Pacific Tree Frog, Olympia, WA USA
In the parable of The Judgement of Nations Jesus asks us to care for the least among us. He specifically refers to the least being the people that are hungry, thirsty, strangers, naked, ill and in prison. Who are the least in your life that God is asking you to care for?
Trees reaching to the sky, Squaxin Park, Olympia, WA USA
What are the trees singing about? Psalm 96, where this bible passage is taken from, is a Psalm of praise to God for his judgement. So the trees are singing for the judgement of God? Sounds sort of strange from a 21st century perspective. This Psalm, written 3,000 years ago by King David, was written with the understanding that God’s judgement would set things right, would bring about justice and ultimately peace. Psalm 96 ascribes that God will “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the people.” The hard work of setting of things right for humankind, foreshadowed in this Psalm, is accomplished by God’s love, the love of the cross, the love placed on the wood of a tree. It is a mystery. One worth singing about. A mystery worth living out in praise and deed and song.
Glaucous-winged Gull, Juvenile First Winter, Nisqually Wildlife Refuge, WA USA
As St. Paul wrote these words he had concerns… concerns about the faithful, concerns about his beloved friends, concerns about his health, concerns about where his next meal was to come from, concerns about his outcome in prison… but he remained hopeful, he remained at peace.
At the core of this peace was his understanding that the one through which all things were made, Jesus Christ, loved him so much that Jesus died for him. This gave Paul a two fold peace, first that God loved him and secondly that Paul, himself, having been made in the image and likeness of God, was worthy of such a love. Knowing this St. Paul could face his problems, doing what he could do to resolve his concerns, and then, for those things that were outside of his scope, giving them to God with “prayer, petition and thanksgiving”.
Mountains of Raggeds Wilderness, CO USA
History is flooded with many intelligent persons but fewer in number are truly wise. “Why?” one might ask, it is often because we are very easily distracted with a preoccupation of ourselves.
Let us take our vision off of our own needs or greatness and instead focus on the Lord. In doing so we will see the beauty of his creation, the needs of those made in his image and likeness, and begin to take action in loving both.
I will extol you, my God and king;
I will bless your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless you;
I will praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD and worthy of much praise,
whose grandeur is beyond understanding.
- Psalm 145 1-3
Mallard hen and chick, Olympia, WA USA
One of the most beloved scripture readings is Paul’s description of love in his first letter to the Corinthians. I have read this description of love, heard it in weddings, seen it on stationary, many, many times, but Fr. Columba Jordan opened my eyes up to a new way of reading it.
Read the following scripture passage first in the way it was originally written, then re-read the passage by inserting your name wherever love is used or referred to. Then examine your conscience to identify areas that you need to ask for God’s help in becoming the crusader of love he wants you to be.
Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. - 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Another twist that you might want to consider is during certain times of the year, such as during lent, to read this passage on love and use Jesus’s name where the word love is referred to and examine how Jesus’s life reflects the true gift of love.
Mt Constance as seen from Mt Walker, WA USA
It is no coincidence that it was on a mountain (The Sermon on the Mount) that Jesus says, “Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.” Then in much of the rest of the sermon he spells out the attributes, “the clean hands”, of those that have a pure heart. Help us, oh Lord, to be clean of hand and pure of heart.
Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit,
That my thoughts may all be holy.
Act in me, O Holy Spirit,
That my work, too, may be holy.
Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit,
That I love but what is holy.
Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit,
To defend all that is holy.
Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit,
That I always may be holy.
Amen - St. Augustine of Hippo
Sandhill Cranes, North Platte, NE USA
LORD, you have probed me, you know me:
you know when I sit and stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
You sift through my travels and my rest;
with all my ways you are familiar.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
LORD, you know it all.
Behind and before you encircle me
and rest your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
far too lofty for me to reach.
Where can I go from your spirit?
From your presence, where can I flee?
If I ascend to the heavens, you are there;
if I lie down in Sheol, there you are.
If I take the wings of dawn
and dwell beyond the sea,
Even there your hand guides me,
your right hand holds me fast.
If I say, “Surely darkness shall hide me,
and night shall be my light”—
Darkness is not dark for you,
and night shines as the day.
