Inspired by Scholastica

A new year always looks so fresh and clean. An empty slate to be written on as the days go by. What will happen? What plans will we make? What issues will we confront? What dreams will we accomplish? It has a lot of questions marks and always many surprises. When we are young, it is exciting to explore new adventures and further our careers. As we age, it becomes more hope for healing of illnesses and avoiding falls and accidents. In between, we are busy with raising a family and making friends. And then there are the perennial new year resolutions that most often go by the wayside. During this Jubilee Year of Mercy perhaps we can consider a resolution of practicing mercy in all our actions. When we are tempted to give an angry retort, when we feel resentful of another’s response, when we uncover old prejudices, when we want to hang on to grudges, when we see injustices, when others ignore us, may we dig deep for mercy and forgiveness. Perhaps we could keep a journal and enter a ...

In the silence of night a star shone bright where shepherds grazed their sheep. An angel announced the good news of a Savior born in a humble stable. In awe they came to worship him, amazed at the Babe lying in a manger. One of the shepherds said, “You must come to my house where it is warm and clean. This is no place for a tiny baby.” Joseph smiled at him gratefully – they followed him to a nearby hut, and Mary laid Jesus in a tiny crib that had belonged to the shepherd’s son when he was a baby. But soon the couple had to flee to Egypt to avoid Herod’s slaughter. Then the shepherd laughed  as he told  all his neighbors how  he had housed  the new-born Savior  and had held  the Child in his arms. 

When I look over the past year I am amazed at how much the world has changed. The mass shootings, the terrorism deaths, the ISIS threats have made people feel less safe.  The political campaigns have become more like vicious attacks than a serious outlay of positions and beliefs. Police brutality seems more prevalent, especially toward minorities. Colleges are now considering having students carry guns to protect themselves. Climate change is becoming more evident in the melting of ice caps, the extinction of species, the turbulence of weather patterns, the air pollution in cities. As Pope Francis has said, “This is not an era of changes but a change of era.” One could become very pessimistic about the evils that surround us. Yet like Anne Frank and Etty Hillesum, both victims of the Holocaust, we must focus on the good in people around us:  the generous benefactor, the patient waiter, the loving grandmother, the hardworking father, the kind neighbor, the thoughtful child...

Waiting on tiptoe, filled with anticipation, aglow with the mystery of Christmas. We pray for a fuller coming of Jesus into our lives, piercing our darkness, flooding us with light and gladness, eager to welcome choirs of angels singing "Glory in Excelsis Deo." Like shepherds grazing their sheep, we stand in the ordinariness of our days, unadorned and weighed down with cares, amazed that our God would come as a poor babe, no regal robes or crowns. Like Mary we ponder such extravagant love, that knows no bounds, makes no demands, freely given, desire of all ages past, hope for the outcast, the stranger, the imprisoned, the homeless, the poor.

Children associate Christmas with presents , the more the better. As we grow older, the gift of presence becomes more important. Older people still like gifts, but to see someone they love takes priority, especially if they live alone or are home-bound or ill. The Christmas season can be lonely or depressing for those who have recently lost a close relative or are separated from their family by miles or alienation. If you are at a loss for what to give an older person, spend some time with them, listen to their stories, let them know you care. It might be harder to do than sending them a plant or buying them a warm sweater or scarf, but it will mean more. Of course it's a busy time and there are many things to get done. But it will be worth it to see the smile on their face and perhaps a tear in their eye. Mary is a good example for us. Although she was pregnant with the Savior, she knew that her cousin Elizabeth was also with child in her old age and would appreciate help. It...

I recently attended a workshop called "Crucial Conversations." It was a two-day process presented by four trainers. The presenters provided case studies and “tools for talking when stakes are high.” They taught us how to handle disagreements, anger, misunderstandings, broken relationships, and other difficult issues.  It was quite revealing to see the roadblocks people set up in family and working situations and how to overcome the obstacles in order to have a meaningful dialogue. We looked at motives, safety issues, stress responses, listening skills, and word games. We saw videos of actual situations and what made them fail or what made them work. I learned that if both sides feel safe, they can talk about almost anything.  It require s taking risks and being willing to change.  I also found out that it takes a lot of practice because sometimes emotions get in the way and we don’t respond with our best selves. It’s no wonder that the book Crucial Conversations has sol...

