Late-Winter Wisdom

The worship aid for Sr. Lou Whipple’s funeral included the following quote by Thomas Merton: “All of creation teaches us some way of prayer.” What is creation teaching us about prayer when we have two weeks of 60- and 70-degree weather in late February, followed by a return of frigid temperatures and snowflakes in early March?

• Perhaps creation is teaching us the prayer of acceptance of whatever each day brings us, whether or not it is to our liking. Do we truly believe that God is to be found in blustery winds and snow, as well as in warm breezes and gentle rains?

• Perhaps creation is teaching us the prayer of patience by showing us that we can’t rush the growth of creation or of ourselves, and that a certain amount of time must be spent in winter cold and darkness to prepare for new growth.

• Perhaps creation is teaching us the prayer of gratitude for a late-winter break from cold temperatures and for our warm coats, scarves, and mittens when wintry weather returns.

The wisdom of creation is vast that and is imparted to us on a moment-by-moment basis, so perhaps the most important prayer we can learn is to live in the present so we can be awake to what creation wishes to teach us.