After my Dad passed
away, my sister Maureen made the decision to buy my parent’s house. One happy
result was that my Mom’s garden remained in the family. Mom had a green thumb. She could make
anything grow. I still enjoy walking around the yard, looking at her plants and
thinking of her.
We have been talking
about a garden at St. Columba. Not a flower garden, but a vegetable garden.
With the help of students and parishioners, we could grow fresh food for the
St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry. We have an Eagle Scout candidate working on
the plans right now. We will keep you posted.
The idea of a garden
is very Biblical:
-
Life began
in the Garden of Eden.
-
Jesus
spent his last night in the Garden of Gethsemene.
-
When Mary
Magdalene saw Jesus after the Resurrection, she thought he was the Gardener.
Well, he was!
Our Life In the
Spirit – our Soul - has been described by Saints like Francis de Sales as a Garden.
It is a good comparison:
-
It needs
Sun, just like our Souls need the Son.
-
It needs
tending, It needs to be weeded – just like our souls do – get the sins out!
-
It needs
fertilizer – well, we don’t have to go looking for that! It comes to us and we
can use it to grow.
-
It needs
patience. Can’t force it. All in God’s time.
-
It needs
air – life breath of the Spirit
-
It needs
water – and that is Prayer! Raising our
hearts and minds to God! Prayer is how
God loves us and we love God.
So many Ways To
Pray– spoken prayers, memorized prayers, the Prayer of the Mass, reading
the bible, praying the rosary, meditation, contemplation, singing and silence.
Four types of
Prayer that we should try to include:
ACTS
Adoration – Praising
God. Do it very often when I am out
hiking and see beauty.
Contrition – Sorrow about
my actions that hurt others & God. Ask for forgiveness and Mercy
Thanksgiving – All is
a blessing, all is a gift
Supplication –
Petition – Pray for self & others.
Ask and you shall receive – really?
I would ask my parents for things – did not always give them to me – did
they still love me – of course. Can I trust that they knew what was best. Can we trust God?
So, how is your
Garden? – the Garden of Your Soul? Remember that Prayer keeps the garden growing –
keep praying and do not lose heart!
Come Holy Spirit,
fill the hearts of your faithful, and kindle in them the fire of your love.
Send out your Spirit and they shall be created and you shall renew the face of the
earth!
