One of the favorite poems by Gerard Manly Hopkins from my youth is about seeing.
“The world is charged with the grandeur of God, but only he who sees takes off his shoes. the rest sit round and pluck blackberries.”
If only we could see as God sees!
A few yards from our Guest House front porch is a huge oak tree. Despite its age, the tree still continues to produce a multitude of acorns. Recently I was working in the flower bed in front of the porch when something hit the top of my head - an acorn Within a minute a twig with leaves and then a second acorn hit! I had to laugh! A gentle nudge?
This dear old tree with its diminishing branches, will not last many more years, I fear, but its beauty, its shade, its “dwelling space” and, yes, even its bothersome seeds, have become a part of me and will live in my memory. I am grateful.
Let us seek your face, O God, let our hearts be open to embrace all creation, especially our brothers and sisters, made in your image and likeness. Open our eyes that we may see as you see, with a new vision for our Earth, with compassionate and thankful hearts. As we age, may the seeds you have planted in us bear fruit for the next generation. Amen.
That in all things God may be glorified!
Sr. Sharon Portwood, OSB
Dear Sister, thank you for the good quote, which is two poets Hopkins and Elizabeth Barret Browning "Aurora Leigh":
ReplyDeleteEarth’s crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God;
But only he who sees, takes off his shoes,
The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries,
And daub their natural faces unaware
More and more from the first similitude.
&
"THE WORLD is charged with the grandeur of God. It will flame out, like shining from shook foil; It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil"
A great oak is a world of life, the great metaphor of the Bible. There are oaks in Galilee. The ancient olives can be older than a millennium, they were there when the Cistercians were building. It was a mortal sin to destroy a tree in the Negev, they were so precious, and it was a miracle how the holy incense was obtained, bleeding from his side in eternal love. God bless OSB amen
This is lovely. I'm going to print it and share with my children and granchildren! Thank you, Sr.Sharon!
ReplyDeleteOur newest Family Prayer: Let us seek your face, O God, let our hearts be open to embrace all creation, especially our brothers and sisters, made in your image and likeness. Open our eyes that we may see as you see, with a new vision for our Earth, with compassionate and thankful hearts. As we age, may the seeds you have planted in us bear fruit for the next generation. Amen.
DeleteBeautiful thought, Sister Sharon, thank you! So nice to see you and all the Sisters during my recent visit.
ReplyDeleteSharon, your blog is lovely, simple and powerful.
ReplyDelete