Harvesting God's Word

In Sr. Elizabeth Carillo’s recent retreat “Nature: The Living Icon of God,” she noted that each created thing is God’s word to us. To ponder what God is saying to us in everything we encounter would be overwhelming, but St. Benedict solved that dilemma by stressing the importance of doing manual labor, such as growing and preparing food—thus providing time for God’s message to sink in (and, incidentally, ensuring an ample supply of bread, wine, and veggies for the supper table!).

One word of God I have had ample time to ponder lately is that in the loooooong row of green beans in the monastery garden. It takes about two hours for me to work my way down one side of the row and up the other—plenty of time to learn lessons about the monastic values of patience and gentleness.

For example, I have learned that picking green beans and praying the Psalms, the basis of Benedictine prayer, both require patient attention. Just as beans often hide under leaves or disguise themselves as stems, the Psalms contain hidden insights that require time (perhaps a lifetime) to uncover. Another aspect of patience that is necessary in both picking beans and praying the Psalms is stamina; I find just as many beans at the beginning of the row, when my legs are fresh and I am full of enthusiasm, as at the end of the row, when my back is aching and I am longing to be done. Likewise, although the short, sprightly Psalms provide easy pickings, the lengthy, tedious Psalms also provide a great yield if I stick with them.

As for gentleness, unless beans are picked with care, it is all too easy to accidentally snap off an entire branch, dislodge delicate blossoms, or step on part of the plant, thus destroying future growth. Similarly, in community life, great gentleness is required in our dealings with each other. As J. Masai noted, “Feelings are everywhere—be gentle.”

I’m sure the beans will continue to transmit God’s word to me in various ways through the end of the season—especially the word “gratitude” as I eat them!