Our Lady's Little Warriors
 |
| Our Lady of Fatima Statue in our Community Room
Those of us who live in the northern hemisphere always
celebrate Easter during the Spring, when all of nature seems intent on
imitating her Lord as she rises gloriously from the death of winter into
newness of life. Here in Virginia, the
gardeners are likewise intent on fostering that new life by sewing seed,
watering and transplanting. This year,
the unusually warm beginnings of spring, followed by more seasonal coolness have
added to the challenge and excitement. But gardening is not only about
nurturing life, it is also about warring against all that would destroy that
budding vitality, namely, vicious bugs and weeds. This dual aspect makes our outdoor work a
constant source of meditation on the Paschal Mystery which is death orientated
toward life. We can never forget the
Cross, even during Easter, just as we never forget that the Resurrection is the
whole point of Lent. As St. Paul puts it
in his letter to the Colossians, we have to put to death everything in us that
is orientated toward our self centered nature so that we are free to live for
God.
The early warm weather was a terrible temptation to plant
earlier than usual. I did succumb in the
case of the potatoes. Usually, I cut up
the seed potatoes and let them set in the greenhouse until their eyes begin to
sprout before I plant them, but this year the 80 degree weather impelled me to
plant with potato eyes still closed.
Well, it was providential. The
few potatoes that had sprouting eyes came up soon and then were zapped by a
sudden frost, while most of the others came up later after the cold spell had
passed. But the warm weather also
awakened the hibernating potato bugs who were voracious for their breakfast
after their long winter’s sleep. The
previous year had seen a plague of these pests which no pesticide was able to
quell, so I had determined to “go organic” It was too late for row covers, so the brutal
task of crushing each potato bug and smashing each cluster of bright orange
eggs (cleverly hidden beneath the
leaves!) fell to my lot. The war was on
and it has been a tedious battle for me and the postulants who have joined me
in the fight.
But reinforcements have
arrived! With Mary’s month of May came
Our Lady’s little warrior beetles:
better known as ladybugs. Last
year these sweet black dotted red beetles had saved our crop of Southern Peas
from destruction by eating up the invading aphids. Now they have come to rescue our precious
potatoes from the evil potato beetle. Isn’t
it just like Our Blessed Mother to send such a humble ally? And when the world faced the Satan inspired force
of Communism, what did she do but to beg three little shepherd children to pray
the Rosary and offer sacrifices to bring peace?
Pope Francis will be canonizing two of those children,
Jacinta and Francisco on Saturday, May 13th, the hundredth
anniversary of Mary’s apparitions at Fatima.
We will celebrate by receiving a new postulant into our enclosure. May she and all of us be little warriors of
prayer and penance for the salvation of sinners and the beginning of peace for
our poor strife ridden world.
 |
Comments