Reflection
In the midst of all the difficulties and violence of out times, we need to remember that we still live in a beautiful world. We have to work to be aware of beauty and share it where we can.
“Too often, we miss the obvious: beauty is meant to enable us to transcend the mundane, to escape the frivolous, to save us from the toxicity of the cheap and tawdry. Because of beauty, we may begin to see that the purpose of life is to make beauty possible. Beauty brings peace to the soul and satisfaction to the heart. It saves us from the stress that cacophony brings. To be enriched by beauty is to have within us the sight of life that will never go away, that will never leave us empty. It is the sight of one single sunset that brings layers of life to every sunset thereafter. When we begin to recognize beauty, to see it all around us, it has done its work on us. Steeped in beauty, we have become beautiful ourselves. We are calm now, uplifted, enriched by the world around us, deepened in our sensitivities, our vision of the world more finely honed. We become the beauty we have come to see everywhere.”
Joan Chittister
Prayer
Thank you, God, for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes.
e.e.cummings
Action
Try to be consciously aware of the beauty around you. Be in touch with the real world not just social media and do what you can to heal the planet. Teach children the value of natural beauty over artificial recreation and distraction. Help them to notice and appreciate the little lovely things around them. Live in the love of beauty rather the struggle to attain things not needed.
Suggested Reading
God has made everything beautiful in its time.
Ecclesiastes 3:11.
Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
Luke 12:27
In the difficult current context that the world is experiencing, in which sadness and distress sometimes seem to have the upper hand… beauty is always a source of joy, putting us in touch with divine goodness.
Pope Francis
We must—yes, must—make a daily and even hourly choice to focus on the good, the true, and the beautiful.
Richard Rohr
When we fail to appreciate Sophia’s presence at work in nature, we are also more likely to fail to appreciate the sacred.
llia Delio
There is just wonder right in front of us, and we don’t spend enough time thinking about it.
Michael Pollan
I don’t think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains.
Anne Frank
Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.
Ashley Smith
The more often we see the things around us – even the beautiful and wonderful things – the more they become invisible to us. That is why we often take for granted the beauty of this world: the flowers, the trees, the birds, the clouds – even those we love. Because we see things so often, we see them less and less.
Joseph B. Wirthlin