Why Sunflowers?
As all gardeners know, some seasons are bountiful in this, while others are rich in that. Here at the Abbey, every bit of produce we bring up from the garden is a miracle – There’s absolutely no way that our meager gifts of time and toil could bring about even a fraction of what our garden gives each year, without the behind-the-scenes generosity of Divine Providence!
And so, while we’ve lately been enjoying and putting up beets, beans, and the like, we seem to be particularly blessed this summer with tomatoes. They’ve been rolling into the Abbey kitchen in droves since July, and we’ve been busy keeping up with pot after pot of “Amish Paste” tomato sauce and scores of sundried tomatoes. Oh, how we will savor them throughout winter’s less colorful clime!
Not to mention how we are relishing them already, as platters of fresh “Brandywine” slicers show up on our dinner…and supper…and breakfast!…table on the daily.
Our reasons for gardening could go on and on – healthy nourishment, economical housekeeping, monastic manual labor, solidarity with workers, co-operation with God’s creativity… – but we’ll conclude with this anecdote which points to a simple one:
Visitors, applicants, and observers who are in the process of discerning their vocations with our community often get to help us in the garden. Before putting them to work, we usually give them a brief tour, pointing out key spots like the large patches of potato and squash, the many rows of green beans and tomatoes, etc. This year, at tour’s conclusion, a couple of folks have asked, “And sister, what are the sunflowers for?” To which we just get to smile and say, Joy!
Sun & moon, bless the Lord! Mountains & hills, bless the Lord! (Psalm 148)
Tomatoes & sunflowers, bless the Lord!