It’s that time of year again for Christmas letters boasting of children’s achievements, fun trips, and photos around the glittering tree. Time to max out credit cards on gifts nobody needs or wants and will use for white elephants. Time to bake fancy decorated cookies, breads, and cakes that put on pounds we will spend the next year shedding. Time to attend elaborate parties, indulge in drinking and eating too much, and feeling miserable the rest of the time. So different from the first Christmas spent in a drafty stable with smelly animals, a homeless family and scruffy shepherds, surrounded by angels singing, “Peace on earth, good will to all.”

Pope Francis has declared the new church year beginning this December as a Jubilee Year of Mercy. He issued a new papal document about his ideas on what this means for Catholics. Jesus' message was certainly one of mercy rather than strict adherence to the law. This is the central theme of the New Testament. John 3:16 is a favorite verse of many: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life." Jesus told many parables about the mercy of God in the New Testament. Probably the best-known is the parable of the Prodigal Son. The image of the father waiting at the window for his vagrant son's return and then running to meet him is one of the most tender portrayals of mercy. Another is the parable of the lost sheep. The shepherd leaves the 99 in search of the one sheep that is lost. Probably the least popular is the story of the vineyard workers (Matt. 20:1-16). When the owner gave the ...

Advent season is foreign to most people. They are preoccupied with Christmas shopping, decorating, sending cards, and baking. They have no time to reflect on waiting with hope, anticipating with quiet joy, looking forward to God becoming human all over again. Sometimes I think the frenetic busyness most of us succumb to during the four weeks before Christmas is a way to blot out the fact that we are spiritually lacking but don't want to face that reality. Certainly it is good to give gifts to loved ones at this time of year, but we shouldn't lose sight of the greatest gift of all, Christ himself. The mystery of the Incarnation is quite unfathomable, but it one of the greatest love stories ever written. Advent is an opportunity to wonder at a God so in love with us that he chooses to become one with us. It's a time to ponder the wonderful Advent scripture readings that prophesy the coming of the Messiah. If we could experience the longing of the Israelites as they looked...

Pain and anguish penetrate our world from urban sites to rural burbs. From seacoasts to landlocked hubs, tears flow unchecked. What now? Will hate and fear keep us bound? Revenge be our rallying cry? Not so for some Parisian survivors. “I do not think of enemies but of those who showed kindness, for the man who saved my life,” one young woman said. “I want to live for those whose lives ended too soon.” I will not hate nor teach my son to fear,” vowed a husband who had lost his young wife. Courageous youth dare to overcome evil with love. We cannot build walls, close borders Candles lit for victims of Paris attack to those fleeing terror and war – we must not become the hatred we want to banish.  Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo

 Prophets are rarely recognized or believed in their own time. It is only after their death that we hold them as "truth sayers." Even in the Old Testament, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezechial, and

     "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." (Margaret Mead) As our religious community continues to grow smaller and older, I sometimes wonder what impact we can have on the world. Then I think of Margaret Mead's quote and I am more hopeful that we can still make a difference. Some of the things our Benedictine community is doing to improve our environment is recycling, composting, installing solar panels, raising bees, and growing more of our own food. These are small things, but they are steps in the right direction to care for our earth. Another thing we do is promote the dignity and education of women at Keeler Women's Center in Kansas City and Sophia Center in Atchison. Keeler provides programs in the urban core that help women gain self-esteem, job skills, nutrition aids, and support to deal with addictions. Most of all it is a welcoming, hospitable place for women ...

Sometimes we think we have not done enough, that our sins outnumber our good deeds, or that we have to try harder, achieve more, say more prayers, be worthier, before we will be pleasing to God. God is not keeping a list of our faults and failings.There is not a limited amount of places reserved for humans in eternity. God wants to save all of us. He is not stingy with his rewards. There are no limits to his goodness. He gives continuously, abundantly, magnanimously – pressed down and flowing over; not like a miser who hoards all for himself and keeps track of debts. Is there any God like our God?

