*NOTE: As a Lay Associate of the Hospital Sisters of Saint Francis in Springfield, I occasionally write a column for the periodic newsletter the sisters distribute to the rest of the associates throughout Illinois and Wisconsin. I submitted the following this week, and thought it appropriate to share with readers of this space, as well.
This week I began a new spiritual practice.
I have formed the intention of posting an image each day on my Facebook page that celebrates the abundance of beauty around us, with the hope of inspiring others to do the same. So far, I have posted a photo of a cup of strawberry-rose iced tea, a wine rack at an area restaurant, and an image of the flowers on the front porch, after giving them a much-longed-for drink of water.
Beauty really is everywhere, often in the places we least expect.
To be sure, I have always thrived on immersing myself in the beauty of the natural world. I have just never formed a disciplined practice to reinforce that search.
I hope this new practice will intensify my awareness, experience and appreciation for this beauty.
For those of us who have an affinity toward St. Francis of Assisi, this love for the natural world only makes sense.
A love for all of creation is one of the wonderful pillars of Franciscan spirituality.
And for those of us who have been fortunate to spend any length of time at the former Chiara Center in Springfield, we have seen with our own eyes – not to mention, experienced with our other senses – the overflowing love for creation the sisters have, that makes this spirituality so inviting.
After all, God is Beauty.
And through the practice of Franciscan spirituality, and our appreciation and respect for, all of Creation, we come to know the heart of God in so many intimate ways.
It is as though our Creator is constantly putting on a variety show for our senses, but not in a loud, “look-at-me” sort of way.
Our Creator is nothing, if not humble.
Although we are in the process of emerging from a collective lockdown thanks to the coronavirus, it is no secret that in general, the society in which we live is constantly on the go, and, worse yet, constantly trying to distract itself from being real.
The problem with distracting ourselves, whether it be with electronics; numerous social engagements and obligations; long hours of work and so on, is that we miss out on the Beauty of God that is all around us – as St. Francis said himself, it is “everywhere, everywhere, everywhere.”
And this Beauty of God is the one thing that can satisfy our souls the most. Indeed, it is the primary gift we have been given to heal all illnesses of body, mind and spirit in the most profound and life-giving way.
Even though as I get a little order, the distinct, sometimes extreme nature of weather in each season gets a little more challenging to handle, I would not want to live anywhere else than where I do right now. I remember in an Earth science class in college, my teacher pointing out that we at 40 degrees north latitude experience the seasons in their fullness, more than any other locale on the planet.
Think about that for a minute.
Every day of the year, we have the opportunity to walk outside our doors and experience the Beauty of God in so many magnificent ways – even when it is as elemental as the green grass on which we walk or the softness of the falling snow, where we can leave, at least for a moment in time, evidence of where we have walked while on this planet.
One of my favorite writers is the late Irish poet and philosopher John O’Donohue. He died in his early 50s in 2008, but his brilliant, imaginative, lilting voice remains in our midst, both in his written works and recordings that are available around the internet.
His work is a real expression of the reality that our spirits are indeed immortal.
One of his books that I highly recommend is “Beauty: The Invisible Embrace.”
Like the rest of his works, this book, traditional and audio, takes the reader on an adventure of the mind, soul, spirit and heart that is all-too-rare these days.
My prayer for each of you in the coming months is that your life will be filled with a deeper awareness of the beauty that is everywhere, everywhere, everywhere in our midst.
· SPIRIT MATTERS is a weekly column that examines spirituality. Contact Jerrilyn Zavada at jzblue33@yahoo.com to share how you engage your spirit in your life and in your community.