise to You, Giver of the Morning! (Seven Sacred Pauses, p. 61-62)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Birdsong

Tags

birdsong, complex consciousness, complicated lives, dawn, flowers, give thanks, Jesus, Kahlil Gibran, Matthew, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, trust, winged heart, worry

When I woke at 4:35 this morning – much too early to greet the day – the birds were singing so loud I doubted that I would be able to go back to sleep. Fortunately, I did drift off and woke again just before six o’clock. When I did there was absolute silence, a deep breath, perhaps, for the birds – just a pause that brought to my mind and heart a favorite line from Kahlil Gibran: To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving. (The Prophet) The silence didn’t last long; the birds are at it again, singing for all they’re worth. In my waking state, I realize their connection to Gibran’s words and consider how willing the birds are just to be themselves. I know all the arguments about how much our lives are complicated by our complex consciousness but sometimes I wish it were simpler to respond to life as the birds do. Jesus talks about that in today’s gospel – and about flowers as well, calling us to recognize how special they and we all are just because we are, rather than for what we can do or achieve. (MT 6:24-34) We needn’t worry about anything but rather trust that we are always held in God’s love. And that was worth waking up for this morning!