Sexual assault on college campuses occurs far too often and is mostly unreported. In April 2014, a White House Task Force on the Prevention of Sexual Assault on College Campuses reported that one in five college students experiences sexual assault during their college career. According to the U.S. Bureau of Justice statistics, from 1993 to 2013, 80 percent of rapes and sexual assaults against women students ages 18-24 went unreported. Due to increasing pressure from the federal government, concerned people are demanding better prevention, education, and response to sexual assault. Colleges and universities are working to change the "culture of protection" where perpetrators may be immune from punishment because they are star athletes. Many campuses are requiring sexual assault programs for freshmen. Some are banning fraternities and sororities. Some are banning alcohol. In addition, some colleges have switched from the "clear and convincing evidence model" to t...

The synagogue leaders shunned me, deemed me demented, demon-possessed. Stooped in body, crushed in spirit. I hobbled to the synagogue, hidden, eyes riveted to the ground.  Then Jesus called me;  hesitant, I shuffled toward him, dazed and fearful, unable to lift my head. Jesus touched me and I felt my body straighten, my eyes lift to see his face, joy flooded my soul! I could stand up after eighteen years of being horizontal  to the ground, amazing the crowd. Jesus called me a daughter of Abraham, making me part of the family of Israel . He defied Jewish law by speaking to me, a woman, in public, touching me, curing me          on the Sabbath.  He stood up for me and  for all those bent over by injustice, hatred, fear or sickness, for when one is crushed, all are laid low and diminished; when one is raised up, all have dignity and worth.

In this Sunday's Gospel from Mark 10:46-52, we hear the story of the blind Bartimaeus who encounters Jesus on his way through his town. He cries out "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me." When Jesus asks him, "What do you want me to do for you?", the blind man says, "Lord, that I may see." He asks not only for physical sight, but for understanding, and Jesus tells him his faith has given him all that he needs. If Jesus asked you, "What do you want me to do for you?" what would you say? Some might want a cure for their sickness, others might ask for enough money to retire comfortably, still others might request success, or fame, or prestige. Many of us want things that do not last, that will not benefit us in the long run. Asking for vision to see what is really important in life is the best request we could make of Jesus. Knowing what is essential for salvation, what is going to make us whole and holy, is what really matters. Spiritual ...

On his visit to the United States last month, Pope Francis stressed the "culture of encounter" and the necessity of "dialogue."  Many North Americans live very exclusive lives, engaging in conversation with like-minded people with similar backgrounds. We are more comfortable with those who look like we do, talk like we do, and think like we do. Pope Francis models a different kind of behavior. He engages with the homeless, with prisoners, with those with special needs, with the poor. He wants the church to be inclusive and compassionate toward those who are wounded, alienated, or hurting. We need to leave our comfort zones and encounter those who are different from us. This means more than giving a dollar to a homeless person or serving in a food kitchen once in a while. It requires engaging in dialogue with them, listening to their stories, feeling their pain and isolation. We must never be condescending or treat them as lesser than ourselves. We are all on this jo...

Flannery O'Connor I got acquainted with Flannery O'Connor's fiction when I was in college. I thought her characters were a bit freakish and didn't understand her deeper meaning. I recently picked up her new biography by Angela Alaimo O'Donnell and gained a whole new appreciation of her. She is acclaimed as one of the foremost Catholic writers of the 20th century, and although she was only 39 when she died of lupus, she left a hefty body of work, including A Good Man Is Hard to Find  and Wise Blood. Confined to her home in Milledgeville, Georgia, for much of her life, she wrote several hours every day in spite of her debilitating illness. Her strong Catholic faith was embedded in her fiction, but it was never overt or saccarine. In fact, some Catholics were scandalized by her stories. She had a quirky sense of humor and matter of fact way of speaking that endeared her to many. In addition to her stories, she gave lectures on writing at colleges, wrote book revie...

Autumn creeps in slowly with bold scarlet, gold and burnt orange hues streaking the trees, swallowing  the green. Although it follows scientific principles it seems so magical, like a wonder worker pulling colors out of his hat.  Sunlight adds a spectacular glow to leaves before they become brittle and descend, fluttering to the ground, scattered by winds. The spectacular trees have such a brief time on stage, showing off their brilliant robes before they are stripped naked, becoming skeletons with scrawny limbs. The annual cycle of life and death reminds  us  to relish the day before the colors vanish and the landscape turns to frosty white. 

