The beauty of nature during autumn has always been a great source of thankfulness in my life.
The other morning I happened to wake up just as the crimson sun was rising above the horizon. It lit up all the orange, yellow and red leaves plummeting wistfully to the ground. The entire woods outside my window was aglow with a magnificent light reminiscent of Moses’ burning bush. It was truly a “God Spot,” as Sister Mary Hugh used to tell us in Lay Ministry Class. God was surely revealing His deep love for me in that beautiful moment.
The Theophanies that come into our lives, those moments where God makes Himself known to us, need to be recognized and appreciated, but too often they are missed or ignored. These simple gifts God offers on a daily basis, such as hearing the ocean crash on the shore or a baby coo in his mother’s arms, cause me to want to sing out my favorite psalm from childhood, Psalm 100: “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord all ye lands, serve the Lord with gladness and come before Him with joyful song. Know that the Lord is God, He made us, we belong to Him, and we are His people, the flock He shepherds. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, enter
His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and bless His name. For the Lord is good and His mercy is everlasting and His faithfulness will endure to all generations.”
I love being part of the sheep of His flock, and I love to give Him thanks and bless His name. However, I also understand the deeper symbolism of the lamb and the sacrifice He made, the great gift He has given us all. I am thankful for the blessings and the opportunities He gives me to pick up my cross and follow Him, even when the path is not so beautiful and the way is dark. It is then that I am most grateful for the abiding love He has given us in the Sacraments, which provides me with the tangible gift, the proverbial hug I need to carry on. Thanks be to the Lord Our God.
Deacon Carl F. Brown serves at Good Shepherd Mission in King.