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.





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"The Chicken Dance"

Image
by: friar Rich Rome, OFM Conv. One of my favorite TV comedies, Arrested Development, chronicles the antics of the hyper-affluent Bluth family who develop real estate in California.   With one exception, they are all completely (and hilariously) disconnected from the real world.   And the way the show drives that point home is that each character has a unique “chicken dance”.   Whenever one character accuses another of being a chicken, they mockingly perform their version of the dance – none of these versions bear any resemblance to a real chicken ( see gif below ). While some societies for religious or cultural reasons do not eat pork or beef, almost every society eats chicken.   Just about everyone on earth understands what a chicken is like (hence, the comedy of the show).   But how connected are we on where our chicken comes from?   Our time in Ellicott City, MD and Siler City, NC revolved a lot around chickens.   In Maryland, ...
Read more

"King of the Mountains"

Image
by: friar Rich Rome, OFM Conv. I don’t think I’ve ever spent a week thinking so much about what is underneath my feet.   It's just something that I easily take for granted, right next to the air we breathe.   E ven though mining operations ceased decades ago, coal still casts a large shadow in Shamokin.   Countless organizations and businesses have the word “anthracite” in their title, an homage to the specific & rare type of hard coal which built the town.   Houses and buildings are proudly painted dark gray or black.   The main altar, blessed sacrament altar, and ambo at Mother Cabrini Church all sit atop plinths of coal.   Gift shops offer pieces as souvenirs (although you can often find a freebie if you root through a gravel pile), but also coal rock candy, coal licorice, and coal bubble gum.   The Heritage Restaurant, which is seeking to honor the culture and history of Shamokin, has a beautiful mural painted on the side of it.   The...
Read more

"To Provide for Creation"

Image
by: friar Jaime Zaragoza, OFM Conv. Our Maryland trip helped us to reconnect with the care of creation at the grass roots level; this was addressed in two areas.  Firstly, at the Chesapeake Bay with "Col. Dennis", and learning about what is required to create an equilibrium in an environment so that it may continue to be resourceful.  Secondly, was on the Little Portion Farm in Ellicott City with Farmer Matt, who showed me the importance of restoring a farm that had been non-organic.  Disconnecting with my normal routine to reconnect with nature has taught me the importance of balance, and I found this in creation. On the Chesapeake Bay with Col. Dennis, I was able to see the importance of reconnecting to our water resources and the different dynamics that make up the equilibrium.  These dynamics evolve around the native blue crabs: if rock fish (AKA striped bass) season is good, the crab season will be bad.  Additionally, the introduction of non-native ...
Read more