Autumn at Bethlehem Monastery

 

Virginia is not known for its glorious autumnal foliage.  On our property, the trees mostly turn yellow or brown with an occasional maple or sweet gum blushing reddish orange. 

However, a few of our crepe myrtle bushes manage to deck themselves out in lovely party dresses for one last fling before the winter siege.

  Although brilliant trees are not the big thing in Virginia, the autumn flowers present themselves as worthy of note.  Mother Abbess’ prolific chrysanthemums in our large courtyard have been and continue to be the talk of the monastery,

 

while in the small courtyard, the Angel Trumpet bush reigns as queen. 

Never before has she displayed such a fullness of blooms. 

Looking at all this wondrous beauty, it is sometimes hard to believe that in other parts of the world, horrible atrocities are wrecking the lives of so many innocent people and their landscape is black with smoking ruins of war.  We hold them in our hearts and lift them up in our prayers.  Their winter has come early with no preceding autumn glory.  May those who have died find their solace in God’s eternal spring.  May those who must carry on in the midst of disaster also find their own springtime of new life in the Heart of our Redeemer.