Our Hymn of Grateful Praise: Reflections of a Roman Catholic Woman Priest
We are so blessed in South Florida to have flowers blooming year round. This morning my friend John Hancock sent me pictures he took of the flowers on his lanai in Naples. They are so beautiful that I just had to pass them on. And add some that are just outside of my window. Of these flowers, John said “…they are loving the cool nights and pleasant sunny days. Makes me happy to look at them.” And they lift my spirits and make me happy too so I am hoping they will bring you some joy as well. I believe that they are a hymn of grateful praise to our loving God.
There is an old hymn that fills my heart as I see them-“For The Beauty of the Earth” by Folliot S. Pierpoint, Music, Conrad Kocher, adapted by William H. Monk:
“For the beauty of the earth, For the glory of the skies, For the love which from our birth, Over and around us lies: Lord of all, to you we raise This our hymn of grateful praise”. (Note: the Roman Catholic version of this line reads “This our gift of grateful praise”. Indeed, it is a gift to our loving God, and to those we love, if we remember to say a heart felt thank YOU! Let us jog that memory within us of the love and beauty that is all around us and has been over the years, and will be forever. And let us respond: Thank You , God!
Thank you, John for your exquisite pictures.
And the little ones below and the lovely orange one live on the side of my house.
“Fort the beauty of each hour, Of the day and of the night, Hill and vale and tree and flow’r, Sun and moon and stars of light…Lord of all to you we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise.”
The above picture was painted by my mother many years ago and lives forever on my living room wall. There is beauty that lives on forever-that is how I think of my mother who had many struggles but was so beautiful inside and out, and saw only beauty in the world.
“For they joy of human love, Brother,sister,parent,child, Friends on earth and friends above: for all gentle thoughts and mild: Lord of all to You we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise….”
For Your-self, O Gift Divine To our world so freely giv’n, For that love from which will shine, Peace on earth and joy in heav’n”, Lord of all, to you we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise.” Alternate last line, from Methodist Hymnal: “For that great,great love of thine, Peace on earth and joy in heaven: Lord of all, to You we raise This our hymn of grateful praise”.
Amen!
“Lord of all, to You we raise, this our gift of grateful praise!”
In thanksgiving and love, bless you,
Pastor Judy Lee, RCWP
The Good Shepherd Community in Fort Myers, Florida
2/20/2024
Thankful for Love: Reflections of a Roman Catholic Woman Priest
Meister Eckhart, the famous theologian said “If the only prayer you ever said was “thank You, that would be enough.” And, James Martin in his book Come Forth! notes “Gratitude is one of the gateways to the spiritual life. It reminds us of our ultimate reliance on God. We can do nothing without God’s help. Being grateful grounds us in that reality”( (2023:p.273). Indeed what I am most thankful for are the many ways love is shown to me and demonstrated all around me. I am thankful for loving and for being loved. I am most thankful for God’s love all around me.
I don’t know whether it is good to set a special day aside to remember to be thankful for the love that abounds in each of our lives. Such thankfulness could also be a natural ongoing response to the caring of family and friends, and even to appreciating the love God has shown in giving us this beautiful world. Every time I look at my little lake that abounds with such a variety of God’s creatures throughout the seasons I feel thankful. When I walk outside to fed the birds and ducks I feel so thankful. When my pets show their affection to me and to one another I am thankful. When friends and family reach out to me and to one another I am thankful. But next week we have St. Valentine’s Day and that has become a time to remember romantic love. I am still amazed and ever so thankful to have such love in my older years. Yet, sometimes because of its narrow connotation people who do not have such love in their lives may wish St. Valentine’s day away rather than celebrate it. For me, this day is about gratitude for all of the love in our lives without distinguishing one from the other. So it is a day of thankfulness for love in all the ways it can be expressed and lived. Hence it IS a holiday for everyone.
It originally was a Christian feast day that honored St. Valentine who was a martyr persecuted under the Roman Empire in the Third Century. But, later in the 14th and 15th centuries it became associated with romantic love and flourished in that after the eighteenth century fueled by a commercialism that exists to this day. Yet, it is good to remember that originally it celebrated the loyal love of Valentine, also seen as the Saint of Spring’s arrival, for the God he served. Ultimately it evokes the question: what love are you thankful for?
I recently adopted a senior dog, 13, who is starting his life over with me as his working family could not be home with him enough. He reminds me of how we can adapt to love and to be loved at any age or stage of life. His sweetness is amazing considering the changes he has been through in his life. His essence is love. And because of his gentleness the kitties easily accept him which is also amazing.
I am so thankful for all of the loving beings and beauty in my life, past and present for all together I am filled with love.
And most of all I am thankful for God’s great love to me and to all of us and all of creation . The gifted writer Edwina Gately captures this love beautifully in her poem “Let Your God Love You” in her Psalms of a Laywoman, 1999:p.. 159.
“Let Your God Love You.
Be silent.
Be still.
Alone.
Empty
Before Your God.
Say nothing.
Ask nothing.
Be silent.
Be still.
Let your God look upon you.
that is all.
God knows.
God Understands.
God loves you
With an enormous love.
And only wants
to look upon you
With that love.
Quiet.
Still.
Be.
Let your God–
Love You. ”
Let us contemplate God’s great love with thanksgiving this St. Valentine’s day and every day. And see the difference this makes: feel loved, be loved and love!
Amen and may our Loving God continue to bless you,
Pastor Judy Lee, RCWP
Good Shepherd Ministries of Fort Myers,Florida
February 10,2024
judyablfollowingSheWhoIs 
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