Communities of the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus 2024/25
A few years ago, I was with a group of children from year 4 and I threw them a challenge: “imagine a flower that speaks… what would it say?”.
The faces they made after listening to what I proposed showed a certain surprise, and I saw that some were certainly asking themselves: “What? A talking flower?”. They thought I was kidding. But I insisted, and after the first brave one came forward with an answer, many appeared: “I’m thirsty”; “Water me”; “I am beautiful”; “Look at my colors”,… However, an answer from one child who had been quiet for the longest time surprised me. He replied: “I think if a flower spoke, it would say ‘I believe I can grow!’”
We are in the midst of the Season of Creation which is a time of grace that the Church, in ecumenical dialogue, offers to humanity to renew its relationship with the Creator and with creation, through celebration, conversion and commitment together.”1 And today, I bring this story here because it might give us clues to situate ourselves in this new relationship with the Creator and creation, starting from two attitudes:
To believe. Deeply believe in the potential of each seed, which has everything inside of it that it needs to bear good fruit. Even if we cannot explain this great mystery of life, even if we do not understand it… Let us now extend this example to people. What if our gaze on each person reflected the certainty that each one can grow, that is, that within each one there is a potential for life to germinate?
To decide. Living from this conviction can profoundly transform our way of contemplating, caring, listening, believing, etc. – if we choose to. If we choose that our attitudes are oriented to emphasize that within each one, there is the best to bear fruit. And one fruit that we have for sure is that good expands and is contagious when we live in this way.
And for you: if a flower spoke, what would it say?
Picture: https://ttseeds.com/seeds-hybrid-open-pollinated-heirloom/
*1 https://laudatosimovement.org/2021/08/24/what-is-the-season-of-creation/
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