Reflection
April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.
William Shakespeare
The earth is suffering from war and abuse but that is because of its human problem. Beyond that Earth still knows it is April, the month for poetry and flowering. If we take the time to look, listen, and smell the fragrance, we can feel the irresistible surge of life. The daffodils are back and the trees have a light haze of green and pink. There are bird voices in the morning and there are new kittens! We need to rest our spirits and appreciate the wonder of this marvelous creation. We are part of it and it is restoring itself in spite of us. Let’s wonder and rejoice and be lighthearted “fools” on this first day of April.
Prayer
Let all creation praise God.
Action
Take time to notice and appreciate the beauty of this living earth. Reflect on its message of hope and renewal.
Suggested Reading
But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?
Job 12:7-9
Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Luke 12:27
Fall in love with the Earth, this gift of pure abundance that God has freely given us. This disposition cannot be written off as “naive romanticism,” for it affects the choices which determine our behavior. If we lose our wonder and awe, our attitude toward the Earth will be that of masters, consumers, ruthless exploiters, unable to set limits on ou] immediate needs.
Pope Francis
Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, producing varied fruits with colored flowers and herbs.
Francis of Assisi
Come with me into the woods where spring is advancing, as it does, no matter what, not being singular or particular, but one of the forever gifts, and certainly visible.
Mary Oliver
Being able to smell the fresh air and disconnect from the news and your phone—there’s nothing like it.
Jason Ward.
Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.
Rachel Carson
In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they’re still beautiful.
Alice Walker
At some point in life the world’s beauty becomes enough. You don’t need to photograph, paint, or even remember it. It is enough.
Toni Morrison
If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.
Laura Ingalls Wilder
It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.
Rainer Maria Rilke
Earth’s crammed with heaven…
But only he who sees, takes off his shoes.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
The goal of life is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the universe, to match your nature with Nature
Joseph Campbell
Nature is not a place to visit. It is home.
Gary Snyder