11.01.2024 | All Hallows Day

It's a chilly start to the day here in the Carondelet Garden.  The lows were in the upper 30s this morning, but the highs will reach into the low 60s by this afternoon.  We should see sunny skies all day today.  We may see more rain by Sunday and Monday.  We could use it to be sure!

Today is All Hallows or All Saints Day.  A day to remember those saints who have left behind this mortal world.  It's a day where the veil between the physical, material human world and the spiritual world essentially slips away.  We can thank our Celtic ancestors for the ancient Celtic festival that occurred during the harvest season.  The Celts celebrated "Samhain," a time when everything was transitioning from harvest and bounty to the desolation of winter.  Truly celebrating the thinnest of times.

I believe the thin spaces give us the opportunity to feel the presence of the Creator.  These thin places bring to birth in us a sense of belonging.  The moments when we are digging in the dirt, working the ground, feeling the earth in our hands are so thin you know the Creator is present.  My little great niece has shown me to power of simply being with the garden.  She can spend so much time simply playing with the dirt and compost.  She teaches this old man the joy of being one with the Creator and Creation itself. Thin spaces are places where you can feel the heartbeat of God.

Tomorrow is All Souls Day, an opportunity for reflection on the fragility of life and the inevitability of death. It encourages us to live well and cherish our days, as we do not know how many we are given.  I am reminded of a quote from Paul Coelho, "If you are brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello."  

Today we will walk in the garden.  Today we will notice the beauty all around us.  We know that beauty pierces pain.  It reminds us of who we are and invites us to reconnect with our soul.  Today we will see the good, in ourselves and others.  Today, we will search for beauty.