The Supernatural Builds on the Natural-Continued

I grew in a family which identified things in nature: we knew and still know the names of trees, flowers, both wild and cultivated, birds and other animals, type of rocks and so on.

That is because we were outside a lot. We grew up going outside, for walks, hikes, camping trips, historical pilgrimages and religious pilgrimages.

We knew we were part of nature.

In the past two months at the monastery, I went walking in the beautiful Bible Garden daily. The nuns have their own, secluded garden which adjoins the more public one. In all that time, there was only one other nun who I saw taking regular exercise outside and she is English.

Somehow, nature must be part of the life of the religious. St. Bernard knew this, and St. Benedict encouraged outside work. This is missing from so many monasteries. There are some which still farm and have orchards, plant vegetable gardens and herbal gardens. But, because of the dropping of vocations, so many orders can no longer maintain the farms and orchards of the past. Five healthy nuns cannot maintain a farm, or even a large garden.

This, to me, causes a lack of communion with God through nature.

One of the flowers in the garden was the gladiolus, or the Roman sword, as it is sometimes called. I love this flower and the one in this particular place was bright coral. I have written a poem about it.

I watched that flower endure high winds, fog, slashing rain and cold. Yet, it bloomed up to November 12th and another set of flowers was coming up behind the stem I saw. God teaches us through nature and in this case I learned several things. One, plants need certain things to grow-water, good soil, sunshine. God gives them what they need. Two, plants persevere through harsh weather, if the roots are good. Third, beauty is from God to be enjoyed and to cause us to praise Him.

The younger nuns sing the verses referring to Orion and the Pleiades. These are in Amos and Job. I wanted to bring them outside at night to show them which stars were in the psalm, but |that would have been impossible with the rules of the monastery. Would they not praise their God better if they knew the references merely by looking up at the sky at a certain time of the night, in this case, at that time, just before, during and after Nocturnes, and see the work of God?

As I wrote last week, the supernatural grows out of the natural. The Medievals knew this, as their lives were intimately chained to the seasons, the skies, the plants. But, our modern life separates from nature, from God's creation, of which we are a part.

We are not disembodied spirits, but flesh and blood. The Church, rooted in history, and our God, a God of history, give us the sacraments, singing, sacred signs and efficacious words and symbols to become holy. I pray that all who desire perfection start with the natural and move to the supernatural. The laity and religious alike must start with a relationship with the Creator, Who is Father of us all. I pray for more vocations, which would allow more time for God's outside work.