This lovely, low-to-the-ground spring flower is called Glory of the Snow. I expect it warrants that name as it blooms early, like snowdrops, and the blue set against the late winter/early spring snow must be striking indeed! The spiritual life, like the spring, unfolds gradually. We must be patient and attentive.
And today is Monday in the Easter Octave. Easter is too big to celebrate in one day, and so it overflows into eight. This is largely lost on a culture that's on speed, but there it is, for anyone who might care. Maybe it's the Church telling us: Slow down, slow down - Oh for heaven's sake, slow down.
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One of the Easter gospels, (Matthew 28: 1-8), tells us that there was an earthquake as the tomb was opened to show the myrrh-bearing women that Jesus was not there. He has gone through death! His rising shakes up our world. Get it?
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus says things like: The first shall be last, make peace before coming with a gift to the altar, pray for those who persecute you, stop judging, own nothing, carry your cross, stop hating, the one who is greatest is the servant of all...(Matthew 5,6 7) There are more than a few Christians who have all kinds of political, social and personal opinions about everything under the sun, but they have never read the Sermon on the Mount which contains the fundamental or foundational teachings of Jesus Christ.
Maybe they are afraid of the the heart-mind Easter earthquake which might follow.
