Parents are our first teachers and from their example, we learn many things. Through her love of gardening and poetry, Sister Barbara Jean Wadja’s mother taught her to love and care for God’s gift of creation.
God’s Book of Nature
By Sister Barbara Jean Wajda
Pope Francis makes a very interesting observation in his encyclical, “Laudato Si: “…if we feel intimately united with all that exists, then sobriety and care [for the earth] will well up spontaneously.” My mother, Ruth Lorene Toner Wajda, wrote the poems I include here. Her wisdom and insights were a gift that she shared quietly in bits and pieces. I think she nurtured her gift by being connected to the earth as an avid gardener who was ahead of her time. She used newspaper for mulch and composted table scraps when this wasn’t something people did. I offer the words of her poems as bookmarks for God’s Book of Nature.. When we slow down, are present to the moment, and connect to the natural world, we open ourselves to God’s gifts of beauty that are poured out on us each day.
Sister Barbara Jean Wajda in memory of her mother, Ruth.
Spending time with nature leaves one refreshed and less stressed. Take some time for yourself and follow these 6 Refreshing Ways to Connect With the Earth by Nathan Friedman. Connecting with nature inspires one to reflect on the gift of creation and its creator.