Darkness and light are but one.
You formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, because I am wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works!
My very self you know.
~ Psalms 139:1-14
Mt Rainer, Dabob Bay, Hood Canal and Puget Sound as seen from Mt. Walker, WA USA
The LORD is trustworthy in all his words, and loving in all his works. The LORD supports all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look hopefully to you; you give them their food in due season. You open wide your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. The LORD is just in all his ways, merciful in all his works. The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth. He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.
- Psalm 145: 13-19
Ruby Beach, WA USA
As they continued their journey he entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary [who] sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” - Luke 10:38-42
Sunrise over the clouds
a scholar of the law tested him by asking, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He (Jesus) said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. - Matthew 22:35-38
God loves each and every one of us so much that he gave his life for us. Let us love him in return.
Roses, Olympia, WA USA
When I was a kid one Christmas I got a Swiss Army pocket knife as a gift from my father. Dad couldn’t hear at the time, due to his brain cancer, but he could smile. I will never forget turning around and seeing the smile on his face. It was a smile of pure love, I returned his smile with a smile of my own. It was not about the gift of the small pocket knife but the love we shared. That was dad’s last Christmas and I continue to thank God for the gift of that smile and the love we shared.
God is love and he wants us to participate in the love that he is. My father giving me that knife was his participation in the love that is God. My smile in return was my participation in God’s love. All good comes from our heavenly Father. It is by participating in his love that we become fully alive.
Arch Cape, OR USA
Lord Jesus, it is only through abiding in your steadfast love that can we enter through the narrow gate. Taking care of those you have placed in our care, praying for those outside our care, loving our enemies, forgiving all those that have wronged us, and loving everyone we encounter, for their sake, and for the love of God.
Amen
Driftwood log casting shadow upon the sand, Nehalem Beach, OR USA
Walking along the beach I noticed an unusual shadow cast by an equally unusually shaped driftwood log, the shadow of an angel with a heart appeared to be behind a man bending down in prayer. It reminded me that we are never alone. The love of God is always with us, in layer, upon layer, of love.
God’s love is found in friends, family and neighbors who are Christ’s representatives of his love on earth. God’s love is found in creation, the loving gift of our heavenly Father to all humankind. God’s protective love is present in the prayers of our Guardian Angels, our special personal representatives that watch over each and everyone of us. God’s love is found in his Holy Spirit, that dwells within every Christian heart. God’s tender caress is found in Mary, our spiritual mother and the mother of Jesus. God’s love is shown in the constant prayers of all the angels; and also, all the saints that have walked before us. God’s love is present in the gift of the blessed sacrament, where we encounter the love of his only begotten son, Jesus. God’s love is given to us in the Holy Scriptures, that teach us about his love. God’s love is found in his forgiveness and our forgiving of each other. God’s love is found in his Church that holds his love close to its heart. God’s love is found in the hope and faith that dwell within all our hearts. God’s love is found in every act of generosity shared.
These layers of love point to the mystery of who God is, God is love and God desires nothing more than for each of us to participate in the love that he is.
Trail, Woodard Bay Conservation Area, Olympia, WA USA
Faith is not blind; but rather, faith extends our intellect to see beyond our human limitations and to see what is possible with God.
Liberty Point, Pueblo, CO
Large Leaf Maple Tree reaching to the sky, Squaxin Park, Olympia, WA
The bible and prayer - “But above all it’s the gospels that occupy my mind when I’m at prayer; my poor soul has so many needs, and yet this is the one thing needful. I’m always finding fresh lights there, hidden and enthralling meanings.” - St. Therese of Lisieux
One tree, three trunks, Chehalis Western Trail, Olympia, WA
Lake Crescent as seen from East Beach, WA USA
One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, "Which is the first of all the commandments?”
Jesus replied, "The first is this: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.”
The scribe said to him, "Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, He is One and there is no other than he. And to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding, he said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God.”
- Mark 12: 28-34
View of Dabob Bay and Hood Canal from the top of Mt. Walker, WA USA
Dark-eyed Junco feeding chicks, Olympia, WA USA
You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father. - Matthew 5:14-16
