God's Garden


by: friar Jaime Zaragoza, OFM Conv.
In Kentucky, I heard a phrase that stuck with me: we are co-gardeners in God’s garden.  And the garden is being destroyed.  I was realizing while climbing the Appalachian mountains in Kentucky to help plant new trees, that I was being a co-gardener with God.  My role was to plant the seed, do the work, and put in the necessary time, to once again be a church for social justice, to not partake in harmony that governs nature itself, but to listen to what is needed from me.

For myself, it was interesting and transforming knowing that there are places still needing a lot of attention in the US.  I will strive to become a better co-gardener, a better caretaker of the earth and to cooperate with Mother Nature.  I have also learned that once a seed is planted it takes time to develop; as it is true in nature, so is it true in our spiritual lives.
At Our Lady of Good Counsel in Hazard, KY, the windows of the church are based on the five themes found in the Appalachian pastoral letters: music, water, land, flora, & people.  They were an excellent reminder of the interconnectedness of all these pieces that make up God’s garden.





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