On a recent sunny afternoon I took a leisurely walk to our cemetery. There I found the recently cut down remains of some very old, tall, ash trees infected and killed by the emerald ash borer.The huge sections of the tree trunks were waiting to be hauled from the cemetery hillside. I pondered the sight of the Sisters’ graves with the large sections of trees scattered among them. The life circles in each immense piece of tree trunk seemed to epitomize the circles of gravestones on the hill. 
The sight spoke to me of death and separation as well as process and new life. I recalled memories of these departed Sisters and prayed for and to them. I also wondered about the future of those immense trunks. Might their wood be made into something beautiful or useful or even unique one day? Upon leaving the cemetery, I couldn’t help wishing that it would be so.
Sr. Martha Walther, OSB
thank you for this inspiring & beautiful blog, I have taken the liberty of writing a little poem for my new book Saint Mary 365 book 5 -- taking up the theme and finding a message about the beginning of the church
ReplyDelete000 Life Rising
Circles of graves on the hillside
The old ash tree piled in logs
Circles of life in the wood
Kneeling in prayer I saw
Fallen columns, a crypt, a house rising.
Inspired by blog by Sr Martha Walther OSB 2015.04.15.
with thanks from Stean Anthony (work in progress as yet)