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Good afternoon sisters and brothers;

Just a brief note to check up on our not so little reflection group. We continue to grow in numbers, spreading the Gospel with joy and energy! 

I recently heard a podcast on CBC radio which caught my attention. It was a discussion about the health benefits, both psychological and physiological, of praying and meditating in green spaces. 

The interview focused on a group of people who meet in a secluded park somewhere in Toronto. The person being interviewed described a place where a cluster of towering pines affords the meditation group seclusion and breathtaking beauty. 

The group comes from all walks of life, but they share a common denominator. They are all stressed out by the rigours of living in a fractured world. They yearn for a sense of peace and tranquility, seeking a connection with the natural and the spiritual worlds. The group sits in a circle as the leader guides them through the process of unshackling the heavy chains of  anxiety and stress. They surrender to the healing forces of mother earth. They become keenly aware of their physical surroundings. They touch the grass which is often dewey in the hours of the early morning, they smell the flowers, listen to the insects. And the interviewee describes a healing sense of greenness which embraces the group as the unplug and drift to other dimensions. 

Last night at dusk I went to the wild meadow to check on our organic vegetable garden. All the lettuce and strawberries had been eaten by the bunnies, which brought me joy, thinking of them with full tummies ensconced in their comfy warrens as nightfall approached. There were butterflies of all sizes and colours, as well as magical luminescent fireflies. As I headed back to the farmhouse, I was struck by the greenness of the landscape, and I immediately thought about the podcast I had heard on the radio. I decided to sit down in a spot between our northern catalpa and our two robust pine trees which are entangled with wild grape vines. The canopy was blocking out the sunlight, save for one spot that shone brightly and defiantly. It was as though I were sitting beneath a huge green umbrella, and everything was unnaturally and beautifully verdant. 

I envisioned our little reflection group sitting there with me, surrendering our anxieties, worries, and fears to the sky above. 

I felt the grass, plucked a dandelion and watched the white fluff as it was carried upwards by the breeze. 

I know each and every one of you by first name. As I sat and prayed, I said your names out loud, asking the Creator to bring you peace and tranquility. 

If you yearn for refreshment, I encourage you to go out tonight and meditate and pray in the great outdoors. 

In all things, natural and spiritual, the greener the better. 

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all, now and forever. 


Let us pray 

"Lord, grant us the wisdom to 
care for the earth and till it. Help
us to act now for the goodof
future generations and all your
creatures. Help us to become
instruments of a new creation.
Founded on the covenant of
your love."
Amen 
 Prayer for the Environment 
and Sustainability - Xavier University 

Bendiciones infinitas 

Paz 

I love you 

John