These woods are lovely, dark, and deep..........

On a hike yesterday afternoon I thought back on something I had read that morning:

  

"While you are enjoying scenery often make use of the canticle:  'All ye works of the Lord bless the Lord'

and try to mean every verse, and apply all to the Passion of Christ after you have thought sufficiently about the creature.

The mountains should bless the Lord because Our Lord prayed on mountains and suffered on Calvary.  The sea because Our Lord so often sat in the boat, walked on water.....All the outer world is only a figure of the larger world of grace.

Creation is like a large church organ which stands silent till the hand of some child of God, like yourself, fills the great organ with some of the rushing wind that came down on the day of Pentecost and makes all the works of God speak His praises.

-Father Gallwey

I thought it was quite providential that I should read that before we decided to hike, and so I heeded the advice and looked at the woods with keener eyes.

Colors of the Lord, Bless the Lord.........

Unless a grain of wheat (or an acorn) falls to the ground and dies it cannot bring forth a full blown life.  It was rather shocking when I looked closer at what happens to these acorns after they fall from the trees.  They get trampled and cracked and look quite miserable.  But next spring there will be green shoots where they had fallen so sadly.

Just so, our own dying to self,  receiving insults, careless remarks, envious gossip about us and trying to fight all reactions of sadness, or anger, or resentment in ourselves can tend to leave us feeling like this. 

But if we fight on and keep our peace in charity, forgiveness, and joy, we can hope for the green that comes after the dying.  

And maybe a flower or two

Pals!  The Oldest and the Youngest are amazingly sympatico!  It is lovely to watch.