Some people are naturally compassionate and some of us have to work at it. I need to work hard at being empathetic. Since I learn fairly easily, I am not very understanding of those who are slow at comprehending. However, when it comes to computers, I have a hard time, so I am learning to be more compassionate toward other computer illiterates. I see and hear pretty well, so I get impatient with those whose sight and hearing are failing. But as I grow older, I know I will need others' patience with my poor vision and hearing. I rarely get sick, so it's hard to really empathize with those who suffer chronic illness. However, as my arthritis gets worse, I am beginning to be more attuned to others' deteriorating bodies. In our busy, fast-paced society, many of us don't want to bother with those who need attention and care. Compassion takes time and listening skills. It means being with those who are grieving, suffering, or lonely. You don't need to worry about wh...

We are told that we cannot change others, only ourselves. No matter how hard we try to change someone, it is like trying to transform a lemon into an orange. When we see others' faults, they often reflect our own defects, but we do not recognize them. When we are irritated by someone's slowness, we might take a look at our own stumbling steps. When we become incensed at another's lack of compassion, we need to observe how rigid we are in some areas. When we resent a person's crude behavior, we ought to consider our own lack of manners. This also includes sins of pride, jealousy, anger, sloth, selfishness and dishonesty. Blindness to our character defects makes us feel superior when actually we are often worse than those we criticize. I  know that I do not like messiness and people leaving their stuff lying around the room, yet my own bedroom and desk are far from orderly. I often judge people who are overweight as indulgent and not taking care of their health, yet I als...

Another mass shooting in Oregon this week killing 10 people and injuring several more has again caused shock and a call for stricter gun laws. But soon we will resume our routines and numb ourselves to the reality that criminals, mentally ill people and militants can access guns without background checks or registration in most states. The Oregon tragedy brings the total mass shootings (killing four or more) by gunfire in the U.S. this year so far to 294, and we've had only 274 days.The National Rifle Association (NRA), which donates large sums to members of Congress and scares gun owners into believing the government wants to take their guns away, will again thwart any attempt to have stricter gun controls. In Kansas, no state permit is required to purchase a rifle, shotgun, or handgun. This year, Gov. Brownback signed a bill expanding the state's permitless open-carry laws to include concealed carry. How many deaths will it take to stop this proliferation of guns? I have rea...

Why do I drag my past unkindnesses, my failures, my selfish deeds, my regrets behind me, trailing like Medusa’s venomous snakes ready to poison any goodness I have acquired, any virtue I have practiced? Misfortune takes precedence, strangling my assets, swallowing any qualities that might alleviate my slips and slides. I hang on to the vices in my life, enlarging them into elephantine proportions, thinking all who pass by cannot miss my sullied character. Yet Jesus said, “Although your sins be red as scarlet I will wash you clean as snow.” Lord, strip away the deadly toxins that cloud my days, eradicate them forever – may your glory overshadow my shortcomings, and my r ighteousness shine through like the sun.

When I was young I was determined not to be like my German mother who never wasted money on frivolities, who spent most of her time cooking and cleaning her house, who washed delicate clothes by hand, who used coupons at the grocery store, and who never bothered about being overweight. I was not going to be constrained by guilt and fear. I was determined to be a freedom-loving woman. Well, I've been able to eradicate a few of those characteristics, but I am not as free as I would like to be. I'm able to spend money on fun things, do all my laundry in an automatic washer, and try to maintain a manageable weight. But I'm still very work-oriented, always looking for bargains, have guilt feelings when I'm not being productive, and am fearful about many things. When I take time to exercise or get a massage or go to a movie, I congratulate myself on not being like my mother. But when I won't buy something unless it's on sale, fail to try something new, or need to ha...

Pope Francis has urged all of us to reach out to the poor and marginalized of the world. Last Sunday at Benedictine College in Atchison, Dr. Carolyn Woo spoke about how Catholic Relief Services (CRS) responds to his message which is really Christ's message (Matthew 25). The mission of CRS is "to serve the poorest and most vulnerable on the basis of need, not creed." Dr. Woo, president and CEO of CRS, told how the organization helps over 100 million people in about 103 countries every year. They were there when a devastating earthquake struck Haiti in January 2010, distributing food, clean water and temporary shelter. After World War II, CRS was founded to provide emergency assistance to survivors and refugees in Europe. Today they are reaching out to the 60 million displaced people around the world with food, shelter, and health care. CRS respects the capacity of local partners and attends to the root causes of poverty. Most of us cannot respond directly to the poor in ot...

