Recently, my niece,
who lives in the mountains west of Denver, Colorado, gifted me with a trip
there to celebrate my Diamond Jubilee. She lives in Carbondale, CO, an
old coal mining town, which sits at the foot of Mount Sopris. She can
see this beautiful snow-covered mountain from her home. What a
view! No wonder she loves it there!
No matter which direction she travels she
is driving around mountains, some higher, some lower than 14,000 ft., with
mountain streams running along beside her. Her mother and I experienced
many such rides over our week's stay, as we toured other mining towns as
well: Aspen, a silver mining town; Crested Butte and Red Stone, coal
mining towns; and Marble Mount, an active marble mining area. Everywhere there
were snow topped mountains in the background. In the fall the aspens
in the foreground turn all shades of yellow, orange and red.The photo below was taken in
On
my return, it took some time to get reacclimated to the lower altitude, and
re-enter the monastic schedule. Now the Scriptures have a renewed symbol
to captivate my attention; “The Mountain.”
God’s special place of
Presence to the Chosen People: “While Israel was encamped in the
desert of Sinai in front of the mountain,
Moses went up the mountain to speak
with God…The Lord told him, “I am coming to you in a dense cloud, so that when
the people hear me speaking with you, they may always have faith in you also.”
(Ex. 19:2-3, 9)
“They moved on from the
mountain of the Lord, a three days journey, and the ark of the covenant of
the Lord which was to seek out their resting place went with them. When they
set out, the cloud of the Lord was over them by day.” (Nu. 10:3-4)
“In days to come, the mountain
of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills. All nations shall stream toward it; many
peoples shall come and say, “Come, let us climb the Lord’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us
in his ways, and we may walk in his paths.” (Is. 2:2-3)
In the Psalms we pray: “High the mountains of
Bashan; rugged the mountains of
Bashan. Why look you jealously, you
rugged mountains, at the mountain God has chosen for his throne,
where the Lord will dwell forever?” (Ps. 68:16-17)
“Incline your heavens, O Lord, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke …reach
out your hand from on high and rescue me…” (Ps. 144: 5-7)
“Praise God you mountains
and all you hills…” (Ps. 148:9)
Jesus frequented the mountains to pray: “Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother, John and led
them up on a high mountain by
themselves. He was transfigured before
their eyes. His face became dazzling as
the sun, his clothes radiant as light…a bright cloud overshadowed them. Out of
the cloud came a voice…” (Mt. 17: 1-9)
I am so grateful for
the mountains of our Liturgical
opportunities where we gather in the presence of our God; to praise God with
Christ in the Holy Spirit, to hear God’s word, to be fed for the journey, and to
respond to the call to go and spread the Good News to all. In Lectio Divina and personal prayer we
individually place ourselves at the foot of the mountain of God and get overshadowed in the comfort of that cloud.
Sr. Mary Tewes, OSB
