|
|
|
Posted: April 2
(Rome) In a world with so much conflict, war and discord right now, it is comforting for me to see how much our garden is in harmony with the liturgical year. After long chilly months of bare tree limbs reaching up to the heavy rains, the garden is quickly coming back to life again. Some of the fruit trees have already passed from blossoms to yellow-green leaves, and the plum tree just north of my window has already put out the first small fruit of the season, just little hard green berries right now, but so full of promise. The iris are in full purple bloom, the wisteria just about to join them, and the roses are toeing up to the starting line of spring. A few blossoms that can’t wait have already opened, but most are still just buds on the prickly stalks. The grass is a rich green coat over the soaked earth; I know that all will change once the dry heat of full summer arrives. But for now green is the color, a light green full of yellow and promise.
All of those hope echoes the promise that the Church celebrates as Lent comes to an end. Holy Week is the prelude to a new beginning, an annual rite of renewal that is both memory and pledge of future glory. Good Friday is painful, but then swiftly comes the vigil service, the new fire and the Gloria pealing out once more. The theological meaning of the season is so well echoed this year. By next week I might not be able to discipline myself to stay inside and work at the computer, but then Easter invites us to take a break and celebrate. I feel like I am ready for it after several months of developing the new web site. It has been much more work than I expected, but we have more features than ever before, and we are in good shape for the general congregation next January.
At least I have been able to paint steadily.
Saturday I did this study, of an iris directly outside my window. I bought this vase and a few others at the Porta Portese flea market. This one reminded me of some things I saw in the Matisse exhibit a few months ago; it is fun to play with memories of the past when the realities of the present are in front of you. The life of an iris is very short-lived in an case, but this one lives on in my memory. As does the Lord in our Church’s memory; harmony is good.