Walking in the cemetery has often been a meditation for me. Recalling the last days of the suffering in the lives of these Sisters while on earth as their Living Stations of the Cross, I now view my walk up and down the rows, recalling them more like the Living Stations of the Saints.
In my
last three visits to our cemetery, I saw a beautiful white squirrel jumping
happily from one tombstone to another, looking a bit like playing hopscotch. It
was simply being happy jumping around as
it was meant to do. Or was it simply looking for nuts that were buried around
the edges of some of the tombstones? Do
these creatures sense their connection with this holy ground? Does the remaining ashes of these deceased
Sisters enrich the soil making the grass more soft and pleasing to their tiny
feet? When one looks at the surrounding green hedges, and all the beautiful
trees of different kinds, different shapes, different textures, and different
sizes surrounding the whole cemetery, one can’t help but wonder if part of
their beauty comes from the Spirit of these Saints buried here since 1880”s. Does this squirrel, also one of God’s
creatures instinctly live out its “Godliness” becoming a reflection of the beauty of God?
And we as human beings with the same Creator,
are we attracted to all the beauty, including this white squirrels for the same
reason? Even though the decayed bodies
are still here, their ashes, or dust,
are holy, making it holy ground.
Often
before leaving the cemetery, and walking between the rows, knowing they are
ashes but believing that their Spirit is
alive, I read the names of these Sister-Saints
out loud and ask for their intercession, that their Spirit be very much present
guiding our community in our discernment
process in electing our next prioress.
Hoping to see my white furry friend again.
Margaret Mandernach, OSB
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