According to the Global Alliance of Waste Pickers, there are 15 million people in the world who earn a living by searching for recyclables. Some of them are garbage pickers who scavenge landfills looking for recyclable objects to earn some extra money. Others are high-tech versions of waste sorting and treatment. One such company is SRI in Aversa, Italy that processes nearly 80,000 metric tons of material each year. They use conveyer belts and sensors to sort cans and bottles. The plant processes over 5,500 pounds of bottles every hour to produce plastic flakes for reuse. Most garbage pickers are treated as the scum of society, but many recyclers have organized to gain better working conditions and rights. The Global Alliance of Waste Pickers is now an umbrella network of thousands of recycler organizations with groups in more than 28 countries. Last year Pope Francis sent a video message to recyclers around the world telling them to "continue developing new forms of dignified wo...

When I see summer fading, trees losing their lush green, flowers shriveling  up, , earth caking and creating dust particles, I want to hang onto the blooming gardens the sheltering shade and ripening harvest. I try to extend the warm lazy days, listening for chickadee chirps and  buzzing bees, children splashing in backyard pools, unwilling to face the dying leaves, the crisp fall air, the inevitable stealth of darkness swallowing up the light, and geese flying south for winter. Yet autumn too holds its pleasures if I am open to the change of season. 

   During this Church year, women and men religious are encouraged to "Wake up the World!" What does this mean and how can we carry out this message? As I reflected on it, I thought the pope was asking sisters and other religious to make people aware of the importance of spirituality and prayer in a world filled with violence, war, consumerism, sexism, and materialism. We who have consecrated our lives to God can make an impact on our world by our peaceful, compassionate, loving presence and example. But even more, we have to speak out for those who have no voice: the poor, the immigrant, the elderly, the imprisoned, the trafficked, the children. The Nuns on the Bus are doing this by calling attention to social injustices; teachers are doing this by emphasizing Catholic social teaching in their classrooms; catechists are doing this by teaching acceptance and respect for all people; homilists are doing this by speaking of Jesus' inclusive love and forgiveness; cloister...

The psalms in the bible are ancient prayers of the Israelites who experienced the gamut of human emotions. Their words are still relevant today. Is your spirit flagging and discouraged? Try praying Psalm 142: "With a loud voice I cry out to the Lord;/ with a loud voice I beseech the Lord./ My complaint I pour out before him;/ before him I lay bare my distress. Are you grateful for God's help in need? You might use Psalm 116: "I love the Lord because he has heard my voice in supplication./ Because he has inclined his ear to me the day I called." Do you feel like God has abandoned you? Turn to Psalm 130: "Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord;/ Lord, hear my voice!/ Let your ears be attentive to my voice in supplication." Do you want to thank God for his many gifts? Pray Psalm 147: "Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;/ sing praise with the harp to our God, /Who covers the heavens with clouds, /who provides rain for the earth;" Do you want...

The newspapers are full of heartrending stories of immigrants drowning or turned back as they try to escape from the war-torn countries of Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and parts of Africa. We also have refugees risking their lives to cross our borders to come to the United States. These migrants are fleeing to Europe and the U.S, for a safer, better life for their families, and who can blame them? Wouldn't any of us flee from persecution and hunger, especially to save our children? These are human beings, not "collateral damage." These are our brothers and sisters who have the same Father. These are the ones of whom Jesus says in Matthew 25: "I was hungry and you gave me food; I was homeless and you welcomed me. . ." Sure, they disturb our complacency, our comfortable lives. Sure, we may have to endure some disruptions to our regular schedules. Sure, we may have to go out of our way to make room for them. But how can we call ourselves Christian if we allow them to ...

We lost a talented, dedicated member of our monastic community last Thursday. Sister Joachim Holthaus was a gifted musician, playing organ, piano, and harp, and writing many psalm tones and compositions for our Liturgy of the Hours. She held a Ph.D. in musicology from the University of Southern California. She was an exacting teacher and many of her pupils won awards at their competitions. She also directed the monastery schola (choir) and made a record of Gregorian Chant by the monastic choir in the 1970s. She was named "Educator of the Year" at Benedictine college in 1985. She directed a liturgical drama called "Play of Daniel"(in Latin) along with Sister Lillian Harrington, featuring over 70 of the Mount sisters for our 125th anniversary. In 1990, she founded the Mount Conservatory of Music in St. Cecilia's where she taught organ, piano, and harp until the age of 90. Sister Joachim was an active member of our monastic community and also participated in many...

