On a recent day trip to Birr Castle and gardens I was reminded of the famous poem, “I see his Blood upon the Rose” by Irish poet, Joseph Mary Plunkett.
“I see his blood upon the rose
And in the stars the glory of his eyes,
His body gleams amid eternal snows,
His tears fall from the skies.
I see his face in every flower;
The thunder and the singing of the birds
Are but his voice—and carven by his power
Rocks are his written words.
All pathways by his feet are worn,
His strong heart stirs the ever-beating sea,
His crown of thorns is twined with every thorn,
His cross is every tree.”
Being out in the fresh air, kicking through the autumn leaves, with the sun bathing everything in a golden light I could not but open my eyes to the beauty of nature. With all our connectivity through social media and other platforms we are often removed from the real world around us. When we open our eyes to the beauty of nature around us we allow God to touch our hearts and minds. In “Laudato Si”, Pope Francis tells us that:
As Christians we are also called “to accept the world as a sacrament of communion…” It is our humble conviction that the divine and the human meet in the slightest detail in the seamless garment of God’ creation, in the last speck of dust of our planet.
Pope Francis also tells us that the natural world speaks of God’s boundless love for us and that everything – soil, mountains, water – is a caress of God.
If our eyes are open, NATURE will show us the DIVINE. So wrap up, get out, take a deep breath and feel God’s CARESS.
PRAYER FOR OUR COMMON HOME
Father of all,
Creator and ruler of the universe,
You entrusted your world to us as a gift.
Help us to care for it and all people,
that we may live in right relationship–
with You,
with ourselves,
with one another,
and with creation.
Timirí 