Some people find solace in poetry in words wrenched from the depths of despair or the heights of ecstasy, symbolic imagery that take one to other worlds where dolphins speak and doors lead to exotic places, where darkness holds secrets hidden under layers of commonplace things. Poets have a way of turning life upside down and inside out, nothing is as it seems. Their eyes behold sights that escape the superficial, they penetrate deep-down to break open the ordinary and find a freshness, a beauty, a brilliance unseen by those who live on the surface of life. Their vision provides bread for those who hunger for nourishment beyond  humdrum routine and dull conversations, who yearn for delights they cannot find on their own.

Pope Francis will be in the United States next month and thousands of people will flock to Philadelphia, New York, and Washington, DC, to see him. They will hear him speak, but few will be able to speak to him. If I could talk to the pope I would like to tell him of my hopes for the Church and ask him a few questions. I would tell him that I admire his openness to people and his simple lifestyle. I also appreciate his bold stance on caring for the earth as expressed in his latest encyclical, " Laudato Si. " I would thank him  for his concern for the poor, for gay people, for divorced and remarried Catholics, for the alienated. I hope his leadership will make the Church more relevant to young people who are searching to make a difference in our world. I also hope he will find a way to heal the divisions in the Church and continue to bring bishops and priests to accountability for the sexual abuse scandals. A few questions I might ask him: How will you use your influence...

I visit a sister in her mid-80's regularly and she is always interested in the news and books. She loves to watch the political commentaries on TV, especially the "McLaughlin Report" and the "Charlie Rose Show." She enjoys the controversies and debates of the presidential candidates. She reads voraciously, especially old children's classics and biographies of historical figures. The local library often doesn't have the books she requests, but they are quite accommodating in getting them for her through the inter-library loan system. She also relishes the latest gossip around the monastery and might share a scoop she's heard. Although she uses a walker and often needs a magnifying glass to read, she doesn't miss much. She tries to find a chair that's comfortable, usually in the sun, and reads contentedly for hours. She likes to take a nap in the afternoon, but never misses prayer times. She is a delightful conversationalist and never complai...

Sometimes I complain that God is silent, never speaks or shows his presence. Then I hear a cardinal singing, catch sight of a fawn in a forest, gaze in awe at a Kansas sunset, watch snowflakes twirling in the air, sniff aromatic lilies or wild roses, touch a baby’s velvety skin, observe an elderly sister at prayer, read a poem that touches my soul, and know God whispers through all the beauty that surrounds me: “I love you, love you, love you. ” I need to turn up the volume, adjust my lenses, unclog my nose, be more aware in order not to miss the profundity of his message. Douglas County, Kansas

When I am tempted to think one person can't do much to change the world, I think of the article I read in  Yes! magazine (Summer 2015), "One Poem that Saved a Forest." The author  wrote poems at people's requests at a farmers' market in Arcata, Calif., in exchange for a donation.When the senior vice president of a timber harvesting company asked her to write a poem about his recently deceased wife, they began an unlikely friendship that led to the timber baron changing his business practices to preserve the McKay Tract of forest land and turn it into a community forest. Her poem made a difference. Then I got an e-mail about Richard Glossip, a man on death row scheduled to be executed on September 16 for a murder he did not commit. Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking , is convinced of his innocence and asked for people to write letters to the governor and newspapers requesting a stay of execution. There is no physical evidence to prove his guilt, onl...

I am not a morning person, I rarely see radiant rosy rays of dawn streaking the horizon,  outlining trees and hills with glowing haloes,  blotting out moon and stars, slowly creeping over houses and gardens with a magic wand, waking up birds to warble and flowers to open their petals. Everything tiptoes quietly in the first blush of light,  hushed to drink in the majesty of morning dew on blades of grass and spider webs. It is a sacred time to pray, to give praise for the renewal  of the earth as it stretches out in expectation of the surprises to come as day breaks. Early risers soak in all this beauty while the rest of us remain oblivious.